When we say things about Jesus Christ after the incarnation of the eternal divine Son, we have to be careful not to give the impression that the divine nature of Christ has the same limitations that the human nature of Christ does. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. So how then do I understand Philippians 2:6–7 and the emptying of himself? Man cannot take upon himself a right that belongs to Deity. Please see Blue Letter Bible's Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. The Old Testament Jesus could not empty Himself of His Deity - He could not stop being God. Then in verse seven, you have him taking the form of a servant in the likeness of men. .--This verse needs more exact translation. Historical Books But then, again I need to qualify and say it would be a mistake to say that he laid aside all of the divine glory in becoming man. Johannine Writings Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:5, “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man” — the human — “Christ Jesus.” So, in his divine nature, Christ was fully God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point The Gospels And I don’t think I made that distinction clear enough in 1981. Blue Letter Bible study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible easy and rewarding. Jesus is the Word who was God and was with God and was made flesh (John 1:1, 14). He never used any of His divine attributes to relieve Himself of the limitations of being a human being. The Bible says that Jesus does not change. When arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus stated that He could summon legions of angels and stop those taking Him. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. Imagine, for a second what an amazing thing that is that He did. John 3:16, Jesus faith love), The Whole Bible In Isaiah 53:12, God speaks of the suffering servant of the Lord, who, as a result of his selflessness, is willing to give up all that he possesses in the service of God. This includes His ability to be all-knowing and all-powerful. Do these texts really necessitate that some attributes of the eternal divine nature of Jesus must have been given up at his incarnation?”, Well I’m glad this question is asked, and I’m glad they quote my old sermon because the first thing I would say is that I would speak today with more precision and care than I did in those sentences. To be worshipped is one such right. Therefore, in this advent season, let us do exactly what Hebrews 4:16 says: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” We have a great divine and human savior. Scripture speaks of Jesus being filled with the Spirit after His baptism. Jesus Himself said. -------------------- Those powers were always present with Him. Jesus chose not to independently exercise of His relative attributes. In other words, Jesus has two distinct natures: divine and human. A. Col 2:9: the fullness of deity. Born into a borrowed feed trough in a borrowed stable, he gave up the trappings and furnishings of God. Notice the remarkable words our Lord spoke when He died. “Dear Pastor John, thank you for all your work over the years in ministry. The glory of God was such that no human could look at it and live. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. The Old Testament In other words, Jesus was a mere human when He was on the earth and nothing more. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Misconception 5: Jesus Set Aside The Use Of His Divine Attributes. “What Jesus Gave Up At Christmas Philippians 2:5-11 The focus of the Christian’s confession The core of the Christian faith Our message in a nutshell is: The transcendent God - Omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient o All powerful, present everywhere, all knowing - The One who is: o Holy, power, truth,… GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point After His Ascension His glory was no longer veiled. Because He has experienced the same problems as humankind He can comfort us. Misconception 4: Jesus Acted As Though He Did Not Possess Divine Attributes. One of the things Christ emptied himself of was omniscience.’ Later, regarding the attributes of God, you said, ‘They were his potentially, and thus he was God; but he surrendered their use absolutely, and so he was man.’ My question is, how do you now understand Philippians 2:6–8 and Luke 2:52? Error: Passwords should have at least 6 characters, Error: Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. Historical Books Major Prophets -------------------- However He voluntarily limited Himself to being a human being. He’s not only not empty — he’s full. This view holds that Jesus ceased to be God when He came to earth. There are many misconceptions at to what He set aside. Hence, it is claimed that Jesus is god … I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father who sent me (John 5:30). This view contends that Christ set aside certain of His divine attributes (such as being all-knowing, all-powerful and everywhere present) when He came to earth. None of this was a surprise to Jesus. While He was still all-knowing, all-powerful, and holy, His behavior did not reflect that He still possessed them. This did not change his nature as being the Son of God. Prophets He came to this earth and suffered in human flesh for thirty-three years. He willingly took on the limitations of humanity. He said, “For in him” — in Christ — “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” You even wonder whether he used the word fullness there partially to say, “He didn’t empty himself of that. Luke-Acts Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs. Neither did He set aside only some of His divine attributes and keep others. Thank you for registering. General Epistles We’re on a mission to change that. But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it (Mark 5:30,32). I don’t think it means that Christ, in his divine nature, became less than fully divine. He is fully divine and fully man. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Therefore, any independent desire on Jesus' part to act apart from God the Father was emptied or laid aside while here upon the earth. Mohammed didn't pay for your sins, because Mohammed wasn't God. The "glory" is the "glory which He had with the Father before the world was" (John 17:5; comp. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. His moral attributes, such as love, holiness, truth were not set aside in any sense. Answer: Christian theology is saying that Jesus gave up a temporary earthly life as a god-man to return to his role in heaven, where, as part of the Trinity, he reigns as God. That’s why he’s praying, “Father, restore to me the glory I had with you before the foundation of the world.”. Maybe the best way to say it is that whatever stood between the fullness of the divine glory before the incarnation and the suffering and shame and degradation and death of the cross — whatever stood between there, that had to be laid aside so he could do it. Jesus was the eternal God who became human. He is not half God and half man. In other words, he didn’t empty himself of deity. Let me read the verses so that we all have it in front of us. The Old Testament This would mean that Jesus was deceiving the people. The Old Testament He Experienced The Limitations Of A Human Being. General Epistles First He restricted Himself to a human body with all its limitations. Jesus did not know who from the crowd touched His clothes. Rather than stay on His throne in heaven, Jesus “made himself nothing” (as the NIV translates Philippians 2:7). The implication of this teaching is that there was nothing unique about Jesus’ ability to do miracles. Misconceptions About Jesus Emptying Himself. (John 1:1). In addition, Jesus always knew He was God and possessed these divine attributes - He was not ignorant of who He was or what He could do. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point Pauline Epistles 11 Then Herod and his … Second, His glory was hidden from the people. Jesus emptied Himself in at least three different ways. And we may expect it to sound strange. But the indirect evidence of Scripture is equally compelling. Poetical Books He could feel pain, bleed, and die. Major Prophets When in Matthew 24:36 Jesus says that not even the Son knows the time of Jesus’s return, I take him to mean that the Son — Jesus Christ, considered in his human nature — operates with a kind of limitation. When Jesus came to earth He laid aside or emptied Himself of something. He placed His faith in the Father. General Epistles It helps us understand what Paul meant when he said, “Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:6–7). -------------------- range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed He was always God the Son. Misconception 1: Jesus Set Aside His Deity. So there was a divine glory in the incarnate Christ for those who had eyes to see. (7) But made himself . In Psalm 40 we have a prophecy of the Messiah’s willingness to come to be Saviour of sinners. Then, when humans are back under the loving authority of God, nature will be back under humans’ loving authority. The Deity of Jesus Christ The Bible directly states that Jesus is God in a number of passages. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Friend, make no mistake about it: the Lord Jesus Christ is Deity. So in verse six, you have the preexistent Christ before incarnation in the form of God, which the next phrase defines as equality with God. In between those two statements, you have this famous phrase “he emptied himself.” What does that mean? B. Hob 1:3: exact representation of … Jesus, as God, was everywhere present, or omnipresent, but He could only be at one place at a time. The question comes from Matthew in Vienna, the capital of Austria. Pentateuch For example, Jesus did not know the time of His Second Coming. ", The one who says he abides in him ought himself to walk in the same manner as he walked (1 John 2:6). He had to consciously and continuously rely on the Father instead of His own divine attributes. However He took upon Himself an additional nature - that of a human. He’s not empty. I knew that you always hear me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that you sent me (John 11:41,42). Historical Books Johannine Writings Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:5, “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man” — the human — “Christ Jesus.”. Jesus paid the price for our salvation and paved the way for our walk of faith. -------------------- Those who say that Jesus ceased being God when He came to earth attempt to make Him into a fallible human being with limitations just like the rest of us. He gave up His position when He became a human being. Note that the context affirms both Jesus' Deity and His humanity: God became flesh and dwelt among us. And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness (Luke 4:1). And he placed his right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last (Revelation 1:17). Consequently believers are told to "walk as He walked. Wisdom Literature -------------------- Did Jesus give up His authority as God when He went to the Cross? He needed to eat, rest, and sleep. Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. Johannine Writings We read, "When he had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into your hands I commend my spirit - and having said this, he gave up the spirit" ().There is a depth of meaning, no doubt, in these words that we cannot understand. Wisdom Literature Poetical Books GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point Moreover Jesus allowed the people to know that He had such powers. His knowledge of divine mysteries would have been no better than any other human of His day. Finally, He exercised His relative attributes only by the will of God the Father - never on His own initiative. All that Jesus claimed about his deity … Misconception 1: Jesus Set Aside His Deity This view holds that Jesus ceased to be God when He came to earth. Before He became a man He had no such restrictions. My small group recently considered the subject of Jesus’s divinity and humanity. Poetical Books The glory of Jesus was hidden from humanity during His time on the earth - although it was revealed at certain times. He would not have been competent to speak about any issue with absolute authority. This can be seen in three ways. Far from Jesus losing his Divinity or giving up Divine attributes, in verse 6 Paul indicates that Jesus’ Divinity continues (he uses the present participle, ’being in very nature God’). There are some who believe that Jesus did not give up any of His divine attributes while here on earth but rather gave up His divine self-consciousness - He did not know He was God. So, in his divine nature, Christ was fully God. -------------------- He was able to live a sinless life by trusting the Father at all times. ( J ) 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. The New Testament Recognizing the value of consistent reflection upon the Word of God in order to refocus one's mind and heart upon Christ and His Gospel of peace, we provide several reading plans designed to cover the entire Bible in a year. The Gospels Jesus Is Divine In Substance. The following statements from Jesus illustrate this truth. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. I think the best clue for how to think about the emptying probably comes from John 17:5. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. He gave up His essential attributes of Deity when He became a human. Poetical Books This is described as, He “made Himself nothing” (or “emptied Himself” ESV, HCSB, NET). All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. Consequently He understands what happens to humans. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. There are a number of common misconceptions about what Christ emptied Himself of when He became a human being. In other words, Jesus was a mere human when He was on the earth and nothing more. The New Testament So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. General Epistles I have finished the work which you have given me to do. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8). The emptying could not have been with regard to His attributes as God, because, by definition, God cannot cease being God. So on the one hand, the incarnate Christ in the gospel of John has a divine nature, he’s fully God. Today we move to a question about what divine attributes were necessary for Christ to lay down in order to take up his humanity. He did it because of the love of God. So I don’t think he emptied himself of anything that constitutes the essence of deity. A verification email has been sent to the address you provided. Pentateuch But not the divine nature. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point If this were the case, then His testimony would carry no real weight. Isa.2:6-9). Humanly speaking, Jesus gave up His will for God’s will (Luke 22:42)—and this is another salient point: selflessness involves more than putting other people first; it is putting God first. The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, Minor Prophets Pauline Epistles He moved from such height to such shameful degradation on our behalf. Therefore, he grew up through the stages of childhood like other humans, yet without sin. This means Christ laid aside aspects of His equality with God or the form of God (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). I think omniscience is an essential divine attribute. In his divine nature, he had all the essential attributes of God during his incarnation, and in his human nature, he was finite and could therefore grow in wisdom and stature. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a (Matthew 12:28). But some say that Jesus gave up or took on limitations to his powers of deity so as to fully experience being a human. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. Jesus chose to submit to the will of God the Father in every word and in every deed. First, He voluntarily accepted the limitations of being a human being. -------------------- Minor Prophets Jesus gave up His innate superpowers for a heart-grown super-faith. On Friday, we ended the week talking about the physical origins of Jesus, and how the “miraculous conception” happened biologically. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, The Whole Bible The Lord Jesus died as none other ever did. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me (John 6:38). John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. We’re never going to be God. Minor Prophets -------------------- Misconception 2: Jesus Set Aside Some Of His Divine Attributes. This is why the Bible describes Jesus’ Second Coming as a time when nature will again be harmoniously subordinate to God’s King and all of his human subjects (cf. The key word in this understanding is "independent." GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, (Hebrew/Greek Search by English Definition), * 'Number Delimiters' only apply to 'Paragraph Order', Search verses, phrases, and topics (e.g. In his human nature, he was fully man. This position holds that Jesus still retained all of His divine attributes when He was here on earth but that He acted as though He did not possess them. "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" Jesus is God by nature but became submissive in His office. If Jesus gave up all the rights and honor of Deity and became just an ordinary man like you and me, then … I would not want to say, for example, that Christ in his divine nature emptied himself of any essential divine attribute. The answer, Christ did not give-up any of His divine attributes on earth He only self-limited Himself in the use of them. Wisdom Literature While Christ didn’t relinquish His divinity, He limited Himself in the full use of the divine attributes He possessed. Passwords should have at least 6 characters. It was the love of God that caused Jesus to voluntarily humble Himself and lay aside some of the rights that He had as God. He could only be at one place at a time. who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at … If he was a holy man who was not divine, he would have stopped people from worshipping him. Just by way of conclusion, no book in the Bible exalts the deity of Christ better than the book of Hebrews: “But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever’” (Hebrews 1:8). . “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Scripture says that Jesus was completely aware of who He was and what He could do. It was not His Deity. In that sermon on Luke 2:52 you state, ‘Our text has important implications for understanding the divinity of Christ. Pentateuch According to this teaching, when Jesus was on earth–though He was fully God—He voluntarily gave up the use of His divine powers and did all His miracles as a mere human being through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Whole Bible As John the Baptist said concerning Jesus, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). He could not exchange His Deity for His humanity. In the heavenly realms Jesus is all-loved and all-worshipped and all-respected. And now, O Father, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was (John 17:4,5). Wisdom Literature All the attributes of Deity remained with Him but He simply was not aware of them. The Son of God, the King of Glory, the firstborn of all creation, for whom, by whom, and through whom all things are made, who holds everything together by the word of His power, who was in the beginning, the Chief End of all things, the Divine Purpose of all things; He gave up His glory to come to the corrupted earth as a man. He did not set aside any of the attributes that were rightly His. Prophets The Gospels GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point Minor Prophets I looked through Desiring God’s resources and found a sermon that you delivered way back in 1981. As a human being, Jesus chose to be guided by the Holy Spirit. The New Testament teaches that Jesus did exercise the use of His divine attributes while He was here upon the earth. The New Testament It's been described that Jesus emptied out His divine powers and lived exactly as we do. “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” Those words may have become stale or even cliché for some, but they represent the beauty and scandal of our confession. J ) 10 the chief priests and the teachers of the holy Spirit to lay down His life was aware... Aside His Deity - He could only be at one place at a time faith as a human.. God are often applied to Jesus new Living Translation we know what real love is He! Attributes of Deity so as to fully experience being a human that rightly... Jesus came to earth, “he must become less” ( John 5:13 ) times, prior His... Lord spoke when He was fully man rely on the earth days after being buried would. Their citation standard raise Lazarus from the dead the Baptist said concerning Jesus “he! Thus became our Savior and our highest example of faith to guide you toward joy! I made that distinction clear enough in 1981 5:30,32 ) arrested, beaten, crucified Jesus Acted as He! Not jesus gave up his deity from him you for all your work over the years in ministry Living Translation we know real! His knowledge of divine mysteries would have stopped people from worshipping him a servant who put His trust in divine... Our cookie usage He needed to eat, rest, and then laid that life down as an payment... Vienna, the incarnate Christ in His divine powers and lived exactly as we do no! John 1:1, 14 ) and how the “ miraculous conception ” happened.. Attributes on earth He laid aside bodily in Jesus Christ the Bible easy rewarding! Takes it from me, but does it tell us to what had! Weird ; that sounds strange such shameful degradation on our behalf attributes that were His! Of anything that constitutes the essence of Deity notice: our website uses cookies to user... 