(Bible Study - January 2000) No study of humility can possibly be complete without a consideration of the supreme example of the Lord Jesus. We can learn much from Moses, from his meekness, his loving, forgiving spirit, his deep sense of service to the Lord God and to his fellow Israelites. But as we have had occasion to remind ourselves, Moses faltered. Our Lord never did. While it is true his human spirit temporarily recoiled before the prospect of the cross, he overcame even this daunting challenge and prayed that God’s will should be done and not his own -- and this he did at Calvary. - the Editor
Christ "emptied himself"
It seems inevitable that when we are contemplating the humility of the Lord Jesus, we
should thus be brought to the foot of the cross. It is there that the great apostle brings
us in Philippians 2 in what must be regarded as a supreme reflection upon the humility of
the Lord Jesus. This truly great passage in Paul’s letter we hope to consider more
fully in due course. For the moment we focus on one thought only – he "made
himself of no reputation" as the AV quaintly renders the Greek in verse 7. The
RV, however, brings out the force and point of the original -- he "emptied
himself." What a simple, but powerful comment upon the whole career of our Lord
we find in the word"emptied." Human nature can be so full of what is
ugly and displeasing. Modern communication serves to expose us continually to much that is
cruel and violent, indeed barbaric. Paul lists for us the works of the flesh in Galatians
5:19-21 and they do not make pleasant reading. It was of all these that the Lord divested
himself when he "emptied himself."
This reflection needs to be considered in the light of John 1:14 (RV as all quotes): "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth." This raises the question, How could our Lord be "full" of grace and truth unless he first emptied himself? The latter was a necessary preliminary – the Lord had to eschew all forms of carnality, all that disfigures and defiles our nature. This he did completely and therein lies the wonder of his life and character. When Jesus laid down his life on the cross, he was a lamb without blemish (cf. Exodus 12:5). The self-emptying, however, was not a single act, although it found its consummation upon the cross. It was a process and the study of this is what we shall endeavor to explore.
Learning obedience
We know that by the age of twelve our Lord was aware of his unique relationship to his
Father, for he refers to Him as "my Father" (Luke 2:49). His
life’s aim was, even at this early age, to be active in his Father’s service
(again Luke 2:49). Then, as always, this governed all his human relations and gave them a
unique quality. Hence, Luke informs us that after the episode in the temple, the boy Jesus
returned to Nazareth with Mary and Joseph, and "was subject unto them" (v.
51).
In normal circumstances the consciousness of "high" birth or high social connections can separate a person from his fellows. There was no trace of this kind of pride in the Lord Jesus. He was obedient to the commands he received and he would not insist upon his own way. Provided there was no conflict between his duty to his Father and what was required by his parents, he would invariably do what was asked of him. He would thus be learning obedience. Here surely is a lesson for us all. Too often we find excuses or pretexts for not responding to helpful suggestions or requests for help.
John’s baptism
While unquestionably the long years at Nazareth, extending from the age of l2 to about
30 (cf. Luke 2:42 and 3:23) were a vital part of our Lord’s preparation for his
ministry, we now pass over them to concentrate on his attitude to John’s baptism.
John himself saw the incongruity of the whole situation when Jesus came to him and asked
to be baptized. Initially John resisted the request, declaring that it would be more
becoming if the Lord baptized him.
We have no difficulty understanding why; John’s was a baptism of repentance on the part of the sinner, leading to forgiveness. Why, then, did this uniquely sinless man require baptism?
Superficially there is a theological problem, but not so for the Lord Jesus. He knew that John’s baptism was from heaven and that the word of God had come to him in the wilderness (see Matt. 21:25; Luke 3:1-2). The answer which overcame John’s reluctance must be our guide, "For thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15). We note that Jesus mentions "us." He does not distance himself from the rest of his fellows. What God required of mankind at large, Jesus regarded as binding upon himself. He was born under the law (Gal. 4:4), and the requirements of the law were scrupulously carried out by Mary. Jesus was circumcised the eighth day and Mary observed those Mosaic requirements for the birth of a male child (see Lev. 12:1-4).
Reason for Jesus’ baptism
If our Lord had no sins to confess, he was nevertheless subject to temptation and he
would see in baptism a cutting off of the flesh with all its lusts and affections. Baptism
was thus a figure of the cross and the two concepts are wonderfully brought together by
Paul in Romans 6 (see vv. 3-4). Indeed, our Lord himself uses the figure of baptism to
describe his forthcoming death, "I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am
I straitened till it be accomplished" (Luke 12:50 see also Mark 10:38).
If in the garden of Gethsemane, there was no attempt by our Lord to influence his Father by invoking his blameless life, so it was on the banks of Jordan. His baptism at the hands of John was an act of humility and submission, a response to God’s way of salvation. That it gave his Father pleasure is shown in two ways. First, there was the voice from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (see also Luke 3:22). A further token of the Father’s approval with His obedient Son was the gift of the spirit whereby he was especially equipped for the work to come.
Jesus was tempted
We may thus learn much from the record of our Lord’s baptism. It demonstrates his
humanity and his humility. If we needed any convincing evidence that the Lord had known
temptation during those silent years in Nazareth, we have it surely in the fact that
immediately after his anointing by the spirit (see Acts 10:38), he was tempted in the
wilderness, and not only then but throughout his human experience. He experienced
temptation in all aspects similar to us, yet was sinless (see Heb. 4:15).
The moving record of Gethsemane, especially Luke’s account (see Luke 22:44), shows that he was tried to the end. When he died upon the cross, human nature, which he bore in his own body with all its potential for sin, was put to death and the Lord passed beyond the reach of sin, "For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God" (Romans 6:10).
Baptism essential
Our own baptism is an act of humility, or should be: a recognition that we need
God’s help and, in our case, His forgiveness. Many, while professing to be followers
of the Lord balk at baptism. They do not see the necessity of this ritual. This is
regrettable: if the Lord saw the need to submit to John’s baptism in order to
fulfil all righteousness, there can surely be no hesitation on our part. Yet it should not
engender any sense of superiority. If so, we may well wonder whether we have really
understood that it is an act of humble and grateful submission to God’s will,
bringing us thus under the dominion of God’s grace in Christ.
Tom Barling