The Love of God in Christ

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-11 ESV).

Perhaps one of the most incredible truths of the Scripture is found in the fact that Jesus became a man. Fully God, Jesus became fully man in order to take the penalty of our sin upon himself that we might be given grace to our salvation. I like the way Max Lucado put it in the book, God Came Near:

"The omnipotent, in one instant, made himself breakable. He who had been spirit became piercable. He who was larger than the universe became an embryo. And he who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young girl. God as a fetus. Holiness sleeping in a womb. The creator of life being created. God was given eyebrows, elbows, two kidneys, and a spleen. He stretched against the walls and floated in the amniotic fluids of his mother" (Lucado, God Came Near, 25-6).

The Word became flesh… God became human
The invisible became visible…the untouchable became touchable
The eternal life experienced temporal death
The transcendent one descended and drew near
The unlimited became limited… the infinite became finite
The immutable became mutable
The unbreakable became fragile… spirit became matter… eternity entered time
The independent became dependent… the almighty became weak
The loved became the hated
The exalted was humbled… glory was subjected to shame… fame turned into obscurity… from inexpressible joy to tears of unimaginable grief… from a throne to a cross…from ruler to being ruled…from power to weakness.

However, I find no “glory” in his death. For me to shout Oh, Glorious Day! I am drawn to reason for his death. Jesus said, Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13 ESV). THAT’S INCREDIBLE!