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You can turn in your Bibles to 
Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2. As you're turning there, there 
are places in the New Testament where one verse or a handful 
of verses summarize for us the point of the Bible. Think of 
John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten 
son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but 
have everlasting life. You've been told before that 
Martin Luther called that the Bible in miniature. There are 
other places in the Holy Scriptures where we have a summary like 
that. And one of those places is in Philippians 2, where in 
the span of six verses, we have summarized for us the point of 
the Bible. In fact, Philippians 2, along 
with 1 Corinthians 1, 15 to 20, and 1 Timothy 3, 16, that we 
read at the outset of worship, give us, as one man has said, 
a glimpse of the hymn book of the early church, a glimpse into 
the hymn book of the early church. What consumed the minds and the 
praises of the early church? What was the content of their 
proclamation their hymn singing, and their acknowledgment of the 
God of Scripture. Well, we have that in Philippians 
2, 6 to 11, an early hymn of the early church. We're going 
to read, though, Philippians 1, 27 to Philippians 2, 11. So this is Philippians 1, beginning 
at verse 27. Only let your conduct be worthy 
of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or 
am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast 
in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith 
of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, 
which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and 
that from God. For to you it has been granted 
on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to 
suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which you saw in 
me, and now here is in me. Therefore, if there is any consolation 
in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the 
Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being 
like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of 
one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish 
ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others 
better than himself. Let each of you look out not 
only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, 
being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be 
equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the 
form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. 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. 
Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the 
name which is above every name, 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, and that every tongue should confess that 
Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Amen. Well, 
let us again pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you 
for this passage of Holy Scripture. We do pray that you would help 
us now, Lord God, to observe it, to open it up, to declare 
it rightly, to receive it rightly. We pray for preacher and hearer, 
Lord God, that this exercise of preaching would be done unto 
your glory. We ask, Lord God, that you would help us as saints 
to most certainly, upon a reading and a hearing and a participation 
and preaching of this text, that you would help us to To in a 
fresh way bend our knee to the King of Kings and to the Lord 
of Lords that our knees would bow to our precious Christ and 
we pray Lord God that you would help those who are not Christians 
in this place those who have gathered in This church this 
morning outside of Jesus that you would cause them by this 
word Attended to by the Spirit to believe in our Savior and 
to find all things in him. We pray in Christ precious name 
Amen Well, in the New Testament, a vitally important reality is 
stressed. A Christian is to have a proper 
view of Christ. It seems simple, but in our day 
of a watered-down gospel, a watered-down religion, a watered-down Christianity, 
it is vital to revisit and to stress that reality, that the 
Christian is to have a proper view of Christ. In fact, we could 
word that even differently to be a Christian means to have 
a proper view of the Lord Jesus Christ, a proper doctrine of 
Christ. We could and should say a proper 
Christology. Christ himself spoke the words. This is eternal life. John 17 
3. This is eternal life that they 
may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast 
sent. In a discourse with his disciples, 
Jesus asks the question, who do men say that I, the son of 
man, am? And the answer is quite telling. 
