THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE
PHILIPPIANS 2:8-9
02/11/95
The following is a true story. I won’t use names because I want to protect the guilty. So that you don’t try to guess most of you do not know this person.
This person was driving home one night. The weather was rather nasty. The rain was coming down very hard and it was very difficult to see. Seeing tail lights ahead of her she followed the car in front. Not being able to see the car in front seemed to be going the right direction. So she stuck with it.
All of sudden the car in front of her came to stop. She began wonder what had happened, perhaps the car in front had it a deer or some thing like that. She began to feel uncomfortable, thinking being stopped in the middle of the road can often times lead to accidents.
Much to her alarm the car in front of her turned off their lights. Her concern was perhaps now turned to anger. Now, knowing this lady as I do I am sure that she had more then one word for this person who had stopped in front of her, words that we are not to use in church under any circumstances. Why was this person stopping in the middle of the road and then turning off their lights.
She was then startled by a knocking on her window. She looked up and there was a man standing in the pouring rain wanting to speak to her. She cracked the window open and asked the man what the problem was. The man replied by stating that that was the question he was going to ask her. She retorted that she was not the one who had stopped in the middle on the road and then turned off the lights. The mans reply was that they were not in the road but in his driveway.
From this story we can see that this woman had chosen the wrong example to follow. She had chosen an example that would not take to where she wanted to go. Many times in life we too are faced with storms and trials and it can be hard to see that road ahead. It is at this time that we need to follow an example of one who can guide us. One who can get us to where we want to go.
May I suggest that the example we all need to follow is of course that of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today we are going to be looking at Philippians 2:6-8. This happens to be one of my favorite portions of Scripture, along with verse 10-11. I think it is also one of the most beautiful verse which describes what that Lord Jesus, did for us, and also who exactly He is. I am going to include verse 5 so that we get the context of the verse.
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. 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."
The week before last we looked at those things in our lives which will bring about unity in believers. Last week we looked at the mind which the believer should have, the mind of Christ. Now what Paul commanded us in words in the first four verses of chapter 2, he now shows by example. That example being found in Christ.
spoke of the three graces which are to work in us, Oneness, as seen in verse 2, we see oneness in Christ as he was one with the Father. We spoke of lowliness as seen in verse 3, today we will look at the lowliness of Christ, and the great example of his humility. And lastly we spoke of helpfulness, as seen in verse 4. We will see today the helpfulness of Christ as be became a servant.
he first thing we see in this passage is the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Now the word incarnation refers to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ, who was God took on the form of the man. In the incarnation of Christ we see the greatest example of humility ever given to man. The humbleness Paul commands in verse 3, he shows be example here.
Something we need to make note of concerning the incarnation in verse 6. The verse states that Christ was in the "form of God". Now what does form of God mean? It means he had the same attributes as God, the same nature as God. It means that Jesus was deity!
The Greek word here is "mor-fay" which means form, shape or nature of. There is no way to get around the fact that this verse is teaching the deity of Jesus Christ. What ever God was, Christ was, they were the same form.
It is important to note what this verse does not say. It does not say that Christ was in the "fashion of God" or the "appearance of God" as is used to describe His humanity in verse 8. Christ did simply take on the appearance of deity. He did not take on some of the attributes of God, and not others. That is not what this verse is saying. It is saying the He is the "form of God".
The verse does not say that Christ was the "likeness or image of God". In Genesis chapter 1 we are told that God made man in his likeness, in his image. Those are not the words used to describe Christ. He was not made in the image of God, He was not make in His image, He was not made at all. He as always existed because he is God. Christ does not simple resemble God, or imitate God.
Again He was in the "form" of God, what God was Christ was. Lest we are accused of taking this verse and making a doctrine just from it, let me read John 1:1, 14;
John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
Those verse back up what Paul teaches in Philippians 2:6-10. That Jesus Christ, who was God, became flesh. The incarnation of Christ. What a wonderful truth it is. It shows that tremendous amount of love which the Lord as for us.
Let’s look at the second part of verse 6 where it tells us that Jesus, "did not consider it robbery to be equal with God." In order to better understand what the verse is saying here I would like to read it to from some other translations. The NIV states "did not consider equality with God something to be grasped". The Revised Standard puts it, "did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped". And the Amplified, "did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped of retained."
