Posted on 03/21/2017 9:16:13 AM PDT by metmom
“But emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7).
As part of His humble descent from Heaven to earth, Jesus set aside the exercise of His divine privileges.
The next step in Jesus’ pattern of humility as He came to earth and lived among mankind was His emptying of Himself. But Scripture is clear that while on earth our Lord claimed to be God: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). At no time did He stop being God.
The Greek word for “emptied” gives us the theological term kenosis, the doctrine of Christ’s self-emptying. The kenosis basically reminds us of what we saw in yesterday’s lesson: Jesus’ humble refusal to cling to His advantages and privileges in Heaven. The Son of God, who has a right to everything and is fully satisfied within Himself, voluntarily emptied Himself.
We have already noted that Jesus did not empty Himself of His deity, but He did lay aside certain prerogatives. For one thing, He gave up His heavenly glory. That’s why, in anticipation of His return to the Father, Christ prayed, “Glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I ever had with Thee before the world was” (John 17:5).
Jesus also relinquished His independent authority and completely submitted Himself to the Father’s will: “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39).
During His time on earth, Christ also voluntarily limited the use and display of His divine attributes. One good illustration of this concerned His omniscience, His knowledge of all things. In teaching about the end-times and His second coming, Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matt. 24:36).
Jesus’ self-emptying demonstrates a wonderful aspect of the gospel. Unlike man-centered, works-oriented religions, the biblical gospel has God’s Son willingly yielding His privileges to sacrifice Himself for sinners like us.
Suggestions for Prayer
Pray that you would become more appreciative of the sacrificial humility Jesus Christ exercised on your behalf.
For Further Study
Scripture does not record a lot about Jesus’ boyhood. But the account we do have verifies His emptying. Read Luke 2:39-52. What does verse 47 imply about Jesus’ nature? How do verses 51-52 exemplify His emptying?
Studying God’s Word ping
That he was a 'buff', totally into all the details of the Temple. Like his father David. Like father like son. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 2:46-50
46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
His father's [carpentry and craftsman] business:
1 Chr 28
11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,
12 And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:
13 Also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord.
14 He gave of gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:
15 Even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick, and for the lamps thereof: and for the candlesticks of silver by weight, both for the candlestick, and also for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick.
16 And by weight he gave gold for the tables of shewbread, for every table; and likewise silver for the tables of silver:
17 Also pure gold for the fleshhooks, and the bowls, and the cups: and for the golden basons he gave gold by weight for every bason; and likewise silver by weight for every bason of silver:
18 And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
19 All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.
1 Kings 8:18-19 And the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart. 19 Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name.
John 10:22-25
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
There are 10 verses (KJV) containing son + David + mercy, 7 of 10 having to do with the blind.
One can find much interesting reading about Yeshua's early years in texts not included in the KJV.
One source I recommend is: The Encyclopedia of Lost and Rejected Scriptures: The Pseudepigrapha and Apocrypha Kindle Edition by Joseph Lumpkin
Specifically,
Introduction: The Life and Times of Jesus
Infancy Gospel of James, OR PROTEVANGELIUM
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Latin Text
The History of Joseph the Carpenter
So unlike many rebellious "Christians" of today, who refute the commandments of the Almighty, Yeshua "perfectly" followed them???
Of the many great examples and teachings which Yeshua left us, one was washing the feet of his Disciples.
James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
I won’t hold to the veracity of such texts, but the small portion in the NT about Jesus in the Temple at age twelve does say quite a bit.
He was already into figurative speech, so it threw off his parents.
In the Temple, he was like ‘a kid in the candy store.’ D’oh. :)
"David my servant", and "my servant David" - Eze 37.
Again, like father like son. The religious experts were fixated on literal genealogy, but the common people understood his having David's character trait of mercy, like father like son. "Son of David, have mercy on me..."
If David called him 'lord', how then is he his son? The experts couldn't answer.. same as today.
The people loved David because he went out amongst them. Another example of a name as a prophecy, David meaning "beloved".
Yeshua is a decedent of David on Mary's side, according to a number of scholars who've overcome an error confusing Mary's father with Joseph.
David’s son through his father. Y chromosome. Jesus was conceived by means of the Holy Spirit. In modern days babies are able to be conceived by means of doctors and lab techs, not that those folks are the literal fathers (although there have been some stories...!)
