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Good Wednesday morning, my dear “Walking with Jesus” friends,
In the world of novels or theater, there’s a frequent theme, which arouses the audience to tears and cheers. It’s the “rags to riches” or “failure to fame” story. But very, very rarely do we find delight, in a ‘riches to rags’ or ‘fame to ‘failure’ story. Yet, isn’t that the story of Jesus?
That’s what Paul want’s us to consider in Philippians 2:6-8.
The Creator of the Universe, the Sovereign and King over all, came to earth, to be born in an animal stable. His earthly parents ran into the night, while he was still an infant, to protect him from the barbaric slaughter of a paranoid King Herod. As a little boy, Jesus experienced life as a refugee, in Egypt. Later Jesus grew up in the home town of His mother, where most everyone who knew Mary and Joseph, assumed Jesus was a son of shame…, conceived before his parents were married.
While He created the universe, the sun, moon and stars… Jesus never owned a home of His own, never had a paying job, never married and had children. He was laughed at and rejected by his own siblings, and most people in his hometown.
The religious leaders refused to accept him, or grant him any pulpit, even though he was the Living Truth of God, and spoke God’s truth with power. His miracles amazed everyone, but none of the medical or religious community publicly praised, or thanked him.
At his trials, no one took up his defense, and thus he was condemned to death through lies and distortions. At his crucifixion, only his mother, a few other women, and one disciple, stood at his cross. All the others, with whom Jesus had spent nearly three years, ran into the night, deserting him when He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. After His brutal death on the cross, He was buried in a borrowed tomb.
Now that, my friends, is a ‘riches to rags’, ‘fame to failure’ story, if I ever heard one… do you agree?
But of course everything changed on Resurrection morning! Do I hear a rousing Amen!
And while since that resurrection morning, lies and distortions, have tried to eliminate Jesus from the public record and the culture of almost every society in the world, including ours. . . Jesus is alive!
He reigns from His throne in heaven and He will one day return to gather up His followers, defeat evil, bind Satan and all his evil kingdom, in hell forever, and create a new heaven and new earth, where Jesus will reign, with all who have believed in Him… forever! That’s what the Bible teaches us! And no other spiritual theories, no religion, comes anywhere close to this good news, the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Now let’s look at how Paul wrote about this in Philippians 2:7,8 , where he writes that Jesus, the Son of God, “…made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death -even death on a cross.”
This my friends, is one of the most amazing statements in the entire Bible, and one which distinguishes Jesus Christ from every other religious figure of all time. Notice please the words “made Himself nothing”. That’s a choice, a decision, to set aside all His heavenly, Godly glory, and supremacy as Creator, in order to “take on the very nature of a servant.”
And please notice the next phrase “…being made in human likeness…” That means Jesus submitted Himself to the Father, as the Father sent Jesus to earth, to take on human flesh, through the mysterious incarnation, as the Holy Spirit came upon Mary (Luke 1:35) and she became pregnant, even though still a virgin! That’s what Jesus said, in what is the most famous verse in the Bible, right? “For God so loved the world, that He sent His one and only Son…”
What I am describing to you, is central to the Christian faith. No other religion in the world claims God came to earth, incarnate as a God-man. Not Islam, not Buddhism, not Hinduism, not Taoism, not New Age. No other spiritual faith system claims their spiritual leader is God incarnate. This sets Christianity apart, and this is why Jesus could claim “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to God the Father except by Me.” (John 14:6)
The way Paul writes Philippians 2:6&7 causes me to imagine a remarkable conversation in heaven between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit…talking about the problem. What problem? The human problem! God had created Adam and Eve holy, pure, perfect in their image, (Gen. 1:26,27) but Adam & Eve had invited the devil into the garden of Eden and had doubted God, believed the lies of the devil, and evil shattered the utopia of planet earth. Genesis 3 describes that disaster.
So the problem was complex…what should God do in response to what Satan, Adam and Eve did? I think God had three options... maybe there were others…
First, God could simple destroy it all, everything, and forget the idea of having a race of beings, humans, made in His image, to whom He would give free will and with whom He could have a wonderful relationship. No, just forget it… it will never work. Just destroy the entire universe, and just leave it as it was in eternity past…. God, only God existing. Nothing else.
Or second, God could destroy it all, and try it again. A new universe, a new earth, a new Eden, a new Adam and Eve, and let’s see if the sequel is better than the original?
Or third, God could come up with a Redemption Plan, that allowed sin, evil, damaged planet earth, rebellious humanity, to continue in their self-destructive free will, only now, God would provide a plan for sinful humanity to repent, reject evil, and be restored into relationship with God. But Justice had to be served, and the penalty for sin is death. Who could pay that price? Who could ransom the entire human race?
Can you imagine the conversations with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit? This is what Paul is talking about in Philippians 2:6-8.
At some point Jesus, the holy, Son of God, agreed to humble Himself, set aside His heavenly glory, become the “God-man”, taking on full humanity, but without a sin nature, live here on earth in a human body, with all it’s normal pain and struggles.
But then Jesus also agreed to be rejected by the human race He had created. He agreed to the shameful, horrible beating and ultimately crucifixion on a cross, made from the wood of a tree, that He had created! And He agreed to take on Himself, the sins of the world and the justice wrath of God as punishment for our sins!
I’ve tried my friends to imagine that discussion… I just can’t wrap my mind around it all.
Most of you are parents or grandparents. It’s one thing to consider giving your life for another, a friend or family member. That’s what our Medal of Honor is about in the Military; or offering your organs for transplant, while you are still alive. But this is more… this is God the Father, asking God the Son to sacrifice His life for us, sinful humanity, who has rejected God!! Can you imagine giving your son or daughter to pay, with their life, for someone who has rejected you, ridiculed you, hated you?
And so Paul writes “And being found in appearance as a man, He (Jesus) humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!”
Do you see the phrase “…became obedient to death – even death on a cross.”? You remember in the Garden of Gethsemane, just hours before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed in such agony, drops of blood, rather than drops of sweat, came onto his forehead. Jesus begged His Father… “My Father, if it is possible may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will…” (Matt. 26:39) Do you hear Jesus’ determination, to face the horrifying reality of crucifixion, in obedience to God’s will?
Now friends, please note Paul started this remarkable section of Philippians 2 with these words in vs. 5: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…”
It’s time to stop and meditate on this…
Time to search our hearts and consider how we discern and follow God’s leading in our lives, especially in difficult times. It’s time to pray… I urge you to take some quiet time right now and read these three verses over and over, outloud, slowly… and have a conversation with God, your heavenly Father!
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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