[This is part of a series on the humility of Christ. See the first article here.]
con· de· scen· sion
/ˌkän-di-ˈsen(t)-shən /
noun
1 : patronizing attitude or behavior
// scoffing condescension by the "we know better than you" people— A. J. Anderson
2 : voluntary descent from one's rank or dignity in relations with an inferior 1
Condescension isn’t exactly at the top of our list of most admirable humble behaviors. In fact, we tend to associate condescension with the arrogant and proud. Condescending behavior tends naturally to set our teeth on edge.
It may seem strange then to find a number of our beloved hymns and worship songs describing the condescension of Christ.2,3 However, this is perfectly appropriate. Though we typically use condescension with the first definition in mind, when applied to Jesus, the second definition is in view: “voluntary descent from one’s rank or dignity in relations with an inferior.”
Jesus condescended. When we say this, we are talking about the incarnation, the glorious truth captured in John 1:14a: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” Of all the manifestations of Christ’s humility, perhaps no other was as significant as this act of taking on human flesh. It was foundational to our salvation. Therefore, it is among the sweetest of morsels of God’s goodness to us. As we gaze at the humility of Christ, we would do well to start here, and it is an appropriate time of year to do so.
God Most High
John opens his Gospel with statements regarding the great height from which Jesus descended to be one of us.
“In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1a). The Son of God, Jesus Christ, the logos (Word) is eternal. If the Word was in the beginning, He existed before all creation, and therefore is greater than all creation (John 1:15).
“…and the Word was with God” (John 1:1b). The exclusivity of the relationship within the Godhead is hard to fathom because no one outside of the Trinity has every experienced it fully. This purity of fellowship, union, joy, and love belonged exclusively the Father, Son, and Spirit. The Son’s rightful place was in the glory of the exclusive, heavenly fellowship.
“and the Word was God” (John 1:1c). Not only was He in the beginning with God, but He was God. Not just a man. Not a created being. Not even an angel. This is God Himself.
Much more could be said about the eternal station of God the Son, but suffice to say that humanly speaking, such a glorious figure would never be the intuitive choice for an errand of any kind, certainly not one requiring condescension, “the voluntary descent of rank or dignity in relations with an inferior.” God the Son is the eternal Creator Lord of all (Isa 6:1-5; cf John 12:41). He is God Most High.
Have This Attitude Among Yourselves
What would move the Son to condescend from such a height? Among other things, we must say it is His profound humility. Yet, we must rightly understand what humility is.
Some may define humility as a modest or low view of one’s own importance.4 This definition just won’t work. Jesus was humble, and yet there is no possible way He had a low view of His own importance. “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me” (John 5:46). “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Jesus knew He was the central figure in all of human history, and yet, Jesus was the greatest example of humility in human history. Therefore, we need a better definition of humility.
Paul reveals to us in Philippians 2 that Jesus, by example, defines humility for us. He first exhorts us to, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:3-4). He then turn turns our attention to the condescension of Christ. “…Though he was in the form of God, [He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:5-8).
What could be a more startling example of considering others more significant than self than for the eternal Son to take the form of a servant? To what greater lengths could one go for the interests of others than from heaven to earth, from equality with God to the likeness of men?
Humility is that state of mind which considers the interests of others more significant than the interests of self. It is the state of mind behind the condescension of Christ.
God Most Lowly
All this gives context to John’s statement of Jesus’ incarnation, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14a). The pre-incarnate Son was God Most High. Therefore, the self-denial of Christ in the incarnation was a sacrifice of station on an incredible scale. The Creator assumed a place beside the created. God Most High became God Most Lowly, the servant of all.
Flesh carries with it frailties and limitations. Humans live in the realm of need. A.W. Tozer famously wrote, “Need is a creature word and cannot be spoken of the Creator.”5 Indeed, the pre-incarnate Son had no experience of need. God doesn’t need. He is perfectly self-existent. Yet, in Christ’s incarnation, He denied self to the extent that He entered the realm of need. He needed clothes to stay warm. He needed food and water to survive. He needed rest in order to work. The frailty of need is foreign to God and beneath His station.
Christ also entered the realm of limitation. Humans are bound to one location at a time, unlike an omnipresent God. Humans are capable of a finite amount of work, unlike an omnipotent Lord. Humans must learn things. An omniscient God learns nothing; He already knows all. While remaining fully God, the Son chose to live outside the exercise of these divine prerogatives and to freely give Himself to the limitations of human existence.
Beyond this, Jesus did not only take on human flesh, but He took the form of a servant. The best known picture of this was Jesus’ washing of His disciples’ feet, perhaps the lowliest form of personal service (John 13:5-15). Though it startled the disciples, it was emblematic of Christ’s entire life. He wore Himself out serving others in every way, culminating in His substitutionary death on the cross (Phil 2:8). No one ever served like Jesus.
He Tabernacled Among Us
The condescension of Christ is further developed in the second phrase of John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” This is more literally, “and he tabernacled among us.”
Sin separates man from God. The tabernacle in the Old Testament provided a way for God to live with His people. This wasn’t simply a matter of providing a tent for the ark of the covenant. The main issue was that God was holy while the people were hopelessly sinful. How could a holy God dwell in the presence of a sinful people without annihilating them? Well, the tabernacle included all the necessary implements to cover the sins of the people via various sacrifices.
Kind of. The tabernacle included pictures of the One Sacrifice that provided for God to live with man. An often overlooked feature of the Old Testament sacrifices is that there was no sacrifice for the kinds of sins that we would think of as real sins. That is, the sacrifices prescribed in the law covered what we would think of as accidents of ignorance, not “high-handed,” willful sins (Lev 4-5; Heb 9:6-7). Murder, lust, lying, and other intentional sins? No sacrifices existed to cover these.
This actually shouldn’t surprise us. Hebrews 10:4 teaches, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Those sacrifices were shadows of things to come, the substance of which is Christ (Col 2:17, cf Heb 9:23, 10:1). They pointed to the sacrifice of Jesus which would cover all sin for all time. Even in the Old Testament, God patiently passed over former sins based upon the future sacrifice of Christ pictured in the animal sacrifices of the tabernacle (Rom 3:25).
What this means is that every time an animal was sacrificed in the Old Testament, God was not thinking, “Good, I’m glad some justice was administered for those sins.” No, by the sacrifice of the animals God saw a picture of a greater, timeless, effectual sacrifice coming in the person of Jesus Christ. He passed over those sins knowing that on the cross Jesus would pay for them. This represented incredible patience and grace on the part of God the Father.
The word “tabernacle” then carries the connotation of God living among sinful people on the basis of a future sacrifice. Do you see the glory of this word applied to Jesus in His incarnation? Jesus is God, holy. It is not as though in taking on human flesh, Jesus turned off His own offense at sin. In His tabernacling among us, Jesus, the holy eternal Son, lived surrounded by sinners, in the midst of every form of ungodliness. How did He tolerate this terrible offense against His holiness? On the basis of a future atoning sacrifice—His own.
Think about what this must have meant as Jesus became self-aware of His identity as both as God and the Lamb of God. Every sin He saw would have been personal to Him for at least two reasons. First, as God, every sin committed was a sin against Him. Second, as the Lamb of God every sin was potentially a sin for which He Himself would pay.
So Jesus’ every encounter with sin—which took place constantly everyday—brought with it the awareness of the need for justice. If God would be shown just, atonement must be made. Every sin would either be paid for by the sinner or by Jesus Himself. And this reality was met not with revulsion or resentment, but compassion and love (Matt 9:36; Mark 10:21).
Jesus left His rightful station to become a man. God Most High became God Most Lowly. He lovingly endured sin all around Him until the moment when He Himself would pay the penalty for it. All this is bound up in the condescension of Christ.
Why would Jesus do this? Among other reasons, He considered the interests of others more significant than self. He was humble. How strange then for you and I to walk in pride, to contend for Me Most High. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, let us humble ourselves, consider the great condescension of the God-Man, magnify Him, and love His humility so much that we must follow in His footsteps.
1 Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “condescension,” accessed July 1, 2020, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/condescension.
2 Matt Boswell, “Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery,” Messenger Hymns, Vol. 2. 2015.
3 Phillip Doddridge, “Behold What Condescending Love,” 1776.
4 lexico.com Dictionary, s.v. “humility,” accessed July 1, 2020, https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/humility
5 A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy. New York: Harper (1961), 32.
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