Do we love like Jesus?

Introduction

In recent days we have been reminded of the ability of people to be united at a time of crisis. But we have also been reminded of the ability of people to be very selfish. We think back to the beginning of the lockdown when many people were panick buying. It seemed that people had no thought for anyone but themselves. It didn’t matter if anyone else had toilet roll so long as they had all they need and more.

The Apostle Paul reminds believers the believers at Phillipi that they are to be humble and to put other people before themselves. He says they are to be like minded, loving, of one accord, of one mind. He tells them that they should do nothing through selfish ambition but rather in lowliness of mind they are to esteem others better than themselves and look out for the interests of others.

In other words the Christian is to be selfless and they are to put others before themselves.

After calling the Christians at Philli to be humble and to put others before themselves he uses the greatest argument he could ever have to convine them why they should do it.

Here in the verses that follow is the greatest motivation that a believer can have for being selfless.

We should put others before ourselves because this is exactly what Jesus has done for us.

Then Paul goes on in v.5-11 and explains how Jesus has done this.

Today we are called to do the same. It is very relevant for us in the current sitiuation. While the nation is in lockdwon we as Christians should be helpiong others, buying food in a way that ensures other people have enough too. When the lockdown ends and the recession begins we should be thinking about how we can help people who are struggling financially even if that means we have to have a little less ourselves.

Why should we do this? We find the answer in these verses that follow.

1) His incarnation v.5-7

a)What he has always been

First the Apostle Paul refers to the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The incarnation is one of the greatest and most fundamental truths about the Gospel. With out the incarnation we could not be reconciled to God.

But in the incarnation both God and man are reconciled in the rperson of Jesus Christ.

In the incarnation Jesus did not stop being what he had always been, but he became something that he was not.

We see this in v.5-7.

First we see what Jesus Christ had always been.

v.5-6 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God...”

Here we learn that Jesus Christ is and always has been God. He is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity.

He is the one who made all things. The Creator, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

The Nicene creed which was an statement of faith from the church in the 4th century puts it like this;

The Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical Notes, Volume II: The Greek and Latin Creeds, with Translations (b) Forma Recepta Ecclesiæ Occidentalis

And in one Lord JESUS CHRIST, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds [God of God], Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance [essence] with the Father; by whom all things were made

Or to quote the words of John 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. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

To put it simply Jesus Christ is and always has been... God.

Yet what follows next is amazing.

b)He became what he was not.

V.6-7 continues and says “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”

Here we learn the amazing truth that although Jesus has always been God, he became somthing that he never was before.

Although he was God, he did not consider it a thing to be exploited but rather made himself of no reputation by becoming a man.

V.7 says he took the form of a bondservant and came in the likeness of men.

In other words, almighty God became a human being. He took upon himself human flesh.

Jesus who is by very nature God took upon himself human nature.

He became a man. Fully God, yet fully man.

Notice v.7 says he made himself of no reputation. God the Son humbled himself so greatly that he took upon himself a human body, the Creator became a part of his creation.

.John 1:10 says “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.”

Paul is saying to the Phillipians that this is their example. They are to be like this. Jesus Christ is the pattern of their lives, they are to have an attitude like his.

The Lord Jesus Christ was not thinking of himself when he left the praises of heaven surrounded by multitudes of angels who were prasing and adoring him in order to become one of us in this world marred by sin.

The Lord did not do this for his onw interests and good, but for ours.

Paul told them in v.3-4 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Here is the reason they should do it. This is what Jesus Christ has done for them.

App- Just as Christ was their example, and the pattern for their lives.

So Jesus Christ is also our example and we are also called to show the same kind of selfless love that he showed by his incarnation.

We must put the needs of others before ourselves, even if that means assuming a position that is below ourselves.

We can think about our current situation and the great work that doctors and nurses are doing at this time. It would be hard for us to imagine a doctor taking of his white coat and putting on blue overalls so that he can clean the toilets. We would probably consider it great humility for a doctor to allow himself to be thought of as just a cleaner.

But this illustration pales in comparison as to what Jesus Christ has done. God became a man. Jesus Christ has always had a divine nature, here we learn that in his humility for our good he also took upon himself a human nature.

Here is our example, this is the attitude that we should have as Christians.

If you are not a Christian then you need to know that Jesus did this for you. He became a man in order to save mankind from sin and hell. He calls you to believe in him.

The love of Christ for others is clearly and powerfully seen in his incarnation but yet selfless love of Jesus went even further.

In. v5-7 Paul remined the Phillipians of the incarnation . In v.8 he goes on to speak about his crucifixion.

2) His curcifixion v.8

Look with me at v.8 “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

a)He became obedient to death

Not only did God the Son become a human being. But even more than that he humbled himself to the point of death.

As God he could not die, but as a man he could. The Lord Jesus told his disciples that he would willingly lay down his life. Here we learn that he did so in obedience to the Father. God the Father sent God the Son to give his life a ransom for many.

This is amazing in itself. This would be enough for anyone who truly grasped this to stand in awe at the selfless love of Christ.

But what is even more amazing than his obedience to the point of death was the kind of death that he died.

b)Even death on the cross

He became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Death by crucifixion was a torturous, humliating kind of death. It was so awful that Rome did not crucify Roman citizens. The person was scourged with whips, until they were near death. Then they were nailed to a cross, one nail in one wrist and another nail in the other, they then nailed their ankles together.

After that they would stand the cross up and the person would hang there naked until they slowly died of suffercation. The only way they could breath was to push themselves up by their feet so that they could expand there chest, this would have excrouciating. Every breath was painful. Eventually they would become so weak that they could no longer lift themselves up and they would suffercate. If the soldiers were merciful they would brake their legs sooner so that they would die quicker.

This was a terrible way to die, even describing it makes us cringe.

Yet this was the death that the Lord Jesus Christ died.

God became a human being, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

The reason the Lord Jesus did this was not for his own self interests but for us. For people who had sinned against him, he died in their place, as a sacrifice for their sin.

“Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood. Hallelujah, what a Saviour!”

The Apostle Paul is saying to the Phillipains here is your example. You are called to have the same attitude as the Lord Jesus. He says let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

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It is challenging isn’t it. We think of how loving and kind the Lord Jesus Christ is. How he put others before himself. The Creator put the creatures before himself, he became a man and died at the hands of those he had created, in order to save his creation from their rebellion and sin.

As Christians we are called to demonstrate this same kind of love that Christ demonstrated for us.

At this time of lockdon and even after the lockdown when things may be difficult financially we are called to put others before ourselves. Here is our example.

If your not a Christian, then the application for you is different. Before, you are called to have Christ as your example first you must have him as your Saviour.

You need to recognise that his incarnation and crucifixion was for you. it was to save you as much as anyone else. He died for your sin on the cross and he calls you to turn from your sin in repentance and to believe in him. After his death on the cross he rose again from the dead three days later.

He calls you to trust him, put your faith in him. Confess him as your Lord and Saviour for the forgiveness of your sins.

Jesus humbled himself in his incarnation and his crucifixion, next we see the result of this, his exaltation.

3) His exaltation v.9-11

V.9 begins with; “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him...”

The Lord Jesus taught in Luke 14:11 that whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

This is exactly what we see with the Lord Jesus Christ.

God the Father has highly exalted God the Son.

What follows is a list of how the Lord Jesus has been exalted.

1- He has given him a name above every name

2- That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow- of those in heaven, and of those on earth and of those under the earth.

3- that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Here we learn that one day everyone will become obedient to the one who became obedient unto death. Everyone will be humbled before the one who humbled himself.

Everyone will bow the knee before the one who bowed his head as he died on the cross.

Every tongue will confess as Lord the one whose tongue said Father forgive them for the do not know what they are doing.

One day everyone will worship the one who left the worship of heaven to save people who once refused to worship.

Some will do this willingly, those who repent and believe now in this life. Others will do it reluctantly before they are seperated god forever in hell.

Every knee will bow before the Jesus Christ and confess him as Lord.

He humbled himself and now he has been highly exalted.

This was the example for the Phillipians. They were called to humble themselves and to put others before themselves, yet they could be sure that God would reward them openly. Jesus taught that those who humble themselves will be exalted.

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As believers we too have this same comfort. When he humble ourselves and put other people before ourselves, just like Christ did. Then we can be sure that one day God will reward us.

This shouldn’t be our motivation, our motivation should be love, just like it was for the Lord Jesus, but yet here is our comfort.

Yet the application for the unbeliever is slightly different. The question that you must be face with is will you gladly bow the knee before Jesus Christ now. will you confess him as Lord now and be saved, forgiven, and have eternal life.

Or will you reject Jesus now, bow the knee by force in the future and then suffer eternally away from Christ and all his saints?

Conclusion

Why should the Phillipians put others before themselves? Why were they to have selfless love for one another?

Paul says becaue this is what Jesus Christ has done for us.

The Lord Jesus is your example.

Look at his humility, his selfless love. look at his incarnation, God became a man. look at his crucifixion, he became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Look at the result, his humiliation resulted in exaltation.

Just as Chrsit was their example so he is ours today. Every Christian is called to be confgormed to the image of Christ, we are called to be like him.

He was selfless in love, putting the interests of others before his own. We are called to do the same.

During this time of lockdown and in the near future we will probably have many oppurtunities to display this kind of love. Let us do so taking Christ as our example.

As I said earlier if you aren’t a Christian then before Christ can be your example he must be your Saviour. this selfless love of Jesus in his incarnation and crucifixion was for you, to save you. Do not reject Jesus Christ any longer but turn away from you sin and believe in him.

Let us pray