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:
Jesus while he dwelt in glory did not consider it wrong to be equal with God for he was equal with God. When the angels knelt before him he knew he was deserving of their adoration and praise he was not stealing anything. He rightly held the throne and was counted as one with the other two members of the Godhead.
He did not become half man and half God but “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”
He was willing to step down from the portals of heaven and take upon himself a robe of flesh that he might be able to suffer in your place and mine. The age-old question is how can the giver of life die? Surely he that hath made all things and without him was not anything made, surely they cannot take away his life.
IV. He Came Into This World That He Might Die:
Could any of you imagine what it would be like to live your life knowing that there was an appointed day when you must die? Of course this is true but we are ignorant of the time. He knew exactly what tomorrow held for him. I’m not just speaking of passing away of a heart condition, or even to be ravaged with cancer. No living a life beneath the very shadow of the cross.
He knew that he must experience the most excruciating pain in his death upon the cross. It would be awful if he were to be shot or even to lose his head but he was to face the most painful form of death. Isn’t this what it says he humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the cross. A willing vessel sent from his Fathers throne in heaven.
Let’s journey back in our minds give some thought to what this means Peter says Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. Before the world as we know it was created, before man was made, he knew he was to face that angry mob upon Calvary’s hill.
Yes again let me say, Jesus lived his life beneath the shadow of the cross. He knew that those whom he had ministered to would encircle that cross and many of them probably shouted curses at him. It would have been wonderful if he had gone to the cross just to redeem the thief hanging beside of him, but he went there for me. A sinner not yet born an ungodly man that had rebelled against my God he was willing to die for me.
V. God Highly Exalted Him: (v. 9) “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:”
Most of us stop here to give some thought to what it means, he gave Jesus a name of exaltation. He has grown up with the name of Jesus; certainly this is not what it is speaking of. And the title Christ, which means the christened one or the anointed one, this was what he was referred to in the Old and the New Testament.
So it must be another name, and we read on hoping to discover that name whereby Jesus is highly exalted. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
There is the name that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Kurios). The Greek word and it means more than just Lord it means Lord of lords and King of kings, that Jesus Christ is the supreme ruler of this universe. Remember what Paul said in Colossians, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Col 1:16-17
Remember what Jesus said to his disciples just prior to his ascension into heaven. We find it in Matt 28:18, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
In Revelation he declared, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is a to z and all that is between he is Jesus our Lord.
Behold the man, behold the greatest of them all, he that hath created all things and was willing to die in your place and mine. He that was willing to die for me should I not be willing to live for him? I have a lot of trouble with this on again and off again view that Christians today have.
The early church was willing to die for Christ and today men refuse to even serve him and yet they think God should understand.
