"The wonder of the Lord's condescension is most meaningful when we contemplate how far He descended. The irony of the Jews' rejection of of Him pierces more deeply when we contemplate who He had been for them before He came to earth.
"For example, before the Lord Omnipotent came to earth, He was known as "the Creator of all things from the beginning" (Mosiah 3:8; Helaman 14:12). Contrast that with the Jews' query, "Is not this the carpenter?" (Make 6:3). The Creator of all things became a carpenter.
"Similarly, consider the contrast between "Shepherd" and "Lamb." In the Old Testament the Lord was called the "Shepherd of Israel" (Psalm 80:1). Isaiah described Him as the One who gathers His lambs with His arm (see Isaiah 40:11). In His earthly life, that lamb-gathering Shepherd became God's Lamb, sacrificed for Israel and for the whole world (see John 1:36).
"Consider this difference. Before Jesus came to earth He was called "the Father of heaven and earth" (Mosiah 3:8). On earth He was mistaken as "the son of Joseph" (John 6:42).
"When the Israelites were finally ready to enter the promised land, it was Jehovah who stopped the River Jordan and made it stand in its place so His people could cross on dry ground (see Joshua 3). Contrast His power in performing that miracle with His humility when, as Jesus of Nazareth, He was immersed by John in the same River Jordan (see Matthew 3:13-17).
"In ancient Israel, Jehovah spared thousands and thousands of first born sons on the night of the Passover (see Exodus 12). When He came to earth in the flesh , Jesus raised from the dead the only son of a widow (see Luke 7:12-15).
"The Lord saved thousands. The Lord saved one."
David L. Fischknecht, Curriculum Department, "The Condescension of Jesus Christ," Ensign, December 2011, 52.
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