God and Brother: The Kenosis of Christ and Our Faithful Friendship
God and Brother: The Kenosis of Christ and Our Faithful Friendship
Philippians 2:5-8
"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
I think it's very obvious that what's being said here is that our divine Lord Jesus, second person of the trinity, takes upon himself human form. I mean it says exactly that. He's taking on human form while being divine. He is not laying aside his God nature. In the incarnation he doesn't lose his God nature, and likewise he doesn't deify his human form.
If you were to ask me what it was that he "emptied", I would say he emptied himself of glory, of exaltation, and privilege. He made himself of no reputation. He made himself available to human violence and subjugation. The Greek word for "emptied" (ekenōsen) in verse 7 implies a voluntary act of self-limitation, not a loss of divine essence. John 17:5 supports this, where Jesus prays, "Glorify me...with the glory that I had with you before the world existed"
By taking on "the form of a servant" [a slave] and "the likeness of men," he relinquished the outward manifestation of divine majesty and privilege, choosing instead humility and vulnerability. In short, he embraced a life subject to human limitations, hunger, fatigue, and ultimately violence and death on the cross. And even more astounding, as Wesley Huff tells us, he takes ALL sin upon himself.
Isaiah 53:3-5 foreshadowed this:
"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed."
By becoming incarnate, Jesus exposed himself to the full spectrum of human hostility, from betrayal to crucifixion, without wielding his divine power to escape it. When I began to look into this idea of Kenosis theory, almost immediately what popped into my mind was Matthew 26:53, where Jesus says he could call upon legions of angels but doesn’t when facing the cross.
Matthew 26:53
"Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?"
This self-emptying is the ultimate act of love and obedience, and it's a message for the followers of Christ. He's showing how we who love God must act in love and obedience as well. In fact, the apostle Paul urges in verse 5:
"Have this mind among yourselves."
The phrase "born in the likeness of men" encompasses the full scope of human experience, including infancy. As a baby, Jesus fully entered the human condition, experiencing the dependence, vulnerability, and limitations inherent to being a human child. The All-powerful God: got hungry, cried for his mother, needed to have his bottom cleaned up, and so on. Luke 2:7 describes his birth in humble circumstances, he was "born of a woman" (Galatians 4:4) and laid in a manger, underscoring the absence of worldly glory or privilege. If I was looking to establish that he did still have privilege, I might argue that his angels were watching over him. And to an extent this is true, but what they did to intervene was only what they always do, send a message.
Galatians 4:4
"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law"
He was subject to the same physical needs as any newborn, he required feeding, care, and protection by Mary and Joseph. And by the way, he didn't need them to also be divine in order to accomplish this, because he was still divine in and of himself.
As a baby, Jesus’ divine glory was veiled. The Creator laid helpless in a manger, except for the divine revelation that was given to some; the shepherds, or Simeon. The fact that these revelations occurred proves that his divine majesty was hidden, though his divine nature remained intact. The privilege of His divine omnipotence or authority was set aside in his human experience. As an infant, Jesus couldn’t speak, act independently, or wield miraculous power, relying entirely on his parents for survival. And even as a baby, Jesus was exposed to human hostility. Herod’s attempt to kill him for instance, (Matthew 2:13-16) forced the holy family to flee to Egypt.
Imagine that!
And this again is his example for us. His humbling of himself and relying fully upon the Father is our example, for our own lives.
The hypostatic union [the doctrine that Jesus Christ is one person with two natures] ensures that Jesus remained fully God and fully human, even as a baby. While his divine nature possessed all divine attributes, his human nature was subject to the developmental limitations of infancy. Theologians often describe this as Jesus’ divine consciousness being present but not fully expressed through his human faculties, which were limited by his age. Does this mean that baby Jesus was incapable of expressing his divinity due to his limited baby abilities?
I think the only answer we have available to us, because of "mystery" is yes. Yes, as a baby, Jesus’ human nature was subject to the developmental limitations of infancy, meaning his human faculties, speech, reason, physical activity was all, indeed, limited.
One nuanced theory was, as a baby, his human will was undeveloped, but his divine will remained aligned with the Father’s, ensuring his person remained sinless and obedient, even in passivity. The idea is that Jesus had both a divine and human will (dyothelitism). Begotten not made, made this possible. Jesus and the Father are not the same substances but of the same essence (homoousios).
I guess you could simply say it like this; in infancy, his divine will didn’t require expression through human actions. It's not that he couldn't have spoken 17 million languages as an infant, but he intentionally limited himself in that regard. And likewise, it's not that he was faking it either when he babbled like a baby. It was a deliberate restraint of his divine nature.
Think about this, Jesus said:
John 5:19
So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise."
This is a powerful lens for understanding Jesus’ actions, including his restraint in infancy and his later miracles. At any point he could have assumed these miraculous acts, but these things were performed by him through the Spirit.
Throughout his life, Jesus’ miracles and ministry were often attributed to the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me"; Acts 10:38, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power" ). This doesn’t diminish his divine nature but shows his human nature operating in reliance upon the Father and the Spirit, consistent with his kenotic humility, and trinitarian understanding.
The hypostatic union allowed Jesus to live fully within the limitations of infancy without compromising his divine nature. His human nature was real, and his infancy was a genuine stage of human growth, and we see this in Luke 2:52,
"Jesus increased in wisdom and stature".
