Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
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!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

• Philippians 2:5-11

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

• Colossians 1:17

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

• Hebrews 1:3

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

• Matthew 26:52-56

For to me, to live is Christand to die is gain.

• Philippians 1:21

“The foundation, the motivation of a life of humility, is the example of Jesus Christ’s humble life and sacrificial death on the cross.
“The Bible tells us that Jesus, who was very involved in the act of creation, is also involved in the act of sustaining creation. Colossians 1: 17 says, ‘He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.’ And Hebrews 1:3 says, ‘He upholds the universe by the word of his power.’ So follow where I’m going here. When the Romans arrest Jesus, they grab Him with hands that He not only created but was, at the time, sustaining. In essence, the power they use to grab Him comes from Him. With muscles that He powers, they stretch their hands back and slap His face. They use the glands that He controls to work up the saliva to spit on Him. They nail Him with metal that He created to a tree that He spoke into existence. And He is able to stop it at any moment.
“Do you remember when Peter pulls his sword and whacks off the ear of one of the men arresting Jesus? Jesus picks the ear up, throws it back on the guy’s head, fully healed, and the guy still arrests Jesus. What does Jesus say? ‘Peter, put away the sword. He who lives by the sword dies by the sword’ (Matt. 26:52, author’s translation). And then: ‘Don’t you know at any moment I could call out to My father and have at My disposal twelve legions of angels? No one’s taking My life from Me. I’m laying it down’ (v. 53, author’s translation).”

• Matt Chandler, To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain

Rev. Chandler puts forth a good argument, as Jesus stated Himself, that Jesus laid down His life to save many.  I love how Rev. Chandler went back to creation and how Jesus holds everything together (Colossians 1:17).

My uncle, Ruffin Rackley, wrote a book, God’s Physical Record of Creation.  It is still available on Amazon.  He talks about the Higgs’ Boson being jokingly called the “God particle” by largely unbelieving scientists.  But the purpose of the Higgs’ Boson is to hold the other particles together.  Without the “God particle,” every atom that forms everything would scatter.  You could not even say “scatter throughout the universe”, for without the “God particle” everything in the universe would also be scattering.  There would be no more universe to scatter into or throughout.

And with Jesus holding all the parts together for each of His captors, He indeed sacrificed Himself for our sake.

He also humbled Himself.  Here Jesus is fully human, but also fully God.  He was with the Father since before time began.  Yet, He entered this fallen world as a child and subjected Himself to His earthly parents.

And what Paul tells the Philippians is to go and do likewise.  (A line that Jesus uses at the end of the parable of the Good Samaritan.)

We are to take up our cross, which cannot really be done proudly.  And we are to humble ourselves, following in His footsteps.

Yet, too many Christians find that they are something special in this world.  Yes, we each have special gifts, but where did those gifts come from?  They came from God, specifically they are gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Paul says elsewhere that we have no room to boast.  So, why are we so proud?

Jesus humbled Himself and freely paid the price that was meant for us.  That fact alone should be humbling.  May we all worship at His feet, serving others as He said being akin to serving Him.

Lord, guide me.  Help us to remember the sacrifice, and sacrifices, that You made in order for us to be saved, and indeed be adopted children of our Heavenly Father.  And we did not deserve it.  Even our faith is a gift from You.  In Thy Name I pray.  Amen

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.