Some say a prophet, some say Jeremiah, some say Elijah, or 
some other fellow. He then cuts to the matter and 
asks his disciples, and you know this well, but who do you say 
that I, the son of man, am? And Peter acting and Peter responding 
as a representative of the disciples response says, thou art the Christ, 
the son of the living God, which answer is telling because it 
is the right one. They had a proper view of Christ, 
though they did not at that time yet have that Luke 24 Bible study 
where Jesus would open up their eyes, their hearts to understand 
the things fully revealed in the scriptures. But they acknowledged 
who Christ was when John, employs the term Antichrist in his epistles. He employs the term Antichrist 
in warning and exhorting his Christian recipients about a 
certain problem in the Christian church. Far from the mind of 
John was some future centuries removed political enemy of the 
church. Fresh and immediate in his mind 
were those who were saying that Christ Jesus had not come in 
the flesh. There was an error of Christology 
in the early church. John in 2nd John 1 7 says that 
Many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess 
Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh This is a deceiver and 
an antichrist So knowledge of who Christ is is vitally important 
and just lastly as we introduce and move our way towards the 
text the clarion call, or if the clarion call of the gospel 
is, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, 
then we ought to know what believe on the Lord Jesus Christ means 
and entails. If it means that man is to have 
simply some sincere feeling of religious attachment to Jesus 
Christ as some important figure in religion, then many cultists, 
many liberals, and I mean that in the religious sense, many 
liberals, and many people opposed to historical Christianity are 
then saved. But if believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ means to believe the right things concerning him, which 
it does, then no doubt God has left us in his revelation with 
clear truths concerning Christ that we are able to lay hold 
of and that we ought to lay hold of, and we have that here in 
Philippians 2. We read Philippians 1.27 to 2.11, 
but we're going to be confined to Philippians 2.6 to 11 as we 
gain a proper view of our precious, precious Christ. Just before 
we get to the subject matter of the sermon, this is a quote, 
very brief one, by a fellow named James White. Few passages provide 
us with the breadth of revelation, the depth of theology, and the 
weight of importance as the Carmen Christi or the hymn to Christ 
as to God, which is Philippians 2, 6 to 11. So we're going to 
look at this passage of scripture under the old traditional three 
points, three point sermon. The three points are going to 
be this, the person of Christ, the work of Christ, and the glory 
of Christ. Remember what I said before we 
read this passage of scripture and prayed with regards to the 
summary of the Bible or the point of the Bible wrapped up in a 
few texts. What we have given to us in our 
Bibles, if we believe Jesus in Luke 24, and we ought to, what 
we have given to us in our Bibles is the person and the work of 
Christ Unto the glory of God the Father and as we move through 
Philippians 2 6 to 11 We will see that but first let us look 
at the person of Christ and that is contained in the following 
verses Well, actually it's contained entirely in all of it, but primarily 
in 6 in 6 to 8 but notice first off under the person of Christ 
notice in the text we have his deity and Now as Christians, 
we of course know this, we own this, and we bless God for this 
particular truth. Should never be the case though 
as Christians that we roll our eyes when we revisit an ABC of 
Christianity. Because it is those ABCs where 
as Spurgeon said, God first began with us. And it is those ABCs 
where we continue in the Christian religion, glorying in those basic 
truths of Holy Scripture. The deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
this is seen in at least three ways in our text. First in the 
words, being in the form of God. Notice right at the beginning, 
verse 5 and 6a, let this mind be in you, which was also in 
Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God. We'll get to it 
later, why didn't the author just say, who being God? Because 
if he's trying to argue for Christ's deity, which isn't primarily 
in view, that would be much easier to communicate that truth, who 
being God. But this is a way of saying it, 
but we'll get to why it's written like this, why Paul wrote it 
like this in a little bit. But this is a statement declaring 
Christ's deity, being in the form of God. This does not mean 
a spiritual category of being similar to God. That's very important 
to understand because enemies of the Christian truth, enemies 
of Christianity, will pose, for example, the Jehovah's Witnesses, 
that this simply means Christ being a created angel, being 
a spirit being, is simply in the same spiritual category as 
God. And that is, of course, false. What does it mean? It means that 
Christ had and has ongoing eternal existence in the very form of 
God. James White notes that Paul uses 
the present tense to indicate ongoing existence. Form of God 
does not speak to a category of being or nature, but rather 
reflects a direct correlation to God. You see, he could have, 
Paul could have, if primarily in view, was trying to argue 
for the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul could have said, 
let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who 
being God, did not consider that power, that reality something 
to be held on to, but came in the incarnation. He didn't write 
that. Why didn't he write that? Because he's speaking to Christians 
in Philippi who are at an equal footing or an equal level in 
their Christianity. He's writing to Philippians, 
one man has said that the ground is level at the foot of the cross. He is writing to Christianities 
who are at an equal footing. And what is to be the mind of 
the Christians who are at an equal footing redemptively before 
God and towards their fellow men, the posture of mind is that 
they are to be servants. They are to follow this ethic, 
verse 4, let each of you Look out not only for his own interests, 
but also for the interests of others. So the example that he 
brings is Jesus Christ. Though he was, as God the Son, 
equal with God the Father, being in the form of God, he did not 
count that subsequent equality with God something to be held 
on to at all costs, but made himself nothing in the incarnation 
coming, in appearance as a man. So he didn't write who being 
God, though, that is there in theology, but rather who being 
in the form of God or God the Father, he wanted to argue that 
equality that he had with the Father that he set aside to come 
in the incarnation. So being in the form of God, 
again, doesn't mean, as God-haters say, that it is a spiritual category 
of being similar to God. But rather, as Warfield stated, 
in the person and work of Christ, Paul does not say simply he was 
God. He says he was in the form of 
God, employing a turn of speech which throws emphasis upon our 
Lord's possession of the specific quality of God. Form is a term 
which expresses the sum of those characterizing qualities which 
make a thing the precise thing that it is. You see, in our sort 
of human minds and the way we often traffic and in words, is 
when we say form, we usually strip the meaning of it to have 
just ambiguously or closely related to something. You know, a cloud, 
it's in the form of a giraffe, isn't that amazing, little three-year-old 
Johnny? But you see, the form being used 
here has what Warfield is talking about. He goes on to say, thus 
the form of a sword, in this case mostly matters of external 
configuration, is all that makes a given piece of metal specifically 
a sword, rather than, say, a spade. And the form of God is the sum 
of the characteristics which make the being we call God, specifically 
God, rather than some other being, an angel, say, or a man. When 
our Lord is said to be in the form of God, therefore He is 
declared, in the most expressed manner possible, to be all that 
God is, to possess the whole fullness of attributes which 
make God God. So when Paul writes here that 
Jesus Christ being in the form of God, he's saying that Jesus 
Christ has all of those attributes that make God, God. Secondly, 
under his deity, notice we see his deity in the words, did not 
consider it robbery to be equal with God. Notice the text says, 
Jesus Christ who being in the form of God did not consider 
it robbery to be equal with God. Now you read, this is the New 
King James, the King James is the same. You read other translations 
and there will be a different rendering of the original Greek. For example, one rendering, and 
it is fine, says, he did not consider equality with God something 
to be held on to or to be grasped. We'll examine this because it 
is not just a reiteration of being in the form of God, but 
something that flows naturally from having all of the attributes 
that are God, that is equality with God. What it doesn't mean, 
it doesn't mean this, that he did not seek after something 
that wasn't his already. You see some God haters, opponents 
of Christianity who use the Bible as their religious document, 
will say because Jesus Christ in their theology was a created 
