Will he stand up for his divine right as he begins his ministry? Will he eliminate all opposition and vindicate his claim?
No. The kenosis, one author said, the incarnation was the voluntary deprivation of the exercise of who he is. What you're struck with when you study him, what Paul is driving us to understand as the primary example of humility, is that he does just the opposite. He relinquishes his rights. Have you ever wondered what it truly means to give up your rights? In today's world, we constantly hear stories of people fighting for what they deserve. It seems everyone is determined to protect themselves, but there's a much greater story. A story of someone who didn't just surrender his rights, he did it for people who did not deserve it. Today, you'll hear about the extraordinary example of humility that defies our culture's obsession with self-importance. It's the story of Jesus Christ, who gave up the right to live and act like God.
Keep listening. We hear so often today, don't we? The complaints of those who demand their rights. We're encouraged to stand up for our rights. We hear from people whose rights have been violated. They deserve redress. They deserve compensation. And some may be legitimate, certainly. But we rarely ever hear of someone who actually voluntarily, humbly gave up their rights for someone less deserving.
Well, there was someone who did. There was indeed someone who literally gave up his legitimate rights for the benefit of people who didn't deserve any. And his name is Jesus. We arrive today at that point in Philippians chapter two, where the surrender of his rights is wonderfully described. We're at verse five.
And what I want to do just to begin is read this paragraph. Philippians chapter two, verse five. Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant and being made in the likeness of men, being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. I have to admit to you as a pastor, teacher, expositor, this has been an intimidating text to begin exploring.
I knew it was coming. This is what I would like to call a Mount Everest of truth. Just in reading this you can see how Paul weights every word with incredible meaning and depth. I read a paragraph like this and we could go in many directions, certainly every false teacher will stand in uncertainty before this text.
Every cult, every ism will give and should fearful pause before this text, for if this is true, all of them are false. We could, and I thought about it, considered it, break this into each descriptive phrase, but I would admit that if we did that and I preached 11 sermons we would still not exhaust the depth of this text. James Montgomery Boyce, the pastor of 10th Presbyterian, now where the Lord wrote these words, he said, in these few verses we see the great sweep of Christ's life. We are admitted into the breathtaking purposes of God. These verses teach the deity of Christ, his pre-existence, his equality with God the Father, his genuine humanity, his voluntary death on a cross, the certainty of his ultimate triumph over evil and the permanence of his reign.
Think of it, all of that compressed into this text. By the way, what I just read is the Apostle Paul delivering by inspiration a list of doctrinally true and sound statements about our Lord. Keep in mind he's going to be writing these within 30 years of the death and resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. I want to make that point because pseudo scholars try to tell our world that these beliefs were made up by people over time who simply wanted a little job security.
They wanted to keep their jobs. That these truths about Jesus are recent developments by a slowly evolving church and we just kind of made it up along the way. But keep in mind that you're reading the foundation of the gospel which we believe today and it was written 30 years after Christ ascended.
It didn't slowly evolve. We're believing what the Apostles began delivering soon after watching Jesus ascend through the clouds back to his Father. This Mount Everest of truth has been standing for nearly 2,000 years. Some of it has already come true.
The rest of it is going to come true one day. Now while I am inclined to separate out and focus on each of these 11 theologically wonderful statements and begin an 11 part series which from your expression is your greatest desire. What I've decided to do instead prayerfully is to present this in three sermons, three studies Lord willing and stay close to Paul's original intention in why he's delivering these truths. It strikes me as I have studied more carefully this text that Paul doesn't seem to be so interested in delivering a lesson of theology though he does and he will speak of these issues in his letters. He seems to be intent here in providing not so much a lesson of theology but an example of humility.
This is where he's driving the church. He has been challenging and remember the church in Philippi to live and work together and serve the Lord in harmonious unity and that requires humility. He's been describing humility if you were with us last Lord's Day you may remember if I go back to verse three he says do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.
How hard is that? Do not merely look out for your own personal interests but also for the interests of others that is against our nature. Paul is pleading with them effectively to lay aside their personal rights, their pride, their desire for status and attention and now what he's going to do is provide in his final appeal he's going to point them to the humility of Christ.
Let me put it into these terms and I'm going to give you two points I know my pastor should have three points I'm slacking off it's cold out there I'm going to give you two. Number one, the first right that Jesus Christ voluntarily surrendered was the right to live like God. The right to live like God. Look at verse five. Again have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus now notice who although he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped. We'll take that apart a little bit here in time but in order for Paul to show us the breathtaking humility of Christ he takes us back into eternity past one of the rare times we're taken there. Into what it was like before the incarnation for Jesus the Son of God. This becomes by the way one of the strongest arguments concerning Jesus Christ deity that you're going to find in all of scripture who although he existed stop there that Greek verb to exist to be like Shakespeare's to be or not to be.
