The Theology of the Incarnation of Christ 12/4/2022

First Baptist Church Leominster

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Many years ago, in one of my seminary classes, I was given a pop quiz on the birth of Jesus Christ.

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There were about 30 questions ranging from very general to very specific questions regarding the events surrounding the birth of the

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Lord Jesus Christ. Now if you've ever attended my Sunday school class in December, you're probably familiar with this test.

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At the time I first took this test, I was a pastor and elder in full -time ministry.

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I had attended a Christian college and had majored in pastoral studies. I had taught numerous classes on the

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Bible and counseled numerous people in these scriptures. My entire life had been lived in the church.

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I grew up in the church. I had attended numerous Bible studies in the church and Sunday school classes year in and year out.

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And in every year, in great detail, I had read about or heard about or seen the

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Christmas story. And after I took this test, out of 30 questions,

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I got 19 correct, which was 63%.

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So technically a passing grade. But interestingly enough, my grade was one of the higher grades in the class.

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Now generally speaking, when it comes to the details regarding the Christmas story, the details of the events and theology that surround the birth of the

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Lord Jesus Christ, there is often great confusion. And there overall is a lack of clarity.

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And the reason being, I think, while most everyone is familiar with the

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Christmas story, the details of it often get mixed up and muddled by the books that we have read, the movies that we have watched, and the songs that we sing.

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For example, the Bible does not say that Mary rode on a donkey from Galilee to Bethlehem.

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The Bible does not record a conversation with the innkeeper. The Bible does not place the wise men at the scene of the manger, nor does it tell us their exact number.

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There is no mention of animals at the manger scene. There's no mention of cattle mowing.

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There's no mention of a lamb being given to the baby Jesus to keep him warm.

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There's no mention of a little drummer boy. And contrary to popular opinion in just about every

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Christmas card out there, the baby Jesus did not glow. He did not have the halo.

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This morning, rather than looking at the birth of Jesus Christ through the lens of Christmas books,

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Christmas movies, or even the gospel narratives, we're going to take a look at the birth of the

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Lord Jesus Christ through the eyes of the Apostle Paul. Please serve me to the book of Philippians.

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This morning, our text is Philippians chapter 2, verses 6 to 11. Let's look at the text together.

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Philippians 2, verses 6 to 11. Who though he was in the form of God, speaking of Jesus, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man, and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

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Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is

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Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Here in this short but theologically rich passage, there is no mention of the

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Christmas star. There's no mention of the shepherds, nor the angels, nor the wise men, nor of Mary and Joseph.

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There's not even mention of the baby Jesus. But here in this passage, in amazing clarity, the

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Apostle Paul shares with us the theology of the Christmas story. Paul shares with us the theology of the incarnation.

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The term incarnation is not a term that you often hear about today. The term incarnation means to make flesh.

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It refers to the Lord God becoming a man. It refers to the Lord God taking upon himself human flesh.

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The incarnation is the Christmas story. It is the Lord God entering into his creation, entering into time, and taking upon himself humanity.

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There's more to the Christmas story than the historical events recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

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In Philippians 2, verses 6 to 11, Paul gives us insight into the theological events surrounding the incarnation of God the

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Son. Paul provides for us what was happening behind the scenes of the

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Nativity narrative, which in turn gives us a more complete account of the

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Christmas story. Let's look at each one of these verses in detail. Philippians chapter 2, verse 6.

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Who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

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The first thing that we see in verse 6 is the divinity of God the

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Son, the divinity of Jesus Christ. Who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

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The Lord Jesus Christ was in the form of God. The phrase he was in refers to the essence of what a person is at the very core of their being.

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It denotes the continuance of a previous state or existence. The phrase describes that which is true of a person which cannot be changed, which cannot be altered, which cannot be removed.

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The meaning of this phrase is clear. The Lord Jesus Christ being in the form of God is a clear declaration of his divinity.

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No one could be in the form of God who was not God. And the Lord Jesus Christ was in the form of God.

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Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ at the very core of his being is

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God. Jesus Christ unalterably and unchangeably is

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God. One commentator remarked, it describes that part of a man which in any circumstances remains the same.

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So Paul begins by saying that Jesus was essentially and unalterably

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God. The clearest and most profound example of this truth is found in the

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Gospel of John. John 1 .1. In the beginning was the Word, the

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Word was with God, and the Word was God. Verse 14.

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And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory.

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Glory is of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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The phrase in the beginning was the Word carries with it the idea that the Word was eternal.