So the point of the is this. That even thought Christ was God, He did not exploit it for His own good. Jesus did not say "Ok it is beneath God to become flesh, to grow as a man, to suffer persecution from the very people He had come to save" He did not say that death on the cross was beneath God so that He would not do it." He did not look to His own things, His divine glory, His holiness, His equality with the Father, but He looked down to us. He did not grasp on the fact he was deity because he loved us.
Understand that nothing happened to Jesus that He did not allow to happen. Nothing took Jesus by surprise. All that He did, He did willing. As God He could have stopped it at any time.
Yet Scripture states that He did not grasp on to that fact, but suffered and died, and took upon to the sins of the world not because He had to, but he choose to.
Look at verse 7,
"but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men."
What we see here is not only did Jesus not cling to the fact that He was Deity, but He went beyond that and took the "form of a servant".
I want you to notice that word "form" again. It is that same word used in verse 6. What this verse states is that just as Jesus had the attributes of God, He took on the attributes of a servant. He did not just play servant, He did not just say He was a servant, He did just become like a servant, He was a servant. Jesus came to serve! God came to serve His creation! What an example.
Also note that he did exchange one form for another. He did not cease to be God to become a servant. There was nothing subtracted, this is what makes our salvation possible, the fact that He was both servant and God.
I want you to thing for a moment of what Jesus set aside to be a servant, to come in the likeness of man.
He went for being infinite, which is to say beyond conditions. To finite, under conditions. He was affected by the things we are affected by. He went from uncreated perfection to human development. It is hard to understand that Jesus developed just as all humans do. He went through being a baby, a small boy, I am sure He scrapped his knees, played with other little boys. He went through being a teenager, learning a trade.
We often think of Jesus in only four ways. A baby, a man preaching the good news, a man dying on the cross, and a resurrected Lord. But we need to realize that when He came to earth He had to grow up like every one else.
The Lord went from being eternal, to being under the conditions of time. Those 33 years He was on earth lasted 33 years to Him just like they would to us.
He went from omnipresent to conditions of space. While Jesus was mas He could not be in more then one place at a time.
He also went from being almighty to getting on His is knees and praying to the Father for strength. That is humility! Going from controlling all things, and willfully giving it all up, and getting on His knees praying for strength.
And if the thought of the Lord of Lords giving up all that for your benefit, does not pierce your heart, you have a deep spiritual problem.
Now I want you to understand some even more amazing concerning the Lord Jesus and what he gave up. He did not give up those things He had in heaven to come down and live like a king, no He gave up all He had on earth as well.
He had no house to sleep in, He had to borrow a boat to preach in, He borrowed a donkey to ride into Jerusalem on. He borrowed a room to hold the last supper in. He even had to borrow the tomb in which He was buried.
Jesus gave up all He had in heaven, and all He could have had on earth. Why? Because He loves us. He did it for each one of us.
Jesus gave up all this yet He was still God. That is what is really amazing about it all. God cannot become ungod. Jesus gave up the manifestation of God, He gave up His glory. In John 17:4 we see Him praying that He receive back the glory He had with the Father before the world was. Yet even in His pain and suffering, He does the will of the Father.
I want you to leave here today with and understanding of the Lord’s humility. I want you to realize what He gave up for you. I want you to realize that He stepped down from heaven because we couldn’t step up. He humbled himself to the point of dying on the cross, because we could never hope to glorify ourselves to the point of being acceptable to the Father.
Jesus had to humble himself so far down from where He was, because that is where we are.
I think of how I have to bend down to pick up Bethany. When she wants me to hold her I have to bend down to get Her because she can’t jump up to me no matter how hard she tries. So in a sense I have to humble myself and bend over and pick her up. But I do because I love her.
This illustrates why Jesus humble himself. Why He had to bend over so far to pick use up. Because no matter how hard we try we can never jump up into His arms. And He bends over because
He loves us.
WHAT AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW!
We need to recognize not only the was Christ a servant in a spiritual way but also in a very materialistic way. He give to us an example of what a servant should be. As I stated earlier He took the "form" of a servant, not just pretending to be one but is the example of what one is.
Matthew 20:28 "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His
life a ransom for many."
