“Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” Zechariah 9:9
Dear Ones:
If ever there was an example of true humility, lowliness, approachableness…it is the Lord Jesus. There have been many men and women whom we would have considered great because of their willingness to humble themselves, to clothe themselves with the “ordinary,” and less than ordinary, appearance and demeanor of life. Because of this, some have risen to great heights of honor, being in a position to bring great blessing to others. However, never in the history of the world has there been one like Christ. Why? The answer is revealed to us as we look through the eyes of the Apostle John, in the book of Revelation, where we see One standing before the Father, One who is declared to be the “Lamb of God.” This Lion Of The Tribe Of Juda comes before the Father as the ONLY one who has laid aside the glories of heaven, as the KING of heaven and beloved Son of God, to clothe himself with the “ordinariness” of men. The unveiling of this Christ begins in a stable, is continued as a child in the midst of the teachers in Jerusalem, “…about His fathers business.” The boy becomes a man, a carpenter, but then lays aside his trade at thirty years of age, to accept a cross the day of HIs baptism, to accomplish His mission to save us all. Not only is this Son of God come in the flesh, but He has deliberately and decisively chosen to be a servant of men, a Savior of the world, one that, because of His identification with men, understands all men, and their suffering. He embraces their weakness, limitations, even helplessness, to live only by the power of God. He takes upon Himself their diseases, and bears the weight, wretchedness, and wrath of their sins. He stoops to the lowest place, “…tasting death for every man,” that He might save all. He has come to seek and to save that which was lost, and this, at the expense of his Kingship, His Lordship, and His glory. What motivates one do do such a thing, making Himself available to the lowliest of men? There is but one answer, and it is deeper and more vast than the ocean itself. It is what Scripture calls “Love.” However, it is a love which is NOT of this world, having any point of reference or meaning, with regard to sinful men. It is the Love of God the Father, manifested by the Spirit, supremely revealed in the Son…this servant, this lowly Christ. He came to all to save all, laying aside everything that would distract, deter, or dissuade and hinder anyone from coming to Him. Though He was rich from heaven’s standpoint, He was considered poor by the standards of earth. It was, as the hymnwriter so clearly put it: “In life no house, nor home, my dear Lord made a way; In death, no friendly tomb, but what a stranger gave.” Here is that One who is unique, divinely so, and worthy, because of what it cost Him to make a sinner whole. It took the taking of the lowest position, that of a servant, and the despising of the shame heaped upon Him by those whom He came to save. Here is the Man, the perfect Man, who is at the same time, God, the perfect God, worthy to be worshipped, constantly thanked, and always to be loved.
Sometime in the eighth century before Christ, Micah wrote, speaking of Bethlehem: “…thou thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel: whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (5:2) It is in the sixth century B.C. that Zechariah writes that the King is coming, “…lowly, and riding upon an ass.” (Zech. 9:9)
Dear Father, Grant us a clear vision of Christ, clothing us with Thy Son’s meekness and lowliness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad