The Sacrifice of the Incarnation
I remember the day I left home for Bible college. It was filled with anticipation, excitement—and a deep sense of loss. Deep down, I knew that, with all of the possibilities opening up in front of me, what I was moving toward came with a price. In order to go to school, I had to leave home. And, for me, that meant I was leaving a lot.
This idea was significant for me. But, it is essential both the Christmas story and the larger biblical story to realize that Christ had to leave something else in order to come here. This is what the apostle Paul captured when he wrote Philippians 2:6a:
… Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God …
This statement confronts us with an idea of tremendous significance—He “existed in the form of God.” This phrase speaks of a reality that was present before time began. Before the creation of the universe. Before the collapse of the human race. Notice a couple of words that are critical to our exploration of the person of Christ.
Existed. The first important word is “existed,” the Greek huparcho. This term conveys great strength because it has two very significant implications.