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The Word is eternal. The Word has existed from all eternity.

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At the very beginning of history, at the very beginning of time, at the root of the universe, already in existence was the

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Word, Jesus Christ. In the beginning was the Word, and the

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Word was with God. The phrase the Word was with God means that the

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Word was and is distinct from God. It paints the picture of two personal beings standing face to face with one another, engaging in discourse.

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From all eternity, the Word, God the Son, has coexisted with God the

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Father. God the Son has been face to face with God the Father, engaging in close personal communion with him.

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In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was

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God. Not only did God the Son exist from all eternity, not only did

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God the Son have intimate communion with God the Father, but God the Son was also

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God. The Word was God. Jesus Christ has always been and will always be divine.

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He did not become the Son of God, he already was the Son of God. The Word was

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God, and conversely, God was the Word. Beloved, this is the simplest, clearest, and most direct proclamation of the deity of the

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Lord Jesus Christ, found anywhere in all the scriptures. The Word was God.

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And to fully understand the Christmas story, this must be our starting point. Jesus Christ, the

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Word, was in the form of God. Jesus Christ, the Word, was

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God. He is God. The second thing we see in verse 6 is the humility of God the

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Son. The humility of Jesus Christ, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

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Even though the Lord Jesus Christ eternally existed as God, during his incarnation, he refused to hold on to his divine rights and his divine privileges.

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The Lord Jesus Christ abandoned his exalted position, and he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

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Philippians 2, 6 and 7, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

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The phrase to be grasped refers to something that is seized, or to something that is carried away by force.

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It refers to holding on to something tightly, for fear that you may lose it, for fear that it may be snatched away right out from under you.

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The Lord Jesus Christ's equality with God was not something to which he had to cling. It was not something that he had to hold on to tightly, for fear of losing it, for fear of having it snatched away.

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The Lord God could never cease to be God. The Lord Jesus Christ is

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God, and he can never cease to be God. There is no losing his divinity. There is no snatching away his divinity.

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John 8, 58, Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was,

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I am. Colossians 1, 15, he, referring to Jesus, is the image of the invisible

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God, the firstborn of all creation. Hebrews 1, verses 2 through 3, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his

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Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

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He, referring to Jesus, is the radiance of the glory of God, and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

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Colossians 2, 9, for in him, referring to Jesus, the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.

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The Lord Jesus Christ is the great I am. He is the image of the invisible

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God. He is the radiance of the glory of God. He is the exact representation, the exact imprint of his nature.

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The Lord Jesus Christ upholds the universe by the word of his power, and in him all things hold together, and in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.

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The reason why Jesus Christ didn't have to demand equality with God, the reason why he didn't have to grasp it, the reason why he didn't have to hold onto it tightly, is because Jesus Christ is

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God. God. And he will forever be God. But rather than demanding his equality with God, what did he do?

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He made himself nothing. The King James Version translates this phrase as he made himself of no reputation.

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During his earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ never used his divine powers or his authority for his own personal advantage.

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And rather than demanding his own honor, rather than demanding his own rights and his privileges as the creator of the universe, all of that was laid aside.

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And he willingly emptied himself. He willingly made himself nothing. He willingly made himself of no reputation.

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The term nothing is an interesting word. He made himself nothing. This means to be completely unoccupied.

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It means to pour something out until everything is gone. This begs the question, what did the

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Lord Jesus Christ pour out? What did he give up during his incarnation?

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Well, the Lord Jesus Christ gave up his glory. He gave up the full manifestation of his glory.

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As a man, his glory was veiled. His glory was hidden in his humanity. Throughout his ministry, there were glimpses of his glory in his works, in his words, and certainly in his transfiguration before Peter, James, and John.

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But the full blinding brilliance of the glory of God was temporarily given up and it was laid aside.

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He made himself nothing. John 17, 4 and 5,

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I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now,

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Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

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At the time that these words were spoken, the Lord Jesus Christ did not have his full glory which he had before the world was.

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The full expression of the glory of God had been temporarily laid aside.

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The Lord Jesus Christ also gave up his honor. Isaiah 53, 3, he was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and is one from whom men hide their faces.

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He was despised and we esteemed him not. Throughout the

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Gospels, we see that Jesus was a hated man. His own people rejected him.

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His own people sought to stone him. Jesus was called a liar. He was said to have a demon.

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He was betrayed by a close friend. He was beaten. He was spit upon.

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He was defamed. He was unfairly accused. He was unfairly judged.