Let us look at how the "Son of Man" the Lord Jesus Christ did serve.
You cannot help but notice that Jesus was always ministering to others. He is always reaching out to help those in need. We see him meeting the physical needs of people. Feeding the 5,000 and then the 4000 on five and seven loaves of bread, and a few fish.
We see Jesus healing the people raising people from the dead. Meeting the needs of people in a very feel and tangible way.
Jesus even humble himself to the point that he washed the feet of his disciples. Now that was job that was strictly for the servants of the times. It was a humiliating job to have to wash someone’s feet. Yet the Lord did it.
Jesus goes from the throne of heaven to washing mans feet. He does it show how we are to humble ourselves, how we are to be servants
Again I say, What an example!
Let’s turn to verse 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."
Notice that in this verse it is stated that He was found in the "appearance of man", not the form of man. Now this to show that while Jesus Christ was certainly human, He certainly was flesh and blood, He was not all that man was. He was in every way a man but one, and that is He had no sin nature. He was born with out sin. He was born perfect!
Now in every other way he was just as we are. He had to eat, we see he gets hungry, he sends the apostles for food. He gets thirsty He ask the women at the well for a drink of water. He get tired, as we see Him asleep in the boat. We see he gets angry, He weeps, He is joyful, He learned a trade, He knew that customs and manners of His time. yet in all the ways He is like us, He never sinned.
And just like we will some day die, Jesus was subject to death. For that was His purpose in becoming flesh, to die. To take upon Himself the sins of the world.
Not only did Jesus die, but as Paul states here, "even the death on the cross." The most humiliating death there was at the time. Death on the cross was one of great suffering and pain. Yet this is the death Jesus choose.
Now Jesus being God could have choose death of heart failure, He could have choose death by some sickness or disease. Or some other method which was quick and easy.
But no! He just the most humiliating, the most cure death there was. Why? Because He loved us. Because He wanted to give to us an example.
All that He did He did on our behalf. His humility was for our benefit.
So this is our example. So the point of Paul in verse 6-8 is this. If Christ, the Lord of Lord of Lord, the King of Kings, very God, if can humble himself to the point of giving up His heavenly glory, of becoming a servant, humble Himself to the point where He washes His disciples feet. Humble himself to the point of not just dying but dying on the cross, then why can’t you humble yourself in the small ways.
Why can’t you serve others the way Christ served you.
I want you to look what your salvation cost Him. Now ask yourself what did it cost me? What
has it cost you?
It is sad how when we ask someone to serve the Lord we always states, and I am the most guilty of this, we say well it won’t take to much of you time, we ask people to serve the Lord and we say will it won’t take to must of your money, it won’t take to much of a commitment.
That’s not how we should ask or be asked to serve the Lord. We should say could you serve the Lord, but it will take EVERYTHING you have. It will take commitment and time. That is what Jesus gave, everything. He gave up so much more then we have ever been asked to. So who are we to give
anything less.
You know that every person here who as Jesus as their Saviour you have said to him "Jesus, come down from and die for me, give up all that you have and die for me. Empty yourself of your deity and die for me"
Then we say Jesus take my sin from me but don’t ask for my life. Don’t ask me to be dedicated my life to you to the point of personal sacrifice.
We say Jesus take my sin but don’t ask for to much of my time. I don’t have the time to help out at the church. I don’t have the time to read your word or pray to you.
We say Jesus take my sin but don’t ask for to much of my money. I have bills to pay. Things to buy. I’ll give you some of it but don’t ask me to give to so much that I don’t have enough to buy the things I really want.
We say Jesus take my sin but don’t ask me to spread your gospel. It’s embarrassing to have to tell people that they are going to hell without you. Besides I don’t want people to think I am some kind of Jesus freak.
Our passage states that Jesus was obedient to the point of the cross. How far does your obedience go. Is it to the point of the cross or does it go to the point of showing up on Sunday or Wednesday night. Folks it needs to go way beyond that.
There are far far to many Christians who have no idea what it is to sacrifice things for the Lord. I pray today that each one of you would seriously consider what Jesus gave up for you. Consider the example that He was to us. Consider how you can give back to the Lord, after all of what He has given for you.
SHALL WE PRAY
