“Let this MIND be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” (Phil. 2:5) Jesus “…made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, in heaven and on earth and under the earth…” (Phil. 2:7-10)
LOOK WHAT ALL JESUS DID BENITA:
- He “made Himself nothing…”:This does not mean that He separated Himself from His deity; it means that when He became Man, He voluntarily laid aside His glory. He took off His royal robes and came amongst us as a man but He was still, and always will be, the same royal Person.
- He took “the very nature of a servant…”: Compare “the nature of God” (verse 6) with “the nature of a servant” (verse 7).
- He “was made in human likeness…”: Compare Romans 8:3 – only in human likeness – truly God, but truly man.
- He was “found in appearance as a man…”: He looked like a man (Hebrews 2:17); He became hungry (Matthew 4:2); He was tempted (Matthew 4:3); and He was tired (Mark 4:38)
- “He humbled Himself…”: He was born in little Bethlehem (Micah 5:2); He lived in despised Nazareth (John 1:46); He plied a humble trade (Matthew 13:55); He had nowhere to lay His head (Luke 9:58).
- He “became obedient to death…”: Compare Hebrews 5:8-9 with Romans 5:19.
- “Even death on a cross”: This was the most degrading and shameful death known yet He willingly submitted to this awful indignity and “scorning its shame” (Hebrews 12:2), because He loved us so!
So, let’s be humbly submitted to Jesus with thoughts of how we can be more like Him…
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham