Devotions - BIG JESUS

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 2:8–11

Thorn, Joe. Note to Self (Foreword by Sam Storms) (p. 47). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

I love this passage. Here is an excerpt from one of my sermons. Hopefully, it will encourage you to see GIANT JESUS:

It is one of the most incredible statements in the bible. Jesus humbles himself from his pre-existent state and becomes a man. Then being found as a man, he humbles himself below what any man would or could. If you are measuring humility distance, Jesus wins by an incredible margin. He went from the heights of heaven to the depth of human existence. The span cannot be measured it is so great.

I have trouble grasping it all. No human could do it. If we arrived on another planet with inhabitants less capable than ourselves, we would not serve them but become their master. Jesus shows up on earth, and instead of setting up a throne, allows us to treat him as a criminal subjecting him to the worst form of torture and execution ever know to humankind.

Yet, due to his great humility distance traveled, God lifted him up higher than any other being on earth, under the earth, or above for all time. The Heavenly Father gave Jesus the name and position that is only next to his own. That is why we can worship Jesus – because God lifted him up!

The apostle Paul carefully pictures for us the descent of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ from, the highest possible position in the universe down, to His becoming a servant and dying His death on the cross, and then carrying the reader up again to see Jesus seated once more on the throne of His glory in heaven, where every knee shall bow and every tongue of men will confess that “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Reflections:

  1. What are some examples of a “shrinking Jesus”?

  2. Humble yourself and ask God how your expectations of Jesus have narrowed?

  3. Expect Jesus to meet you in this moment!

Please write a brief encouraging comment below. Doing so creates community and dialog with the Emmanuel Family and Friends. Thank you. Pastor John