THE MIND OF CHRIST
Phil. 2:5-11
INTRO.- ILL.- Jimmy Moore was a dying man. There just wasn’t any future for him. Then he got his chance at life again in the form of a heart transplant at Vanderbilt University. Two years later, he completed the grueling Music City (Nashville, TN), Triathlon which consisted of a 1k swim, 40k bike ride (24.8 miles) and 10k (6.2 mile) run.
Jay Groves, coordinator of Vanderbilt’s cardiac rehab program, ran and bicycled with Jimmy Moore.
The man who had a heart transplant 18 months earlier crossed the finish line with tears in his eyes and
these words across the front of his T-shirt, “I’VE HAD A CHANGE OF HEART.”
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone who needed a heart transplant could have one? More importantly,
wouldn’t it be great if everyone who needed “a change of heart,” could get that?
I would say that more people need “a change of heart” than a heart transplant. Why do I say that? BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.
Along these lines, what we really need is a “mind transplant.” Rather “a change of minds.” Man’s
physical heart is nothing more than a muscle, but man’s emotional heart is his mind.
And what all people need more than anything is a change of the mind. They need the mind of Christ.
PROP.- In this text we see the mind of Christ.
1- His selflessness
2- His sacrifice
I. HIS SELFLESSNESS
Vs. 6-7
V. 6 “Who, being in very nature God.” Jesus’ very nature was God.
ILL.- Roses, daffodils, tulips, chrysanthemums, dahlias all have the same form or nature. They are
essentially, unchangeably flowers!
Even though Jesus lived in a fleshly body like ours, HIS INNERMOST NATURE WAS ESSENTIALLY, UNCHANGEABLY GOD!
Get this in your mind. JESUS WAS GOD IN THE FLESH!
V. 6 says that Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.
Here is the mind of Christ. Even though Jesus was God, He did not consider his equality with God the
Father as something to hold on to.
Jesus willingly gave up what rightfully belonged to Him! What humility that took!
Most of us prefer to be honored rather than humbled.
ILL.- I read that one time when Muhammed Ali was in his prime and on a plane that was about to take off, that the Flight Attendant reminded him to fasten his seat belt. To which Ali replied, “Superman don’t need no seat belt.”
And the Flight Attendant snapped back, “Superman don’t need no airplane either.” And Ali fastened his belt.
Most of us prefer honor. But Jesus emptied himself of all honor.
V. 7 He “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.”
ILL.- It is said that Henry David Thoreau once spent a whole day in Walden Pond up to his neck in the water. He wanted to experience the world as a frog sees it. However, Thoreau did not become a frog!
Our Lord emptied Himself, however, and became a man. He became a servant-man.
II Cor. 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
Jesus gave up the glory of heaven to become a homeless person for us, to serve us! Most of us don’t want to leave a good house for a poor house, but Jesus did that for us and even more!
ILL.- One writer said it this way, “So poor was he that he was constantly borrowing - a place for his
birth, a house to sleep in, a boat to preach from, an animal to ride on, a room where he could meet
privately with his friends, and finally a tomb to be buried in.” YES, JESUS EMPTIED HIMSELF FOR US.
The question comes to my mind: If Jesus did all this for us, to love us, to serve us, WHAT HAVE WE GIVEN UP TO LOVE OTHERS, TO SERVE OTHERS?
II. HIS SACRIFICE
V. 8 “He humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross.”
This is the greatest act of humility in Jesus’ life. In fact, it’s far more than humbling oneself. IT WAS
AN ACT OF HUMILIATION.
I Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree....”
II Cor. 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got enough sin myself without taking on someone else’s sin! But even
though Jesus never sinned one time, he was willing to take our sins upon Himself and pay the penalty of the second death for us! What humiliation that is!
ILL.- Brother C. C. Crawford said, “On the cross, Christ took the sinner’s place, drank the sinner’s cup,
felt the sinner’s stripes, and was bruised for the sinner’s transgressions.”
Matthew 27:46 Jesus said, “My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?”
These words indicate that Jesus suffered separation from His heavenly Father. And to be separated from the Father is hellish! It is to experience the torment and agony of hell! And that’s what Jesus did
for us!
ILL.- Someone put it this way:
- In hell there is darkness. At Calvary there was darkness.
- In hell there is thirst. At Calvary Jesus said, “I thirst.”
- In hell there is separation from God. At Calvary Jesus, “Why hast thou forsaken me?”
- In hell there is torment and agony. At Calvary Jesus suffered great torment and agony.
Jesus sacrificed His very soul for us! What have we sacrificed for Him? For others?
CONCLUSION---------------------------------------------
ILL.- One time a man dreamed that he saw three men kneeling at the foot of the cross. One man
looked on the suffering face of the Savior and said, “Lord, may it be my part to prevent thy crucifixion.”
The second man saw a tear trickle down the face of Jesus and he said, “Lord, may it be my part to ease
thy crucifixion.” And immediately a frown appeared on the face of Jesus.
The third man beheld Jesus and said, “LORD, MAY IT BE MY PART TO SHARE THY CRUCIFIXION.” And suddenly, a smile appeared on the face of Jesus.
It is our lot in life to share in our Lord’s crucifixion. We do this when we partake of His Supper and remember what He went through. And we share in His crucifixion when we faithfully live the Christian
life. God help us to do both.
