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The Gospel-Shaped Life: Patterned After Jesus

April 29, 2018 Speaker: Brian Wilbur Series: Philippians

Topic: Gospel-Shaped Life Passage: Philippians 2:6–11

THE GOSPEL-SHAPED LIFE: PATTERNED AFTER JESUS

An Exposition of Philippians 2:6-11

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date:   April 29, 2018

Series: Philippians: Gospel Partnership on Mission in the World

Note:   Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

INTRODUCTION

Yesterday several of us attended an Equipping Elders Seminar sponsored by Gospel Advance. The seminar was held at Clifton Park Community Church in Clifton Park, NY. I have preached at Clifton Park Community Church on three occasions. My first sermon there – preached on February 24, 2013 – was an exposition of Philippians 1:27–2:11. One sermon on those fifteen verses! And here we are in this series on Philippians and we did one sermon on Philippians 1:27a, one sermon on Philippians 1:27-30, one sermon on Philippians 2:1-2, and I envision two sermons on the remaining verses – so by the time we finish we will have not one but five sermons on Philippians 1:27–2:11. Both approaches are valid and have their place. The one sermon was more like a 30,000-foot flyover of the passage, catching the big picture, driving home the main point. The five sermons are more like planting your feet on the soil of the passage and hiking through it one trail marker at a time.

The reason I am telling you this is to highlight the fact that Philippians 1:27–2:11 is a tightly woven progression of thought that all hangs together. Further, the end of the passage (v. 6-11) holds the most weight and grounds the instruction that comes before, especially the instruction given in verses 2-4. Last week I said that, Lord-willing, this week we would take a good look at church unity in practice by pondering verses 3-4. As it turns out, a detailed consideration of verses 3-4 must be postponed a week because first we really need to get ahold of verses 5-11, which carry weight of the instruction. If verses 6-11 will sink deeply into our hearts, then we will be ready for the challenging exhortations of verses 3-4.

AN OVERVIEW OF PHILIPPIANS 1:27–2:5

At the outset, though, I want to briefly walk through the whole passage so that we see the big picture. As we walk through it, notice two basic threads that Paul is weaving together. The first thread is the gospel thread, by which I am referring to foundational gospel truth. This gospel foundation is God’s perfect character in practical action for the salvation of His people. The gospel is the good news of God’s gracious work for His people through the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. That’s the first thread.

The second thread is the transformed way of life thread that results from the gospel. Christ’s gospel brings us into a right relation with God and radically changes the direction of our everyday life. The Spirit awakens our hearts to saving faith, brings us into the koinonia fellowship of God’s family, and produces good fruit in our lives. This transformed character and conduct is the second thread.

These two threads are identified at the very beginning of our passage. Verse 27 begins, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27) Do you see the two threads? The greater thread is “the gospel of Christ”: Christ’s gospel is the source of salvation and, to the point of verse 27, the standard of Christian conduct. The lesser but still very important thread is “[our] manner of life,” the way that we live as citizens of God’s everlasting kingdom. The distinctly Christian way of life is the way of life that corresponds to and is shaped by the gospel – by Christ’s perfect character in practical action.

Verse 27 continues, “so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” (Philippians 1:27) The way of life thread is present in the call to be unified soldiers who fight together in the spiritual battle. The gospel thread is also present: the gospel is not only our standard of conduct, but also our reason for fighting. We want the gospel to advance in the world (that’s mission), and we want Christians to advance in the gospel (that’s spiritual growth).

Verse 28 begins, “and not frightened in anything by your opponents.” (Philippians 1:28) The way of life thread is free of anxiety, even in the face of fierce opposition. With God’s grace and peace flowing to us, why should we be afraid?

Verse 28 continues, “This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.” (Philippians 1:28) Our way of life – unified, fearless, battling for the cause of the gospel – our way of life is part of our witness to the world.

Next, verses 29-30 say, “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.” (Philippians 1:29-30) This begins with the gospel thread: God’s work is to freely and graciously grant faith to His chosen ones. And God gives His chosen ones not only the grace to believe in Jesus, but also the grace to suffer for Jesus. These are gospel riches: God bestows His favor and grace on His people by bringing them into fellowship with Jesus! This gracious gospel necessarily leads to a certain way of life: now we live by faith, and now we walk with Jesus in a world that opposes His kingdom. This means that we suffer for Him as we walk with Him.

