He Emptied Himself

When I read the passage of Phil. 2:5-11, the phrase “He emptied himself,” immediately I asked myself many questions about just how empty Christ became. Did he lay aside his omnipresence? It sure seems so, as he was bound by the restrictions of time and space. Did he lay aside his omniscience? It sure seems so when he stated that he did not know when the time of His return would be. Did he give up his omni benevolence? That surely does not seem to be the case. These arguments, though puzzling, don’t seem to be the focus of what that piece of scripture is about. I believe that the focus of this passage is to attempt to show us exactly what the very definition of humility is and how far we are to take it. The creator of the universe took on the form of a lowly creation. The master of everything became the servant of everyone. He carried this humility to the point of death. This is a perfect example of humility for us to imitate, and I believe that this was the intention of this passage.

Craig A. Golden