Cheryl Schatz

NN,
You said:

Being of the power and authority of God, He chose a life of service to those under His authority. I agree that Christ is the perfect example of husbandly love (just as Paul said) – but realize that Christ’s serving us does not lessen His authority over us. The words and instructions of Christ are authoritative because they come from authority; from the Christ – our celestial and ultimate Bridegroom to the Church; of whom our present marriages are but shadows.

While I agree that before He came here to the earth He was in the very essence of God with all power, all authority and all glory. But He limited Himself so that He could be like us. He did not keep these rights as God and hold onto them, but willingly gave them up so that He could operate as a human as we do waiting for authority delegated by His father and power approved by God and eventually His own full glory would be given back so that we will see Him as He is.

John 17:1–2, 5 (NASB)
1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Notice that in Jesus’ high priestly prayer, he admitted that He had been given authority to give people eternal life. He also asked for the glory that He previously had and had not yet been given back. We can understand that it is only because Jesus became human that He had to be given authority. As God before He emptied Himself he already had that authority. I believe that Scripture is clear that Jesus the son of man was given authority because it was His rightful authority that He gave up in emptying Himself in order to come to the earth.