Chapter 2, verse 1 says, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy.” (Philippians 2:1) This is a gospel thread; this is God’s transforming work in His people through the glorious gospel of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have already said that the gospel is the source of our salvation, the standard of our conduct, and the reason why we conduct mission and spiritual battle in this world. Now we see that the gospel is also the source of our transformation, not just as stand-alone believers but as a community of believers. All true spiritual encouragement, comfort, participatory fellowship, affection, and sympathy, comes from the Father, through Christ, to the Church; and the Spirit empowers the Church to live these out in our relationships with one another. This gospel-generated transformation of verse 1 leads to a way of life that involves profound unity within the church community, as Paul indicates in verse 2.

So verse 2 instructs, “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (Philippians 2:2) The distinctly Christian way of life is Christians doing life together in deep spiritual unity. Our calling is to maintain and cultivate unity of mind, heart, and soul as a church family. This unified together way of life thread is continued in the next two verses.

Verses 3-4 declare, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) The Christian way of life is characterized by humility and service to others, especially to the others in our church fellowship. When people are shaped by sin, they put themselves first and try to boost their own ego. But when people are shaped by the gospel, they learn to honor others and put others first. When people are ruled by sin, they only look out for their own narrow range of self-interests. But when people are ruled by the gospel, they look out for the interests of other people, and are eager to serve their brothers and sisters in Christ.

In verse 5, Paul presses further into the way of life to which we are called before taking a final turn into the glorious riches of the gospel. Building off of verses 2-4, verse 5 says, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) In verses 6-8, Paul is going to show us the mind of Christ, the mindset of Christ, the attitude of Christ. Paul’s point in verse 5 is that we are to have the same attitude and mindset that Christ displayed. Christ’s mind, character, and wisdom are to dwell within us and become embodied in our life together as a church community. When Paul tells us to have Christ’s mind among ourselves, he is getting to the core instruction of the previous several verses. In chapter 1, verse 27 he told us to fight the spiritual battle “with one mind.” In chapter 2, verse 2 he told us to have “the same mind” and “one mind.” In verses 3-4 he told us that this unity of mind involves a mindset in which we honor others above our own selves and serve others. Now, as if to sum up all of that instruction about being a same-minded, servant-minded Christian community, he tells us to have among ourselves the mind of Christ, the attitude of Christ, the perspective of Christ.

For nine verses Paul has instructed us with the two threads of the gospel-shaped life: the gospel of grace, the way of life that follows, the gospel of grace, the way of life that follows, the gospel of grace, the way of life that follows. That’s the logic of our passage and, moreover, it is the logic of the whole Bible!

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT: PHILIPPIANS 2:6-11

Now, as we come to Philippians 2:6-11, Paul reaches a crescendo! What we behold here is the gospel shining forth in brilliant color! Brothers and sisters, direct your attention to our Lord Jesus Christ and to His glorious gospel and to His perfect mind expressed in perfect action:

“who [Christ Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11)

THE PATTERN OF LIFE ESTABLISHED BY CHRIST

To say that “[our] manner of life” ought to be “worthy of the gospel of Christ” (ch. 1, v. 27) means that our way of life must be conformed to the pattern of life that Christ lived. In other words, Christ established a distinct pattern of life (set forth in ch. 2, v. 6-11), and our calling as Christians is to be conformed to that pattern. Thus I titled this sermon: “The Gospel-Shaped Life: Patterned After Jesus.”

So then, let’s walk through verses 6-11 one part at a time – let’s observe the pattern, let’s learn from it, and let’s stand in awe of the One who gave it to us.

“He Humbled Himself”: Observing the Pattern in Verses 6-8

Verse 6 says, “[Christ Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” Christ’s mindset was not to use His exalted divine status for His own advantage[1], but instead to leverage it for the benefit of others.

The Glory of the Pre-Incarnate Christ

From eternity to eternity, Christ Jesus existed “in the form of God” and enjoyed “equality with God.” Before He became a Man, He was simply and gloriously God the Son, the second divine person of the Holy Trinity. The apostle John called Him the Word:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)

The Son of God enjoyed glory with the Father “before the world existed” (John 17:5). The Father and the Son, along with the Holy Spirit, exist in an eternal fellowship of mutual love, shared joy, complete unity, and holy perfection. In the glorious Godhead there is no gap, no lack, no shortcoming, no trouble, no worries of any kind. Instead there is only fullness of life, delight in one another, and freedom to do whatsoever they please.