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He was stripped and shamed and scourged. He was mocked and given a crown of thorns and a purple robe, and he was publicly ridiculed.

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The Lord Jesus Christ gave up his honor to suffer mockery, disrespect, and an agonizing and brutal death at the hands of his own creation.

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The Lord Jesus Christ also gave up his eternal riches. Second Corinthians 8, 9, for you know the grace of our

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Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich.

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The Lord Jesus Christ gave up the greatest riches of all. He gave up his intimate relationship with the

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Father. For all eternity, the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, existed in complete unity and complete harmony with God the

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Father. But in order to fulfill God's plan of redemption for our sake, 2

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Corinthians 5, 21, he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

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It was our sin placed upon Jesus Christ that caused God the Father to forsake the

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Son. And in this brief separation between the Father and the Son, this is what caused the

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Lord Jesus Christ tremendous pain and anguish. It was this unbelievably horrid separation that caused the

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Lord Jesus Christ to call out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

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Arthur Pink commented, incomparable condescension was this. He who was by inherent right in the form of God suffered his glory to be eclipsed.

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His honor to be laid in the dust and himself to be humbled to a most shameful death.

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The Lord Jesus Christ showed great humility in his incarnation. But he was further humbled by taking the form of a servant.

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Philippians 2, 6 and 7, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men.

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The Lord Jesus Christ, who existed in the form of God, now furthers his condescension, not by taking the form of a king or a mighty conqueror, but by taking the form of a servant.

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The term form refers to the outward manifestation of the inner reality.

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The Lord Jesus Christ exists in the form of God. Jesus Christ is

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God. He also exists in the form of a servant. Jesus Christ is a servant.

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In fact, he is as much God as he is a servant. Mark 10, 45, for even the

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Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

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Beloved, by his incarnation, the Lord Jesus Christ willingly took up servitude for you.

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God the Son willingly took the form of a servant for you. He was born in the likeness of man.

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The term likeness refers to that which is made to be like something else, not only in appearance, but also in reality.

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The Lord Jesus Christ was a genuine man. He didn't just appear to be a man.

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He was not some sort of copy of a man. He was not a wandering spirit. He was exactly like every other man with all the characteristics and all the attributes of humanity, yet without sin.

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Romans 8, 3 -4, for God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do.

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By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.

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In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the

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Spirit. During his incarnation, the Lord Jesus Christ was the embodiment of the law.

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Of all the men that ever lived, he and he alone perfectly fulfilled the law of God.

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The law of God commands righteousness, but it cannot provide that righteousness.

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Thus, what the law was unable to do, the Lord God did himself. On this particular verse, one preacher put it this way, the law can condemn the sinner, but only

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God can condemn and destroy sin. And that is what he has done on behalf of those who trust in his

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Son. By his coming to earth in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin.

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The humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnation, is an extremely important truth.

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Because without the incarnation, without God becoming flesh, there would be no provision for salvation.

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1 John 4, 1 and 2, by this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

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And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the

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Antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now in the world already. In this passage,

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John is stating that the supreme test of demonic spirits and false teachers and the people that they influence is concerning the nature of Jesus Christ.

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If in any way the humanity or the deity of Christ is separated, if his full humanity is denied or if his full deity is denied, then they and their teaching are not from God.

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This is the reason this is such an important doctrine. If the Lord Jesus Christ was not a perfect man, then he could not have died for our sins.

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If the Lord Jesus Christ wasn't God, then he could not have defeated death and thus could never have saved us.

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So any doctrine that twists or perverts that Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man is heretical.

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The 1689 London Baptist of Faith, Article 8, Paragraph 2, states,

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The Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, is truly and eternally God.

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He is the brightness of the Father's glory, the same in substance and equal with him.

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He made the world and sustains and governs everything he has made. When the fullness of time came, he took upon himself human nature.

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With all the essential properties and common weaknesses of it, but without sin.

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He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit came down upon her and the power of the

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Most High overshadowed her. Thus he was born of a woman from the tribe of Judah, a descendant of Abraham and David in fulfillment of the scriptures.

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Two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person.

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Without converting one into the other or mixing them together to produce a different or blended nature.

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This person is truly God and truly man, yet one Christ. The only mediator between God and humanity.

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The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to accomplish what we could never accomplish.

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God the Son came to do the Father's will. He came to serve the needs of his people in the name of his

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Father. And his ultimate act of service was when he died on the cross in order to save his people.

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Philippians 2, 6 to 11. Who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

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But made himself nothing. Taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

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Jesus Christ existed in the form of God. And he abandons his sovereign position.

