Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11

IMITATING CHRIST
We have three portrayals of the incarnation that help us understand the meaning of Jesus, the Son of God, being born as a human baby – one each from art, music, and Scripture. In the paintings of Bruce Herman, Mary is presented before and after bearing Jesus, and Jesus is seen on the cross bearing the sin of the world. In the music by Steve Bell we have the lyrics that speak of Jesus coming into the world to pay the price for our sin. In the Scripture passage we have the image of Christ as a man and as a humble servant.

As I view Bruce Herman’s Virgin Mother and The Second Adam I am captured by two images – vessels and bearing. Mary was the chosen vessel to bring the Son of God into the world, yet she was a willing vessel – one who said “yes” to God. She was the chosen vessel, yet she chose to be the vessel. She was willing to bear Him in the pain, fear, and loneliness of childbirth, a foreshadowing of His bearing our sin on the cross. In His example, we are called to bear the cross and the burdens of others. I am struck by the placement of Mary’s arms and hands in these paintings. In one image she has her hand on her belly indicating her pregnancy and expectancy for birth. In another she is contemplating two vessels, and in yet another she is grasping her throat perhaps in a way to contain her sadness at seeing her son on the cross.

In Steve Bell’s Descent we see three movements portraying God’s love for us in sending His son. First – “The other gods demanded fear, but you gave love.” God loved us and sent His son to live as a man and experience the full-range of humanity. His perfect love casts out fear (I John 4:18). Second – “When no one else could pay the price, you died instead.” Jesus lived a sinless life and was the only sacrifice that could pay the price of our sin. Third – “Weak to be with us when we fall, and strong to save.” Because Jesus was fully human He understands our fears, failures, and follies. Yet, because He was (and is) God, He can save us.

In Philippians 2:5-11 I am struck by the phrase, “Have this attitude in yourselves.” An attitude is a broad concept, encompassing thoughts, emotions, and actions. Attitudes are often deeply rooted and formed from experiences that we may not even recall. They shape many of our perspectives and they are difficult to change. Although, Jesus could have had attitudes associated with wealth and power, He humbled himself and had the attitude of a servant. He was obedient to His father God, and He learned obedience (Hebrews 5:8). Humility is the attitude we are called to emulate as a result of the incarnation. Rather than exalting ourselves, we are to humble ourselves and let God do the exalting. We are to serve others as Jesus taught us to do.

One of the implications of the incarnation is that Jesus truly knows us. He empathizes with our pain and suffering. He understands what it means to be human, and as a result we can experience His compassion. Empathy is a central concept in counseling and it is essential for a counselor to communicate empathy if therapeutic progress is to be made. Through the incarnation Jesus communicates empathy to us. We are both fully known and fully loved – an experience that scares us and compels us to growth.
Clark Campbell, Professor of Psychology

MERCIFUL GOD, by whose will and bountiful gift thine eternal Son humbled himself that He might exalt mankind, and became flesh that He might renew in us the divine image: perfect us in thy likeness, and bring us at last to rejoice in beholding thy beauty, and with all the saints, to glorify thy grace; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen