“Venues of Humility"

"Venues of Humility"

     "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.  But John forbad Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? And Jesus answering, said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered Him. And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:13-17).

    God's pleasure and His Spirit descended upon the Lord Jesus Christ after He humbled Himself to participate in the baptism of John.  While not a sinner, and having no personal need for immersion into the waters of repentance, the Lord Jesus nevertheless condescended to fulfill the righteousness of identifying Himself with those He came to save.  This pleased His Father, first as He beheld the character and nature of His Son, and then because the humility at the baptism foreshadowed the humility of the cross.

   "Being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name" (Philippians 2:8-9).

    God originally created the human race in His image for the purpose of revealing His character and nature in those who humble themselves to believe.  In Adam, we failed to do so, embracing the pride of Lucifer - "ye shall be as gods" - rather than expressing the humble heart of our Maker (Genesis 3:5).  The Lord Jesus did not fail in fulfilling the righteousness of serving as the "express image" of God - "the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared (revealed) Him" (Hebrews 1:3; John 1:18).  Thus, in Christ, God the Father saw a man who walked in the beauty of His unselfish and others-devoted Person.  This pleased the Father, even as we please Him when the character and nature of the Lord Jesus is revealed in us as we walk own path of humility.  "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" (Philippians 2:5-7).

   Let us expect in this day that the path will lie before us with many opportunities to humble ourselves before God and people.  The same Christ who walked the earth 2,000 years ago now lives in us by His Spirit.  As we trust and submit to Him, He will live the same quality of life in us that He lived so long ago when He humbled Himself in countless ways and means of loving self-sacrifice.  John's baptismal waters received the One who had no need for them.  Such venues of humility await us as we humble ourselves before God and humanity by the enabling of the Christ whose character now dwells in us.

"God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father."

(Galatians 4:6)

"Before honor is humility" (Proverbs 15:33). 

Weekly Memory Verse

    "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body."

 (Hebrews 13:3).