JESUS CONFINED HIMSELF

 

   (All Scripture is taken from the NKJV)  

The main purpose God created man was to have fellowship with him. God would fellowship with Adam in the cool of the day. Adam and Eve had the freedom to eat of all the trees in the Garden of Eden, except one. God commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  But man disobeyed God’s commandment and ate of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Man’s act of disobedience forever severed his fellowship with God, along with having long term consequences for the entire human race throughout history, not only for mankind, but for all of creation.  “Because creation itself will be delivered from the corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation labours in pain until now. Not only that, but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan within ourselves eagerly waiting for the redemption of our bodies.”  (Romans 8:22-24). 

When man disobeyed God’s commandment, and severed his fellowship with his Creator, it broke God’s heart to the point where He knew He had to do something to bring man back into fellowship with Him.  Even though it was man who sinned, it was God who took action. 

Imagine with me, God having a conference with the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son (who is Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. They are three in one, and all shared the same glory.  God the Father asks, “Who will go down to earth and redeem man so mankind can once again be in fellowship with Us?”  God the Son (Jesus) replied, “I will go and be a Man and bring people back to Us by dying for them and cleansing people of their sin with My precious blood.” The Holy Spirit also answered, “I will be the One who will convict people of sin.”

We are told in Galatians that Jesus was born of a woman. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” (Galatians 4:4). Jesus emptied Himself of all the glory and attributes He had known with the Trinity up until that point.  “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not think it robbery to be equal with God; but made Himself a bondservant coming in the form of man". When Jesus subjected Himself to become human, He experienced all the limitations that we do. It was as if Jesus willingly confined Himself and became disabled because, as a Man, He had limitations He never had in glory with the Trinity. If God had given me a choice between being able-bodied or disabled, I would have chosen to be able-bodied. Yet Jesus had a choice.  He was dependent on Joseph and Mary for all His needs as a baby and a young child. When Jesus was twelve years old, Jesus was subject to Joseph and Mary until He started His public ministry. (see Luke 2:51).  Can you fathom the thought that the God of the universe would come to earth and confine Himself to a human body, giving up all the glory He had known for all eternity? As Jesus was about to face the Cross, we find His High Priestly prayer in John 17. In it He says, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself with the glory I had with You before the world was.” (John 17:4-5). For years I wondered how Jesus could identify with me as a disabled person until I realized this truth.  In Hebrews it tells us that Jesus, as our High Priest identified with us in all points. “Seeing that we have a great High Priest, Jesus the Son of God; who has passed through the heavens; let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses (being disabled), but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, and find mercy in our time of need.”  (Hebrews 4:14-16). When I think about this, I know that Jesus knows what it is like to be confined in a body which did not allow Him to do all that He wanted to do all the time, such as being in more than one place at the same time, like He could before He became a Man.  My body stops me from doing all I would like to be able to do, and was able to do when I was younger, such as crawl and transfer myself in and out of bed, etc.  Jesus can not only identify with my disability because He willingly confined Himself to a human body, but also because He lives within me each and every day of my life.  I truly do have a High Priest who can identify with me.  What an incredible thought! 

I don’t know if you are, but I am completely overwhelmed at the thought that the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, would willingly confine Himself to a human body to redeem man from sin to bring us back into fellowship with God the Father, all because of His deep love for us.  To bring this down to terms we might better relate to, it would be as if a completely able-bodied person willingly became disabled, not being able to do anything for themselves, therefore being dependent on others for their every need.

 God the Father loved mankind with such an infinitely deep love that He willingly gave His Son to die on the Cross for our sin so man would have eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17).

Not only did God the Father have to be willing to send Jesus to die on the Cross, but Jesus Himself had to be willing to die a sacrificial death to bring us back into fellowship with the Father. “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 becoming 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.” (Philippians 2:5-8).

Jesus not only died, but rose again, and sits at the right hand of the Father, ever making intercession for us. “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25).

As we celebrate Easter, and all that Jesus went through, the mocking, the beating as well as His death on the Cross, and His resurrection, all to bring us back into fellowship with the Father, I’m wondering if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and to cleanse you from sin, so you can have fellowship with God the Father. If you desire to accept Jesus into your heart, pray this prayer: “Father, I thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross to cleanse me from sin, and by rising from the dead, Jesus brings me into fellowship with You. I invite Jesus into my life to be my Lord and Savior. I surrender my life to You. In Jesus name, Amen.”  If you have a Bible, start reading John, the fourth book in the New Testament.