He Did Descend, Undressing All the Way

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"He stripped Himself of all privileges and rightful dignity, so as to assume the guise of a slave, in that He became like men and was born a human being. And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself still further and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!" (Philippians 2:7-8, Amplified Bible).

Bruce Shelly, a professor at Denver Seminary, published a book titled Church History in Plain Language. His opening sentence of the first chapter is one of the most compelling statements I’ve ever come upon. He writes, “Christianity is the only major religion which has as its central event the humiliation of its God.”

God’s humiliation began with the Incarnation, and ended with the Crucifixion.

"The God of power, as He did ride in His majestic robes of glory, resolved to light; and so one day He did descend, undressing all the way."(George Herbert).

Consider that He restrained His omnipotence within the frailty of human flesh; He confined His omniscience within the limitations of human thought, and He contained His omnipresence within the body of one human – Jesus of Nazareth. This in itself is humbling, but there's more.

In addition to this, He came as a Servant, instead of One who is served. A King willing to be treated as a slave! But there is still more.

In the ultimate descent and undressing, He humbled Himself unto a horrible death on a despised cross. Shelly is right, “Christianity is the only major religion which has as its central event the humiliation of its God.”

Any why did He so willingly humble Himself? Why, it was so that He might lift us up!

The greatest gift you can give to Jesus is a life lived above the common. He descended that you might ascend; he came down that you might go up; He became sin, that you might be made righteous. He died that you might live.

Yes, He did descend, undressing all the way -- that you and I might now ascend, clothed in the power and goodness of God!
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