angel, that this means that Christ didn't seek after something that 
wasn't his, but rather came in the incarnation. And that rendering, 
that interpretation is not only blasphemous and against the thrust 
of the Bible, but it goes against the entire context here. Paul 
is arguing for people at an equal footing to exercise servitude 
to one another. And the example is the Lord Jesus 
Christ, who was on equal footing with God the Father, but did 
not hold on to his rights as the Son of God at no cost, but 
rather humbled himself in the incarnation. So we have the deity 
expressed and set forth of Jesus Christ in being in the form of 
God, and also in the statement, did not consider it robbery, 
to be equal with God. Now, there's another interpretation 
of that text that is intriguing, that is orthodox, that upholds 
the deity of Christ and the Trinity, but is different. You see, some people come to 
this text, the classical view is that we have first the pre-incarnate 
Son in view, and then the incarnate Jesus Christ in view. being in 
the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 
but made himself of no reputation. So the progress, the progression 
in the text, in their minds is pre-incarnate Christ, incarnate 
Christ, and then the exaltation. Some people within Orthodox Christianity, 
and when I say that I don't mean the Eastern Orthodox with the 
big hats, I mean historical Christianity. Some people in Orthodox Christianity, 
though, see the whole thing from the vantage point of the incarnate 
And so when it says, who being in the form of God, that's a 
reference to the incarnate Christ, who never divested himself of 
deity, but was incarnate and was nevertheless in, nevertheless 
had still all of the attributes that make God, God. Did not consider 
it robbery to be equal with God meant that in his incarnate manifestation, 
he did not seek after or he did not press his divine prerogatives 
but rather remained steadfast to his messianic mission. Hopefully 
you understand what I'm saying there. You see, there's examples 
in the Bible where Jesus Christ says, I could at this very moment 
summon 12 legions of angels to my aid. I'm paraphrasing. But instead of doing that, he 
says, but the scriptures must be fulfilled. So this text is 
saying, even though as incarnate Christ, he had all the attributes 
that make God, God, and he had that subsequent equality with 
God that such a one would have. But nevertheless, as incarnate 
Christ, he didn't press his divine prerogatives against his messianic 
mission, but rather poured himself out unto death. He continued 
along his messianic mission. But again, we have his deity 
set forth in the form of God. We have his deity set forth in 
the language, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. 
And then thirdly, under his deity, We have his deity in the text 
in the fact of his exalted lordship. In the fact of his exalted lordship, 
notice what the text says at verse 9, therefore God also has 
highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every 
name. 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. and that every tongue should 
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the 
Father. You see what we have there in 
the text is that Jesus is exalted. He's given a name which is above 
every name. God the Father would not give 
a created angel a name which is above every name, which would 
be above his even very own name. But rather, the Lord God the 
Father exalts him and gives God the Son a name which is above 
every name. And notice verse 10, that at the name of Jesus, 
every knee should bow, and every tongue should confess that he 
is Lord. This is an explicit declaration of the deity of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. We have a threefold declaration 
of his deity given to us in these passages of scripture. And this 
is vital. If you don't know this already, 
and I'm sure every single one of you do, This is one of those 
non-negotiable tenets of Christianity. We cannot be a Christian and 
reject the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are at that 
point not a Christian and outside of saving faith. Jesus Christ 
himself says in John 8, 24, if you do not believe that I am, 
you will die in your sins. Isn't that an amazing statement 
for you know, the son of a carpenter to make before Jews who would 
have been well-versed in Exodus and Isaiah. If you do not believe 
that I am, you will die in your sins. You'll see in your translation 
probably the he italicized because it's not in the text. It's provided 
there as an aid to understanding. But Jesus Christ is saying, if 
you do not believe that I am God, you will die in your sins. 
