Title: Passion of Christ – Humility
Theme: To show the humility of Christ in dying on the cross.
Text: Philippians 2:5 - 8
Introduction of Series
Remember, while Jesus was hanging on the cross, it wasn’t the nails that kept Him there. (I heard one person say that if the soldiers stopped nailing Jesus to the cross, that Jesus Himself would take the hammer and finish the job) It wasn’t the threat of the Roman legions or the hatred of the Jewish elite. Rather, it was His passion for humanity that led Him to take the punishment of our own sins upon Himself. Jesus gave up His life so that we might have eternal life.
As we learned last week, He was fueled by unconditional and sacrificial love. And God the Father, so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son. God gave us the greatest gift, Jesus, through whom we might all experience everlasting life and forgiveness.
And as you may have heard, “It is more blessed to give than to receive…” Acts 28:35
Now lets look at another part of the Passion of Christ.
(Php 2:5) Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
For the first four verses of the chapter Paul is talking to the Christian church about humility.
Humility – defined.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself — it’s thinking of yourself less.
But what does that saying really mean? In actuality, “thinking of yourself less” may prove to be the same thing as “thinking less of yourself” (or thinking badly of yourself).
Nobody is helped when you think poorly of yourself! If you judge yourself as “too needy,” “too emotional,” or “too bad to be loved” then you’ll just push your feelings down into your unconscious mind, burying them somewhere in your body. This drains your energy and confidence and makes it really hard for you to be compassionate and kind to other people and to worship God.
A person drowning in self-condemnation and shame cannot help someone else who is hurting, nor can they very well give praise to God. First they need a life saver or raft to hold onto so they can breathe!
https://www.soulshepherding.org/humility-is-not-thinking-less-of-yourself/
The word mind here is – “thought and lifestyle”
But the other encouragement, from Romans 12:2 gives us some extremely practical mindset advice:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Want to know what God’s will is for your life, stop conforming and start transforming.
Do not conform to the patterns of the world, they’re not going to give you the mindset of Christ. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, through the power of the Spirit through the reading of the scriptures and prayer. Then, you will better know the will of God. And the will of God was at the forefront of the mind of Christ.
(Php 2:6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
Jesus was and is God
The Claims Jesus claimed to be God. It might be hard to understand how this could be true, but it’s important to remember that God is much bigger and more powerful than we can comprehend.
1) We do know that Jesus said He existed before Abraham (John 8:58).
2) He claimed that He and His Father are one (John 10:30),
3) and that He is equal with the Father (John 5:17-18).
4) Not only did He claim to be God, but He also claimed to have the power of God. He said He has the authority to judge the nations (Matthew 25:31-46).
5) He claims the authority to raise people from the dead (John 5:25-29)
6) and to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7)—things only God can do (I Samuel 2:6; Isaiah 43:25).
7) Further, Jesus says He has the power to answer prayers (John 14:13-14),
8) and that He will be with His followers always (Matthew 28:20).
9) The New Testament equates Jesus to the creator of the universe (John 1:3), and in John 16:15, He says, “All that belongs to the Father is mine.”
https://static.billygraham.org/sites/billygraham.org/uploads/pro/2019/05/Common-Questions-Is-Jesus-God.pdf#:~:text=The%20Bible%20says%20Jesus%20is%20unique%20in%20both,but%20He%20was%20also%20fully%20God%20%28Colossians%202%3A9%29.
10) Worship - In Luke 4:8, Jesus says, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'” He said and showed many times that He is the Lord. Jesus says, for example, that He is “the first and the last” (Revelation 1:17, 22:13), which God the Father says in Isaiah 44:6
Jesus was constantly worshiped.
(Php 2:9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, (Rev 19:6 called King of Kings and Lord of Lords) 10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (what a powerful name it is, the name of Jesus, why? Demons flee Luke 10:17, salvation Acts 4:12, John 14:6, Romans 10:13; ) 11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus in the Likeness of Men
(Php 2:7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Why? God loved us
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
1 John 4:9-10 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (10) In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(Php 2:8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Jesus humbled himself – thought of Himself less
Jesus was obedient
Death of the cross –
1 Pe 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.
Conclusion: What does that mean for us?
Our Obedience – humility “think of our self less”
Joh 15:9-13 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. (10) If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. (11) These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (12) This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (13) Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
In this passage Jesus invites His disciples, and us, to remain in His love and to keep His commandments. He invites us to be obedient, and then He offers a new commandment… to love one another as He has loved us. To lay our lives down for others.
Just like He did.
So consider the road of humility this coming week. Where are the areas in your life you need to think about others, put them first, and trade your life for theirs?
How can you lift others up, encourage them, and help them feel loved?
Let’s pray together.
Communion - obedience
1 Co 11:25-29 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. (27) Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. (28) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (29) For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
