The imitation of Christ is a popular concept in spiritual formation discussions. On the popular side, it is captured by W.W.J.D. (What Would Jesus Do?). Ask the question, answer it and then imitate it. The popular view needs some guidelines, however, because in some situations Jesus would walk on water. I’ve tried to imitate Jesus, but got very wet in the process. In other situations Jesus would multiply food. I have to go down to the local Family Fare and buy food.

On a more serious note, the Apostle John chains us to some form of imitating Jesus. John wrote, “Whoever claims to live in him [God] must live as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6). “Must” is a powerfully binding word. This verse begs the question: How then did Jesus live? If people claim to live in God must walk (literal Greek verb) as Jesus did, with “walk” as a metaphor for Jesus’ way of life. God’s people are morally bound to live like Jesus did, that is, to imitate Jesus. Certainly Paul the Apostle knew this because he exhorts Christians to imitate him as he lives a way of life in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 4:16-17).

The missing surprise in this challenge is that Jesus first imitated us.  Only as we reflect on Jesus’ imitation of us, do we find a clearer way into the imitation of Jesus. Paul celebrates in worship Jesus’ imitation of us as he draws upon an early church hymn (Philippians 2:6-11). Christ Who was (and always is) equal with God voluntarily made himself nothing by becoming a human being and living as a servant among us. I think that Gerald Hawthorne is onto something as he takes the clause “being in very nature God” not as concessive–”…although he was in very nature God…, he made himself nothing…,”  but  as causal–”…because he  was  in very  nature God…, he made himself nothing… .” We have the kind of majestic, sovereign God Who is willing to serve (and die for) others, even the likes of us.

Jesus the Christ was and is the second Person of the Trinity in human form. Jesus imitates us. He shows us the way God would live a human life. He eats, sleeps, spits, speaks, cries, touches, but most of all serves. “I am among you as one who serves.” Most of all serves. While acknowledging the bursts of supernatural ability in Jesus’ life (which Jesus himself attributes to the Father and to the Spirit), we hear him define himself and see him live (and die) as a servant. Once again, he dies as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, something none of us will ever be able to imitate. Yet, we are called to lay our lives down for others as he laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16).

Being like Jesus doesn’t make us more divine (something we will never be), but more and truly human. When we set out in the power of the Spirit to be like Jesus, we become immersed in and saturated with authentic, God-designed humanity. God imitated us so we could find our way back to the humanity we forfeited in the primal rebellion.

We can step out onto the surface of the water in the swimming pool in the hopes to be like Jesus. Or, we can be constantly on the prowl to serve others. If we did the first, we would be God-like. If we do the second, we will be Jesus-the-true-human-being-like.

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