5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be exploited.
7 Instead he emptied himself
by assuming the form of a servant,
taking on the likeness of humanity.
And when he had come as a man,
8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death —
even to death on a cross.
-- Philippians 2:5-8
Christ's Humility (Philippians 2:5-8)
Philippians 2:5-8 is a section of what many scholars refer to as the "Humiliation of Christ". Now, "humiliation" in this context does not mean that Christ was embarrassed or ashamed, but it's the reality that he being fully God, the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything, became flesh. He humbled, he humiliated himself by taking on the very form of a human! I'd encourage you to take some time to ponder and reflect on the mystery and majesty of Christ becoming a human being.
With this in mind, Philipians 2:5-8 is a command to Christians to adopt the same attitude of Christ Jesus. This week we've reflected on getting our minds right in order to be game changers. This passage directly commands us to take on the same attitude that our savior displayed. Let's take a deeper look.
6 who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be exploited.
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. Jesus Christ did not become God or cease to be God while he was on planet Earth, yet he did not use His "God-ness" to his own advantage. Instead, he served. Instead, he gave His life away for the good of people and the glory of God. The pages of scripture, specifically of the Gospels, show Jesus in his humanity serving and loving others.
7 Instead he emptied himself
by assuming the form of a servant,
taking on the likeness of humanity.
Mark 10:45 states, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus the very one who should be served, chose to come and serve. But not only did he serve, He died..
8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death —
even to death on a cross.
This is the attitude of our Savior, of our Lord, of our Master, Jesus Christ. We are called, we are are commanded to adopt this attitude of service and this attitude of sacrifice. If we want to make a different in our homes and our community, we must honestly answer this question:
Do we look more like Jesus or do we look more like the world?
- Do we leverage our strength for service or for status?
- Do we leverage our gifts for ourselves or for others?
- Is life about our glory or is it about God's glory?
May we adopt the attitude of our savior Jesus.
