Exalted Matters

Mary, my wife, has had a couple of chance encounters with celebrities. At a music camp in a remote location, I found her sitting at a table with one of the male stars of the television series, "Lost." On one of our jaunts to a Nashville music store, she complimented a young man on his choice of guitars--without realizing it was Brad Paisley. My wife: celebrity magnet.

The rarity of these coincidences aside, what we noticed most were the gentle, humble personalities of these men. The Lost star was in several music classes with me and, actually seemed a bit insecure, frequently whispering in my ear, "Do I sound okay?" Mr. Paisley, incognito in standard ball cap, blue jeans and tee shirt, could have been any guy on the block. He accepted Mary's compliment with grace and wished us a nice day. I know men in my own community whose life stance is, "Do you know who I am?" But these celebrities did not need to flaunt their fame or superiority. They walked among us as fellow humans, laying aside any celebrity status.

The second chapter of Philippians contains one of the most beautiful chapters in the New Testament, which speaks of an even more dramatic example of this principle. The apostle Paul is encouraging the believers in Philippi to adopt the same attitude. Not only does it speak to how we should do life, it speaks volumes about Christ:

Philippians 2:5-11

New International Version (NIV)

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

He is, in his very nature--God! In terms of rank, he is equal with God. And because of his willingness to empty himself, to become one of us, submitting to God the Father all the way to the cross, God has given him a place of exaltation--a name above all names and a promise that every knee will bow and acknowledge him as Lord.

Jesus Christ is not just a man who practiced holiness and became like God. He was God before he came to earth. He is not merely another great philosopher, though his teaching changed the world. He is not just another prophet, foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age, he is the fulfillment of all prophecies. He is not our buddy, our therapist or, our imaginary friend. He is God and exalted King.

The love of God is seen in this--while living in perfect bliss in heavenly realms, Father, Son and Spirit colluded in a conspiracy to restore fellowship with a fallen world and its broken inhabitants. God loves the world this much: He gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him will never perish, having eternal life. Your decision about whether you believe this or not is yours, he gives you that freedom. But your decision about who he is does not change who he is, any more than our initial belief that Brad Paisley was just another guy cancelled out his true identity.

One thing about that decision? What you choose to believe about Jesus has eternal consequences for you. Choose wisely.

The Most Controversial Name in the World

News headlines  rivet our attention to controversy. Think of the kaleidoscope of controversial names and personalities we have been subjected to in recent days, weeks, months and years. There is something about controversy that arouses our attention, whether we are drawn to or repelled by the controversial person.

In my lifetime, I have seen a remarkable thing come to pass. The Jesus of my youth, loved or at least tolerated by almost everyone in our culture, has become the most controversial person in the world. Let me explain.

When you think of socially acceptable topics of conversation, in a wide variety of settings, think about what can be, and what cannot be discussed without stirring dissention. Depending on the setting, today one can openly talk about hobbies, interests, politics, current events, sexual preferences of all types, and up to a point, religion. Religion can be talked about in general terms. One who appreciates beauty in nature or people is considered "spiritual." If one is a self-described Buddhist, people will nod in admiration of the person's supposed detachment from the things of the world...often at odds with the person's lifestyle. Someone might even speak of their love for God, and how they feel close to him in nature, in the embrace of an infant, or in the quiet hours of their own home. The common religion of the day is one that blends agnosticism (you can't really know) and Unitarianism (all paths lead to God).

Speak the name of Jesus, however, and you are likely to hear a couple of very different responses. Many will say something condescending indicating the have no problem with Jesus, because he was a great teacher, a gentle spirit, a great lover of people, etc. Others will deny that he even existed, in spite of the fact that we have more evidence of his existence than most historical figures whom no one questions. The problem with the last is resolved by open minded research of the facts. For a true seeker, I would recommend "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. Mr. Strobel is a former editor of the Chicago Tribune who set out to disprove the existence and significance of Jesus, and became convinced the evidence demanded the opposite conclusion.

The seemingly kind, condescending response is one that Jesus himself does not allow. What mere man, great teacher or not, claims to be God and promises to return to judge the earth? As C.S. Lewis puts it, Jesus own teachings allow us only two options. Either we must conclude that he is a lunatic or a demon from hell set out to deceive the world, or we must decide that he is who he claimed to be, the son of God, creator of the universe, the one true Lord who will soon return.

And that is the very core of the controversy. If Jesus was right about his self-proclamations, we owe him a response of gratitude and obedience. Obedience to another does not settle well with the human nature--we want what we want, when we want it. I believe this is at the heart of both off-target responses to the question of "Who is Jesus?" People just want to keep doing whatever they want, believing that there will be no consequences.

The Jesus of modern myth, relentlessly placid and politically correct, is a recent invention. If you would know him as he really is, check out what the Bible really says about him. He rebuked, confronted, and even threw some furniture around to make a point. He humbly submitted to the Father, but unflinchingly described himself as the only way salvation. Your response to him is your choice, but it does not change who he is. To deny him is to delay the inevitable, when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2).



"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times in various ways, but in these last days he as spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe." Hebrews 1:1-2

 

 

Christ's Very Nature

I can remember lazy summer afternoons lying on a blanket in the grass, gazing at clouds. Faces, animal shapes, castles and feathers emerged, morphed and vanished. In the 70's there was a popular song about the illusions of clouds. The theme of the song was the illusions of love and life. Things are rarely what they seem, from clouds to life to love. We only think we know them, but in fact we are acquainted with how they seem. The problem is, the illusions are ever-changing and we may not grow to understand them at all from personal experience, unless we look deeper into their nature.

Having just challenged the Philippians to cultivate the same attitude as Christ Jesus (literally, to be like-minded with him), Paul goes on to remind them of his nature:

Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped... (Philippians 2:6)

Like the clouds over the Sea of Galilee, Jesus appeared to be many things to those who saw him. But to those who truly came to know him, he was something else entirely "in his very nature." This is where the biblical version of Jesus differs from the perspectives of many in the world today. The Bible never describes Jesus as (merely) a good man, as a great moral teacher (only), or as a pallid monk. Bold in his words and actions, Jesus asserted about himself that he exists eternally, that he is the only way to the Father, that he and the Father are one and the same. New Testament writers say that he existed before creation as one and the same as God, that all things were created by him, that all things continue to be held together by him, and that he is coming back to judge the world. See  John 1:1-4; 14 and Colossians 2:9.. An ordinary man who made such claims would be a liar, a lunatic, or a devil from hell "(C.S Lewis).

Such a One, eternally existing, all knowing, all powerful, looked upon the world and the human race. He saw both as broken, lost and, unless he intervened, without hope. As Paul wrote elsewhere, this is how we know the love of God, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. His position on the throne as God (and as a mystery of the triune God, next to God the Father) was less important to him than redeeming everything, including you and me.

This realization carries powerful implications for us, in light of the command to have the same attitude. We like our rights and we love our positions. We want to hold onto what we have. If another gets credit for what we have done, we are offended. We see certain jobs or people as being beneath us. It might even be called the American Dream, to compete and win, to come out on top, and to get what is due us. Paul would say, "Wake up!" Jesus, who was really God, did not hold onto what was rightly his. He did whatever was needed to submit to God and to redeem people.

What if we really were like-minded with Jesus? How would this change the way we walk through our days? In what areas/relationships would we be willing to loosen our grip  for the sake of the gospel? Let's ask the Holy Spirit to show us and to empower us to act, as Jesus did, for the good pleasure of the Father.