Your translation might read it this way who comma being in the form of God only in this case in either translation or wonderful you need to understand the normal Greek word or verb for to be or to exist is not used here. Paul uses a very strong verb a stronger verb it's a verb used to make sure the reader understands they are watching or having described to them the very essence of a person's existence that will never change. It is that part of a person which in any circumstance remains the same thing about your own life you are in essence human you're a human being that your essence is not going to change the expression of that the outward form of it unfortunately is going to change. But the essence won't that's the point here he relates to the nature of God the son you could render this who existing unchangeably in the nature of God. Paul is effectively saying look I know I'm going to give you the example of Jesus Christ becoming a man but in order for you to appreciate that descent you need to understand that Christ existed in eternity past and will exist in eternity future with this unchanging essence nature of deity. It is his nature to be God who being existing in his unchangeable nature in the form notice that of God again Paul uses another loaded word translated form it's the word morphe we get our word morphology or morphing from it.
It refers to the outward display of an inner reality so Jesus then existed in eternity past outwardly displaying the essence of his nature which is deity. This is what Paul is doing here he's just delivering these amazing truths and what he's doing here in this context is he's wanting to amaze us not so much with the fact that Jesus existed in eternity past. But that he is the personal image of a God who became a servant and if we understand what he was like in his nature imagine how staggering it is that he would become a slave on earth. You see he the eternal image of God is about to give up his right his privilege to live like God. Now I want you to notice how Paul clearly writes here in verse six he did not regard equality with God that's enough to just end all doubt. This is the glory of Christ equal to the father in fact he will tell his disciples if you see my glory you've seen the father's glory. He's going to give that up he's going to give up the right to live like God and he were told doesn't clutch it notice here at the end of verse six it wasn't something to be grasped or clutched. He will release it put it another way Jesus Christ had all the rights and honors and privileges of the Godhead he lived in unimaginable splendor as almighty God the son in fact John. Now the Revelator opens the doorway of eternity future just to give us a picture of what we're going to see one day as we see the throne of God and he describes it as this as this as this throne on a seated on this immeasurable sea.
He said it looks like glass of blue and lightning is flashing and thunder sounding and you have this this perpetual circling of angels singing holy holy holy. He will give that up to come here. He said I will reveal the humility that I do not learn but that I am and I will choose the lowest place and the lowest most demeaning manner to arrive.
You just can't get any lower. Paul doesn't want us to miss this he is demonstrating his humility not by grasping but by giving and his point will be now let's go do the same thing. I mean who do we think we are. Secondly Jesus Christ not only surrenders the right to live like God he surrenders the right to act like God follow this for seven. Paul writes but he emptied himself. He emptied himself theologians refer to that as the kenosis of Christ from the verb canal to empty. The question is of course what did he empty of what did he empty himself deity. He's stopping God.
Is he now just a man. Well the original word translated emptied can be understood as to empty one's hands. In fact in every other instance of this verb in the New Testament it means to deprive something of its legitimate use. Again we see Jesus giving up legitimate right to exercise his attributes for himself.
In the Reinecker a wonderful English I read him every week as I study for messages writes that this verb is a graphic expression of his self renunciation. His refusal to use what he had and you study his life in the gospels and there are times when you want to say okay Lord now come on let him have it. Like John the Apostle love that guy they go to a village they won't listen to Jesus they're leaving and he says to Jesus why don't you call down fire from heaven. Smoke him out that's my kind of disciple.
Use your legitimate power and right and attribute and vindicate yourself and he doesn't. He's giving up his right to act at will for himself like the God he is. Which is exactly then what you see happening in the gospel accounts of his life and ministry. His miracles were never for his own comfort. They were always for the benefit of others and typically used as a sign to point to the validity of his claims. In fact if you study his miracles it occurred to me as I studied again this thought that his miracles most often made his own life more miserable and difficult. That's the point Jesus gave up the right to act like God. You think about the way he could have just sort of bulldozed his way through history. He could have pulled rank anytime he pleased.
He could have manipulated everything to his own liking. Big and small. I would wouldn't you. I don't think I want freezing rain today. I'm going to change that. I don't want snow for the rest of my life.
I'm going to change that. Why slave over some workbench with a hammer or a chisel. Why take the time to carve a plow that one church father said was being used 70 years after he carved it. It was so well done.
Why sweat over that? If I were him I would have looked this way and that to see if Joseph was around or some of my little half brothers and they're not here and just twinkle twinkle twinkle. Voila!
It's finished. Why not? He is willing to grow to manhood in an insignificant little village named Nazareth. He is willing to be an unknown ordinary son of a carpenter without any halo around his head. He is in fact is so ordinary that when he announces things like before Abraham was I am. If you see my glory you have seen the Father's glory.
