Jesus' Humility

Both the hummingbird and the vulture fly over our nation's deserts.

All vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for.

They thrive on that diet. But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals.

Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants.

The vultures live on what was. They live on the past.

They fill themselves with what is dead and gone.

But hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life.

They fill themselves with freshness and life.

Each bird finds what it is looking for. We all do.

Steve Goodier, Quote Magazine, in May, 1990 R.D.

Today, I want to talk about your mind

Whether or not you have the right attitude

In your life for change

Paul had to deal with a similar issue

The Church at Philippi

had much dissension

Three heresies had reared there ugly head

And the attitude of the members was not where it needed to be

And Paul takes one of their hymns and talks about their attitude.

Turn with me to Philippians 2:5-11

Paul is dealing with dissension and disunity

Philippians 1:9 NASB95

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,

Philippians 1:15–16 NASB95

Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel;

False teachings

Judaizers - the practice of imposing Jewish religious and social customs on others

Libertines - Libertinism can be defined as autonomy, practical atheism, or antinomianism. Anti-nomos means “against law.” But the law of God is an expression of God’s very nature; thus, Paul tells us the law is holy, spiritual and good. So when somebody is antinomian, he is, in fact, anti-God, anti-kingdom, and anti-order. Antinomians, or libertines, want absolute freedom without any restraint of God’s moral law. Thus, they negate the rule of God and affirm self-rule. Their philosophy is: “I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it how I want to do it, and who are you to tell me anything?”

Perfectionist - holds that it is possible for Christians to completely defeat sin in the present life and to live holy lives like Jesus did.

They did not have the right attitude

and he starts to deal with this by saying

“let this mind be in you”

Look to the real example

Three Truths concerning the Messiah

Christ Pre-existent State

Being in the form of God

Morphe

Outward expression of inward essence

Expresses who you are on the inside

Divine form is the glorious radiance of God

The shekinah Glory

Jesus possessed the Glory of God

Showing his identity of God

John 17:5 NASB95

“Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Hebrews 1:3 NASB95

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

A glimpse at the transfiguration

Thought it not robbery to be equal with God;

some suggest he gave up his equality

Jesus did not regard his rank and privilege something to be clinged to greedily

I must disagree

Didn’t give up equality

He was God

Fully equal but placed self in submission

Husband - Wife

Equality with God was giving rather than getting

Did not regard equality with God as something to use for his own advantage

Used it for the advantage of others

Verse 4 Exactly what Jesus did

Used his equality for sacrifice

Not selfishness

He used his Deity as an ultimate sacrifice to atone for his own creation

Christ Humiliation

But made himself of no reputation

He emptied himself

Emptying is a metaphor of voluntary humiliation

He emptied himself of his outward glory

Took the for of a servant

A Slave

Isaiah 49:6 NASB95

He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

One form did not replace the other but was added to the other

Thus Deity and humanity coexisted in Christ

Perfect man and perfect God

Came in likeness of men

eternal God was born in time and space as a baby

Being found in the fashion as a man

Form=inward appearance

Fashion=outward appearance

On the outside he was a man and recognized as a man

This condition necessary to die

Obedient to death

Self-humiliation to the fullest extent

Voluntary submission

Passage where drew back and fell

John 18:3–9 NASB95

Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,” to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.”

No man takes my life

John 10:17–18 NASB95

“For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

Even the death of the Cross

Most torturing

Full of shame

accursed by Jews

Deuteronomy 21:23 NASB95

his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.

Christ’s Exaltation

The basis for his exaltation was Humuliation

The demonstration of his exaltation the name LORD

YHYV

The name above every name

Not Jesus

Substitutes

Elohim

Jehovah

The name

the word

Given the supreme name of diety

Lord kurios

The unspeakable name

The recognigition of his exaltation

Every knee and tounge

Revelation 19:11–16 NASB95

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Revelation 21:5–6 NASB95

And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.