What Does the Bible Teach About the Concealment of Christ?
I can hear someone asking, what is David talking about, “the concealment of Christ?” How is Christ concealed anyway, doesn’t the New Testament reveal the person and work of Christ including his earthly ministry, crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and ascension? To that I would reply, yes, but only after He was concealed.
Then someone reply’s “OK, David, now you’re talking in circles; would you please explain what you’re talking about” and I would say, Thank you, I thought no one would ever ask. Let’s devote some thought to the concealment of Christ, theologically referred to as the “Doctrine of Kenosis.”
If we look in Philippians 2:6-11 we read:
“6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
(The English word nothing, in verse 7, is a translation of the Greek word, ἐκένωσεν which is defined as to empty, make empty. Our Lord’s deity was completely shielded so in appearance he seemed to be an ordinary human man.)
When Jesus was conceived by the power of God, the Holy Spirit, a unique event in the history of mankind took place; the divine and the human existed side by side in one person. This union of God and man resulted in a new creation, the baby Jesus, who “possessed a full undiminished human nature and a full undiminished divine nature, which were not combined or confused into some new nature but were added to each other forever (yet remaining distinct) in the one person Jesus Christ.” www.theopedia.com/kenosis.
There was one important difference that sets Christ apart as a human being; He did not have a human father and was therefore free of Adam’s curse, the fallen sin nature! The first Adam did not have a human father nor did the second Adam have a human father! I love the poetry and balance of that thought! Paul writes of this in 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 where it is written:
“45 The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.”But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.46 What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. 47 Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48 Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49 Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.”
All of us who have been born of human fathers have been born with that sin-cursed fallen sin nature we inherited from Adam and will have to deal with it as long as we occupy these mortal bodies! This has been addressed in the two-part series; God Has the Answer to Your Biggest Problem
The Divine Glory of Christ is Concealed
To all appearances the baby in the manger was visibly similar to other babies born in Israel; there was nothing about the baby’s looks to set this baby apart from the others being born around that time. Events were taking place that said there was something special about this baby but not in the baby’s appearance; the deity in that tiny body was carefully concealed from view although present and fully functional. I believe the Lord Jesus Christ was sustaining the universe from that tiny baby body in the manger and let me quickly add I have no way of comprehending what I’ve just written, it is totally a matter of faith!
With one exception, the “Mount of Transfiguration” the Lord did not reveal the divine essence which was concealed in His mortal body. To those who saw Him he was Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Mary and Joseph; in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy He appeared as the suffering servant, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, our Kinsman/redeemer.
Even after His resurrection our Lord appeared as nothing more than a normal man; he attracted no special attention as He walked along the road to Emmaus with the two disciples. The concealment of Jesus Christ was completed with care and precision; even the younger children of Mary and Joseph did not understand who was living in their midst. This is also a remarkable tribute to Mary and Joseph who were in full possession of the facts surrounding His amazing birth. The secret was carefully guarded by all who knew.
Next time we will look at the mystery of the indwelling Holy Spirit as he is forever joined with all who receive Christ as Savior.
davidbowerkingwood 
A beautiful depiction of the Lord’s humbling nature and his great love for us…
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By: Sheila on June 20, 2016
at 9:46 am
Sheila,
I find it so amazing how the Lord can open up new vistas each time I pick up the Bible; He is so gracious in His mercy and love!
David
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By: davidbowerkingwood on June 20, 2016
at 9:50 am