It was an astounding act of humility that the Eternal Son, Creator of
the Universe, the Everlasting God, should become a man, born as a baby
in a manger in Bethlehem. But He stooped even lower than this. It was
even more amazing that in His humility He actually took the place of a
servant while He was here on earth. But He stooped even lower than
this. The very depth of His humility was demonstrated when He
submitted to death, even the death of the cross.
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 2:8).
The cross represented the lowest step of humility. The cross was a
place where they put criminals or transgressors of the law. “There were
also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death” (Luke
23:32). Jesus Christ was obviously not a criminal for He is the only
man who ever lived who never committed any sins. “...Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His
steps: Who comitted no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth” (1
Peter 2:21,22). Upon hanging on the cross, He took the place of a
curse. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become
a curse for us (for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a
tree)” (Galatians 3:13). This act of dying on the cross was carried out
by our Lord Jesus Christ because it was the will of God His Father.
Without Christ’s death on the cross, God’s marvelous plan of redemption
could never have been fulfilled.
So Christ was willing to take the lowest place possible in order to
accomplish His Father’s will. This is the opposite way of sinful human
beings. We not only want our own way, rather than God’s, but our own
way is seeking to exalt ourselves to the highest station possible. We
want to be recognized for our high achievements and we seek the
applause of men. We seek our own will which is always the way of
self-achievement and greatness. This is always accomplished by the
defeat or destruction of others. Christ took the lowest place which was
for the salvation of others.
In the creation of man, God designed that man, the highest order of his
earthly creation, should govern this universe. When I consider Your
heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You
have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of
man that You visit him? For You have made him a little
lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You
have put all under his feet, all sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the
field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through
the paths of the seas (Psalm 8:3-8). Yet man disobeyed God and
was lifted up in pride. The whole history of mankind demonstrates one
man after another trying to elevate himself to be the master ruler of
this universe, but he completely fails. No man has ever been able to
subdue and control this universe. He has brought nothing but death,
disaster, and disease upon all of mankind. But we see Jesus, who
was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God might taste
death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things
and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the
author of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews
2:9,10). By stooping to the obedience of death on the cross
He has achieved God’s purposes for this sinful earth. Through death He
has won the mightiest victory for mankind that has ever or will ever be
achieved—victory over death itself.