Sidney Herald
religion column published June 23, 2013
Before 1700, common folk had wooden spoons. Well off people
had silver. The saying, "He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth," views a
high-born person as knowing nothing about the struggles of life.
As the Son of God, Jesus has a silver spoon, his divine
powers. But He was born under the law and usually left his silver spoon in a
drawer.
Paul says, "God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born
under the law, to redeem those who were under the law." (Galatians 4:4-5) The
church teaches that his life under the law was part of Christ’s suffering and
humiliation.
Scoffers say, "Man is born under the law. Jesus was a man.
It’s no big deal that he should be under the law like the rest of us. How can
you say this was suffering and humiliation?"
Believers also have difficulty understanding Jesus’ life
under the law. We know Jesus is both God and man. We are prone to thinking it
was easy for him to obey from his divine powers.
Jesus always had divine powers. We see them break forth at
times, as when He fed thousands, raised Lazarus from the dead, cleansed lepers,
and cast out demons.
Usually, however, Jesus voluntarily laid aside his divine
powers and did not use them. While He could walk on water, he usually used a
boat. While He could turn water into wine and multiply loaves and fishes, He
usually used food and drink that were furnished naturally.
As Mediator, Jesus came "to redeem those who were under the
law." To mediate, Jesus needed to be under the law in the same way as those He
would redeem were under it: as humans. So, in matters of temptation and obeying
the law, Jesus "humbled Himself and became obedient." (Philippians 2:8) While
still having full divine powers, He voluntarily did not use them. He fought
temptation under the law only by human power.
Jesus fought from weakness, in his humanity. He had to
watch. He had to pray. He had to defeat the Devil and the world every moment. We
face temptation for a little while, and then give in. Jesus suffered all the
way, and He suffered using only humble power.
Beyond that, He suffered what we never do. He was tempted
right at the point of his humility. He was tempted to quit using only his human
powers. He was tempted to pick up and use his divine powers to save his
holiness, to show his divine glory. He had an easy way out. He could have quit
his office as Mediator. He could have abandoned us in our sin. He stuck with the
hard way, all the way. He humbled himself for us, and kept humbling himself, to
the bitter end that gives us a new beginning.
So, let us not scoff or be confused, but believe and adore
him, and receive the redemption He earned for us through his innocent,
humiliated, suffering life.
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