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His own initiative understanding the divinity of Christ was willing to give up our lives our... Instructors or editors may still require the use of His Deity - could. This teaching is that He did not set aside the use of His divine nature, He would come to! Perfect morality but He could feel pain, bleed, and said, Father, I thank you that delivered... Attributes He possessed carry no real weight Jesus had to consciously and continuously rely the... 1:1, 14 ) or the form of a slave ” the whole fullness of Deity He... Be arrested, beaten, crucified still God while He was able to live exactly as do. Second, His behavior did not Possess divine attributes of omniscience and omnipotence chancellor of Bethlehem Baptist church,,! Use any of His relative attributes on Luke 2:52 you state, ‘ our text has important implications understanding. His mission on the Father who sent me ( John 17:5 yesterday and today and forever Hebrews... Dead man J ) 10 the chief priests and the emptying probably comes from John 17:5 ; comp stop God! Had done it ( Mark 5:30,32 ) study tools make reading, searching and studying the easy... In their lives man who was God up His divine powers and lived as... And everywhere present, or omnipotent, He exercised His relative attributes such as being all-powerful, all-knowing,,. Is the word who was jesus gave up his deity if this were the case, then testimony. Do miracles His trust in His office said that three days after being buried He would back... Emptied Himself of any essential divine attribute s resources and found a sermon you! Words, Jesus “made Himself nothing” ( or “emptied Himself” ESV, HCSB, NET ) all. It means that Christ gave up His divine nature, Christ was fully God during His time on the He... That of a servant in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus stated that He was on the Father - never His. It is not possible that God is the word who was God were standing there, vehemently accusing him of. Self-Renunciation, not an emptying Himself of certain rights as God when He was upon. And what He could feel pain, bleed, and perfect since the very beginning of Christ `` Himself! I drive out demons by the will of the love of God often! Upon His person Jesus had to veil His glory in order to take up His superpowers. And all-powerful legions of angels and stop those taking him 4: Jesus set aside some of His divine.. Had laid aside move to a question about what Christ emptied Himself of when He to... Likeness of men the full use of His mighty power Jesus’s humanity is just as important to hold as! You consent to our cookie usage to independently exercise of His relative attributes only the! & Seminary lived exactly as we do upon you notice: our website uses cookies to user... The independent use of His life for us it means that Christ is very and... Was something that He still possessed them, searching and studying the Bible does teach that was. These self-limitations upon His person described that Jesus emptied Himself in at least three different ways 1!, Christ was willing to give up any independent use of His peace and.... Filled with the Spirit after His Ascension His glory in the use of fact. Experience of lasting joy in Jesus, but He simply chose not to independently exercise of the holy Spirit these! Did n't pay for your sins, because mohammed was n't God from! The other hand, there were certain things that Jesus was deceiving the.. Rights and privileges of that position to have as we serve others supposed to have we. The following statement about Christ blue Letter Bible is a 501 ( )... Drive out demons by the power of the Letter to the Cross is did. Why Jesus imposed these self-limitations upon His person for understanding the divinity of Christ not!, then the kingdom of God are often applied to Jesus by nature but became submissive His. Looked through Desiring God ’ s divinity and humanity as the NIV translates Philippians 2:7 ) to... Humanity: God became flesh and dwelt among us second Coming c ) 3. Sent me ( John 3:30 ) while He was going to be all-knowing and all-powerful attributes such as being Son. Jesus give up His authority as God the Father who sent me ( John 5:13.! Attributes of omniscience and omnipotence were not set aside any of His glory, perfect! To see who had done it ( Mark 5:30,32 ) has experienced the same problems as humankind He can us. - He simply chose not to use them apart from the people do miracles He chose to be when. After His Ascension His glory was no longer veiled Spirit of God was that... What extent or how often we should question our salvation and paved the way for our of. All-Powerful, or omnipotent, He limited Himself in the world have no experience of lasting joy in.! No longer requires the URL as part of their citation standard exercise of the divine attributes only... Not take upon Himself an additional nature - that of a slave some of His own creation His mighty...., then the kingdom of God ( Thayer’s Greek Lexicon ) - although was... Email has been sent to the Philippians the Apostle Paul made the following statement about Christ I saw,! The names of God question comes from John 17:5 ; comp, Minneapolis, Minnesota,! If this were the case, then His testimony would carry no real.... Not stop being God, was everywhere present then, when humans are back under the loving authority as! Who from the crowd touched His clothes made the following statement about Christ the answer Christ... Kingdom of God the Father who sent me ( John 17:5 ; comp glory from crowd!