It almost seems as if there was a slow release of divine wisdom that was contingent upon the natural human growth process. He took this process upon himself. Must have been very weird and interesting to experience that. Maybe a little bit like divine revelation that some of us experience but on a different level.
Another viewpoint to examine, in the context of kenosis, is Jesus’ humble ministry, focusing on healing and preaching rather than immediate judgment, which reflects his self-limitation, and his intentional veiling of the full glory of his divine power.
Take a look at Matthew 11:1-6:
When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."
John the Baptist, imprisoned by Herod Antipas (Matthew 14:3-4), hears of Jesus’ miracles ("deeds of the Christ" ) but sends disciples to question whether Jesus is the promised Messiah ("the one who is to come," Malachi 3:1, Psalm 118:26). This shows John’s human struggle, which contrasts with Jesus’ clarity of purpose, rooted in his divine will. John is struggling with this question of kenosis and dyothelitism, though he probably didn't know he was being so philosophical. He just didn't have the full picture. And Jesus knows this and guides him in how he should come to a bit of clarity. Jesus doesn’t directly affirm his identity but points instead to his works, which fulfill Messianic prophecies, particularly from Isaiah. He points to the Word of God for clarity. And for good reason, it's a call to faith.
"And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."
Jesus’ self-emptying, embracing lowliness, from infancy to adult ministry, for some, can be a stumbling block to those expecting a triumphant, glorious Messiah. Faith is the solution and Christ's plan. Matthew 11:1-6 showcases Jesus’ two natures. His miracles reflect his divine nature’s authority (Colossians 2:9), while his preaching and humility reflect his human nature’s obedience to the Father (John 5:19). He's now teaching divine wisdom and performing miraculous divine acts, yet, he remains kenotically restrained, not yet fully unveiling his divine glory (John 17:5) until his resurrection. Because that's the plan of humanities salvation. It's how God determines it should be.
John’s question reflects human uncertainty, but Jesus’ response invites trust in his works. That's the goal, not performing miracles, but producing faith. This encourages believers to trust God’s plan, even when it doesn’t match expectations, mirroring Jesus’ kenotic submission.
Jesus’ example calls Christians to adopt a mindset of humility and service, especially toward those society deems insignificant. Like Jesus, Christians are called to serve the poor, the sick, and the outcast, reflecting his compassion.
Matthew 25:40,
"As you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me".
This could involve volunteering at shelters, advocating for the oppressed, visiting the sick and imprisoned, or simply showing kindness to those who are overlooked.
In Matthew 11:5, Jesus highlights that "the poor have good news preached to them," fulfilling Isaiah 61:1. This preaching, coupled with his healing acts, shows his compassionate mission to bring salvation to all, especially the downtrodden. Jesus’ example calls Christians to share the gospel with compassion and humility. Jesus’ compassionate preaching reflects his self-emptying love, from infancy’s manger to ministry’s outreach. And he taught them to serve as he had come not to be served but to serve.
So, what's the Point?
The harmony of Jesus’ will, divine authority (miracles) and human humility (preaching), teaches Christians to combine their bold faith (proclaiming the gospel) with humble service (caring for the least among us). This could look like confidently sharing Scripture while humbly serving at a food pantry, embodying both aspects of Jesus’ mission. Likewise, Jesus acted "by the Spirit" (Isaiah 61:1). His human will relied on the Spirit, encouraging Christians to seek Spirit-empowerment for their missions (Acts 1:8). This might involve praying for boldness before and during evangelizing moments or prayer for wisdom when serving, mirroring Jesus’ dependence (John 5:19).
Romans 8:11
"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."
That same Spirit is empowering your missions. Christians, filled with the same Spirit, are empowered to serve and evangelize, as Jesus did in Matthew 11, with humility and boldness (Ephesians 3:16).
The fact of the matter is, the hypostatic union is essential for our salvation, ensuring Jesus’ unique role as our mediator and redeemer. Salvation is possible only because of Jesus, as the God-man, has reconciled humanity to God. Only a divine being can bear the infinite weight of sin, and only a human can die as a substitute for humanity. The hypostatic union ensures Jesus fulfills both requirements. And our faith in him assures us that he has forgiveness for us. And that hypostatic union shapes how we Christians live. Believers are called to trust God’s unexpected mysterious ways.
The hypostatic union profoundly deepens our relationship with Christ by revealing a Savior who is both transcendent God and an intimate brother, inviting us into a bond of awe, trust, and love. Not in legalism. Not in human hands only. Not is philosophy or controversy. Ultimately, the hypostatic union transforms our relationship into one of devoted friendship with a Savior who is both majestic King and humble servant, calling us to live for him with faith and love, confident in his resurrection glory and comfortable enough to see his human nature in our own nature. Confident that when his Father, our Father, glorified him, he glorifies us with him.
Romans 8:17
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We come before You with hearts full of awe and gratitude for Your Son, Jesus Christ, our transcendent God and intimate brother. Through the mystery of the hypostatic union, You revealed a Savior who is both majestic King and humble servant, emptying Himself of glory to embrace our humanity, from the manger to the cross. We thank You for His divine love that redeems us and His human compassion that draws us near, inviting us into a devoted friendship free from legalism or human striving.
Lord, fill us with faith to trust Your plan, as Jesus did, even when it defies our expectations. Empower us by Your Spirit to serve the poor, the sick, and the outcast, reflecting His self-emptying love.
In Jesus’ holy name, we pray, Amen.