Christ Jesus… being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Philippians 2:6-7 NIV
I’ve always thought of this song as a Christmas reading! It speaks of the pre-existence of Jesus as God, and the miracle of the Creator taking the form of His created. It speaks of His life and death, His glorification, and His justification before the world that He is Lord of all.
He “made himself nothing.” The Creator of the universe, an infinite being, took the form of a microscopic zygote, embryo, and fetus. He developed a spine and tail, large eyes, and gecko-like fingers. His arms and legs lengthened, His heart began beating, his brain made patterns, and He sucked His thumb. He could hear His mother’s heartbeat. As He grew larger, He crossed His ankles and drew up His knees. He developed in every way as we did. When He was born, He cried and needed milk and diaper changes.
As Jesus grew he played with the neighbor kids and scraped his knuckles and shins. He rolled down hills and climbed trees, and helped with the harvests and flocks as a day laborer.
As He learned to read, He apprenticed to the building trade. As he matured, His voice deepened. Fathers thought He’d make a great husband for their daughters. The town knew Him as the kindest, most helpful kid ever.“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” 1 John 4:2-3 NKJV
Fully human, fully divine, even as a “nothing.” But being made in the image of God, this One reflected the love, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness of the Abba Father, as well the human body and blended DNA of his ancestors going back to Adam and Eve.
Jesus’ authority, power, and glory were always there, but He lived His life as one of us, taking no power of His own, but showing us that even as lowly slaves, we can do anything in God’s power.
