Humiliation
Notes
Transcript
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 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.
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.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 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,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Humiliation
This is one of those passages of Scripture that is so very familiar to most all of us. It is a profound passage about Jesus that is used in our theology about the incarnation of Jesus. It is a passage that many theologians have spent their life times studying.
I’ve said a number of times that familiar passages like this one are a challenge to preach from because I want to be edified myself from it and in turn I want to edify you.
As I was praying and studying and writing for today. I was struck by how different commentaries referenced this passage. There were several that titled this section as the Humility of Christ. I don’t think any of us would argue that Jesus was humble. There were several that referenced the Humiliation of Christ.
Have you ever been humiliated? It is not a pleasant thing to experience.
Wayne Rouse tells the following story. The story of "Wrong Way Riegels" is a familiar one, but it bears repeating.
On New Year's Day, 1929, Georgia Tech played UCLA in the Rose Bowl. In that game a young man named Roy Riegels recovered a fumble for UCLA. Picking up the loose ball, he lost his direction and ran sixty-five yards toward the wrong goal line. One of his teammates, Beeny Lom, ran him down and tackled him just before he scored for the opposing team. Several plays later the Bruins had to punt. Tech blocked the kick and scored a safety, demoralizing the UCLA team.
The strange play came in the first half. At halftime the UCLA players filed off the field and into the dressing room. As others sat down on the benches and the floor, Riegels put a blanket around his shoulders, sat down in a corner, and put his face in his hands.
A football coach usually has a great deal to say to his team during halftime. That day Coach Price was quiet. No doubt he was trying to decide what to do with Riegels.
When the timekeeper came in and announced that there were three minutes before playing time, Coach Price looked at the team and said, "Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second." The players got up and started out, all but Riegels. He didn't budge. The coach looked back and called to him. Riegels sat and said, "Roy, didn't you hear me? The same team that played the first half will start the second."
Roy Riegels looked up, his cheeks wet with tears. "Coach," he said, "I can't do it. I've ruined you. I've ruined the university's reputation. I've ruined myself. I can't face the crowd out there."
Coach Price reached out, put his hand on Riegels' shoulder, and said, "Roy, get up and go back. The game is only half over."
Riegels finally did get up. He went onto the field, and the fans saw him play hard and play well.
I can only imagine how that young man felt. I want to believe that he never quite lived that incident down.
I’m a nerd, I like to know why and how we use certain words. The word humiliation is a synonym of the word abasement. That is a word we don’t use in everyday communication. It means
to lower in rank, office, prestige, or esteem [1]
That I believe is what Paul is writing about. Humiliation is about what has been done to us. Abase is something we do to ourselves. Karen Crockett wrote “Your worst humiliation is only someone else’s momentary entertainment.” [2]
When Jesus was crucified, the Romans and the Jewish leaders thought they were doing it to him. In reality, Jesus had humbled himself to that point of dying on a cross.
Paul wrote there in verse 5
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
What does it mean for you and I to have this mind set or attitude of Jesus. It brings up several questions.
The issue that has to be answered is this: Is Paul setting Christ before the Philippians as an example for them to follow in their lives? Or is he exhorting them to live up to the calling that they have received as Christians by submitting their will to Christ as their Lord, who humbled himself to the point of death on a cross for their sakes?
To phrase it another way, is Paul suggesting that having the mindset of Christ is the natural consequence and outcome of having one's sins forgiven? Or is he suggesting that a believer should model their behavior after that of Christ in order to cultivate a mentality like Christ's? [3]
I believe the answer is yes to each question because they are tied together. Salvation is not only salvation from sin, but salvation is also to this new way of living. It is both. We don’t get saved to just say we are saved. We are saved from sin that we were dead in so that we can live in Christ. Paul wrote
22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.
23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
24 Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.
One translation says we were “bought and paid for.” Jesus did that for you and I! Because of what He’s done we have salvation. Because of what He has done we can have this same mindset, this same attitude that Jesus had.
When I read these verses I pictures steps downward.
Philippians 2:5–8 (NKJV)
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 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.
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.
Jesus who has always been God and always will be God. John wrote in his Gospel John 1:1 “1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”
Paul uses the word robbery, or to grasp onto, or exploited depending on your translation you are using. Those words or phrases Paul is using point to the fact that Jesus already possessed these attributes because he has always been God. Go back to Adam and he wanted to be like God. Gen 3:5 “5 God knows that on the day you eat from it, you will see clearly and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””
Satan tried to seize hold of the Glory of God because he wanted to be like God. Isa 14:13-14 “13 You said to yourself, I will climb up to heaven; above God’s stars, I will raise my throne. I’ll sit on the mount of assembly, on the heights of Zaphon. 14 I’ll go up to the cloud tops; I’ll be like the Most High!”
