By Victor Knowles
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death””even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8).
Communion is an incredible story of condescension. The Christ, the Son of the living God and the creator of the cosmos, condescended first to a lowly manger and then to a rugged Roman cross. It never happened before and it will never happen again. When we break the bread and drink the cup, we are reenacting the greatest love story in the world.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8).
No king, queen, president, prime minister, chancellor, czar, sultan, or sovereign would ever condescend to do what Jesus did for you at Calvary. The creator of the universe stepped down to earth that we might step up to Heaven. His downward mobility made our upward mobility possible. He emptied himself that we might be full. He died on a cross so that we could live in a mansion.
No one ever cared for you like Jesus. No one has ever loved you so much that he would die for you, making atonement for your sins. Remember that today, as you partake of these sacred Communion emblems.
What condescension,
bringing us redemption;
That in the dead of night,
Not one faint hope in sight
God, gracious, tender,
Laid aside His splendor
Stooping to woo, to win, to save my soul.
O how I love Him! How I adore Him!
My breath, my sunshine, my all in all.
The great Creator became my Savior,
And all God”s fullness, dwelleth in Him.
(“Down from His Glory” by William E. Booth-Clibborn).
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Victor Knowles is founder and president of POEM (Peace on Earth Ministries), Joplin, Missouri; www.poeministries.org.
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