Ps 8:5a HUMBLED FOR US (Epiphany)

HUMBLED FOR US (Epiphany)

“For Thou hast made Him a little lower than the angels” Ps 8:5a

What a dramatic description of our Savior’s life on this earth. God the Father made God the Son a little lower than the angels. Do you understand this remarkable verse? Who is in charge of the angels? Well, our Savior, of course. Think of what He said in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” Actually, when you consider the devastation caused by one angel in the land of Egypt, you realize that one angel would have been enough!

What is the job of an angel? Very plainly, he is a messenger; he is a servant who delights in taking orders from God. Since this world was created for man, angels are here to direct the lives of men according to God’s will. We are higher than the angels; they are here to serve us. They are here right now, in this room, watching over you and me, directing us and keeping us.

What a demonstration of humility, for our Savior to be made lower than the angels that were created to do His bidding! In another place we read about Jesus ”He made Himself of no reputation,” and again later on, “He humbled Himself…and became obedient unto death.” The humility of Christ is beyond human comprehension, but its purpose is clear. He not only made up for our sins on the cross, but from the moment of His birth, with unbelievable humility, made up for every moment of pride in our lives.

Are you embarrassed by the humility of Christ? We ought to be. Our pride is dreadful thing, for it gets in the way of everything we do and would rob us of our salvation. It is so easy to answer back and to become touchy when we don’t get our way. It is so easy to do we do what we want to do, no matter what our Lord says. How important it is, then, that our Savior through his humility exposes our pride, and renews in us that spirit of humility that would look to Him for forgiveness and for the strength to fight the good fight of faith.