The concept of the kenosis refers to the act of Jesus Christ emptying Himself of divine privileges and taking on human form. This is based on Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV) which states:
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.
The word “kenosis” itself comes from the Greek word “kenoo” which means “to empty.” When describing Jesus, it refers to Him setting aside His divine nature and taking on human attributes. This was done voluntarily out of love for humanity and in obedience to the Father’s will. Let’s explore in more detail what the kenosis entails and why it was necessary.
Jesus Emptied Himself of Divine Privileges
Though Jesus was fully God, He chose not to take advantage of the privileges, honor and glory that were rightly His as God. As Philippians 2 states, He did not count equality with God something to be grasped or exploited. He willing laid aside the continuous full display of His divinity. Rather than continuously manifesting the splendor, majesty and power fitting for the glorious Son of God, He took on the humble position of a servant.
This does not mean He emptied Himself of divine attributes like omniscience, omnipresence or omnipotence. He retained His divine nature fully. But He voluntarily restricted the independent exercise of certain divine privileges. Christ temporarily surrendered the honors and glory of heaven to take up the lowest place on earth.
For example, while on earth Jesus in His humanity did not continuously exercise the attribute of omniscience. He stated that only the Father knew the day and hour of His return (Matthew 24:36). Yet He also demonstrated supernatural knowledge at times, such as knowing the thoughts of the Pharisees (Matthew 12:25) and the Samaritan woman’s marital history (John 4:17-18). So the kenosis refers to Jesus veiling His divine glory most of the time, not divesting Himself of it permanently.
Jesus Took on Full Humanity
The kenosis not only refers to Jesus laying aside the continuous rights, honors and privileges of deity. It also entails His taking on the limitations of humanity. According to Philippians 2, Jesus took on the nature of a servant and was born in human likeness. The incarnation means the divine Second Person of the Trinity added sinless humanity to His deity.
Jesus did not simply appear to be human while retaining all divine advantages. He fully took on human nature with all its weaknesses and limitations, except for sin (Hebrews 4:15). He experienced human frailties like hunger (Matthew 4:2), thirst (John 19:28), tiredness (John 4:6) and sorrow (John 11:35). He endured trials and was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet without sinning (Hebrews 4:15).
Therefore, the kenosis refers to Jesus becoming fully human in addition to fully divine. He voluntarily restricted the exercise of certain divine attributes and took on human limitations apart from sin. This involved humility, sacrifice, suffering and self-denial on Christ’s part.
The Kenosis Was Necessary for Christ’s Mission
Now we come to the question of why the incarnation and the kenosis was necessary. What made it essential for Christ to set aside His privileges as God, take on human limitations and be born in humble circumstances? There are several important reasons:
- To reveal God to us: As John 1:18 states, Jesus perfectly displayed the Father to us. By adding humanity to His deity, He could mediate and communicate the divine nature to us in a way we could understand and relate to. His kenosis enabled God to reveal Himself in visible, accessible form in Christ.
- To provide an example of humble service: Jesus’ willingness to lay aside privilege and take the form of a servant demonstrated an example of true humility and service for us to follow (Philippians 2:5-7). His kenosis displays sacrificial love in action.
- To qualify as merciful high priest: In order to serve as our merciful and faithful high priest, Jesus had to be made like us in every way so He could represent us before God (Hebrews 2:17). The incarnation enabled Him to sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15).
- To become the perfect sacrifice: By adding sinless humanity to His deity, Jesus could serve as the unblemished Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His divine nature meant He could bear all our sins, while His human nature meant He could die on our behalf.
- To destroy the devil’s work: Only Jesus Christ, as both fully God and fully human, could break the power of Satan, sin and death. By becoming human, Jesus could die and rise again, achieving victory over sin and the grave (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
- To relate to us: As the God-man, Jesus could powerfully empathize with our pains, griefs and struggles. His humanity enables Him to personally relate to our human experience and needs (Hebrews 4:14-16).
In summary, the divine Son humbled Himself by taking on human flesh and limitations in order to save, represent and set an example for humanity. It was necessary for our redemption and relationship with God.
Key Aspects of Christ’s Kenosis
To recap, here are some of the key aspects of Christ’s kenosis or self-emptying in becoming incarnate:
- He set aside the continual display and exercise of His divine glory and privileges.
- He voluntarily restricted the full demonstration of His divine attributes.
- He took on the likeness of a servant and was born as a human being.
- He accepted the full range of human weaknesses and limitations.
- He experienced human frailties like hunger, weariness, sorrow and temptation.
- He laid down His life on the cross and endured separation from the Father.
- His divine nature was never diminished, altered or ceased to exist.
- The incarnation involved humbling Himself by taking on humanity.
- This was done out of love, for our salvation, and according to God’s eternal plan.
Passages Describing Aspects of the Kenosis
In addition to Philippians 2:5-8, there are other key passages that give insight into Christ’s self-emptying in the incarnation:
“Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.” (Philippians 2:6-7 NLT)
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:15-20)
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8)
“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh.” (Romans 8:3)
“Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:17)
“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)
The Kenosis Leads to Christ’s Exaltation
A wonderful truth about the kenosis is that Christ’s humbling of Himself led to the Father highly exalting Him. Because Jesus was willing to leave the glory of heaven, take on human form and die for our sins, God placed Him in the position of highest honor.
Philippians 2:8-11 explains this powerful truth:
“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The willingness of the Son to humble Himself through the incarnation led to the Father giving Him supreme glory and authority over all creation. His exaltation came because He paid the ultimate price through the kenosis.
Key Takeaways on Christ’s Kenosis
Here are some key truths to remember about Christ’s self-emptying in becoming human:
- Jesus gave up the continuous outward display of His divine glory and privileges.
- He voluntarily restricted the full use of certain divine attributes.
- He became fully human while remaining fully God.
- He experienced human limitations like hunger, weariness, sorrow and temptation.
- He laid aside His life on the cross.
- This self-emptying was necessary for our redemption.
- It enabled Christ to represent, reveal God to, and sympathize with humanity.
- The kenosis ultimately led to Jesus’ supreme exaltation by the Father.
The humility and love displayed in the incarnation should be a model for our own willingness to serve others. Christ’s ultimate exaltation gives us assurance that God will lift up those who humble themselves, just as He did His Son.
