Men must realize that God is above everyone and all things. The only time God humiliated Himself is when the Lord Jesus Christ left Heaven and came down here on earth. He gave up His glorious throne in heaven to be born in a smelly stable here on earth.

His exaltation began when Jesus Christ resurrected Himself from the dead.

His Incarnation

God in His divine nature transformed Himself into a man.

  1. Christ took the form of a man.
    He gave up His Godhead and transformed Himself into human form, in a human body, experiencing human nature.

    Philippians 2:5-8: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

    Would you give up living as a human and to be transformed, live, eat and grow as a maggot? That’s what it feels like.

  2. He lived among sinful men in His earthly life. Jesus lived with sins.
    One of Jesus’ names is Emmanuel, which means “God with us”.

    Matthew 1:23: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

  3. He was born in the humble and small city of Bethlehem.

    Micah 5:2: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

  4. He was born in a smelly stable.

    Luke 2:16: “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”

His Early Life

  1. He was the son of poor Jewish parents.
    He was born into poverty. Carpentry was not a living where one could make a lot of money. It was a life of suffering.

    Matthew 13:55: “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?”

    Under the law of Moses, when one would present their firstborn to the Lord, they were supposed to offer a lamb. Joseph and Mary were too poor to do so and were only able to offer a pair of turtledoves.

    Luke 2:22-24: “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

  2. He was raised in Nazareth.
    Nazareth was not really a popular or famous city.

    John 1:46: “And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”

  3. He obeyed human parents.
    God, who deserves all worship, submitted Himself under the will of human parents.

    Luke 2:51: “And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.”

  4. He was willing to have limitations as a human person.
    God limited Himself as a human. He did not show off His superpowers/divine attributes.
    The first time Jesus performed miracles was at the beginning of His ministry.

    John 2:11: “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.”

    There was an eighteen-year gap between Jesus’ youth (twelve years old) and the beginning of His ministry. None of this gap is mentioned in the Bible, which shows He lived a humble life for many years.

His Earthly Ministry

  1. Like human beings, He had physical sufferings. He suffered hunger and thirst.
    He had the power to turn water into wine and yet remained in His humble state as a man until His ministry was finished.

    Matthew 4:1-7: “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
    Matthew 27:48: “And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.”

  2. He was tempted in all points, common sufferings to the human race.
    However, He was tempted by the worst tempter of all time.

    Matthew 4:1-11: “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”
    Hebrews 4:15: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

  3. He was rejected by His own people.

    John 1:11: “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

  4. He was often without housing.

    Matthew 8:20: “And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”

  5. He was blasphemed.
    He was accused of having an unclean spirit.

    Luke 11:15: “But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.”

  6. He was made lower than the angels.

    Hebrews 2:6-8: “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.”
    Hebrews 2:16: “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.”

His Crucifixion

  1. He lived for only 33.5 years.
    He started His ministry at the age of 30. His ministry lasted for 3.5 years before His shameful death on the cross.

    Luke 3:23: “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,”

  2. He rode on a lowly donkey.

    Zechariah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

  3. He borrowed a room for a Passover observance.

    Luke 22:11-22: “And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!”

  4. He was betrayed for a slave’s price.

    Exodus 21:32: “If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.”
    Matthew 26:14-15: “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.”

  5. He was tortured unmercifully.

Matthew 27:26-56

Mark 15:7-41

Luke 23:13-49

John 19:1-37

6. His followers denied Him.

Matthew 26:56: “But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.”
John 18:25: “And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.”

His Burial

  1. He was buried in a borrowed tomb.

    Isaiah 53:9: “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”

 

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