Jesus 2

Why did Jesus become flesh (John 1:14) taking upon Him the seed of Abraham (Hebrews 2:16)?  Jesus summed the purpose up in Matthew 20:28: “the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”  He came to serve humanity and pay the ransom price for humanity in bondage to sin.  Isaiah foretold of this payment for sin when he wrote, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:10,11).  This Jesus accomplished with His death at Calvary.

But was there a further sacrifice on the part of Jesus?  Consider the words of Paul in I Corinthians 15:25-28:

For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

Note carefully the words of verse 28, “when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him.”  This Jesus, who in the beginning was the Word both with God and was Himself God (John 1:1-3), will become subject to the Father when all is subdued, after the great judgment day.  How can this be?  Before the creation they were equal (John 1:1-3), but not after the judgment.  Why?

Because Jesus surrendered something according to Philippians 2:5ff. Remember the ASV translation reads of Jesus “who existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,” a thing to grab hold of and not let go.  What does this mean?  Jesus became a human being when He became flesh.  He was and is still deity, still God, but He also is now human.  Humanity cannot be equal to God; therefore, He will assume a position of submission to the Father.  The sacrifice of Jesus goes far beyond His death on the cross.

Lord willing we will examine how this should affect our lives as we heed Paul’s admonition to have the mind of Christ.

— Denny