Day 11 Philippians 2:8

Because He, Jesus, was able to selflessly put Himself in the position furthest from His nature (God/King to slave/servant) God the Father once and for all raised Him to the loftiest height that exists and freely gave Him commendation and honor for the great work that was accomplished. He defined Him, Jesus, the greatest created of all created...

I have been waking up most mornings to meditate, study and journal on this devotional reading through Philippians around four am. It's had a tremendous impact on my life, this simple act of putting aside rest to come into the presence of the Living God. I have a toddler in the house, and another one on the way, so part of this act is due to time, but I adore this early morning time. It reminds me of my days in seminary when I would wake up early and have a quite time before chapel and class. I made sure I did that so that my devotional time would never become a time of study, but time would remain time with the Author and Perfecter of my salvation.

As I sat this morning, the Spirit brought to mind the story of the first miracle Jesus performed at the wedding in Cana in John 2. The wine steward, the keeper of the treasure as it were, bore witness to what we read today in Philippians 2:8. As Jesus made water into the wine (furtherest from wine to wine it's self) God makes the lowest (Jesus in human form) into the highest (exalted one). This is what He does when we (sinners/haters of God) are made righteous through faith and profession in Jesus. The dead are made alive via adoption.

It's this great reversal that is the stumbling block for so many: lowest to highest, first to last, death to life. All this is from God to prove that it could come from no where else. In this verse God is telling us that because Jesus was so able to separate Himself for all "earthly desires", as He first did in resisting temptation after His baptism, and was able to be so fully obedient to the point of death, God raised this God-man to the highest of highs and made Him the first-fruit. He was the once-for-all-sacrifice needed.

Can we? If we could there would have been no need for Jesus to die. Can we now after His death through the indwelling power of the Spirit? No, for then we would be equal to Christ, not like Him. But we are given the ultimate example we are to follow.

This my friends, is the true depth of "giving up" we are called to in Lent. Jesus didn't give up His favorite food, smoking, TV....He laid down it all and never picked it back up again.

Are you prepared to do the same? Why not? Are you clinging to the glory you have on earth? Don't you see, this is our cross...