A Closer Walk
A CLOSER WALK
Greg Worthen
Dr. Seuss had a way with words. "Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" Dr. Seuss, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” We hear it each year around this time. Not the Grinch and how he stole Christmas, although we hear that also. We hear this question. “What is the meaning of Christmas?” Or, “What is the TRUE meaning of Christmas?” Any thoughts?
The Christmas Story actually begins not with Mary or Joseph, although they are intimately involved in the story. The Christmas story actually begins in Heaven. “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” Philippians 2:5-11 NASB.
Although He existed in the form of God... .” “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus, the Word, existed before the beginning. He was with God. And He was (and still is) God. But He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or held onto. Verses 5 and 6 from the Amplified Bible, “Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility], who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes--the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it].”
Jesus was in every way, form, and fashion God. Equal to and in essence God. But he chose to lay that aside (give up His very Godness, if I can use that word) and humbled Himself to the point of leaving His rightful home in Heaven, coming to earth and becoming a man who was born of a woman. Most modern translations I have consulted use the word bond-servant to describe Jesus' state here on earth. A bond-servant is someone who chooses to, and volunteers to, become a servant (literally slave) to someone else. Who would want to do that? Well, Jesus for one. Bond-servants (again, literally slaves) were common in Biblical times, both Old Testament and New Testament times. Some who immigrated to our own country in its infancy became bond-servants in order to have their passage across the ocean paid for. The bond-servant received something in return for his servitude, passage to the New World.
Jesus humbled Himself to come to earth and live as a man. He was obedient to His, and our, Heavenly father. Even to the point of death. Death on a cross. Why would anyone do that? Jesus Himself explained it to us. “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends, if you do what I command you,”John 15:13 NASB. He laid down His life for you and for me, because He considers us His friends. Even more than that, the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him,” Romans 8:16-17 NASB.
If we are children of God we are also joint heirs of the Lord Jesus. Joint heirs is a higher station than a friend. We, you and I, are His brothers and sisters; and by extension brothers and sisters with each other. All because although He existed as God and was with God, He did not regard equality with God as a thing to be grasped. But instead He emptied Himself, poured out His Godness so to speak, laid aside His Godly attributes, and forfeited His rightful Heavenly home. In order to come to earth as a man and give up His life as payment for our, your and my, sins. What a Savior! O what a Savior!