DECEMBER 22, 2014
Remember
The Wrapping
Read: Philippians 2:5-11
[Jesus] made Himself of no reputation . . . coming in the
likeness of men. —Philippians 2:7
At our house some Christmas events are the same each year. Among
them is my wife Martie’s appeal to the kids and grandkids as they attack their
gifts: “Save the paper, we can use it next year!” Martie loves to give nice
gifts, but she also appreciates the wrapping. Presentation is part of the
beauty of the gift.
It makes me think of the wrapping Christ chose when He came as a
redemptive gift to rescue us from our sinful selves. Jesus could have wrapped
Himself in a mind-boggling show of power, lighting up the sky with His presence
in a celestial show of glory. Instead, in a beautiful reversal of Genesis 1:26,
He chose to wrap Himself “in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7).
So why is this wrapping so important? Because, being like us, He
is no stranger to our struggles. He experienced deep loneliness and the
betrayal of a dear friend. He was publicly shamed, misunderstood, and falsely
accused. In short, He feels our pain. As a result, the writer of Hebrews tells
us that we can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).
When you think of the gift of Jesus this Christmas, remember to
keep the “wrapping” in mind!
Lord, thank You for wrapping Yourself in our
likeness! Remind us that You understand our
struggles and that we can confidently take
advantage
of the mercy and grace You offer to make us
victorious.
Don’t disregard the wrapping of the best Christmas gift of all.
Insight
Philippians 2:5-11 is perhaps the greatest declaration of
Christ’s deity and humanity in the Bible. In His incarnation, Jesus did not
replace His deity with humanity, but added humanity to His deity; He did not
cease to be God, but surrendered the independent use of His divine powers and
the right to manifest His own glory as God. Before He went to the cross, Jesus
prayed that the Father would restore to Him the glory He had with the Father
“before the world was” (John 17:5). Jesus’ prayer was answered when the Father
“highly exalted Him and [gave] Him the name which is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . to the glory of God the Father”
(Phil. 2:9-11).
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
