Introduction
In the history of religion, including contemporary Eastern religions, we encounter tales of gods appearing temporarily as humans e.g. ““The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”” (Acts chapter 14 verse 11). Only in the Bible do we find the Creator permanently becoming a creature. God the Son is still “the human Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 5). This fact is so extraordinary that it messes with the mind of translators. Therefore, some English versions (AMP, MEV, NKJV, NLV) have “the Man Christ Jesus”. This is a sad slur on the dignity of the Incarnation. Likewise, sincere philosophical attempts to explain this trans-miraculous self-emptying action of God (Philippians chapter 2 verse 7) undo the shocking scandal of God embodying himself as a real human. At this point appeals to the omnipotence of God to explain the virgin birth miss the point. It is much more spiritually and pastorally helpful to meditate on the life of Jesus than trying to be reason-able.
Empathy Explains Everything
I sometimes ask people, “What is the emotion most attributed to Jesus in the Gospels?” reasonable replies come forth, like “Love.” or “Joy.”. The actual answer is “Compassion”. Jesus is commonly moved with compassion when he sees the lost state of the crowds, the sick, the bereaved and so on. “when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”” (Luke chapter verse 7 verse 13 etc.). In every case where Jesus is “moved” by compassion the result is healing and wholeness. This follows because the Son Cis the manifestation of the Old Testament God whose divine compassion is infallibly moved to release Israel from her bondages, e.g. “My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender.” ( Hosea chapter 11 verse 8). It is “the tender mercy of our (Almighty) God” (Luke chapter 1 verse 78) that is the ultimate explanation for why God became human. Whilst human sympathy means feeling sorry for someone else’s pain, divine empathy involves totally entering into humanity pain. Empathetic Christianity is the thrust of God’s kingdom.
The Whole Way
The Bible indicates that in becoming human, Jesus, without sinning (Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15), took on the fulness of our fallen nature. When the “Word became flesh” (John chapter 1 verse 14) this is the “flesh” which in itself is unresponsive and “useless” (John chapter 3 verse 6, chapter 6 verse 63). Jesus absolute empathetic descent into the humiliation of a nature that has lost the glory of God (Romans chapter 3 verse 23) required nothing less than the power of the “eternal Spirit” of God to sustain him all the way to sharing in our shameful deserved death (Hebrews chapter 9 verse 14). Only his perfectly pure love could attain to a complete identification with the immeasurable darkness of our lost condition. The terrible cry from the cross, “My God…why have you forsaken me?” (Mark chapter 15 verse 34), testifies that the goal of divine compassion to fully link with our brokenness has been achieved.
Becoming As God
As the most intelligent of God’s creatures (Genesis chapter 3 verse 1) Satan shows deep insight into God’s plan. “when you eat of it (tree of knowledge) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis chapter 3 verse 5). Since Eve and Adam were already created in the likeness of God (Genesis chapter 1 verse 26-28), the original temptation was designed to frustrate a much higher purpose of God than what existed in Eden. A great Church Father expounded this purpose in testifying, “Jesus…did become what we are, that he might bring us to be even what he is himself.” (St. Irenaeus). In saying this he was commenting on 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 4, “through them (God’s promises) you may become partners of the divine nature”. The devil is not opposed to people becoming like any God they imagine (1 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 5), but he hates the thought of us becoming like the God revealed in Jesus. The devil despises the nature of a God who is essentially an all identifying Father and the call for all God’s children to totally identify with the material and spiritual suffering of a lost humanity!
Identification is Intercession
I constantly deal with deeply wounded people. Perhaps this is why the Lord has been challenging me about my lack of empathy for those in pain. I sense this is also a challenge to the whole Church in Australia. It has been profoundly said, “the essence of intercession is identification” (cf. Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25). As affluent Western Christians are we/you up to following a Saviour who went the whole way in entering into the anguish of the world?