OUR DAILY BREAD : REMEMBER THE WRAPPING

[cimi]

December 22
Monday


REMEMBER THE
WRAPPING

READ:
Philippians 2:5-11
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[Jesus] made Himself
of no reputation...
coming in the likeness
of men,
__Philippians 2:7
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At our house some Christmas events are the same each year. Among them is my wife Martie's appeal to the kids and grandkids as they attack their gifts: "Save the paper, we can use it next year!" Martie loves to give nice gifts, but she also appreciates the wrapping. Presentation is part of the beauty of the gift.

It makes me think of the wrapping Christ chose when he came as a redemptive gift to rescue us from our sinful selves. Jesus could have wrapped Himself in a mind-boggling show of power, lighting up the sky with His presence in a celestial show of glory. Instead, in a beautiful reversal of Genesis 1:26, He chose to wrap Himself "in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:7).

So why is this wrapping so important? because, being like us, He is no stranger to our struggles. He experienced deep loneliness and the betrayal of a dear friend. He was publicly shamed, misunderstood, and falsely accused. In short, He feels our pain. As a result, the writer of Hebrews tells us that we can "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16).

When you think of the gift of Jesus this Christmas, remember to keep the "wrapping" in mind! __Joe stowell

```````````````````Lord, thank You for wrapping Yourself in our likeness!`````````````````````
```````````````````Remind us that You understand our struggles and that``````````````````````
```````````````````we can confidently take advantage of the mercy and```````````````````````
``````````````````````````grace You offer to make us victorious.`````````````````````````````
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Don't disregard the wrapping
of the best Christmas gift of all.

********************************Today's Bible Reading __ Philippians 2:5-11******************************
5 Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ
Jesus, 6 who, being in the
form of God, did not
consider it robbery to be
equal with God. 7 but made
Himself of no reputation,
taking the form of a
bondservant, and coming in
the likeness of men. 8 And
being found in appearance
as a man, He humbled
Himself and became
obedient tot he point of
death, even the death of the
cross. 9 Therefore God also
has highly exalted Him and
given Him the name which
is above every name, 10 that
at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of those
in heaven, and of those on
earth, and of those under
the earth, 11 and that every
tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Philippians 2:5-11 is perhaps the greatest declaration of Christ's
deity and humanity in the Bible. In His incarnation, Jesus did not
replace His deity with humanity, but added humanity to His deity;
He did not cease to be God, but surrendered the independent use
of His divine powers and the right to manifest His own glory as
God. Before He went to the cross, Jesus prayed that the Father
would restore to Him the glory He had with the Father "before the
world was" (John 17:5). Jesus' prayer was answered when the father
"highly exalted Him and [gave] Him the name which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...to the
glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11).