Philippians 2:1-11 (2)
The Form of God: Jesus’ decision to humble Himself and die on the cross took place in a specific context: while He was fully God. Instead of holding on to His “rights and privileges,” He chose a different path. This path is described by Paul in both positive and negative terms. Even though He could have asserted His divine right, He chose instead not to regard equality with God as something to be grasped. On the contrary, He emptied and humbled Himself. The implication is that if Jesus is willing to set aside His own rights in obedience to the Father’s higher purposes, then why can’t we do the same? Why can’t we be like-minded and consider others more important than ourselves?
Our human view of power and rights is tarnished by our sinful nature. Who hasn’t been taken advantage of or trampled on at some point in their life? When we have power and rights granted to us, we’re reluctant to give them up. Why? Because we’re afraid that they will be used against us, leaving us in a position of weakness. Although this might describe how things work in our human context, it is not how God works.
What was the result of Christ’s humiliation? Was it worth all of the pain, suffering, and hardship? Far from being taken advantage of, Christ is exalted in ways so wonderful that only God could have thought them up.
A Case-Study in Submission: This passage contains some of the richest theology about Jesus’ incarnation. Paul offers Jesus as the model of what it means to humble oneself and consider others more important. In God’s economy of things, such a choice leads to honor and exaltation. This stands in stark contrast with our human perspective, which is exactly why Paul includes Jesus’ example. It provides practical