In due course the Godhead was pleased to create a world. The Son of God was intimately involved in the act of creation:

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17)

To say that Christ Jesus existed “in the form of God” and enjoyed “equality with God” is to say that He held the highest possible rank: He is deity, He is a divine person, He is God. He is the Creator, not a creature. He is self-existent, not dependent on anyone or anything else. He is greater than the cherubim, the seraphim, and the angels, for He created them. He is the Lord of glory, and they worship Him. He needs nothing, and owns everything: heaven and earth and everything in them are His! Christ Jesus occupied the position of highest honor and rank, and He held the position of greatest wealth and privilege and influence.

The Self-Giving Attitude of Christ

Now, what was going on in Christ’s mind as He surveyed His beautifully created world that had been broken apart by human sin? Sin brought ten thousand disruptions and distortions into our world, unrighteousness filled the earth, God’s holy wrath abided on the human race, the fear of death gripped the hearts of men, and death did, in fact, bring everyone to the grave. As the pre-incarnate Christ surveyed this shattered world, He could have said:

I am God and, being God, I enjoy all the glories and privileges of deity, and I have all the comforts suitable to my high position as a co-equal with the Father and the Spirit, and frankly I don’t want to be bothered with the wretched folks down there on earth. As God, I have a right to the uninterrupted experience of everlasting bliss. So, I’m staying here and I’ll leave those miserable earthlings to the judgment that they so richly deserve.

If God’s Son had thought in this manner, He would have done us no wrong! God’s Son would be perfectly within His rights to give us no gospel and leave us to die in our sins. God’s Son owes us nothing in the way of grace. If anyone thinks that you deserve grace, you don’t understand grace! Grace, by its very nature, is undeserved kindness, unearned blessing, unmerited favor. God’s Son could have “grasped” or held onto what was already His anyway; He could have kept everything to Himself and given nothing to us; and we would have no claim to better treatment. We are sinners! We don’t deserve to be treated well! He is the Holy One, perfect in every way, and He deserves to be treated very well! Why should He bear the cost of our misery and guilt?

The reason there is the gospel, the good news, is because God’s Son didn’t think in terms of His right to uninterrupted joy. What does verse 6 say? He “did not count.” Now, let’s pause right there. Remember, we are talking about the mind of Christ. One of the activities of the mind is to consider things, count things, reckon things. In verse 6, He “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” That is, He did not count His divine status as something to be held onto in self-interest and used merely for His own private advantage. Remember what it says in verse 4: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (v. 4). The way of the world is to use our position for our own benefit, to leverage our privileges and resources in order to advance our own selfish interests. By contrast, the way of the Lord is to use His position for the benefit of others, to leverage His privileges and resources in order to advance the interests of others. Verse 6 is God’s Son opening the storehouse of divine riches to others. Here is grace: the One who had everything brings the fullness of His everything to those who have nothing. To do that, He Himself became “nothing.”

The Incarnation of Christ

Now let’s look at verses 6 and 7 together: “[Christ Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (v. 6-7). Verse 7 introduces three contrasts. First, the One who because of His divine status had everything, “made himself nothing.” Second, the One who existed “in the form of God” took “the form of a servant” (i.e., bondservant, slave). Third, the One who enjoyed “equality with God” was “born in the likeness of men.” From everything to nothing! From sovereign Lord to lowly servant! From God to Man! The High King of heaven leaves His throne and enters the earthly sphere as a human like us!

It should be noted, as a point of theological clarity, that when God’s Son “made himself nothing” and became a Man, He did not stop being God. God’s Son is God; He is a divine person; that’s who He is. He cannot be other than who He is in His essential identity! His divine status cannot be subtracted from His identity. In the incarnation, God’s Son didn’t give up who He is. But He did give up something: He gave up the enjoyment and glory of His divine station in heaven, so that He could enter into a truly human experience on earth. He left behind the comfort of heaven for the vulnerability of earth. He left behind the outward manifestation of His visible glory in the presence of the holy angels, for the outward manifestation of visible weakness in the presence of ordinary human beings like Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna, and the men and women who became His disciples. Further, He left behind the privilege of divine independence for the reality of human dependence upon God. While Jesus remained the sovereign Lord who could rightly command others to follow Him, He also lived as a humble human servant who – as a Man – was obligated to render obedience to the Father in heaven.

