Such Depths of Love #adventbookclub – Day 30
Philippians 2:5-11 (CEV)
5 and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought:
6 Christ was truly God.
But he did not try to remain
equal with God.
7 Instead he gave up everything
and became a slave,
when he became
like one of us.
8 Christ was humble.
He obeyed God
and even died
on a cross.
9 Then God gave Christ
the highest place
and honored his name
above all others.
10 So at the name of Jesus
everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.
11 And to the glory
of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!”
So Jesus didn’t have to come to earth. He could have stayed safely with God.
But that wouldn’t have done much good for me. I was never going to save myself.
Jesus gave up everything he was, to come to earth and be God here. He could have stayed safely with the Father. Never had to suffer the injustices he was subjected to on earth, the disbelief, the taunting, death.
But he did. For me and for you. He took on humanity, he became like us.
Maggi gives a good theological summary of how God could be both divine and human (p133). It is something both creative and redemptive – a true expression of what God is. He is Everything, but was willing to let go of that.
It may be that what he did was a “no brainer” because of the depth of his love for us (after all who of us wouldn’t do everything that we can for the sake of those we love), but he still had to decide to do it, and make that act of sacrifice. God loves us so much, it was impossible not to.
We too are invited to those depths of love, to think the same way as Christ.
God has become like us – that we might become like him.
God became like me – that I might become like him. Let it be so Lord, I pray.
This year, several of us are reading Beginnings and Endings by Maggi Dawn and joining together to comment on it. Do join us at the Adventbookclub Facebook page, follow #adventbookclub on Twitter or comment below. If you are also reading and blogging on this book, let me know and I will link to your blog.
Pam's Perambulation 