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He empties himself. He makes himself of no reputation. He takes the form of a servant.

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He's born in the likeness of men. And then he humbles himself further by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

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Beloved, this is the gospel message. During his incarnation, Jesus Christ never broke the law of God.

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He never sinned. He never missed the mark of God's perfection. He never transgressed the will of the

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Father. And yet, he became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

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From the moment he was born to the moment of his death, the Lord Jesus Christ bore in his body the burden, the penalty, and the consequences of the law, the law that he himself had never broken.

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But in our place, as our substitute, condemned he stood.

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Have you ever been wrongly accused or wrongly judged or misunderstood?

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Have you ever been personally attacked for no reason? Have you ever found yourself at odds or in personal conflict with a family member or a friend or a co -worker?

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These are difficult situations, and they weigh heavy on us. The conflict is always on your mind.

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To be dealt with in an unjust manner again and again can be downright crippling, especially if it stretches out over a long period of time.

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Do you realize this was the constant experience of the Lord Jesus Christ as he lived his life with our sinful burdens?

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Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ never got what he deserved in his life. He never got the honor that he deserved.

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He never got the appreciation that he deserved. He never got the gratitude that he deserved.

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Rather, he abandoned his rights. He abandoned his privileges. He emptied himself.

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He made himself of no reputation. He took the form of a servant. He was born in the likeness of men.

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And he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, death on a cross.

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In this world, in light of our own sin and transgression, do you and I get what we deserve?

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Do we get the justice that we deserve? Do we get the judgment that we deserve? Do we get the condemnation that we deserve?

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No, we don't. Do you know why? Jesus Christ.

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Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, never got what he deserved in this life so that you and I would never get what we deserve in this life.

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Galatians 3 .13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.

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For it is written, curse it is everyone who is hanged on a tree. So that in Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham might come to the

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Gentiles so that we might receive the promised spirit through faith. 2

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Corinthians 5 .21, for our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that we might become the righteousness of God.

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The author Jerry Bridges remarked, just as God charged our sin to Christ, so he credits the perfect obedience of Jesus to all who trust in him.

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It is what is often called double imputation or the great exchange.

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God exchanges our sin for Christ's righteousness. As a result, all who have trusted in Christ as Savior and Lord stand before God not with a clean but empty ledger, but one filled with the very righteousness of Christ.

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Beloved, this is the Christmas message. It's not just the virgin birth, it's not just the shining star, it's not just the angels, the shepherds or the wise men.

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It is God the Father sending God to Son to save his people from their sins.

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God the Father sent God the Son into the world to be the propitiation of our sins. God the

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Father sent God the Son into the world to be our substitute. The Son of God was sent to die in our place.

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He was sent to die the death that we had earned, the death that we so rightfully deserve.

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God the Son was sent to die in our place to appease the righteous wrath of God and the righteous wrath that was incurred by our sin and our transgressions.

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God the Father sent God the Son as a redeemer and a Savior for the lost.

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This is the good news and great joy of the Christmas story.

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In light of this good news, in light of this great joy, there is something that we must now accomplish.

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There is something that we must pursue. Beloved, we must lift up on high the name of Jesus.

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The Lord Jesus Christ is to be honored, glorified, worshiped and exalted.

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Philippians 2, 9 -11 Therefore, in light of what Christ has done,

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God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus is

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Lord to the glory of God the Father. Now, the contrast between what we just read in verses 9 -11 and verses 6 -8 is striking.

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The Lord Jesus Christ humbled himself. God exalted him.

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The Lord Jesus Christ sought not a name for himself, but God gave him a name above all names.

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The Lord Jesus Christ bent his knee to save and to serve others, but God decrees that every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus is

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Lord. For the Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently for the

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Christian, the way up is down. First comes humiliation and then comes exaltation.

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First comes the cross and then comes the crown. Beloved, no one will ever bear the crown in heaven who does not bear the cross on earth.

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This is the pattern that we see throughout the scriptures, but especially in the life of Jesus.

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At his birth, the Lord Jesus Christ was born into poverty. He was born in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes.

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And yet there was a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those whom he is pleased.

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Humiliation first, then exaltation. At his baptism, the

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Lord Jesus Christ identified with the sins of the nation. But as he rose out of the water,

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God the Father proclaimed, You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

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Humiliation first, then exaltation. At his temptation, the Lord Jesus Christ went 40 days and 40 nights without eating.

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And when they ended, he was hungry and the devil came to tempt him. After the devil had ended every temptation, angels came and were ministering to him.