He “made himself nothing.” The world had been at His fingertips, but then as a helpless baby, He had to depend on His mother for nourishment. As a boy, He had to rely on His earthly parents for protection and provision. Throughout childhood and youth, He also lived in submission to them.

He “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant.” Christ’s servanthood involves both obedient service to God and loving service to others. As a humble, dependent, obedient servant of God, His whole attitude is captured in the words of Hebrews 10:7, “Behold, I have come to do your will, O God”; and in the words of Luke 22:42, “Father… not my will, but yours, be done”; and in the words of John 5:30, “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” His obedient service to God also entailed loving service to others. Jesus said that He did not come “to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). He served us by giving Himself for us. And as Paul wrote: “Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (Romans 15:8-9). As the true servant, Christ rendered love upward to God in fulfillment of the greatest commandment and He rendered love outward to His human neighbors in fulfillment of the second commandment.

And all this, of course, as a man: He “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” The sovereign Lord’s incarnation and true humanity is one of the most beautiful things to behold. We read through the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and learn that He experienced hunger (Matthew 4:2), fatigue (John 4:6), tears (John 11:35), and a whole range of temptations (Hebrews 4:15). The sinless humanity of our Savior is good news for us: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Downward Mobility

This remarkable movement from “the form of God” in verse 6 to “the form of a servant” in verse 7 has been called downward mobility, and it is helpful to think of it this way. People in the Western world are typically concerned with upward mobility. We want to climb up the socio-economic ladder, rise through the ranks, be promoted into a higher position, increase our standard of living, and built a nest egg for ourselves to sustain all of our increases through retirement and old age. Upward mobility. By contrast, Jesus models downward mobility. Jesus climbs down the socio-economic ladder, lowers Himself through the ranks, is demoted to a lower position, decreases His standard of living, and as for a nest egg – well, He doesn’t even have a permanent earthly dwelling where He can lay down His head, and in the end He lays down His life in sacrifice. They cast lots for His garments, but there would be no wrangling over an estate of houses, lands, businesses, or precious metals, for there was none. Not upward mobility for the sake of self, but downward mobility for the sake of others. Jesus lowered Himself to the status of a servant so that, as a servant, He could get down to where people are and lift them up. As the context of verses 3-5 make clear, we are to follow Jesus on this downward path of humble service.

This movement downward from verse 6 to verse 7 is further developed in verse 8. It is possible, after all, to be a servant who is relatively well-off. It is possible to be the distinguished servant of the rich and powerful, and to have a measure of their comforts overflow to you. Likewise, it is possible to be a man of distinction, to enjoy popular esteem, and to cash it in for a life of ease. Verse 7 tells us that Christ Jesus became a human servant, but verse 8 tells us what kind of human servant he became, and what it cost him: “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (v. 8) Thus we see that Jesus’ movement downward from “the form of God” to “the form of a servant” wasn’t only a movement from glory to weakness, but was actually a move all the way from glory to shame – the shame of an inglorious death on the cruelest instrument of death, the cross.

Complete and Costly Obedience

Jesus walked in humility, obedience, and service throughout His entire life, from start to finish. With great love in His heart, Jesus always did the things that were pleasing to His Father (John 8:29). Jesus “kept [his] Father’s commandments and [abided] in his [Father’s] love” (John 15:10). But the whole thing was headed somewhere very particular, and the humble obedient servanthood of our Lord would reach its ultimate expression at the cross. The Father willed to lay all the sins of His people on His pure and spotless Son (Isaiah 53:6). And once this ocean of iniquity was laid on Christ, the Father willed to “crush him” as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (Isaiah 53:10, 1 John 4:10). There was in the hand of the Father a cup of perfect justice and holy wrath filled up and fomenting against the wicked deeds of corrupt and sinful people like us. At the cross, the Father took this cup and poured it out on His dear Son, who suffered great distress under its awful weight.