Jesus did not have to grasp onto that because he was God. In fact, Paul writes there in verse 7 that he emptied himself. He took on the form of a servant. Do you want to be a servant? I’m not asking if you are willing to serve, but would you want to be a servant? Not many do. There is a vast difference between serving and being a servant. Jesus became a servant.
This emptying of Himself is because He is God. God does not need to acquire things. He’s God, He’s the creator of all that was created. This emptying out or pouring out was for others.
One commentator wrote “Christ entered our history not as kyrios (“Lord”), a name he acquires at his vindication (vv. 9–11), but as doulos (“slave”; see on 1:1), a person without advantages, rights or privileges, but in servanthood to all.” [5]
I think for most of us, our idea of being a servant is picking and choosing when and where we will serve. I this case, it is about our choices. We are still in charge of what we do.
Jesus calls us to something entirely different. He calls us to be servants. We give up the right to be in charge. Maxie Dunham wrote “We become available and vulnerable. We lose our fear of being stepped on, manipulated, taken advantage of. Aren’t these our fears?” [4]
Jesus emptied himself to the point of being crucified.
8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Death on a cross. The most awful, shameful way for a person to die in Jesus day. Think back in our history, the electric chair, the gas chamber, hanging, or firing squad. Going back further was the guillotine or being burned at the stake. All awful, horrible ways to die.
Crucifixion as a method of execution was deemed illegal under Roman law because it was considered to be an inhumane and demeaning form of execution. In point of fact, many people found even talking about the topic to be disrespectful. The authors of the New Testament make frequent references to it as something that is offensive and degrading.
My favorite New Testament writer had this to say about crucifixion. “In polite Roman society the word “cross” was an obscenity, not to be uttered in conversation. Even when a man was being sentenced to death by crucifixion, an archaic formula was used that avoided the pronouncing of this four-letter word—as it was in Latin (crux).” - F.F. Bruce
When Jesus came to the earth, it was the manner of dying set apart for the Chosen One. He could not have a peaceful, painless dying at home. There would be no tragic accidental ending for him. He had to suffer a horrible death on a cross.
Paul uses that grand theological word - therefore to begin describing what the results of Jesus becoming like us and becoming a servant. The crucifixion is meaningless if resurrection is not talked about. This therefore is an abrupt change in what he was writing.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 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,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When he came as that baby he was given a name, but it wasn’t as a king or Lord. God highly exalted him and gave Him a name above all names.
Isaiah wrote Isa 45:22-23 “22 Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth, for I am God, and there’s no other. 23 I have sworn a solemn pledge; a word has left my mouth; it is reliable and won’t fail. Surely every knee will bow and every tongue will confess;”
Jesus was a servant to others. He bent his knees to wash feet, write in the dirt, or hold a child. God says that at the name of Jesus “every knee should bow.” Paul wrote Romans 10:9 “9 Because if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and in your heart you have faith that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Every knee, even those who do not acknowledge Jesus as Lord will one day be compelled to do so. They won’t be saved, but they will be compelled to say that Jesus is Lord, that He is the Christ that came to save us.
What are we to take from this thrilling passage? It goes back to what he wrote in verse 5.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
Let this mind be in you. When we came to faith in Christ, confessed our sins and were born again we entered into a new life. That new life is having this new mind set that was also in Jesus. He humbled himself. We are to humble ourselves. That might be humiliating to put others before ourselves, but that is what Jesus did.
We have to get away from the question that the word would ask of “What’s in it for me?” and make it about “What’s in it for Christ?”
Is the mind of Christ in you?
[1] Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Abase. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abase
[2] Streiker, L. D. (2000). Nelson’s big book of laughter: thousands of smiles from A to Z (electronic ed., p. 203). Thomas Nelson Publishers.
[3] Paraphrase from Wilson, E. L., Deasley, A. R. G., & Callen, B. L. (2007). Galatians, Philippians, Colossians: a commentary for Bible students (p. 184). Wesleyan Publishing House.
[4] Dunnam, M. D., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Galatians / Ephesians / Philippians / Colossians / Philemon (Vol. 31, p. 279). Thomas Nelson Inc.
[5] Fee, G. D. (1999). Philippians (Vol. 11, p. 95). IVP Academic.