The Humble King

by John E. Thomas

Sometimes it baffles me to think of the extent God went to prove His love and commitment to us. The God Who sat on the throne for ages with heavenly creatures we can’t even imagine falling down in worship continuously before Him leaves the glories of eternity to come into time and space. He took on a body and became flesh. He was born into a stinky, dirty stable, rejected by the ones He came to save, and died an innocent death.

When I think about how I want to follow the Lord it usually has to do with resurrection and ascension, not humility and death. But ascension is only possible because the Ultimate One condescended to become like us and die. The power of resurrection is only needed for something that is dead.

I want to be great and do something marvelous for God and He wants to be humble and do something that could easily be missed by it’s normalcy. A baby born to poor parents. A carpenter that is the son of a carpenter. A poor lower classed, non-citizen from a backwoods country killed by the oppressing conquerors. Nothing to be seen here, just keep looking if you want spectacular.

But, it was. It was spectacular. Because He also healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed lepers, and set the demonized free. He also died and was raised again forever justifying the life that He lived! He ascended into heaven and sits on the throne right now ruling in glory.

Perhaps it was the normalcy of His life that gives me the most hope. I don’t feel special most days, but I know that this King gave it all to purchase me and calls me His treasure. I feel like a failure often, but I know that this God has removed my sin, shame, and guilt so that I could be victorious. I feel pretty normal, yet I serve an abnormal God.

The banality of His birth and most of His life encourages me. It is not about every minute of every day being the most miraculous, it is about being in the presence of a God Who is Miracle. The original magnificent One. The astounding Author and Finisher of all things. The wonderful One.

I don’t have to try to be remarkable. I am not performing to prove anything to anyone. I belong to Him, and if He can take the low road so can I. I can resist the urge to be seen, to be known, to force my place, or to have my rights. I can serve just like the Servant King. (Mark 10:45) I don’t have to make sure people treat me the way I “deserve” to be treated in the same way He didn’t grasp His rights as God. (Philippians 2:5–7) I don’t have to worry about looking like a slave, I can do the lowliest of jobs with the honor of a King—because when I do I look the most like my God! (John 13:1–17)

So, how are you going to serve? How are you going to let go of the driving urge to be in control? What steps will you take to let go of the desire for justification from man? When will you release the aspiration to be impressive?

Let me assure you, the harder you try the harder it becomes. But you are not without hope. He has done for you what you could not do for yourself. Meditate on His humility, and as you do realize—it is His life that lives within you. If you have received Christ, surrendered your life to Him, thrown your every hope of a future on His work, then the seed within you is indestructible and it carries all that is needed for the fullness of the life of our Savior to be seen in you. Let it come forth!