On the eve of crucifixion, the sinless Savior went into the garden called Gethsemane and prepared Himself to complete the obedience by drinking the cup. In His soul he was troubled and “very sorrowful, even to death” (Matthew 26:37-38). “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44) Then came the arrest, the mocking, the crown of thorns, the nails into the flesh and the affixing of Jesus to the cross. The main feature, however, wasn’t the cruel hate of the sinful men who condemned and crucified Him – in fact, He could have called thousands of angels to His aid and stopped the evildoers in their tracks. The main feature, rather, was the righteous judgment of the Holy One poured out upon Jesus because Jesus was carrying our sins – and Jesus would obey the Father’s call to the very end. As it says in the fourth stanza of the hymn “Gethsemane and Golgotha”:

“Yes, in Gethsemane He took, and there began to sip the cup

Of sin and wrath divine for me; but on He went to Calvary.

And on Golgotha’s cursed tree He drank damnation dry for me!

Justice He fully satisfied; and by His death I’m justified.”[2]

The Crown Prince of heaven did not count His royal status as something to be used for His own advantage[3], but instead leveraged His infinite divine resources for our good, to do what only He could do: He bore the cost of our sin, became accursed on the cross, and “drank damnation dry for [us]!” This is the Gospel! Christ’s faithful obedience to the Father was, at the very same time, an act of supreme love toward us. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-26). Through Christ’s sacrifice we are beautified, cleansed, sanctified, and enriched with the inexhaustible riches of God’s storehouse of kindness and grace.

Brothers and sisters, if you dwell here in the presence of the Crucified One, then your view of mobility will radically change. You will be so stunned by the downward mobility and self-sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you will feel inwardly compelled to walk with Jesus on the downward path of sacrificial service. This path – and this path alone – is the path that leads to glory.

“God Has Highly Exalted Him”: Observing the Pattern in Verses 9-11

Which brings us to verses 9-11. If we concluded the message at this point and said no more, you might think that the end goal is to have nothing. You might think we are saying: travel the path of downward mobility until you’re famished and forgotten, and say to yourself ‘be of good cheer’! You might think we are saying: travel the path of costly obedience all the way to death, and take heart that you followed Jesus well. But then what? After you’ve poured yourself out in loving service to others and suffered patiently for Jesus’ sake, what follows? Well, not only does something follow, but you should know what follows and earnestly desire it.

You see, human beings were made for glory! We were created in God’s image, which means that we were designed to share in God’s beauty. We were made to image and reflect God’s glory to others. We were created to dwell in God’s presence and delight in His company and enjoy all the good things that He has made. But here is the big question that everyone faces: will you seek after glory in this present world on your terms and your timetable, or will you seek after glory in God’s kingdom on His terms and in His time? Everyone in here is a glory-seeker. Sinners seek after glory in this present world on their terms and on their timetable, and their chasing after upward mobility and greatness will be cut off, and they will come crashing down under God’s judgment. By contrast, the saints seek after glory in God’s kingdom on His terms and in His time, and they know that His terms are following Jesus on the downward path of sacrificial service and suffering, and they know that His time is the resurrection. The call for all “saints in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:1) is to have lives that are patterned after Jesus – not only the humble service of verses 6-8 but also the glory of verses 9-11.

As we move from “the point of death” in verse 8 to the exaltation of verse 9, we do well to remember what Jesus taught us. He promised, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). In other words, if you exalt yourself on your terms, then God will judge you and humiliate your pride. But if you humble yourself on God’s terms, then God will exalt you and honor your humble service. As Jesus taught, so He lived. He lived in humble obedient service, as our passage makes so clear. “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). Jesus was not chasing after an award that men dole out on earth, but rather He was looking for a reward that originated from the Father in heaven. And how did the Father answer the trust of His humble Son? With the bestowal of the highest honor:

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

Christ “made himself nothing,” but the Father exalted Him above everything. Christ “[took] the form of a servant,” but the Father made Him Lord of all. Christ “humbled himself,” but the Father “highly exalted him.” Christ “made himself of no reputation” (Philippians 2:7 KJV), but the Father gave Him the highest reputation, the highest renown, the highest name.[4] Jesus is Lord! Christ suffered a shameful death on the cross, but the Father gave Him “the name that is above every name.” Christ obeyed the Father “to the point of death,” but the Father’s message to the world is that everyone ought to worship and obey His faithful Son.

