Theologians refer to the “divine emptying” of Christ as “Kenosis.” This is the most profound message in the entire Bible and is worthy of our study:
Philippians 2:5-11 – Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
These verses tell us Jesus left heaven’s glory to come to earth in the flesh. Jesus emptied himself by abstaining from using any of his divine powers during his ministry on earth and relied solely on the power of the Holy Spirit. The phrase, “in the form of God,” doesn’t refer to physical shape but the inner, essential, abiding nature of a person or thing. The use of the term “robbery” is meant to convey Jesus didn’t consider the outer manifestation of his deity in heaven something to hold onto or treasure. It’s staggering to imagine the Creator of the universe suddenly deciding to lower himself in order to become a creature that he created. That’s like the king of the world suddenly deciding to become an ant. A human being couldn’t have come up with such an absurd idea. Only the mind of God could conceive of it which to me is another proof that Jehovah is God and there is no other. For those who have eyes, let them read and understand what has been written.
It’s not so much the fact that God laid aside his crown and came to earth in person, it’s that he came as a lowly peasant, a servant to be persecuted, struck, spit on and killed in the most horrible way possible on the cross. It boggles my mind every time I think about it. Why did God have to do it this way? Because it was needed to save us. God loves us that much. There was no other way for God’s justice to be satisfied because the wages of sin is death. Somebody had to die for our sins and it was either each of us or Jesus for all of us. God in his love, mercy and grace, sacrificed his Son for us. At first God and man stood face to face with each other in the Garden of Eden. In sinning, Adam turned his back upon God. Then God turned his back upon Adam. Christ’s death has satisfied the demands of God and now God has again turned his face toward man. It only remains for man to turn around and face God. Since God has been reconciled by the death of his Son, man is now encouraged to be reconciled to God. Christ’s death was necessary for two reasons, because of God’s holiness and because of man’s sinfulness.
Leviticus 11:44 – For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.
Romans 10:10-12 – As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seek after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.
Jesus died to redeem us from hell. By his death Jesus justified us before God. God himself will sanctify us by his Word. Jesus came to destroy Satan’s hold on men, to defeat eternal death. Jesus was in the earth three days before he arose from the dead. During that time the Lord descended into the bowels of the earth. Jesus went to paradise, which is referred to as, “Abraham’s Bosom.” This was a holding area for all those saved before the time of Christ. These saints still had their sin nature and couldn’t enter a sinless heaven until their sins were forgiven by Jesus’ sacrificial death. Jesus came and paid the sin debt for all men, past, present and future. Jesus went down to personally escort the saints to heaven. Jesus also visited hell while he was in the earth to preach judgment to the fallen angels chained in the pit who corrupted their estate by sleeping with women before the flood. These angels were trying to corrupt the DNA of man in order to prevent the coming of the promised Christ but they failed and were condemned by God to remain chained in hell until the day of judgment.
Hebrews 10:10 – By that which we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 2:14 – Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.
2 Peter 24 – God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.
Jude 1:6 – And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.
Witnessing for Christ