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?
Meant to ping you to 21. This stuff came up again, and so soon.
The man-god doctrine doesn't allow the Biblical text to make any sense. Theories and confusion into perpetuity then. Dead leaven that rises not.
The tribe/kingship is through the father: direct lineage, y chromosome (funny how that one alone, the little one, marks a straight path). Judah ---> David ---> Joseph ("son of David") ---> Messiah ("son of David")
Mat 1:1 is the genesis of Christ Jesus, son of David, son of Abraham: the "begats" [Matthew] come down through Solomon. Joseph didn't become Jesus' father through the regular begetting process, so no "begat" with his name. Why the "IVF" through the Holy Spirit?
Luke 1:34-35 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Luke's genealogy goes in reverse - no physical begetting at all ('sons' is added there anyway) - all the way back to Adam, "[son] of God".
Son of man (Matthew); son of God (Luke); son from heaven; son from earth
1 Corinthians 15:45-50
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
As long as the Mary-go-round keeps people entertained, they won't see any reason to jump off.
Meanwhile, discussions about two lineages, (trees, family trees) and the different fruit they produce (spiritual vs. physical) appear all over the texts.
What would Gabriel have to say? :-/
It makes sense to me. I think the evidence is there, though maybe not in the KJV. Maybe on this one, we can only agree to disagree. :)
Missed what? Otherwise I'm sure there must be some "thats" in the Gospels, somewhere?
Golly! I thought that's exactly what it said...Maybe you should tell Paul?
Thanks for pinging me, Mark. Metmom has another good thread. Not quite as controversial as the last. But a good contemplative one for us to think on which I shall.
All the nonsense about Joseph being 90 and Mary living in the Temple until she was 12 etc.
Infancy Gospel of James, OR PROTEVANGELIUM
Book of James, or PROTEVANGELIUM Origen mentions the Book of James (and the Gospel of Peter) as stating that the ' brethren of the Lord' were sons of Joseph by a former wife. This is the first mention of it, and shows us that the book is as old as the second century. The text shows additions or alterations. Difficulty is caused by the sudden introduction of Joseph as the narrator in ch.xviii. 2 sqq. We cannot be sure whether this means that a fragment of a 'Joseph-apocryphon' has been introduced at this point; or, if so, how far it extends. We are sure, from a sentence of Clement of Alexandria, that some story of a midwife being present at the Nativity was current in the second century. We have the book in the original Greek and in several oriental versions, the oldest of which is the Syriac. We know there was a Latin version because a book identifiable with ours in Latin is condemned in the Gelasian Decree. In the early chapters of the Protevangelium the Old Testament is extensively drawn upon and imitated. However, it is obvious that the author was not Jewish and not familiar with Jewish life or language. Adapted from the translation of “BOOK OF JAMES, OR PROTEVANGELIUM” From "The Apocryphal New Testament" M.R. James-Translation and Notes Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1924
The Book of Jasher is also contained in the volume above, mentioned at least twice in the KJV:
Joshua 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
2 Samuel 1:18 (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)
MM, does this mean that Mary and Joseph were sexually active together, when Joseph was 90 years old? In the dictionary definition of stamina, there must be a picture of Joseph. 😀😆😄
Not Scripture.
The PROTEVANGELIUM is of dubious reputation.
Evidently it was written prior to the 2nd century, and prior to Constantine’s binding interpretations of Church doctrine, and unless you can show something in the canonized scriptures which contradict the story, perhaps you’ll forgive me for thinking the “Infancy Gospel of James” more accurate than your own assumptions on the matter. :)
So, anything the Scriptures don't directly address - any hoax, any unverifiable truth claim, etc. - you will assume is "accurate?"
Certainly, this would have to include claims like Joseph Smith's that Christ visited America?
Perhaps you will forgive me for thinking that Inspired Scripture has ultimate authority over these other claims.
This is NONSENSE!!!!!
Jesus CURSING people and killing and blinding them?
Absolute hogwash.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infancy_Gospel_of_Thomas
Although the miracles seem quite randomly inserted into the text, there are three miracles before, and three after, each of the sets of lessons. The structure of the story is essentially:
Bringing life to a dried fish (this is only present in later texts)
(First group)
3 Miracles - Breathes life into birds fashioned from clay, curses a boy, who then becomes a corpse, curses a boy who falls dead and his parents become blind
Attempt to teach Jesus which fails, with Jesus doing the teaching
3 Miracles - Reverses his earlier acts, resurrects a friend who fell from a roof, heals a man who chopped his foot with an axe.[2]
(Second group)
3 Miracles - Carries water on cloth, produces a feast from a single grain, stretches a beam of wood to help his father finish constructing a bed
Attempts to teach Jesus, which fails, with Jesus doing the teaching
3 Miracles - Heals James from snake poison, resurrects a child who died of illness, resurrects a man who died in a construction accident
Mark 11:12-25 Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts :)
I can show you something. The character of Jesus in this fable contradicts His character in the Bible. There is nothing there to recommend wasting time on.
I made the statement in reference to the story of Mary and Joseph, and their ages. I also stated a good deal of discernment is required when exploring these texts. Don't put words in my mouth.
Did these words originate with you? unless you can show something in the canonized scriptures which contradict the story Or did I just imagine them?
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