If you do not believe that I am in the sense of everything that 
that word carries in force and thrust, you will die in your 
sins. So a Christian is a Christian, and one of the things that characterizes 
his profession is most surely the confession of Christ's deity. And we are not to tolerate the 
rejection of the deity of Christ. I don't mean we beat up people 
that reject the deity of Christ, what I do mean, though, in the 
sphere of ideas and philosophies and religion, we cannot tolerate 
anyone who rejects the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. We 
do not commune. We do not have religious fellowship 
because they reject a central tenet of Holy Scripture. That 
is a doctrine that Jesus Christ condemns anyone who does not 
believe. And likewise, we are not to say, 
for example, as Other pseudo-Christians would say that the Muslims are 
or do along with us worship the one true God. Muslims reject 
the second of the blessed triune and therefore are not worshiping 
the same God, but rather an idol constructed by the madness of 
their own sinful hearts. We ought not to entertain low 
views of Christ. You see, there is the rejection 
of his deity, But there is also the minimization of his deity 
and a lack of the full acknowledgment of the glory that that reality 
brings. And what I mean is, is that there 
are people trafficking in the name of Christianity that will 
buy Jesus couture shirts, will sing rap songs about Jesus being 
their homeboy, and will engage in all manner of madness on Facebook, 
throwing Jesus an air high five. I realize that there may be a 
simplicity to these things where they don't fully understand, 
but I do see in that, and I don't want to be an old curmudgeon, 
but I do see in that a rejection of a full appreciation for who 
Christ is. Such an individual and such a 
glorious person that the angels had to hide their eyes from gazing 
at his beauty. So glorious and so majestic that 
when he appeared to John on the island of Patmos, John didn't 
say, hey, wait, I gotta throw on my Jesus couture shirt or 
can I throw you a high five, my buddy Jesus, but rather fell 
on his face as a dead man before the glory and the holiness and 
the majesty of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We do not 
tolerate, we do not entertain low views of Christ. Moving on 
then, the deity of Christ is seen clearly and at least three 
parts of the text. Secondly, notice under the person 
of Christ, we see his humanity. We see his humanity. We have 
his deity, but we also have his humanity. This is seen in at 
least three ways in our text. First, in the incarnational language 
of the text. Notice. in verse 6, reading through, 
who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to 
be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation. Now, if we're 
standing from the vantage point of the classical view that sees 
pre-incarnate Christ and this text, but made himself of no 
reputation, a reference to his incarnation, then that's what 
we have here, the first declaration of the humanity of Christ. We 
read at the outset, God was manifested in the flesh. But just by note 
of a related aside, when it says against, or what does it say 
there with regards to controversy? When it's introducing that particular 
text, some people believe, rightly, that what Paul is writing there 
is he's appropriating, including an early Christian hymn. And 
he says, and without controversy, that could be translated by common 
confession. In other words, we have a biblical 
argument for the validity of a confession of faith, because 
what Paul is saying here is, by common confession, great is 
this truth. Saints everywhere have the common 
confession. They, with redeemed tongues, 
would declare with great confession and profession and faith, God 
was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, etc. 
But we have in Philippians 2 at verse 7, made himself of no reputation, 
also translated elsewhere, made himself nothing, emptied himself. I think probably if you're in 
the classical view, this is a good rendering, the King James or 
the new King James, but made himself of no reputation. That 
speaks to the nature and the heart of the incarnation. You 
see, because we have Jesus, full deity, bearing all of the attributes 
that make God, God, but he makes himself of no reputation in the 
incarnation. Why? Because he takes on the 
form of a bondservant and comes in the likeness of men. The one 
who was the praise of angels comes down into our earth to 
dwell among us. So we have first his humanity 
indicated in the incarnational language of the text. He made 
himself of no reputation. Secondly, in the words, taking 
the form of a bondservant. Some would say that they would 
have this statement, made himself of no reputation, and then how 
did he do that in a twofold way, taking the form of a bondservant 
and coming in the likeness of men. So you would have made himself 
of no reputation and then indented under that by taking the form 
of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. So Jesus 
Christ, though, evidence of his humanity indicated in coming 
in the form of a bond servant, coming in the form of a slave 
would be a good rendering of the text. And isn't it amazing 
as you read through this, it should be amazing that Jesus 
Christ deity fully, fully enrobed in the splendor that is God comes 
in the form of a slave to lowly humanity. To not glory in, to not rejoice 
in, to not just be taken away by the splendor of the incarnation 
of Jesus Christ is to be heartless, is to be non-Christian. Or to 
be a little more kind, to be temporarily lost in a coldness 
and a languor with regards to your religion and you need a 
kick to the pants and a stir to the soul. Jesus Christ represented 
here is amazing. The deity, fully bearing all 
the attributes that made God God, yet coming in the form of 
a slave. Thirdly, in the words, made in the likeness of man. 
Well, actually, just before we get there, this language too, 
taking the form of a bond servant, our minds ought to wander with 
purpose back to Isaiah. Remember the servant songs of 
Isaiah, specifically Isaiah 53, my servant shall deal prudently. 
