Jesus: The God-Man

Jesus: The God-Man

Jesus: The God-Man

My ten-year-old son and I were on a shared mis- sion. Excitement danced around him as we en- tered the woods hoping to see some deer. I was both entertained and sobered when I realized that he was imitating my every move. Refl ecting upon his behaviors, I realized he took my words and behaviors seriously and saw in me a leader to be imitated fl awlessly. The Biblical writers, Paul and John, believed they were on a mission with Jesus: the God-man. They saw in Him one whose manner and behaviors were to be imitated without exception. They took the imitation of Jesus seriously be- cause they believed He was fully human and fully God (John 1:14; II Timothy 3:16). The Apostle Paul insists in Ephe- R ON HAWKINS sians 5:1 that our high- est calling as men is to the imitation of the pattern the God-man provided in His life and witness. As we seek spiritual maturity, this calling to imitation may be helpful to us since it is a concept so simple to understand that even my ten-year- old son easily grasped its demands upon him as we moved into the woods on that bright fall day. Our personal com- mitment as men to the disciplined practice of His imitation provides the anchor point for our personal joy, our pubic and private worship, and our achieve- ment of lasting shalom. Put simply, the signifi cance of the imitation of the God-man for our per- sonal lives and relationships cannot be overstated (Philippians 2:5-16). In agreement with that reality, lets focus on four characteristics of the God-man that we as men should seek to imitate. *Surrendering Glory* First, we see in Jesus, the God-man one who forsook the entitlement associated with His position in the heavens and embraced the purposes of God for his life, even when that decision resulted in the loss of position and relationships. He voluntarily surrendered the glory of heaven to wear the mantel of Isaiahs suffering servant and become the sacrificial lamb. His choices were formed within a deep consciousness that He was experiencing in His daily life the unfolding of the purposes of the sovereign God, who as Father had sent Him on His mission.

Guided by unquestioning obedience to the Fathers purposes and unfathom- able love for fallen humans, He sur- rendered the free exercise of His divine attributes, took upon Himself the form of the God-man, and gave His life. We honor Jesus, the God-Man, and fulfi ll our calling to imitation when we fol- low His surrender to the authority of the Word of God, lay aside the need for status and choose to descend into the worlds of the hurting, which are all around us, ministering graciously to their needs.

*Committed to Serve* A second characteristic that men em- bracing the challenge to imitate the God-man will inevitably be led to con- sider is discovered as we observe His tenacious commitment to service. Jesus is remarkable for a surrender that is not only in the service of the Fathers pas- sion for reconnecting fallen image-bear- ers to Himself, but also for its unfailing love manifested in the service of others, even the undeserving. The God-man in the pattern of the Bondservant of Exodus 21:1-6 is disin-vested in personal freedom and commit- ted to the welfare of those who are im- pacted by his commitments and choices. In the presence of opportunities to act for the self, the God-imitator will refuse personal fulfi llment whenever such a choice compromises his ability to au- thentically be there for, serve and love his master, his wife and his children. *Willing to Suffer* Beyond the surrender and service, men are privileged to witness in the life and ministry of the God-man a third characteristic that is equally deserving of our imitation. The mental toughness that helped Him view His sufferings within the larger purposes of the Fathers resolve to redeem His lost creation is worthy of our careful consideration and imitation. In our imitation of the God-man, we, too, must be mastered by the conviction that our suffering serves a vital function in our personal spiritual formation, and that all suffering is purposeful because it comes to us gift wrapped by the hands of a loving Father who is sovereign in all things related to us. When men witness to the sufficiency of Gods sustaining grace and benevolence in the midst of their personal suffering, they fill their context with an integrity that has a transformative influence for good on all who experience their suffering with them.

*Draw Near the God of Peace* Lastly, men who heed the call to imitate the God-man will find themselves companioning with one whose serenity is independent of human circumstances. His is a special peace that gives freely to all who trust His words and His grace (John 14:25-28). This is the peace that passes all human understanding and is a gift given by the God-man to rule in our hearts and minds as it did in His (Philippians 4:6-7). As Christian men, our greatest privilege and responsibility is to imitate His peace from positions of leadership in our families, churches, and communities. When everybody is frazzled and losing it, we step into, not away from, the situation. Then, empowered by the Holy Spirit and constrained by the desire to accurately reflect the likeness of the Prince of Peace, we model and speak a healing calm over the situation and all its participants. Online counseling is always available to help you out.

*Are You Man Enough?* > Christian churches and families are facing many great challenges in this late hour. Any anemic responses to those challenges & mdash;some of which we may even be guiltywill be overwhelmed by the darkness we fight. Instead, the darkness will quickly disperse and His great light will shine forth when we men become radically committed to the imitation of Jesus, the God-man. Nothing less is truly worthy of Him.

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