In due course “every knee [will] bow” and “every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. We Christians are already glad to render praise and obedience to the exalted Lord Jesus, and we will be glad to do so forever and ever. We say, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12) The unconverted who refuse to honor Jesus will one day have to reckon with who He is, though in their case they will meet Him as the Righteous Judge who will cast them into the outer darkness.

Jesus the God-Man is the Exalted Lord

In verse 6 Jesus existed “in the form of God” and enjoyed “equality with God,” so in one sense nothing has changed from verse 6 to verses 9-11. God’s Son is eternally divine and the world has always owed Him obedience and worship. But there is a difference between verse 6 and verses 9-11, and the difference is that in verses 7-8 God’s Son became a Man. And so, with respect to verses 9-11, it is Jesus the God-Man who is “highly exalted.” It is Jesus the God-Man who is seated on the heavenly throne. It is Jesus the God-Man who has a rightful claim on the allegiance of every man, woman, and child in this sanctuary and throughout the world.

OUR LIFE IS TO BE PATTERNED AFTER JESUS

That, brothers and sisters, is our pattern. Jesus is unique in His divine status, but we are to have His mind: we are to lower ourselves for the sake of lifting others up; we are to walk in humble obedience and sacrificial service. Jesus is unique as the sin-bearer who died in our place on the cross, but we are to follow His example by laying down our lives for good of others. As we lay down our lives to advance God’s kingdom and glory, we are to trust the Father to exalt us in His appointed time. Jesus is unique in His exaltation as the Lord of glory, but His promise is that if we share in His suffering then we will also share in His glory.

Christ’s mindset of humble service is to be our mindset: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Christ’s pattern of “[making] himself nothing,” bearing the cross, suffering loss, dying in obedience and faith, and rising again to glory – this pattern is to be our pattern. As Paul says in Philippians 3, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11) 

Brothers and sisters, be conformed to the gracious mind and gospel pattern of Christ Jesus our Lord. What a privilege it is in this present life to share in the lowliness and loving service of our Lord! Then what a privilege it will also be to marvel at His glory, and share in His glory, when He comes again.

 

ENDNOTES

[1] I have long accepted the conclusion of Roy W. Hoover that Philippians 2:6b (“did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” ESV) means “did not regard being equal with God as … something to use for his own advantage” (Hoover’s translation). I read Hoover’s article many years ago, but at present am taking the quotation from: Silva, Moisés. Philippians: Second Edition (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005: p. 104.

[2] Don Fortner, “Gethsemane and Golgotha.” Available online through http://www.donfortner.com/songs/.

[3] Again note Hoover’s translation (footnote 1 above) of Philippians 2:6b: “did not regard being equal with God as … something to use for his own advantage.” Note also the relatively recent HCSB translation: “did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.”

[4] In this sermon I do not attempt to nail down a precise meaning of “the name that is above every name.” Some people believe that this “name” is “Lord”, thus leading to the confession of verse 11: “and every tongue [should] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” However, Joseph Hellerman claims, “The Greek word translated “name” (onoma) was commonly used in the semantic field of honor discourse, where onoma meant “fame” or “reputation.”” Thus Hellerman translates the passage this way: “Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the fame (status) that is above every fame, so that at the fame of Jesus every knee should bend….” See Hellerman, Joseph H. Embracing Shared Ministry: Power and Status in the Early Church and Why It Matters Today. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2013: p. 165, 166. Whether or not Hellerman is correct with respect to the meaning of “name,” Christ’s exaltation by the Father certainly involves exalted fame/reputation/status.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

NOTE: My inclusion of a bibliography reflects my interaction with other teachers in the preparation of my sermon. While the main part of my preparation involves my direct interaction with the biblical text, I find it helpful to invite other “discussion partners” into my preparation process. My mention of these teachers (writers, speakers, etc.) does not imply any particular level of agreement with them, nor does it constitute an endorsement of their work. That said, I am appreciative of those – past and present – who are seeking to faithfully teach God’s Word, and I am happy to benefit from their labor.

Hansen, G. Walter. The Letter to the Philippians (Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009. 

Hellerman, Joseph H. Embracing Shared Ministry: Power and Status in the Early Church and Why It Matters Today. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2013.

Silva, Moisés. Philippians: Second Edition (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005.

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