His Mighty Strength (Randy Frazee)Sample

When Jesus left heaven to become a human being, he freely chose to empty himself of “the privileges of deity,” or his divine attributes. These attributes are sometimes referred to as the three “omnis.”

• Omnipresence (unlimited presence)

• Omniscience (unlimited knowledge)

• Omnipotence (unlimited power)

Jesus willingly left these divine attributes behind. Had he not done so—had he chosen instead to retain his divine privileges—he would have been able to take advantage of his position as God. As such, he could not have reversed the failure of the first Adam. He expressly told us he didn’t want to do that for our sakes.

Jesus emptied himself to become fully human, but it’s important to understand that Jesus didn’t become any less God as a result. In no way and by no means. Instead, two natures—one human and one divine—coexisted in one person. Yet, how could that be when the two natures were quite incompatible? God is unlimited by time and space, but humans are limited by both. God knows all things, but humans do not. God has power over all things, but humans do not. How do we reconcile the incompatibilities between these two natures? How could they possibly coexist in one being? 

In describing what happened when Jesus became fully human, the writer of Hebrews quoted from Psalm 8, which informs us that humans, while highly valued before God, have a status just a little lower than the angels. When Jesus took on flesh, he shifted positions, from being above the angels to being below them. But the writer of Hebrews clarified that it wasn’t a forever shift. 

Jesus took on this lower position with us, but it wasn’t a permanent thing. It lasted for thirty-three years and then he was once again exalted above the angels.