Did Jesus set aside His deity when He came to this earth?
Let’s read Philippians 2:5-8, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but EMPTIED HIMSELF by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.” (NASB).
I believe your question came from this portion and the fact that Christ ‘emptied Himself’ when He became a man. Just what did the Lord empty Himself of? Did He empty Himself of His deity? Deity is simply defined as ‘the state of being God.’ So, the question before us is: Did the Lord Jesus cease being God when He took on flesh and blood?
We have the testimony of God concerning the Lord Jesus in Hebrews 1:8-9 which says, “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Notice that God calls His Son God. What greater testimony could there be of the deity of the Lord Jesus.
In speaking of the Lord’s transfiguration, the Apostle Peter said, “2 Peter 1:16-17 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of HIS MAJESTY. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (2 Peter 1:16-17). Peter refers to the majesty of the Lord when God spoke from Heaven declaring that Jesus was His ‘beloved Son.’
In dealing with unbelieving Jews who accused Him of breaking the Sabbath, the Lord Jesus remarked, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself EQUAL WITH GOD.” (John 5:17-18). The Lord’s own words show that He proclaimed His deity while on the earth.
It was Ellen White, co-founder of the Seventh Day Adventist church who publicly proclaimed: “He [Jesus] turned from his royal throne, his high command, and, laying aside his divinity, clothed himself with humanity.” This is great error and worthy to be condemned.
Christ did ‘clothe Himself with humanity’ for Philippians 2:7 declares the Lord was, “born in the likeness of man.” But we can see from the above verses (and there are many more) that the Lord Jesus DID NOT cease to be God while here in human form. When the Lord Jesus was on the earth, He was as much God as He had been while in Heaven.
So, what did the Lord Jesus empty Himself of? He emptied Himself of His glory. Romans 8:3 tells us that the Lord Jesus came “in the likeness of sinful flesh…” That means He looked like any ordinary man. His glory was hidden from men. It’s precious to realized that to the eye of faith, the Lord’s glory could still be seen as we read in John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and WE BEHELD HIS GLORY, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
It would be good to consider one more verse to show the truth that the Lord Jesus laid aside His glory. In the Lord’s High Priestly prayer prior to being betrayed and crucified, He prayed, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5). Here, the Lord is asking to receive His glory back…that glory “which I had with thee before the world was.” Surely this shows the Lord had laid aside His glory and was now ready to take it back.
Philippians 2:9-11 goes on to tell us, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Have you bowed your knee to the Lord Jesus and owned Him as your Savior and Lord? (CC) (510.3)