In Christian theology, humiliation usually refers to Christ’s voluntary lowliness in taking on human nature and enduring suffering, rejection, and death for sinners. It describes the downward movement of his earthly mission before his exaltation.
In Christian theology, humiliation usually refers to Christ’s voluntary lowliness in taking on human nature and enduring suffering, rejection, and death for sinners. It describes the downward movement of his earthly mission before his exaltation.
Humiliation, in classic Christian theology, refers chiefly to the voluntary self-emptying and lowly condition of Jesus Christ in his incarnate work, especially in his birth, servanthood, suffering, rejection, crucifixion, death, and burial. The term does not mean that Christ surrendered his deity or ceased to possess divine glory in his person; rather, the eternal Son humbled himself by taking true human nature and submitting to the conditions of earthly weakness and suffering without sin. Many orthodox summaries distinguish Christ’s humiliation from his exaltation, with humiliation describing the downward path of obedient suffering and exaltation describing his resurrection, ascension, and heavenly reign. Scripture clearly teaches Christ’s humility and obedience unto death, while theologians differ somewhat on how broadly to define the stages of his humiliation; the safest conclusion is that the term names the saving lowliness Christ willingly embraced for our redemption.