People who understood he was claiming to be God, the Son, everybody including his half brothers and sisters said that can't be true. Will he stand up for his divine right as he begins his ministry? Will he eliminate all opposition and vindicate his claim?
No. The kenosis one author said the incarnation was the voluntary deprivation of the exercise of who he is. What you're struck with when you study him, what Paul is driving us to understand as the primary example of humility is that he does just the opposite.
He relinquishes his rights. Notice Paul describes further verse 70 emptied himself. Now notice taking the form of a bondservant.
That's where Paul wants us to stagger in our imagination. The form, there's that word again, morphe. That is the very nature of a servant. The very essence. He doesn't subtract his divine nature. He adds a human nature. He isn't just taking on the appearance of a servant.
Let me put a little mask on here and fool people for three years or so. He is taking on the very nature of servanthood. See Paul is careful here to communicate that Jesus didn't give up his divine nature.
He added another nature. An unfallen human nature. Having been virgin born. Sam Gordon wrote it this way, at his incarnation Jesus became what he never was. A servant. Yet never ceased to be what he eternally is.
The air is pretty thin here. What a stunning descent of humility at his conception for the first time in all of human history. The pre-existent son of God becomes a human being. He is now both God and man. Paul will tell us why that's so critically important because God cannot die, man can. Jesus didn't just become a man though. See the point he wants to make?
His primary focus here. He the sovereign Lord chooses to become the lowest class of man. In fact Paul uses the word doulos here I think a little bit sanitized with the idea of bondservant. In unfiltered terminology Jesus became a slave. The sovereign assumes the status of a slave. He goes even further down beyond that feed trough.
To find the lowest place. A doulos had no personal right or rights. They lived to fulfill the will of another.
That's why Jesus throughout his ministry is always saying what? I haven't come to do my will but the will of my father. He's explaining I'm a doulos.
This is who I have become. A doulos owned nothing. They possessed nothing, they were possessed by another. Everything they had either belonged to their master or was borrowed.
You see the church again in Philippi is struggling with the normal issues of personality and power and priority and the grasping and the clutching and the climbing. The way of the world would have told them that's the way to live. The measure of success is how many people are serving you, right? Jesus reverses that demonstrating that the measure of true success is how many people you are serving. Now in the first century among other duties a slave was required to carry other people's burdens and I particularly love that nuance of our Lord. They were to carry the load of another. They were to do the heavy lifting and to this day he remains a sweet servant in saying to us, Do you have a burden? Would you cast that on me?
I'll carry that for you. What humility. And we see him wrapping a towel around his waist and demonstrating that he had come indeed and literally had become a servant to serve. Now the last thing Paul would want the church in Philippi and the church in Kerry here for us to conclude is something like, Isn't that nice of Jesus? Isn't that great?
I love him more now than I did before. That's just way to go Lord. Well, go back to the application that preceded the exposition. Paul put it there in verse five. Look again. Have this attitude in you.
This is not an option. Have it which was also in Christ Jesus. Now let me describe it. You see what he's saying here is this isn't just for Jesus. This is for you.
This is for me. This is for the church. This is the way for us all to live. To voluntarily surrender our rights for the sake of others.
If Jesus, now that we know a little bit better who he is, can do that, can we not? Who are we? What are we clutching as our right? Relinquish it.
Let it slip away in humility. When we do those selfless things, we grow just a little bit more into the image of the Son of God, our Savior, Jesus Christ. That was Steven Davey and this is Wisdom for the Heart. Steven called this message a Mount Everest of truth.
Jesus didn't cling to his divine rights. He chose to serve. His humility redefined greatness and his example calls us to follow. Will you live with that kind of humility?
It's not natural, but it's powerful. Thanks for joining us today. We'd love to hear from you.
Do you have a story or testimony to share about how these daily lessons are helping you walk wisely? Your experiences encourage us and we'd love to hear how God's using this ministry in your life. We're also here to assist you if you have a comment, question or need more information. Whatever you need, there are several ways you can reach out to us. Our email address is info at wisdom online dot org.
That's info at wisdom online dot org. Feel free to send us your story, ask a question or request more information via email. You can also call us at 866-48-Bible or 866-482-4253.
We're available in the office weekdays from 830 a.m. to 4 o'clock p.m. Eastern Time. And we're happy to take your call and assist you with anything you need. If you'd prefer to write to us, our mailing address is Wisdom International, P.O.
Box 37297, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27627. We'd love to hear from you, whichever way is most convenient. Whether it's a story of how this ministry has blessed you, a question you need answered or just a comment, we're here to listen. Reach out to us today via email, phone or mail and let's connect. Before we close, I'll remind you that Stephen has a book that teaches verse by verse through Philippians, and that resource is on sale today. Ask about that when you call. Join us next time, back here on Wisdom for the Hearts. Thank you.
