Opening illustration: At the 2009 Kansas high school state track championship, an unusual thing happened. The team that won the girls 3,200-meter relay was disqualified. But what happened next was even more unusual. The team that was awarded the state championship by default turned right around and gave their medals to the team that had been disqualified.
The first school, St. Mary’s Colgan, lost first place because judges ruled that a runner had stepped out of her lane as she handed off the baton. That meant the second team, Maranatha Academy, moved up to first. After receiving their medals, the girls from Maranatha saw the downtrodden looks on the faces of the St. Mary’s girls, so they gave them their individual medals.
Why did they do this? As Maranatha’s coach Bernie Zarda put it: “Our theme for the year was to run not for our glory, but for God’s glory.” As a result of the girls’ action, their story was told throughout Kansas, and God’s name was lifted up.
Let us turn to Philippians 2 and check out the choices Christ made and the results that followed.
Introduction: It would be true to state that in many ways this is the greatest and the most moving passage that Paul ever wrote about Jesus. The example of our Lord Jesus Christ is set before us. We must resemble him in his life, if we would have the benefit of his death. Notice the two natures of Christ; his Divine nature, and human nature. Who being in the form of God, partaking the Divine nature, as the eternal and only-begotten Son of God, John 1: 1, had not thought it a robbery to be equal with God, and to receive Divine worship from men. His human nature; herein he became like us in all things except sin. Thus low, of his own will, he stooped from the glory he had with the Father before the world was. Christ’s two states, of humiliation and exaltation, are noticed. Christ not only took upon him the likeness and fashion, or form of a man, but of one in a low state; not appearing in splendor. His whole life was a life of poverty and suffering. But the lowest step was his dying the death of the cross, the death of a malefactor and a slave; exposed to public hatred and scorn. The exaltation was of Christ’s human nature, in union with the Divine. At the name of Jesus, not the mere sound of the word, but the authority of Jesus, all should pay solemn homage. It is to the glory of God the Father, to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; for it is his will, that all men should honor the Son as they honor the Father, John 5: 23. Here we see such motives to self-denying love as nothing else can supply. Do we thus love and obey the Son of God?
(A) What did Christ choose?
1. Selfish OR Selfless (vs. 4, 5)
That is, be not selfish. Do not let your care and attention be wholly absorbed by your own concerns, or by the concerns of your own family. Evince a tender interest for the happiness of the whole, and let the welfare of others lie near your hearts. This, of course, does not mean that there is to be any improper interference in the business of others, or that we are to have the character of “busy-bodies in other people’s matters” but that we are to regard with appropriate solicitude the welfare of others, and to strive to do them good. It is the duty of every man to do this. No one is at liberty to live for himself or to disregard the needs of others. The object of this rule is to break up the narrow spirit of selfishness, and to produce a benevolent regard for the happiness of others.
Often people excuse selfishness, pride or evil by claiming their rights. They think, ‘I can cheat on this test; after all I deserve to pass this class,’ or ‘ I can spend all this money on myself – I worked hard for it, ‘ or ‘I can get an abortion; I have a right to control my own body.’ But as believers, we should have a different attitude, one that enables us to lay aside our rights in order to serve others. If we say, we follow Christ; do we really live it selflessly?
The object of this reference to the example of the Savior is particularly to enforce the duty of humility. This was the highest example which could be furnished, and it would illustrate and confirm all the apostle had said of this virtue. The principle in the case is that we are to make the Lord Jesus our model, and are in all respects to frame our lives, as far as possible, in accordance with this great example. The point here is, that he left a state of inexpressible glory, and took upon him the most humble form of humanity, and performed the lowliest offices, that he might benefit us.
2. Pride OR Humility (vs. 6, 8)
Who being in the essential form - The incommunicable nature. Of God - From eternity, as he was afterward in the form of man; real God, as real man. Counted it no act of robbery - That is the precise meaning of the words, - no invasion of another’s prerogative, but his own strict and unquestionable right. To be equal with God - the word here translated equal, occurs in the adjective form five or six times in the New Testament. In all which places it expresses not a bare resemblance, but a real and proper equality. It here implies both the fullness and the supreme height of the Godhead; to which are opposed, he emptied and he humbled himself.
He humbled himself - Laid himself as low as possible:
• In emptying himself - laying aside the effulgence of his glory.
• In being incarnate - taking upon him the human form.
• In becoming a servant - assuming the lowest innocent character, that of being the servant of all.
• In condescending to die, to which he was not naturally liable, as having never sinned, and therefore had a right in his human nature to immortality, without passing under the empire of death.
• In condescending, not only to death, but to the lowest and most ignominious kind of death, the death of the cross; the punishment of the meanest of slaves and worst of felons.
In order to follow the example of Christ’s humility, we must be willing to lay down our rights and reputation for the sake of the gospel. We must humble ourselves and serve others as a bondservant of Christ.
