Attributes of God at Advent: Humility

(ESV)

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The attributes of God at Advent - Advent means the “coming” of Christ

How do we see God’s character in this first coming of Jesus?

“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily

— “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily

(ESV) — In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

In the Incarnation, we get to see exactly what God is like.

(ESV) –– 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

And one of the most shocking attributes that we see in Christ is one that should be obvious. It’s right before our face, and yet we so often miss the strangeness and glory of it; and that is The Humility, and even humiliation, of Christ.

The Humility, and even humiliation, of Christ.

: –– “To us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace [paradox? Child and Might God/Everlasting Father]

(ESV) –– 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

and I think most helpfully in our text for this morning, which reads:

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

v. 6 though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped

The kenosis of Jesus -- The Kenotic hymn of

He did not grasp, or hold onto, his divinity to spare himself the humility.

(ESV) –– 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Not false humility

- Not false humility

Not false humility - where the humility is not genuine, it’s merely there to receive praise without sacrifice. This is real humility, which is nothing sinful. It is marked by obedience. [see next verse]

7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Kenosis - emptying

The form of a servant

Born in the likeness of men — diapers, potty training, learning to spell, crawling on his knees, being spat upon, being pierced, being mocked, being nailed to a cross, being whipped, etc.

Obedience

“One has a picture of someone going right down and dredging the sea bottom. One has a picture of a strong man trying to lift a very big, complicated burden. He stoops down and gets himself right under it so that he himself disappears; and then he straightens his back and moves off with the whole thing swaying on his shoulders.

Or else one has the picture of a diver, stripping off garment after garment, making himself naked, then flashing for a moment in the air, and then down through the green, and warm, and sunlit water into the pitch-black, cold, freezing water, down into the mud and slime, then up again, his lungs almost bursting, back again to the green and warm and sunlit water, and then at last out into the sunshine, holding in his hand the dripping thing he went down to get. This thing is human nature; but, associated with it, all Nature, the new universe.

Now, as soon as you have thought of this, this pattern of the huge dive down to the bottom, into the depths of the universe and coming up again into the light, everyone will see at once how that is imitated and echoed by the principles of the natural world; the descent of the seed into the soil, and its rising again in the plants.” [C.S. Lewis, Miracles, ch. 14]

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

“One has a picture of someone going right down and dredging the sea bottom. One has a picture of a strong man trying to lift a very big, complicated burden. He stoops down and gets himself right under it so that he himself disappears; and then he straightens his back and moves off with the whole thing swaying on his shoulders.

Or else one has the picture of a diver, stripping off garment after garment, making himself naked, then flashing for a moment in the air, and then down through the green, and warm, and sunlit water into the pitch-black, cold, freezing water, down into the mud and slime, then up again, his lungs almost bursting, back again to the green and warm and sunlit water, and then at last out into the sunshine, holding in his hand the dripping thing he went down to get. This thing is human nature; but, associated with it, all Nature, the new universe.

Now, as soon as you have thought of this, this pattern of the huge dive down to the bottom, into the depths of the universe and coming up again into the light, everyone will see at once how that is imitated and echoed by the principles of the natural world; the descent of the seed into the soil, and its rising again in the plants.” [C.S. Lewis, Miracles, ch. 14]

— Jesus praying that the Father would display Christ’s glory as it was before he entered the world. Do we see this in the Resurrection? His humiliation is over

English Standard Version Chapter 17

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

— Jesus praying that the Father would display Christ’s glory as it was before he entered the world. Do we see this in the Resurrection? His humiliation is over

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

He is now the name above all names. Not merely the proper name of Jesus, but His name - the name that designates Him - The LORD! Adonai is the name - that is the name that belongs to Him.

“and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

You can’t see the incarnation as if it’s normal - it’s not. It’s miraculous, strange, and wonderful.

You cannot see the incarnation with indifference, as if of course Jesus would do that for you. His humility and humiliation should humble us.

If you’re not seeing the incarnation for the miracle that it is, then you’re simply not seeing it.

(ESV)

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Nicene Creed:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven:

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,

begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God,

and was made man.

Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made,

being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven,

and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary,

and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;

He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again,

according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven,

and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again,

with glory, to judge the living and the dead;

whose kingdom shall have no end.

Attributes of God at Advent: Humility

Text:

Intro:

Illustration: Lewis and The Diver

Illustration: Lewis and The Diver

Application: