Great Example
Philippians 2.5-8 Pt.2
Good Friday Service 2012
Introduction
A F. B. Meyer once said, I used to think that Gods gifts were on shelves one above the other; and that the taller we grew in Christian character, the easier we could reach them. I now find that Gods gifts are on shelves one beneath the other. It is not a question of growing taller but of stooping lower; that we have to go down, always down, to get His best gifts.
1 On a wall near the main entrance to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, is a portrait of a man with this inscription underneath. "James Butler Bonham--no picture of him exists. This portrait is of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled his uncle. It is placed here by the family that people may know the appearance of the man who died for freedom."
No literal portrait of Jesus exists either. But the likeness of the One who died to set all men free can be seen in the lives of those who truly follow Him. If we are truly following Christ others will see it in our appearance, our attitudes, and our associations. They will see that we have truly been with Christ.
II The Second Step: Humbled Self (v.8)
A Jesus was the form of God (v.7), took the form of a bond-servant (v.7b), and entered into a new state of being by become a man.
1 The Old Testament tells us that Christ had made occasional visits to earth before Bethlehem (Preincarnate appearances)
a These visits were brief/temporary.
aa Gen. 18.1, appeared w/ two angels to Abraham, telling him that his wife Sara would soon give birth to a son.
aa Gen. 32.24,30; Jacob wrestling with Christ all night long.
bb Joshua 5.13-15; Appears as “the Captain of the host of the Lord” and receives the worship of Joshua.
cc Daniel 3.23-25: Three Hebrews in the furnace but four are walking around.
b When Jesus was born as a baby in Bethlehem there was no going back; there would forever be a permanent bond/union with humankind from point forward.
aa He wasn’t an actor playing the part of a man . . He was a man.
bb Although He was/is a Person, He never stopped being God.
cc One person with two natures: one absolute deity and one humanity.
2 “ . . . in appearance as a man.” Lit. means He looked like everybody else in Israel.
a The Great I Am, The Lord of Hosts/God Almighty/ of all/ Glory/ Lords/ Our Righteousness, Consolation of Israel, Consuming Fire, Cornerstone, Wonderful, Counselor, Desired of Nations, Horn of Salvation, Glory of the Lord, God Over All, The God who sees me, Immanuel, King of Kings, King of the Ages... to be a dude.
b 700 years before Jesus was born Isaiah (53.3) prophesied that the Messiah would not be esteemed (acknowledged.)
aa John 10.10-11, John 6.42; John 7.5, 27; John 10.33, “You’re a dude, but you make yourself out to be God.”
bb Jesus went from being the object of worship & adoration to obscurity & anonymity.
c Can you imagine how Jesus felt helping Joseph build a yoke in his daddy’s house? (I created the universe in less time that it’s taken you to put this together dad.)
aa Can you imagine Jesus wearing a towel and a servants apron washing the feet of His disciples? (I was clothed in glory and being worshiped by angels and here I am washing your dirty feet.)
bb Jesus humbled Himself!!
cc Remember that the next time you get the impulse to become self-assertive/self-seeking because these are not of the attitude/mine of Christ.
d Jesus refused to assert His rights as God or even as a human being.
aa Even at the most dramatic/poignant time of Christ’s life (His arrest, trial & crucifixion)...
bb He was mocked, falsely accused, spat upon, beaten with fists, scourged, part of His beard painfully plucked out . . .
cc He was never defensive, never bitter, demanding, never accusing . . .
dd He was guilty of giving up His rights, not just in relationship to the Father but in relativity to other men.
(How many of us could be found guilty for that charge?)
B Christ being obedient to the “point of” death doesn’t mean He became obedient “to” death.
1 Even at Calvary Jesus was deaths master.
a He gave over His own life . . . He laid down His life (John 10.17) . . .He gave up His own Spirit . . . Death didn’t take anything from Jesus that He didn’t give. . . He never became obedient “TO” death.
b Choir sings a song: “Did you know you were born to die?” The answer is “Yes, He did.”
aa Only deity would/could accept death as obedience. (Ordinary men see death as an inevitability, necessity.)
bb Jesus said, “Daddy, I’ll die if that’s what you require of me. If that’s your will, Daddy because I came to do thy will (Heb.10.9,10).”
cc In the Garden Jesus agonized over dying (Matt.26.39)
dd Hebrews 5.7-9; 10.7
c It was the Will of God for Jesus to die on the Cross.
aa I know that when He was on the cross I was on His mind . . . He went to the cross to do the WILL OF THE FATHER.
bb The Father didn’t force death upon His Son: Jesus had a choice. (He always chose the Will of the Father.)
cc John 10.18: The Father commanded but didn’t compel (force).
2 Jesus could have died a lot of ways (beheaded, stoned, or hanged), but the cross was Christ’s destiny.
a The cross was a criminals execution that was reserved for the worst of the worst offenders & enemies of the state . . . crucifixions were bloody.
aa Agonizing death filled with great pain; dizziness, cramps, thirst, starvation, fever, shame, public shame, torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of intended wounds all just short of the point of the relief of unconsciousness . . . only to start again at the next labored breath. Every movement hurts!
bb The lacerated veins, crushed tendons throb in anguish.
b The cross to the Jews was a form of hanging, and those who were hung were cursed by God. (Deut. 21.23)
aa The idea of Messiah being hung was unbelievable to the Jew (1 Cor. 1.23).
bb The curse of Deuteronomy meant being outside God’s covenant, banned from God’s people and God’s blessing.
cc Jesus became the curse so we could go back to home!
c In God’s perfect will, the death of His Son on the cross was the only way we could go home.
aa Gal. 3.13; 1 Peter 2.24.
bb The cross was the ONLY way of redemption for fallen, sinful, and condemned mankind.
cc He loved you more than He loved His own Son.
Conclusion:
Only one act of pure love, unsullied by any taint of ulterior motive, has ever been performed in the history of the world, namely the self-giving of God in Christ on the cross for undeserving sinners. That is why, if we are looking for a definition of love, we should look not in a dictionary, but at Calvary.
Notice to Sermon Central Users:
My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
