GOD'S LOVE

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2: 5-11

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us.... I John 3:16a

It's been awhile.  But there has been a change.  As I type this I have resigned from my current call and am not seeking a call.  Instead, I am exploring the possibility of interim ministry at the end of my career as a Minister of Word and Sacrament.  I am listening to sermons on the Incarnation as all the world prepares to celebrate what C. S. Lewis called "The Grand Miracle."  What I share in this post are two insights into God's love that occurred very many years apart.  They reflect the unfathomable depth of God's love.  I believe that this is what eternity is for, an eternal exploration of the depth of God's love.  Here are two insights into that Love.  Notice in the passages above, God the Father did not force God the Son to submit to death.  Jesus walked to the cross, and more.

In April of 1975, I had only been a believer for one year.  Faith had come to me in April of 1974 during the Resurrection season.  In August of 1974 I had joined the Lutheran Church my high school girlfriend attended by Affirmation of Baptism, before leaving for college at Wittenberg University.  I was back on spring break, and my high school girlfriend and I were invited to the women's circle group meeting led by our pastor.  In the middle of the meeting, with no warning, the pastor turned to me and said, "Bob, tomorrow is Good Friday.  What does Good Friday mean to you?"  (That's why I mention I had been in the church only a year.)  This is what I received and shared as that 18 year-old kid.
Jesus, was and is eternal God the Son.  He was in heaven with God the Father, and was omniscient as God.  God the Son was "in all times at all times."  To Him, all of time is present.  (There is a longer explanation of what it means to be in all times at all times that I share with students to bring them on board.)
I see what that means.  God the Son was watching Himself be flogged and crucified.  God the Son saw all that we did to Him; what we would put Him through.  And He came anyway!  That is the depth of God's love.

It was only about 10 years ago as an ordained pastor at St. John's Lutheran in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin that I took the next step.  That is a lot of years in between.  Again, the revelation of The Incarnation came not at Christmas, but during Holy Week and The Resurrection.  I shared what I came to understand the following Christmas Eve.  It builds on what came previously.  God the Son was in heaven with God the Father and God the Spirit before time began, sharing all the attributes of God: omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent.  God the Son was pure spirit as part of having these attributes.  Pure Spirit.  Not just in all times at all times; but also, in all places at all times.  Everyone gets that what happened in Nazareth and played out in Bethlehem is that God became Flesh; God took on a body.  (C. S. Lewis pointed out that God didn't just become a baby.  God became a human zygote!)  OK, so far so good.  Now, jump with me from Luke 2, and John 1, to Luke 24: 36-43: 
36 As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them. 37 But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do questionings rise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.  
Jesus went to great lengths to help them understand that He had risen BODILY.   When He ascended, He ascended bodily.  He sits "at the right hand of the Father" bodily.  (This was a central point in Zwingli's argument against Luther when He denied that Christ was "in, with, and under" the bread and the wine.  Luther did not deny this, but took it a step further through the representation of the Holy Spirit.)  The implications of this are staggering to me.  Jesus was raised with and ascended with a glorified body, to be sure.  But it is a BODY.  What that means, as far as I can tell and reason, is that Jesus gave up being Pure Spirit, not just during his 33 years on earth - but - FOREVER!  Jesus will never again through all eternity be Pure Spirit again.  He surrendered that status, that privilege forever!  "Sometimes, it causes me to tremble...."  He made THAT sacrifice willingly, pouring Himself out (emptying / kenosis) because I needed Him to; because you needed Him to.  God loves you that much!  (Yes, I get that by and through the Holy Spirit, Jesus can still in a way we can't understand be everywhere and always - ubiquitous.  Luther argued as much.  I get that we can't ever fully understand the implications of that.  But to me, for me, it is still an incredible, awesome sacrifice of Love.)

That is what The Incarnation means to me.  "For God loved the world so much..."  We have all of eternity to explore together the unfathomable depths of that little two-letter word - SO.