3. Fame OR Defamed (v. 7)
The Greek, “emptied Himself, taking upon him the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.” The two latter clauses (there being no conjunctions, “and ... and,” in the Greek) expresses in what Christ’s “emptying of Himself” consists, namely, in “taking the form of a servant” (see on Heb_10:5; compare Exo_21:5, Exo_21:6, and Psa_40:6, proving that it was at the time when He assumed a body, He took “the form of a servant”), and in order to explain how He took “the form of a servant,” there is added, by “being made in the likeness of men.” His subjection to the law (Luk_2:21; Gal_4:4) and to His parents (Luk_2:51), His low state as a carpenter, and carpenter’s reputed son (Mat_13:55; Mar_6:3), His betrayal for the price of a bond-servant (Exo_21:32), and slave-like death to relieve us from the slavery of sin and death, finally and chiefly, His servant-like dependence as man on God, while His divinity was not outwardly manifested (Isa_49:3, Isa_49:7), are all marks of His “form as a servant.”
This proves:
• He was in the form of a servant as soon as He was made man.
• He was “in the form of God” before He was “in the form of a servant.”
• He did as really subsist in the divine nature, as in the form of a servant, or in the nature of man.
For He was as much “in the form of God” as “in the form of a servant”; and was so in the form of God as “to be on an equality with God”; He therefore could have been none other than God; for God said, “To whom will ye liken Me and make Me equal?” (Isa_46:5), His emptying Himself presupposes His previous plenitude of Godhead (Joh_1:14; Col_1:19; Col_2:9). He remained full of this; yet He bore Himself as if He were empty.
(B) What was the result of the choices Christ made?
1. Exalted (v. 9)
The exaltation of Christ is in consequence of His humbling Himself by means of His redemptive work. But God has exalted him - So recompensing his humiliation. And has given him - So recompensing his emptying himself. Christ’s exaltation is also absolute. A name which is above every name - Dignity and majesty superior to every creature. Christ Jesus is exalted to the right hand of God, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. From which it appears that no creature of God is so far exalted and so glorious as the man Christ Jesus, human nature being in him dignified infinitely beyond the angelic nature; and that this nature has an authority and pre-eminence which no being, either in heaven or earth, enjoys. In a word, as man was in the beginning at the head of all the creatures of God, Jesus Christ, by assuming human nature, suffering and dying in it, has raised it to its pristine state. And this is probably what is here meant by this high exaltation of Christ, and giving him a name which is above every name. But if we refer to any particular epithet, then the name Jesus or Savior must be that which is intended; as no being either in heaven or earth can possess this name as he who is the Redeemer of the world does, for he is the only Savior; none has or could redeem us to God but he; and throughout eternity he will ever appear as the sole Savior of the human race. Hence, before his birth, Gabriel stated that his name should be called Jesus; giving for reason, he shall save his people from their sins. The qualifications of the Savior of the world were so extraordinary, the redeeming acts so stupendous, and the result of all so glorious both to God and man, that it is impossible to conceive a higher name or title than that of Jesus, or Savior of the world.
2. Praised (v. 10)
That divine honor might be paid in every possible manner by every creature. Might bow - Either with love or trembling. Of those in heaven, earth, under the earth - That is, through the whole universe.
The knee should bow, or bend, in token of honor, or worship; that is, all people should adore him. This cannot mean merely that at the mention of the name of Jesus we should bow; nor is there any evidence that God requires this. Why should we bow at the mention of that name, rather than at any of the other titles of the Redeemer? Is there any special sacredness or honor in it above the other names which he bears? And why should we how at his name rather than at the name of the Father!
If Jesus is worshipped there, he is divine; for there is no idolatry eta creature in heaven. In this whole passage there is probably an allusion to Isa_45:23. In the great divisions here specified - of those in heaven, on the earth, and under the earth - the apostle intends, doubtless, to denote the universe. The same mode of designating the universe occurs in Rev_5:13; Exo_20:4. This mode of expression is equivalent to saying, “all that is above, around, and beneath us,” and arises from what appears to us. The division is natural and obvious - that which is above us in the heavens, that which is on the earth where we dwell, and all that is beneath us.
3. Glorified (v. 11)
This is one of the most important verses in the NT. In it we read the aim of God, the dream of God, the purpose of God, is a day when every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. These four words were the first creed that the Christian Church ever had. It mentions that all those before mentioned should acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, or absolute governor, and thus glorify God the Father, who has exalted this human nature to this state of ineffable glory, in virtue of its passion, death, resurrection, and the atonement which it has made, by which so many attributes of the Divine nature have become illustrated, the Divine law magnified and made honorable, and an eternal glory provided for man.
Perhaps the three expressions are designed to comprehend all beings of all kinds, all creatures; as it is usual with the Hebrews, and indeed with all ancient nations, to express, by things in heaven, things on earth, and things under the earth, all beings of all kinds; universal nature. But intelligent beings seem to be those which are chiefly intended by the words of the apostle; for it appears that nothing less than absolute rule over angels, men, and devils, can be designed in these extraordinary words, and by confessing him to be Lord we may understand that worship which all intelligent creatures are called to pay to God manifested in the flesh; for all should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. And the worship thus offered is to the glory of God; so that far from being idolatrous, as some have rashly asserted, it is to the honor of the Divine Being. We may add that the tongue which does not confess thus is a tongue that dishonors the Almighty.
Application: Today many of you may be standing on these crossroads. You are to make these choices in your life: (i) Be Selfish OR Selfless, (ii) Have Pride OR Humility and (iii) Pursue Fame OR be Defamed for the sake of Christ. When we set aside our own interests and accomplishments to recognize that it’s better to care for the interests of others (Phil. 2: 4), we see God’s name glorified. Acting with grace and kindness toward others is one of the best ways to point people to God.
