Being in Very Nature God

How easily we can take for granted things we know so well, can’t we? Some verses of the Bible are so well known we can so easily skip through them without really noticing the absolute enormity of the claims they make! Take for example Philippians 2:6-11. I read it afresh this morning and the depths of what it says overwhelmed me.

In calling his readers (and that includes us!) to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus, Paul reminds us of some fundamental truths about who this Jesus really is.

Firstly, this Jesus is revealed as sharing the very nature of God. He didn’t come into existence when He was born to His mother Mary at Bethlehem. He pre-existed that moment. When Jesus was born as a tiny baby coming forth from His mother He was absolutely and completely human, yet also simultaneously the God who created humanity in the first place. If that doesn’t blow your mind, then I don’t know what will!

Secondly, the humility of entering into the human story from such lofty heights astonishes me. To empty Himself and become fully and completely human, vulnerable, and dependent, is utterly incredible.

But more than that, this same Jesus who should have been universally worshipped and adored, hid His glory and instead suffered injustice, betrayal, rejection, hostility, and hatred, and was falsely accused, and handed over to be tortured and killed. Again, all this at the hands of the very creatures that He had given life to.

And His death wasn’t just the end of life as we know it, but the utter humiliation and suffering of one sentenced to death on a cross, perhaps the most brutal way of killing a human being ever devised by men.

And all this as the means by which we might be restored to relationship with God. What a story!

No wonder verse 9 of this declaration begins with a “therefore”. Because of Jesus’ descent into the human condition and even a descent into death itself, this same Jesus is utterly worthy of being exalted, of being lifted up to the highest place (verse 9). His name is ultimately the one before whom every knee shall bow. And we of course have the choice either to do so freely by accepting Jesus as our own personal Saviour and Redeemer while the option exists or, failing that, we will do so at the end of all things when His full glory is revealed.

Even the closing statement of this section is simply breath-taking: “And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (verse 11). Imagine that! There will be a moment when there is no room for doubting, there will be no ‘nay sayers’. For every tongue will agree and speak out the truth, that Jesus Christ is Lord. Wow!