Divine
I opened today's box and as I read the word "Divine," the incredible awe of who Christ really is struck me yet again. Many people think of baby Jesus as someone who grew up to be a great leader, a prophet, an example, or historical figure...while those aspects of His character may be true, those alone, without the essence of His Deity, cause us to miss the whole point, the whole good news, the whole reason we celebrate Christmas. Probably my favorite quote on the subject is from the wonderful author and theologian, C.S. Lewis, in his classic, Mere Christianity:
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things that Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says that he is a poached egg- or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about Him being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
The Scripture that comes to mind immediately as I read "Divine" is Philippians 2:6-11, where most theologians believe Paul is quoting one of the earliest church hymns/creeds. This passage is a type of confession, containing dogma (principles laid out as incontrovertibly and indisputably true by authority). It also contains liturgy, doxology, and worship. In addition, it is written in a style similar to that of a debate, arguing and proving a strong point, which is Christ's divinity.
Let's read it together:
Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Incredible. Absolutely incredible. Jesus would lay aside His place in Heaven as eternal King and enter into the human muck and mire, experiencing all the pain and temptation we experience, yet remain perfect and become the servant of all, giving up His life willingly, so we might live. It's all too great for us to comprehend, too much to wrap our minds around, but we must attempt to grasp it. We must sit before this truth, take our time and meditate upon it and ponder it.
