(2) True Greatness

Though he was God,

he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to.

Philippians 2:6

Jesus, the eternal Son of God became one of us. This is not a fairy tale. This is not the idea of a great novelist. This is truth. This is reality. This is not fiction. This is fact.

But, this is more than just fact. If this is only a matter of fact, only a matter of a historical event, then we have not really understood. If our emotions are impacted by the stories of Prince Edward, Princess Jasmin and Princess Diana then we ought to be touched to the very core of our emotions when we consider the true wonder of majesty among humanity – Jesus. If the beauty, humility, kindness, grace, mercy, and warmth of Princess Diana’s work tugs at our hearts and moves us to compassion and a desire to impact people like she did, then surely a look at Jesus will move us, inspire us, compel us with a passion to be like Him. Take a look at the real King among the people.

Let me draw the contrasts a little more clearly. On the one hand, you have human royalty humbling themselves to the level of the common man and you admire them. On the other hand, you have the Son of God humbling himself to become a man. What admiration do you have for Him? On the one hand, you have a princess visiting people in hospitals and orphanages and you take note of compassion and mercy. On the other hand, you have the perfect, sinless, pure, holy Son of God who actually healed disease and took children into His arms and blessed them. Do you see the true glory of real compassion and mercy? You see a princess befriending the citizens of her country and you applaud her, praising her for being approachable and meek. On the other hand, you have the one who existed in unimaginable glory who calls you His friend. Can you contain the applause and praise? She was human – created, born, lived died. Just like every other human. And you recognize greatness because she, being royalty, touched the lives of the people. He is God – Creator. Here’s the glory of it all: Jesus: Up close & Personal. You cannot really appreciate the magnificence of these truths if you don’t let them sink deep within your meditations and resonate in your heart. So, stop for a moment right now and meditate on the glory of God coming to live with us. Let the wonder, and magnificence touch your heart. Born, lived, died, alive again. Not like any other human. That’s true greatness.


Next:  Can You Prove It?

(1) The Descent to Greatness

You can read about it in fairy tales and novels. You can see it in cartoons and movies. But it just doesn’t happen in real life. Jasmine was drawn outside the palace walls to befriend a peasant boy. She dressed like Aladdin and mingled with the people in the market. She even got herself in trouble with the palace guard along with Aladdin. But that was simply Disney’s fantasy. This just doesn’t happen in real life. Princesses don’t do these kinds of things.

Mischief and mayhem followed when Young Prince Edward switched places with pauper Tom Canty in Mark Twain’s novel-made-movie The Prince and the Pauper. But this just doesn’t happen in real life. Princes don’t switch places with paupers.

Princesses and princes, kings and queens, presidents, celebrities. They all have something in common. They tend to stay away from, even be isolated and protected from us common folk. Oh, they’ll make occasional, brief appearances and even mingle a bit with us, but we know they aren’t eager to identify with us. We know they aren’t looking to be our friends or build a relationship with us. No, they’re elite. We’re just ordinary people. And they’re happy to keep it that way thank you very much.

Every once in a while, someone special comes along. They’re one of the elite, but they don’t act like it. They actually do want to intermingle. They actually do build relationships with the ordinary people. And they stand out. People take notice. They are unique, special.

Princess Diana was that kind of person. She was so approachable that she was called "the people’s princess." She gave everyone the feeling they could be her friend. She didn’t act like she was different or above others. She really did step out of the palace and intermingle with the common folk. In fact, in 1987 she was one of the first high-profile celebrities to be photographed touching one of the most "untouchables" of society at the time, a person infected with HIV. She was greatly admired. When she died, it was not just the people of England who mourned her death, but also, the people of the world. The gates of the formal and stately Buckingham Palace became merely a backdrop for the wreaths, flowers, stuffed animals, notes and other expressions of love and mourning. She stepped out of the palace, lived among the people, loved the people, befriended the people and deeply touched their lives. She was a fairy tale come to life.

But the greatest decent from greatness took place long before Mark Twain wrote The Prince and the Pauper. Long before Disney’s Aladdin. Long before England’ great princess. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. (John 1:1, 14) God came near. The greatest fairy tale of all time is reality. The creator stepped down into creation. The creator took on the nature of the creature. Eternal God stepped into time. The King of all creation entered into a dirty stable, born of a peasant woman and a simple carpenter. This just doesn’t happen.

But it did. God did come near. Jesus, the eternal Son of God became one of us. This is not a fairy tale. This is not the idea of a great novelist. This is truth. This is reality. This is not fiction. This is fact.

The Word became flesh

and took up residence among us.
John 1:14

Next: True Greatness