Philippians 2:5-11 [The Mind of Christ Jesus]
Philippians 2:5-11 "5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
[Things to Meditate On]
1. In the passage above, we are told to have in us not "our own mind," but "the mind of Christ Jesus" (v. 5). What is the reason for this (vv. 6-8)? And what kind of mind is the mind of Christ Jesus (vv. 6-8)?
2. As recorded in the Bible, the life of Jesus was truly a lowly life, from the time He was born in a stable in Bethlehem, to the time He grew up as the son of a carpenter, and until He died on the cross. Though Jesus is God, because of our sins and in order to save us, He came to this earth, took upon Him the form of a servant, was made in the likeness of men, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (v. 8).
John 1:1, 14 "1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
1 Timothy 1:15 "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."
Hebrews 5:7-9 "7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;"
3. Thus, Jesus showed us "the example of humility and obedience" throughout His entire life for our sake. Therefore, we must consider how humble we are before Jesus, that is, before the word of God. Are we perhaps insisting on our own thoughts before the word of Jesus, or hardening our hearts against that word?
Hebrews 3:15-16 "15While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses."
Like the children of Israel in the past mentioned in this passage, we must not harden our hearts against the word of God. Rather, we must "humble ourselves before Him" (James 4:10), and mix the word we hear with faith, so that the word may profit us.
James 4:10 "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."
Hebrews 4:2 "...but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."
[Decision and Application]
Following "the example of humility" that Jesus showed us, we too must now live a life in which we humble ourselves and exalt the name of Jesus. To humble oneself means not insisting on one’s own thoughts, feelings, experiences, and such things before the word of Jesus, and not putting those things ahead of the word of Jesus. This is the very example of humility that Jesus showed us, and this is the mind of Christ Jesus.
Although Jesus was "in the form of God," He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (vv. 6-8). And because He humbled Himself, God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name (vv. 9-10). If we also, like Jesus, live "a life of humbling ourselves and exalting the name of Jesus," then when Jesus comes again to this earth as King of kings (Matt. 16:27), He will surely lift us up, just as God exalted the name of Jesus.
Matthew 23:12 "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."
Proverbs 4:8 "Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her."
As these passages say, we must humble ourselves in this world and exalt Jesus. To exalt the name of Jesus is, in the end, to give glory to God (v. 11). And when we glorify God in this way, God also allows us to receive glory. Therefore, from now on, according to the truth that "if the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is glorified in us, we also shall be glorified in Him" (2 Thessalonians 1:12), whatever we do in word or deed, we must do all "in the name of the Lord Jesus."
2 Thessalonians 1:12 "That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Colossians 3:17 "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
Amen.
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