The Humiliation of God’s Only Begotten Son

It was accomplished in two stages. First, He was in God’s likeness with the Father; He was God-like. The Son did not consider it robbery to remain there and be like God leaving us in our sins. But because both the Father and the Son loved us so much, He voluntarily renounced this glory by humbling (lowering) Himself, and instead became like us in all things, yet without sinning. He came into the world in the likeness of men! Phil. 2:7.

1) What an indescribably great humiliation this was—out of pure godly love for us—in order to atone for our sins and save us from perdition, as well as consecrating a new and living way for us that leads out of a life of sin and to becoming partakers of divine nature, so that we can be exalted and become like Jesus Christ, thus becoming His true brothers and thereby also His fellow heirs, as it is written. Eph. 3:6.

What a remarkably boundless love and sacrifice! Therefore the first stage was that He renounced being in the likeness of God, coming into the world in the likeness of men, or, that He renounced being like God, becoming like us in all things! Heb. 2:14, 17.

2) The second stage was that after He humbled Himself so deeply, He continued to humble Himself in the extreme so that, at the end He was mocked, reviled, and reckoned among the worst sinners and transgressors, being condemned to death for blasphemy, and crucified together with two robbers, who also mocked Him like the scribes and high priests and the elders!

All this happened after He, in the days of His flesh, had constantly humbled Himself so that He could neither say nor do anything of His own accord. He only did and said what the Father showed Him and said to Him! John 5:19, 30; 6:38.

Jesus fought and suffered, taking all this humiliation upon Himself in order that we could be exalted together with Him and that we could have the right and the power to forgive people their sins. He became poor in order to make us poor wretches rich in spirit and in truth! 2 Cor. 8:9.

Something so outstanding! To be poor Himself in order to make others rich! Rich people don’t usually dig that deep into their pockets and into whatever else they possess.

God and the Lamb be highly praised for their unfathomable, great love for us poor people! How is it with a correspondingly great love for Him?