Philippians 2:5-8 - Scapegoat
Good Friday
5 "[Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus], 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he [emptied Himself of] his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross." Philippians 2:5–8, New Living Translation, 2015 [and New American Standard, 1995]
This passage describes one of the core beliefs of Christianity: that Jesus was God from all eternity, but at one point He jettisoned His divine prerogatives. That happened when He was conceived by God the Holy Spirit and became a helpless baby, first in Mary's womb and then at Mary's breast.
King of Kings in Diapers.
Lord of Lords,
swaddled by a young virgin.
What could be more humble?
Death on a cross.
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I have often asked people why Jesus died. At least in this part of Iowa, many if not most people will respond, "He died for our sins." But if all He need to do was die, then why die on a cross? Why not something a little cleaner, an bit less torturous? And naked? What about our sensibilities?
We use the term "scapegoat" to refer to someone blamed or punished for someone else, the guilty party. The term comes from the Old Testament.
In Moses' day, two goats would be chosen. Then the priest would draw straws. The goat that got the short straw would be sacrificed as a sin offering. The other goat was "presented alive before the Lord." The priests would lay hands on the head of the goat, confess all the sins of the people, and transfer those sins upon the goat. Then the goat was turned out to the wilderness to carry away the people's guilt. (Leviticus 16:7-22)
What death penalty is sufficient for God to "lay upon Him the iniquity of us all?" (Isaiah 53:6, King James Version)
In church on Sunday, between images on an overhead screen, banners on the wall, decorations on the pulpit, etc. I counted 12 crosses! (and this was a Protestant church, not Stations of the Cross). What if instead of crosses, there were images of a gas chamber? What if Christian tee shirts, jewelry and bumper stickers portrayed an electric chair instead of a cross?
Jesus carried the heaviest blame possible, the sins of the world. Accordingly, He was executed as a common criminal. It was the ultimate in humbling Himself, in letting Himself be the ultimate scapegoat.
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