The Weakness of Jesus Christ

One of the greatest paradoxes to be found in the Word of God is in Paul's second letter to the Church at Corinth. It reads, "This will be my third visit to you. "Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him to serve you." 2 Corinthians 13:1-4 (NIV).

Note in particular the central clauses of verse four: For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him to serve you."

There is no question in my mind that God is the Sovereign God, He is the "Holy Other," very God of very God. He is the Almighty God, Father of eternity and Sustainer of all things. In Jesus Christ, we find One more glorious than Solomon, more powerful than Alexander the Great, more patient than Job and more gentle than Moses. He is truly God, King of kings and Lord of Lords.

How startling and mind boggling, therefore, are the words of Paul. Here is an assertion of Christ's weakness. And if that is not surprising enough, we also read that we are weak in Him. How strange. If it had said, we are strong in Him, we could understand . But the affirmation is that we are weak in Him.

Well, before we tackle this paradox, one thing needs clarification at the outset. That is, God's weakness is stronger that the greatest strength of man. You remember how Paul put it in the first chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians: "We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength" (23-24). Thus, when we discuss the weakness of our Lord, we are not talking about weakness in the sense of man.

So what was this weakness and in what did it consist? Paul tells us "He was crucified through weakness." This weakness is what led Him to Calvary. You recall when Jesus was arrested in the garden. He looked on that assembly and singling out the priests and temple officers, told them, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. Then Jesus added this significant statement: But this is your hour—when darkness reigns" Luke 22:52-54. All the powers of evil came upon Him. We see Him on Calvary engulfed in the waters of sin. We see death taking hold of Him. Of that, Paul says, He was crucified through weakness.

Let me hasten to add lest someone think Jesus was crucified through the weakness of impotence, Jesus' weakness was not born out of an inability to cope with the situation. We know this because He boldly told the officials, "Do not get big-headed, do not think that you really have power over My life, do not think you are in control because no man takes My life from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to pick it again. So do not think you are in charge." Jesus' weakness was not the weakness of impotence. But there are three truths about Jesus' weakness that I suggest for your contemplation and meditation.

As paradoxical as it may seem, inherent in Jesus' weakness was power. His weakness was powerful because it was the weakness of devotion to the will of God. So faithful was Jesus to the pledges of the eternal covenant, that He dedicated Himself to the cross, to all that the atonement involved, that He might bring many sons to glory. Jesus was strong enough to go to the cross that the purposes of God might be held inviolable. It was the weakness of love, long-suffering, and the weakness of consecration.

So turning back to 2 Corinthians 13, we read again, "he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power." But that is not where the 4th verse ends, This verse not only says He was crucified through weakness; it also claims that we are weak in Him. This is interesting and implies that Christ in us is not simply theoretical. As His graces, His virtues, His character manifest in us, we experience Christ in us. If He is in us, then the same weakness that led Him to Calvary is exhibited in us.

Continued in part 2