1 April 2012

1 April 2012


Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.


It is precisely this which is necessary to bring about our freedom. This is the one place which is beyond the reach of our selfishness and sin. We would prefer to always celebrate triumph. We are only too similar to those who cry "[h]osanna" at first and then "[c]rucify him" a week later. The LORD enters Jerusalem, passing those who acclaim him king. He is not deterred by all of this. The easy solution is insufficient and superficial and he knows it. Nothing can keep him from laying everything down at the cross for us to bring us true salvation. Because we are selfish we want kingship, either by ourselves or by proxy. And we do have a royal destiny before us but Jesus is the only one who can show us what it truly means. The selfless king who has come serve is inconceivable to us until Jeaus comes to reveal his heart to us and to share his love with us.


In the face of the oppression of the world we long to be kings of our own lives and to order our own circumstances. Even so, even as we push him to the peripheries, the LORD is never far from us. Even as all of our misbegotten dreams crumble at our feet he is near to us. Because he "emptied himself" he frees us to say with sincere hearts that "Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." It is only because of his selflessness, because he lives to do the will of the Father, that Jesus can cry out "[m]y God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" and still have the faith to trust enough to say:


"I will proclaim your name to my brethren;
in the midst of the assembly I will praise you"


"Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those 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."