One must use a good deal of discernment when exploring such texts, however Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
I don't recall which of the texts listed above describes Yeshua and his instructors, but one talks about His knowledge of letters, which I'm sure you would find of interesting. :)
I'll have to check that out.
alef-tav; alpha-omega:
In Jewish traditions Moses is known as the first and last redeemer (the last being the Messiah, who has the soul of Moses).
But of Joseph, he could be considered the first, because he was sent ahead to save life in a great deliverance. And plus, his bones were intrinsic to the process.
Joseph + Moses = 501 = r'osh (head)
There's always some mathematical principle..
Studied the Bible from Catholic school though several readings and decades as an adult Christian before this interesting item came to my attention.
At the beginning of Matthew 1 and Luke 3:23 are 2 different genealogies for Jesus - he had inheritance by blood through Mary and legally through his adoptive father Joseph.
If you read the accounts in the scriptures I've listed above ( they're not in the KJV, and I'm repeating this from memory, so please don't hold me to complete accuracy ), Mary was a virgin all of her life. She was raised in the temple until the age of 12 or 14 when the priests, afraid of having a young woman roaming the temple and the problems that might cause, gave her to Joseph, a very righteous man and widower of approximately 90 years of age, at the time. Yeshua's siblings were all from Joseph's first wife, according to texts listed above.
Mary thru the Holy Spirit conceived around 14-16 years of age. Again, memory fails. Joseph died at well over 100 years of age, but before the Crucifixion. Yeshua was a young man when Joseph died, and at his side when he passed.
Mary went to the temple at three years of age:
VII. 1 "And to the child her months were added: and the child became two years old. And Joakim said: Let us bring her up to the temple of the Lord that we may pay the promise which we promised; lest the Lord require it of us (lit. send to us), and our gift become unacceptable. And Anna said: Let us wait until the third year, that the child may not long after her father or mother. And Joakim said: Let us wait."
Mary was given to Joseph at around 12 yo:
VII 2 And when she was twelve years old, there was a council of the priests, saying: Behold Mary is become twelve years old in the temple of the Lord. What then shall we do with her? lest she pollute the sanctuary of the Lord. And they said to the high priest: You stand over the altar of the Lord. Enter in and pray concerning her: And whatsoever the Lord shall reveal to you, that let us do.
At sixteen she became pregnant with Jesus/Yeshua:
Who am I, Lord, that all the generations of the earth do bless me? 8 And she abode three months with Elizabeth, and day by day her womb grew: and Mary was afraid and departed to her house and hid herself from the children of Israel. Now she was sixteen years old when these mysteries came to pass.
12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
According to some scholars, one of which is Nehemia Gordon, a Karaite Scholar, over two dozen Hebrew Matthews have been discovered. In two of the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Matthew, verse 16 linage above reads, "Yoseph avi Miriam" - Yoseph the father of Miriam of whom was born Yeshua.
From the apocryphal Gospel of James upstream, Mary's father is Joakim. In Matthew, it's Yoseph, or Yoseph ben Jacob (Yaakov), so in the apocryphal Gospel of James there is some discrepancy - but perhaps explainable?
Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.
IMO, ONLY allows for a blood decedent, fulfilled through Mariam/Mary.
Matt. 1:16 "...and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah."
Because if you count the generations, there are only 13 generations given in Matthew. Whereas, if Joseph isn't the "husband of Mary", but the "father of Mary", as the recently discovered Hebrew Matthew manuscripts may confirm, then there are 14 generations, keeping with the pattern of number of generations from Abraham to David, and from David to the exile to Babylon, and 14 generations from exile to Yeshua.
Luke contains the linage of Yoseph ben Eli, Yeshua's stepfather. But Yeshua's only earthly parent was Mary, whose linage through her father, Yoseph ben Yaakov, is listed in the book of Matthew. It explains the discrepancy between the two genealogies and the two slightly different names of Joseph connected to Mary in both Luke and Matthew.
#16
I missed that in the Gospels.
Just where did you find that?
Matthew or Luke, who deal with the genealogy of Jesus?
Except when He said,"This is my body..."
--Catholic_Wannabe_Dude(Hail Mary!!)
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