Christ Humbling Himself

(Longer quotations)

 

Fill The Mind With Christ's Majesty And Glory

"Fill the mind with the great humiliation of Christ, and then contemplate His divine character, His majesty and glory of the Highest, and His disrobing Himself of these and clothing His divinity with humanity. Then we can see a self-denial, a self-sacrifice that was the marvel of angels. {Lt37-1887.21} Oh, it was poverty indeed apportioned to the Son of God that He should be moving upon a province of His own empire and yet not to be recognized or confessed by the nation He came to bless and to save. It was poverty that when He walked among men, scattering blessing as He trod, the anthem of praise floated not around Him, but the air was often freighted with curses and blasphemy. It was poverty that, as He passed to and fro among the subjects He came to save, scarcely a solitary voice called Him blessed. Scarcely a solitary hand was stretched out in friendship, and scarcely a solitary roof proffered Him shelter. Then look beneath the disguise, and whom do we see?—Divinity, the eternal Son of God, just as mighty, just as infinitely gifted with all the resources of power, and He was found in fashion as a man. {Lt37-1887.22} I wish that finite minds could see and sense the great love of the infinite God: His great self-denial, His self-sacrifice, in assuming humanity. God humbled Himself and became man and humbled Himself to die, and not only to die, but to die an ignominious death. Oh, that we might see the need of humility, of walking humbly with God and guarding ourselves on every point. I know that Satan’s work will be to set brethren at variance. Were it not that I know the Captain of our salvation stands at the helm to guide the gospel ship into the harbor, I should say, Let me rest in the grave." {Lt37-1887.23}

Christ's Humility Is The Marvel Of Heaven

"In consenting to become man, Christ has manifested a humility that is the marvel of the heavenly intelligences. In itself, the act of consenting to be a man would be no act of humiliation were it not for the fact of Christ’s exalted pre-existence and the fallen condition of man. But when we open our understanding to realize that in taking humanity upon Him, Christ laid aside His royal robe, His kingly crown, His high command, and clothed His divinity with humanity, that He might meet man where he was, and bring to the human family moral power to become the sons and daughters of God. To redeem man, Christ became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden linked chain which binds our souls to Christ, and through Christ to God. This is to be our study, Christ was a real man, and He gave proof of His humility in becoming a man. And He was God in the flesh. {Ms67-1898.8} When we approach the subject of Christ’s divinity clothed with the garb of humanity, we may appropriately heed the words spoken by Christ to Moses at the burning bush, “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” [Exodus 3:5.] We must come to the study of this subject with the humility of a learner, with a contrite heart. The study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field and will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth." {Ms67-1898.9}

Christ Chose Poverty

"In consenting to become man, Christ has manifested a humility that is the marvel of the heavenly intelligences. In itself, the act of consenting to be a man would be no act of humiliation were it not for the fact of Christ’s exalted pre-existence and the fallen condition of man. But when we open our understanding to realize that in taking humanity upon Him, Christ laid aside His royal robe, His kingly crown, His high command, and clothed His divinity with humanity, that He might meet man where he was, and bring to the human family moral power to become the sons and daughters of God. To redeem man, Christ became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden linked chain which binds our souls to Christ, and through Christ to God. This is to be our study, Christ was a real man, and He gave proof of His humility in becoming a man. And He was God in the flesh. {Ms67-1898.8} When we approach the subject of Christ’s divinity clothed with the garb of humanity, we may appropriately heed the words spoken by Christ to Moses at the burning bush, “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” [Exodus 3:5.] We must come to the study of this subject with the humility of a learner, with a contrite heart. The study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field and will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth." {Ms67-1898.9}

Christ Chose The Lowest Place

"After Christ had condescended to leave His high command, step down from an infinite height and assume humanity, He could have taken upon Him any condition of humanity He might choose. But greatness and rank were nothing to Him, and He selected the lowest and most humble walk of life. The place of His birth was Bethlehem, and on one side His parentage was poor, but God, the Owner of the world, was His Father. No trace of luxury, ease, selfish gratification, or indulgence was brought into His life, which was a continual round of self-denial and self-sacrifice. … Had He possessed the semblance of outward show, of riches, of grandeur, the poorest class of humanity would have shunned His society; therefore He chose the lowly condition of the far greater number of the people. The truth of heavenly origin was to be His theme: He was to sow the earth with truth; and He came in such a way as to be accessible to all, that the truth alone might make an impression upon human hearts." {Ms9-1896.12}

Christ Was Equal With God

"Jesus was the Commander of heaven, one equal with God, and yet he condescended to lay aside his kingly crown, his royal robe, and clothed his divinity with humanity. The incarnation of Christ in human flesh is a mystery. He could have come to earth as one with a remarkable appearance, unlike the sons of men. His countenance could have shone with glory, and his form could have been of remarkable grace. He could have presented such an appearance as to charm the beholder; but this was not according to the plan devised in the courts of God. He was to bear the characteristics of the human family, and the Jewish race." {ST July 30, 1896, par. 1}

Christ Was Also The Express Image Of His Father

"Before Christ came in the likeness of men, He existed in the express image of His Father. Although He was equal with the Father, He did not deem this a position that He must maintain and hold on to at any cost, but He, voluntarily emptied Himself, and took the form of a servant. He was the incarnate God, the light of heaven and earth. In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Yet He was born in a stable, in Bethlehem of Judea. He was the son of Mary, supposed to be the son of Joseph, and He grew up as any other child. His earthly life was one of self-denial and self-sacrifice. " The foxes have holes," He said, " and the birds of the air have nests ; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." … Think of Christ's humiliation. He took upon Himself fallen, suffering human nature, degraded and defiled by sin. He took our sorrows, bearing our grief and shame. He endured all the temptations where- with man is beset. He united humanity with Divinity: a divine spirit dwelt in a temple of flesh. He united Himself with the temple. " The word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," because by so doing He could associate with the sinful, sorrowing sons and daughters of Adam." {The Bible Echo, January 18, 1901

Bethlehem Was Only The Beginning Of Christ's Humbling

"The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden “the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” Romans 11:33. We marvel at the Saviour’s sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His presence. Yet this was but the beginning of His wonderful condescension. It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life."  {DA 48.6}

In Death The Power of Christ's Godhead Was Hidden

"When Christ bowed his head and died, he bore the pillars of Satan’s kingdom with him to the earth. He vanquished Satan in the same nature over which in Eden Satan obtained the victory. The enemy was overcome by Christ in his human nature. The power of the Saviour’s Godhead was hidden. He overcame in human nature, relying upon God for power. This is the privilege of all. In proportion to our faith will be our victory." { YI April 25, 1901, par. 11 }

Christ's Death On The Cross Was A Manifestation Of Unselfishness

"Christ came to this earth, His divinity clothed with humanity, that humanity might touch humanity, and divinity lay hold upon the throne of God. In our behalf He become subject to all the temptations of Satan, and placed Himself in the power of those who clamored for His life and crucified Him as a malefactor. His death on the cross was an exhibition of the unselfishness of God. Infinite benevolence poured out all heaven’s treasures in this one gift to rescue man from Satan’s power. Through the revelation of the love of God on the cross of Calvary, the real character of the work of Satan and his agencies was demonstrated. It was shown what power would have ruled the world had not God interposed in our behalf, and, by the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, rescued human beings from the power of the enemy." {Ms88a-1905.17}

Unless otherwise stated, the quotations come from the writings of Ellen G. White