The depth of Christ’s love for the Father and love for those whom the Father had given to him is seen in his humiliation (Jn. 10:14-18). Scan and search the historical records, and nowhere will you find a greater example of humility and humiliation than in the sufferings of Christ for his people (Php. 2:5). Who else has condescended from the eternal mountains of glory to suffer for sinners? Who else lacked nothing and was worthy of all of creation’s praises and yet humbly came to serve his creation? 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” From the cradle to the grave, Christ’s life was cruciform. The cross is the culmination of his humiliation, but it is not the start of it.
His humiliation began at his birth. The eternal Son of glory emptied himself by addition. The Son of God, who is in the “form of God,” took on the “form of a servant” (Php. 2:6-7; Is. 53:1-2). He learned obedience through suffering, and he was made perfect through suffering (Heb. 2:10; 5:8-9). He grew in wisdom (Lk. 2:52). He partook of the full scope of what it means to be human. He suffered need. He was hungry. He was thirsty. He wept. He was tired. He pleaded with the Father in prayer. He experienced betrayal. He had compassion. He was tempted yet without sin. All of the limits, weaknesses, and dependence that are natural to human nature, he experienced.
The Creator of all things came through birth into his creation, but when he came into the world, the world carried on as if nothing had happened. There was no grand regal celebration. He was not born in a palace chamber but in a lowly manger in a lowly city (Lk. 2:1-7; Mic. 5:2). The men of Israel did not line up to pay homage at the arrival of Christ. He was born in a low condition amid the Roman occupation of Israel, and even, the puppet king Herod attempted to kill him (Matt. 2:1-12).
He was born under the law (Gal. 4:4-5). He lived a life of perfect obedience to the law. (Is. 53:9-11; Matt. 5:17-18; Lk. 2:21; Jn. 7:10; 8:36; Gal. 5:3). Yet he was accused of being a blasphemer, a servant of Satan, and a lawbreaker (Matt. 12:24; 26:65-68; Jn. 5:18;). Though he came as the sinless Son of God, his people rejected him, plotted to murder him, and cried for his crucifixion (Is. 53:3; Matt. 27:22-23; Jn. 1:8-10). Christ was the blessed man of Psalm 1 that walked in the way of the Lord. But he died as the cursed man who hung on a tree and suffered outside of the camp for us (Deut. 21:23; Gal. 3:13; Heb 13:12). He drank the full cup of God’s wrath for our sin (Matt. 27:45-46; Lk. 22:49-46;).
When Jesus cried, “It is finished,” his work of humiliation was complete (Matt. 27:50; Jn. 19:30). He suffered the crushing wrath of the Father (Is. 52:14; 53:10). The sinless Christ died the death of a sinner (Is. 53:4-9, 12). As the hymn writer says, “Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies! Who can explore His strange design?” How can it be that the Son of God in flesh should die for me? The cross is the culmination of Christ’s humiliation, and it is here that we find the fountain of amazing love. It is here that we find mercy so immense and free for the Son of God in flesh has died for us. May the humiliation of Christ call us to treasure him above all else! May the humiliation of Christ call us “by the mercies of God” at work within us not to be conformed to this world, but rather be transformed into the image of our great Savior!