Behold The Man

Behold The Man

Phil 2:1-11

Intro.

When Pilate led forth Jesus and presented him to the people that had demanded his crucifixion he said, “Behold the man.” Where ever we journey in the Bible we are faced with this same individual he is the center of our universe so we must declare, “Behold the man.” He is the heart of this gospel and the theme of this Bible. He spoke to the Jews in John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

The name Jesus was the very heart of it all, and Paul wanted the churches to know that he was what it was all about. As preachers sometimes we use the scriptures to teach lessons of life, about how we are to live and how we are to raise our children. But we must never forget that this Bible is the story of Jesus.

I. The Matter Of The Church:

1. The "therefore" implies that he is here expanding on the exhortation (Philippians 1:27), "In one Spirit, with one mind (soul)." He urges four influencing motives in this verse, to inculcate the four Christian duties corresponding respectively to them (Philippians 2:2). "That ye be like-minded, having the same love, of one accord, of one mind"

Like all churches it was not perfect, it would appear they were having a problem with keeping a feeling of joy amongst the membership. They were down as we all get sometimes. Paul wanted them to know that there was joy in the unity of the knowledge of the man called Jesus.

Whether he begins this chapter exhorting the church because of a particular problem or if he just realizes they are human and like all of us need to be lifted up at times. “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,”

These things should dwell in your hearts. That great peace that comes from your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, that sweet comfort that we feel knowing he watches over us in love. We enjoy a sweet fellowship in the spirit that should cause us to care one for another.

So now with that in mind I’m asking you to be likeminded or of the same mind with your hearts filled with a love for the Lord. We are to be a humble people, doing nothing out of strife but we should always esteem our brothers and sisters as being of more value than ourselves.

Watch out for your brothers and sisters caring for their needs.

II. The Mind Of Christ Jesus:

Paul says that they should have the mind of Jesus Christ. Of course we know this is impossible don’t we? This seems to be the view of most Christians that it’s not possible. A Couple years ago some of the younger church members began to wear bands around their wrist and some around their necks that had the initials WWJD. What would Jesus do?

The problem is that no one seemed to be concerned about Jesus for after all he didn’t live in the same neighborhood nor have the same problems as you and I do. You’re right to a certain degree, Jesus didn’t live in a three-bedroom home with two cars in his garage. He was much poorer than that. But problems he had them, he started out being born in a stable.

Lived a life in poverty just so he could relate to all of our problems. He did not own a car, or even a horse, and the foal of an ass that he rode into Jerusalem was borrowed.

Can you and I have the mind of Christ? Is it even possible? I think we overlook the scripture that says, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Rom 8:29

We like to say, “Well everyone knows we can’t be like Jesus until we reside in heaven.” We ignore the teachings of sanctification that we are being conformed to his image. This is that we are slowly being changed to be like Jesus.

Most of us don’t want to be like Jesus we enjoy being ourselves. If we are to be like Jesus it adds the responsibility of living our lives on a higher level. We have to quit yelling at people in traffic and getting angry at the lady that stepped in front of us at the grocery store. In other words we need to be a little kinder to those around us.

(Deal with people as Jesus would, in like manner)

III. He Became A Man: