God wanted something. The Lord is a loving God and he wanted a people who would love Him. He could create a people to do that. However, if they were made to be loving, then it wouldn’t be an impressive choice. If the people had free will, then they could choose to love Him. Thus began the creation of Adam and Eve.
The Lord knew that it would be a complicated plan. There would be a fall (the garden) and temporary fixes. There would be a day that Jesus would come for the ultimate repair. His sacrifice would deal with the sin issue.
God understood that it would take much to draw us. It’s as if we needed convincing. Almost like luring a scared dog out of it’s hiding place. He sacrificed much to do this. Philippians 2:6,7 says, “Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
This passage says He “emptied Himself”. This is a big deal. At one moment, He was reigning in heaven, the next He was born in a manger. He wouldn’t return to this heavenly position for 33 years. It was a mission that was fraught with difficulties. He wasn’t coming into wealth, or status. He was born into the working classes. His dad, Joseph worked with his hands.. If it were today, Joseph would have a carpenter’s union sticker on his truck.
Our culture celebrates the wealthy, the talented, the brilliant and the beautiful. These are life’s winners. The guests on Jimmy Fallon’s show are some examples. Joseph wouldn’t have been a guest. If it were today, Jesus would not attend private schools. He would be in a working class neighborhood and would have some shop classes in school.
Jesus was raised in Nazareth. He had His place in the neighborhood. When he sought to “rise above his station”, the neighbors shamed Him. Today we would say “He was putting on airs”. Matthew 13:55,56 contains their responses, ‘“Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? “And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at Him.’
Jesus became the hero of the “common man” by coming from the poor and silencing the “privileged”, Matthew 22:33. He captivated the crowds. Many attempted to crown Him king (John 6:15). However, His mission wasn’t to begin His reign at that time. He came to sacrifice Himself for our sins. In a sense, He even put aside the wishes of the oppressed. A righteous rule of earth will have to wait. He was giving them something better, freedom from their person guilt and sin.
Jesus made His initial step down from heavenly king to earthly baby, christmas morning. He lived the life of the lowly. Part two of His plan produced a second “emptying” of Himself. The first one was Him coming to earth to live a life to capture the hearts of people for all time. The second emptying was for Him to die a death that was heroic and substitutionary, (Good Friday). John 13 has Jesus at the last supper. During His three years of ministry the phrase “His hour has not come” was used many times. However, verse one says that this was His hour. He would get up and perform His greatest act of service, His death.
Jesus began this service by washing the disciple’s feet. It says in verse four that he “laid aside His garments; taking a towel, He girded Himself.” What was He laying aside this time? It was all that He had built up. The disciples saw no end to His life and ministry. The multitudes were fed with loaves and fishes. The sick were healed. The hopeless were given hope. This was a great life. Jesus had to work hard to keep the multitudes away. Yet, His role of earthy messiah wasn’t to begin now. That would be later. The time for the ultimate sacrifice had come. It’s as if the clock in eternity had just gonged. The angels were in a hushed quiet as all heaven looked down. He laid aside the earthly role and picked up the servant’s towel one last time.
Jesus’ choice to lay it aside took massive foresight and will. He underwent great difficulties to save us. I think of a navy seal who is trained to perform great tasks. I can picture this warrior in a helicopter in scuba gear. He leaps into the ocean which is the beginning of a hostile and dangerous task. He does this for love of country. He lays aside the security of the helicopter and jumps in. So, Jesus stepped out of eternity and into time. He did it for the love of us.
He laid aside all to give us a way out. We no longer need to be controlled by sin. We no longer need to wallow in guilt. We can choose God. Our motives in going to The Lord, aren’t always love. However, once we’re there and we get to know and trust Him, it becomes love. Titus 2:14 says, “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds”.
Lord, thank You for Your plan and thank You for Jesus who lived it. You gave us the gift of Your Son on Christmas Day. Help us to give ourselves to You.