2024-07-07 Iesus made himself nothing.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:5 – 8Revised Standard Version
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 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 2:9 – 11Revised Standard Version
Our Lord Iesus the Anointed One was in the beginning with God. He was the Word of God from the beginning (ref John 1:1). Today we read from the above passage in Philippians chapter 2 that the Anointed One was originally in the form of God.
However, our Lord did not count his equality with God something to be grasped (Philippians 2:6 RSV). He did not hold on tightly to his position. Instead he was willing to let go and make himself nothing. Verse 7 tells us that our Lord "emptied himself".
Let us take a closer look what our Lord Iesus the Anointed One had to go through in the process of emptying himself, of making himself nothing:
- He took the form of a servant (v.7)
- He took the form of a human servant (v.7, 8)
- He took the form of a humble human servant (v.8a)
- He took the form of a humble obedient human servant who was obedient to God even to death (v.8b)
- He took the form of a humble obedient human servant who was obedient to God even to a cruel death on the cross. (v.8c)
It was because our Lord had gone through this painful process of emptying himself, from being in the form of God to becoming in the form of man, a humble slave who went to his death on the cross, that God has exalted him highly and has given to him the Name above every name (Philippians 2:9).
So high is the name of the Lord Iesus, the Anointed One, that at the Name of Iesus, every knee — in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, — will bow. And every tongue will confess that Iesus is Lord.
Finally, verse 11b tells us that all this will be done to the glory of God the Father.
In summary, we can say :
- Iesus did not come to dictate the people around him. Instead he came to die for them
- Iesus did not come to subjugate the world. Instead he came to sacrifice himself.
- Iesus did not come to orchestrate a new earthly kingdom. Instead he came to obey God.
Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us also humble ourselves before God. Like our Lord Iesus, let us be humble obedient servants in His Kingdom so that God will also exalt us and make us sit with Him in the heavenly places.
But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4 – 7Revised Standard Version
Today I am reminded of the following devotional messages which I have posted in my blog over the past fifteen years: