Mind of the Missionary
May 2019
“Christ was truly God,…He gave up everything and became a slave, when He became like one of us.” (Philippians 2.6 – 7)
Recently, in one of our churches, the offering envelope on the side panel was found in the offering plate…”To God”. It was told to me that a child had written this statement as the offering was taken on that particular Sunday. I believe that child truly understood what the purpose of giving is. It is giving all that we have for God.
Paul’s statement of Christ’s sacrifice was one of complete humility. Jesus “gave up everything” or as the Greek says it, “He emptied Himself”. In other words, nothing was left of Himself. As we ponder Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, it’s impossible to do so without realizing how He gave all that He could to redeem all of mankind. There’s a phrase that we use, “he’s spent, or she’s spent”. It means the person has given all that he can give until he can’t give anymore.
In a sense, Christ did that for us when “came in the likeness of men”. He spent Himself. Notice, the anguish and the sorrow that Jesus expressed in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was all coming to a focal point of His death on the cross. It was drawing nearer and nearer, and He sought the strength of His Father and the other disciples through prayer. Fortunately, Jesus found the comfort He needed through His Father because the disciples’ spirit was willing, but their flesh was weak.
How do we find ourselves this Easter season? Is our spirit willing, but our flesh is weak? Have we “given up everything” for Jesus? Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16.24) Will we desire to follow Christ this Easter and give up everything for Him?
Until next month,
Bro. Lyle