Finding Jesus in the Bible…So We Can Follow Him in Life
Bible Reading Plans
- Plan One: New Testament Only
- Plan Two: New Testament + Psalms
- Plan Three: New Testament + History
- Plan Four: The Entire Bible – Year 1 of 3, Year 2 of 3, Year 3 of 3
Don’t know which plan? Go to A Christ-Centered Bible Reading Plan: Quick Start.
Extras
Verse of the Day, Audio Capsule, and Video Minute
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Christ Is God
Chapter 44 – The Nature of Consciousness
As we reflect on God’s journey, we wonder how God navigated that journey. After all, He went from God to angel to man to angel to God. It was a V-shaped trajectory: descent and ascent.
- FROM GOD TO ANGEL: God died to His role as God that He might become the angel of the LORD (YHWH).
- FROM ANGEL TO MAN: He died to His role as the angel of the LORD (YHWH) that He might become Jesus in the flesh.
- FROM MAN TO ANGEL: He died to His role as Jesus in the flesh that He might become Christ in seated at the right hand of God in heaven.
- FROM ANGEL TO GOD: He died to His role as Christ seated at the right hand of God in heaven that He might become God once again – invisible and transcendent.
God, angels, and men are distinct classes of being. Each surely has a distinct consciousness – that is, a different way of perceiving self and the world. We can barely imagine how an angel thinks – much less how an all-knowing God thinks. How then was God able to exist in each of these roles?
To help us think about this, we have a story in Daniel 4. It only distinguishes between human consciousness and animal conscious, but it does follow a V-shaped trajectory – that is, a descent followed by an ascent.
The central figure in this narrative is King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He had a dream which none of his wise men could interpret for him – except for Daniel. Daniel interprets the dream and reveals that it describes what is going to happen to Nebuchadnezzar in the future. A year later, the prophecy is fulfilled.
The prophecy was that this great king, because of his pride, was to lose control of his kingdom, and even of his own mind, for an extended period of time.
Daniel 4:16 “Let his mind be changed from that of a man
And let a beast’s mind be given to him,
And let seven periods of time pass over him.
At this end of this time, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged his pride, humbled himself before God, did righteousness, and showed mercy to the poor. Then his mind and his kingdom were restored to him.
Nebuchadnezzar’s descent-ascent follows the same pattern as the descent-ascent of Jesus described to us by Paul.
Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
Philippians 2:6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Philippians 2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Philippians 2:8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
Philippians 2:10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Philippians 2:11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Of course, Paul is describing only the middle portion of God’s journey. And Nebuchadnezzar’s story is simpler still. It’s also the case that Jesus descended not because of pride but rather because of His humility. But the general outlines are the same as God’s full journey.
I want to say yet more about God’s journey, but there’s one more concept we need to bring into the discussion first.
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