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Good Tuesday morning, my “Walking with Jesus” friends;
A few days ago we spent almost a week on the Spiritual Warfare section of Ephesians 6:10-18.
Today we come to another of those very special segments of God’s Word, Philippians 2:5-11. This is another gold mine of truth. It will takes us a few days to dig out the Spiritual gold to be found here.
As you look at these verses you’ll notice they are printed differently in our Bible from the rest of chapter 2. There are various opinions as to why. Some think, it was revered as a Christian Declaration, which was repeated in unison, almost as a Creed, when the Christians gathered for worship. Others think it may have been accompanied by music, and became a hymn of the early Christians.
Paul links this powerful declaration with his previous verses, in which he challenged his Christian friends to humility and unity in Christ. Let’s look closely… these verses tell us a great deal about Jesus the Christ.
Remember Paul, as a well educated Jewish Pharisee, often linked both of Jesus’ names... “Yeshua” (Jesus) which means Savior, Deliverer, Redeemer, and His title “Christ” which means ‘Messiah’, the long awaited, God promised, ‘Anointed One’.
Paul, I’m sure you’ve noticed, sometimes uses the name “Jesus Christ” and sometimes “Christ Jesus”. Can you see how the emphasis of the order of the two names, gives a different perspective on Jesus and His purpose?
Now let’s look at vs. 5,6: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped…”
Central to the Christian faith is the identity of Jesus. Who is Jesus? …is a life or death question every human being is called to wrestle with. Our eternal destiny is determined by our answer to that question.
Was Jesus just a good man, perhaps a prophet, but nothing more?
Was Jesus an angel whom God sent to earth with a special message and to do amazing things?
Or is Jesus really God, who came and lived among us, taught God’s truth, and gave His life to ransom sinful people?
I suppose there’s one other possibility… perhaps, Jesus was a normal human being but… insane, a lunatic, or maybe worse… as He was accused by some, of being demon possessed. (John 8:48).
So. . .what is your answer to the most important question every human being faces: Who is Jesus Christ, and what is your relationship with HIM? ______________________________
Do you remember once Jesus asked the question… “Who do people say that I am?…and you Peter, what about you… who do you say I am?” Peter’s response, of course, became a defining moment in history. Matthew records that Peter replied “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Matt. 16:16)
Jesus’ response to Peter, in that moment, is what made this a defining moment in history… “Blessed are you Simon… for this was not revealed to you by man, but by My Father in heaven…. and on this rock (of truth), I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail.” (Matt. 16:18)
John the Apostle dealt with this ultimate question often, in his Gospel. Much of John chapter 1 focuses on the identity of Jesus. Remember “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and Word was God. He (Jesus) was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men…” (John 1:1-4)
You may know that the word John used here, which is translated “Word“, in our English Bible, is the word “Logos”. It means all truth, all wisdom, all knowledge. In the first century, the Greek philosophers and scholars were elevating education, wisdom, learning, thinking, above all else. The most revered people in Greek society were the scholars, the wise teachers. Remember in Acts 17 when Paul entered the city of Athens, he had occasion to visit the Areopagus, and discuss the “Logos” with the Greek scholars who gathered there for debate.
Paul had seen many statues of wise and honored heroes, and also many idols, that were being worshiped throughout this great city of Athens. He had even found a statue-idol with the inscription “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD” (Acts 17:22-31). So Paul took the opportunity to introduce to these Greek scholars, Jesus the Christ, as their ‘unknown God’, the ultimate God, the creator of heaven, earth, humanity and giver/sustainer of life! These wise Greek scholars were astonished at what Paul said about Jesus the Christ, and invited Paul to come again and discuss this amazing ‘Logos’.
While the town of Philippi was not at all like Athens, and Paul was not writing to scholars, still the Holy Spirit led Paul to write some of the most profound truth, about the identity of Jesus, here in Philippians 2:6-11.
May I suggest you pause here, my friends, and read John 1:1-14 and take special note of how John describes Jesus and what He accomplished BEFORE He came to visit planet earth, to tell us about God and to give His life as a ransom for sinners…
Notice in John 1, Jesus is the “Logos”… all truth, all wisdom, all knowledge. Jesus is God, and was with God the Father in the beginning, before there was anything else. Do you see in John 1:3, Jesus is the creator of all things that have been created by God? Thus in Genesis 1, when God spoke, Jesus created…., every day, for six creation days!
In John 1:5 Jesus is the “light”, and He came into the darkness of our world, but the darkness did not understand or receive Him. Remember in John 8:12 Jesus said “I am the light of the world, whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness.” “Light” in the Bible is usually referring to “Truth“. So both John and Jesus are saying that Jesus is the ‘Living Logos‘! He came to earth both to proclaim and live God’s truth, so the human race, even though living in the darkness of the devil’s deception and lies, would have the chance to know God’s truth!
In John 1:10-13 we understand Jesus came into the world that HE had created, to a human race HE had created, in God’s image, and Jesus was not recognized, not received, not honored, by those that He created! In fact, He was rejected by most of humanity. But, there were some who believed His truth, who understood Him to be who He claimed to be… God incarnate. And those some, because of their belief in Jesus, had the opportunity, to become adopted into God’s family, as they repented of their sin, and fully trusted Jesus for their Salvation.
And then John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Wow, what a strong, clear statement about who Jesus, is as God, and about His coming to earth… being seen and understood by John and others!
Do you see how John 1:1-14 fits so closely with Philippians 2:6-8? “Christ Jesus, Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
This is the miracle of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He left His glory and His eternal existence in heaven, and came to earth through the pregnancy of Mary, taking on human form, to live among us as the God-man. This is THE central truth of Christianity. If this is not true… Jesus’ death on the cross is meaningless, and there is no hope for salvation from our sin, and all of humanity is destined to die in sin and be separated from God forever. Everything hinges on the truthful identity of Jesus!
So that’s why I have four questions for us to ponder today, and tomorrow we’ll keep digging for more gold in these verses…
1. What is your conclusion on the ultimate question. . .Who is Jesus Christ?
2. What do the names “Jesus” and “Christ” mean? When you put them together, “Jesus Christ” what does that mean?
3. What do John, Peter and Paul tell us about Jesus, in the Scriptures we’ve discussed today?
4. And what are the consequences for you, me, or anyone, who refuses to believe what we have seen today about Jesus?
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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