Christ’s Condescending Love
Text: “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
True love does not think of its own things but is willing to humble itself for the good of its objects. Beholding God’s own love as revealed in Christ, we are amazed at its condescension. From the loftiest heights of glory to the deepest depths of shame and woe, He willingly stooped for us. His condescension is the more amazing when we consider the character of those for whom He stooped: strengthless, godless, rebellious, sinners. He exchanged the adoration of angels for the scoffing of sinners, the worship of seraphim for the ridicule of rebels, the praise of cherubim for the persecution of scribes and Pharisees. If you need greater evidence of His condescending love, think of the words: “who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Think of the extent of your own sin, and in spite of that He loved you. Then can you sing:
“Love sent my Saviour to die in my stead,
Why should He love me so?
Meekly to Calvary’s cross He was led,
Why should He love me so?”
(Robt. Harkness)
Though Christ was eternally in the form of God, He thought it was not a thing to be grasped after to be equal with God; but He made Himself of no reputation (i.e. emptied Himself of the visible expression of the glory of God), and took upon Him the form of a bond servant, and was found in the likeness of men (your likeness and mine apart from sin); and being found in fashion as a man, He further humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, (the most shameful form of death, reserved for the vilest of criminals). This simple, yet profound record of Philippians chapter two, from which we have quoted, beggars description and defies exposition. Never can we know the depths of His condescension until we can realize the heights from which He descended.