Let’s look at a passage that is both a powerful statement of the gospel and also a powerful lesson on how to live the Christian life. If you ever wondered what it means to live like Jesus, this little stretch of scripture gives an unforgettable picture of just what that looks like.
Philippians 2 contains a beautiful and powerful statement about Christ Jesus. It’s a passage where a more interpretive translation can be helpful. The New Living renders it
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being. (2:6-7 NLT)
God the Son had the universe. Stars trembled at his word. Angels sang to him. He had no reason to desire to take on human flesh. What would that gain him? The ability to get hungry, to grow tired, to feel pain. But rather than cling to his status, he set aside his divine privileges and took up human nature, the role of a slave. We are not capable of understanding just how much he gave up, but we can at least say the words: the infinite became finite, the eternal was born. The Lord of heaven became a human peasant in the era of subsistence farming and hard manual labor. But he wasn’t done.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross! (2:8 NIV)
After he’d humbled himself to what appeared to be the lowest of the low, he then submitted himself to death, “even death on a cross”. Those words can sound odd to modern ears. The cross was Christ’s victory! That’s how he redeemed mankind.
The cross is how the Romans tortured criminals to death. It was the most brutal way they could come up with. It was reserved for the lowest of the low, something polite society didn’t talk about.
Can you imagine a religion starting up today that followed the teachings of an executed criminal? Can you imagine them wearing a little electric chair around their necks? That’s how the ancient world would respond to our use of crosses as jewelry. Christianity is unique because we gather every week to remember the humiliation of our God.
And to encourage each other to imitate it. Paul included this hymn to Christ as an example to the church of Philippi. He wanted them to learn from Christ’s humility and to live it out. He wanted them to stop clinging to their rights and be willing to suffer loss, even humiliation because unity in the church furthers the cause of the gospel while infighting and selfishness hurts that cause. Paul wants us to say, “If Christ can humble himself and lay down his life for me, I can at least lay down my pride for him.”
It’s natural to fear humbling yourself, to think if you give up your rights, people will walk all over you. And they very well may. Christ humbled himself, and humans killed him. People will try to take advantage. But God sees.
James said, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (4:6), an idea that is repeated throughout scriptures. When we humble ourselves, God is pleased, and he lifts up the humble. Which Paul goes on to show. Christ gave up his status, his power, his life, even his dignity...
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 Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. (2:9-11 ESV)
No one has humbled themselves as much as Christ, therefore no one will be exalted like Christ. His name is above every name. Every knee and every tongue will honor him.
That is God’s pattern. That is the lesson Paul wanted this church to learn. That’s the lesson we need to take to heart today.
I can demand my own way. I can cling to my rights. I can insist that I must have status.
Or I can be honored by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I cannot have both.
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