The Word - March 30, 2012 - THE HUMILIATION OF CHRIST

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:5-6).

Philippians chapter two is another Scripture that gives us another picture of the suffering and humiliation of our Lord Jesus Christ, "Who although He was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up His divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave, and was born as a human being. Then he humbled himself and died a criminal's death on a cross."

I am among those who believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is God; not only the Son of God, but is God. Thank God for the eternal deity of His Son, and thank God that Christ is equal to the Father and with the Spirit. What a wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Jesus; what a wonderful Savior to me!

This One who was God, divested himself of his glory, emptied himself into a body of human flesh, became in form as a servant, and was made in the likeness of man. Do our finite minds understand this greatest of all mysteries? That little seed, an embryo, that was placed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, was God--Yes God!

That little baby that developed that came into this world was God, revealed in human flesh,---a mystery, an unfathomable mystery. Great is the mystery of godliness, and do you also know, great is the mystery of the marring of the visage and form of the Lord Jesus. His visage so marred, more than that of any person in all the world, ever!

What does this mystery actually mean? Oh, that we might be able to grasp and really appreciate at least some of it! Oh, it is a mystery, that our Lord Jesus allowed Himself to be taken and treated so. This mystery deepens, beloved, when I think of the words of our Savior. To the Father He says, A body you have prepared for me." That body He lived in was given to him by God. It was a prepared body, and it makes it all the sadder to me to think that it was marred and scarred beyond recognition; and it was so because of my sin,...and yours. Man of sorrows! what a name for the Son of God, who came ruined sinners to reclaim! Hallelujah! WHAT A SAVIOR!