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And he returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. Humiliation first, then exaltation.

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At his transfiguration, after the Lord Jesus Christ had foretold to his disciples that he would go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed.

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Six days later, he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun. His clothes became white as light.

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For a moment, a glimpse of his glory and majesty was revealed. Humiliation first, then exaltation.

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At his crucifixion, the Lord Jesus Christ was falsely accused. He was mocked, he was slandered, he was beaten, he was bloodied.

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He was nailed to a cross to die. Three days later, he resurrected from the dead.

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Humiliation first, then exaltation. Beloved, this is a lesson that each one of us need to learn.

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The way up is down. The cross must precede the crown. Therefore, James 4 .10,

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humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. 1 Peter 5 .6,

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humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.

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Matthew 23 .11, the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

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Charles Spurgeon remarked, You and I have no idea how high an honor it is to be equal with God.

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How can we therefore measure the descent of Christ when our highest thoughts cannot comprehend the height from which he came?

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The depth to which he descended is immeasurably below any point we have ever reached and the height from which he came is inconceivably above our loftiest thought.

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Do not, however, forget the glory that Jesus laid aside for a while.

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Remember that he is very God of very God and that he dwelt in the highest heaven with his

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Father. Yet though he was thus infinitely rich, for our sakes he became poor that we through his poverty might be rich.

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He stooped, who can tell how low? He was raised, who can tell how high?

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Wherefore, God hath highly exalted him. He threw away his name. He emptied himself of his reputation.

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How high is this reputation now? How glorious is the name that God hath given him as the reward of his redemptive work.

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Beloved, this is the Christmas story. This is the theme of the Christmas story and the theology behind it.

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Jesus Christ, who is in the form of God, abandoned his sovereign position, empties himself and makes himself of no reputation.

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He takes the form of a servant. He was born in the likeness of man. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

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Beloved, the theme of our lives and the pattern of our lives must also be humility.

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To bow with the name of Jesus is to recognize your great spiritual poverty. It is to recognize your sinful and helpless estate.

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All men are born spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins. And because you are dead, you are not able to respond to the

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Lord God. You are not able to be reconciled to the Lord God. You are not able to make things right with the

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Lord God. And unless you do, you will be the one paying for your sin and your transgression for all eternity.

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But to confess with your tongue that Jesus is Lord is to recognize his lordship and his divine provision.

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It is to personally transfer your reliance for salvation from yourself to the

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Lord Jesus Christ. This involves godly sorrow and repentance of sin, a turning away from sin, and a diligent pursuit to trust, submit, love, and follow after the

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Lord Jesus Christ in obedience to his revealed will by the power of the Spirit.

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Beloved, saving faith will always result in good works. And faith and repentance are the only evidence that a man has a new heart.

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And turning from sin to Christ reveals that new heart. But if you are trusting in anyone or anything else for your salvation, if you are continuing to live in sin, then this reveals an old heart.

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This reveals an unsaved heart and a need for a savior. Christ is your savior.

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Beloved, humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. This Christmas season, this is what we should be reflecting upon.

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The divinity of Jesus Christ, the humility of Jesus Christ, and his great work of redemption.

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And we need to have his attitude. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.

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Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for this

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Christmas message. We thank you for the incarnation of Christ. Lord, what a tremendous miracle that is.

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God becoming flesh. God accomplishing what we were called to do but we failed.

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So Christ doing it for us, fulfilling your word, fulfilling your law, fulfilling your will.

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Lord, we thank you for this gift. We thank you that you accepted his offer. That when we repent and we turn to Christ in faith alone, we thank you,

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Lord, that you transfer our sin to Christ. His righteousness is transferred to our account.

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And when you look at us, you no longer see our sin, but you see Christ's righteousness because we are clothed in his righteous robes.

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Lord, this is just unfathomable. We thank you for this truth. We thank you, Lord, that you've revealed it to us through your word.

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We pray for those folks this Christmas season, Lord, who are struggling and who have difficulty, who are not reconciled to you.

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We pray, Lord, that we would be bold in sharing this message with other people. We pray that we would see men and women and children come to Christ.

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We pray that the focus would be taken off all the commercial garbage that's out there and focus on Christ.

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We thank you, Lord, that you've saved us. We thank you that you've given us your spirit. You've given us your word.

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You've given us the church. We thank you for all of these tremendous blessings, Lord. We pray that, like Christ, we would walk humbly in a manner that pleases you.