Remember what's going on in Isaiah, Judgment of God is inevitable. 
It has come upon and will come upon Israel But the promise is 
seen in this servant who will come in the fullness of the times 
born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under it 
We have that language used by Paul here applied to Jesus Christ 
taking the form of a bondservant Gil said put these two together 
the form of God and the form of a servant and admire the amazing 
stoop That's what we are to admire, the amazing stoop that Jesus 
Christ engaged in. That language, kids, stoop, means 
condescension. Actually, that's probably confusing 
you more. Coming from a place of honor and glory to a place 
of shame and lowliness. That's what Jesus Christ did. 
He stooped and dwelt among us and saved sinners from their 
sins. And thirdly, his humanity is 
seen, again, in the words, made in the likeness of man. This 
is reiterated in the next verse, being found in appearance as 
a man, as it moves to the argument concerning the cross of Christ. 
But we see his humanity there, made in the likeness of man. 
And notice the support for the deity of Christ being provided 
when his humanity is being written about. Coming in the likeness 
of man, but even before that, form of a bondservant, he didn't 
come He didn't come in some sort of physical category similar 
to humanity. He came in the form of a bondservant. He came in the form of a man. 
Well, that returns back to his deity. He didn't come in some 
sort of spiritual category of spirit existence, but rather 
he was in the form of God, he's in the form of a bondservant. 
But he came in the likeness of man. There was an early Christian 
heresy, and believe it or not, it's still around today because 
all errors at the point of Christ seem to continue, don't they? 
There was an error, the early church, and it's seen in John's 
epistles, where those were saying, who were anti-Christ, they were 
saying that Jesus Christ has not come in the flesh. What does 
John say concerning that? Again, with this idea of not 
tolerating errors concerning the person of Christ, John writes, 
every spirit that does not confess that Jesus has come in the flesh 
is not of God. You see, a recognition of Christ's 
deity is right. But if you recognize the deity 
of Christ and you reject the humanity of Christ, just like 
rejecting the deity of Christ, you're outside of the faith and 
you're not You're not a Christian. You're not of God, John says. 
Every spirit that does not confess that Jesus has come in the flesh 
is not of God. Some still believe that. That Jesus Christ just 
came in the appearance of a man. I know the text says this, but 
that's not what it means. What I'm saying is that he appeared 
to be human, but it was just a divine showing of an appearance. It wasn't actually, literally, 
an incarnate Christ that came in the form of a man and dwelled 
among men. Cyril of Jerusalem, in repudiating 
such a damnable heresy, said, if the incarnation was a phantom, 
salvation is a phantom also. See, that's the problem that 
we have. If we reject the humanity of Christ and we say, He just 
appeared as a phantom, then The next logical step is to say then 
that redemption is a phantom as well, because a sacrifice 
needed to shed its blood upon the cross of Calvary in order 
to provide the blessed forgiveness of sins. So a rejection or a 
calling of the incarnation, a phantom, makes salvation a phantom also. Just turn with me if you will, 
just so that we can see clearly the humanity of Christ, that 
Christ is not a phantom. In fact, Jesus uses those words 
in Luke 24. In Luke 24, we have clear language. Jesus, in a sense, obviously 
this wasn't his primary purpose, but he is providing the early 
church with apologetic ammunition to reject anybody who would say 
that Jesus Christ has not come in the flesh. Luke 24, beginning 
at verse 36. Now, as they said these things, 
Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said to them, peace 
to you. But they were terrified and frightened and supposed they 
had seen a spirit or a phantom. And he said to them, why are 
you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your 
hearts? Behold, my hands and my feet, 
that it is I myself. So first off, Christ Calls upon 
them to use the senses that God has blessed them with He says 
behold my hands and my feet that it is I myself But just in case 
that wasn't enough for them just in case, you know someone you 
know might pose a theory that he was able to you know by his 
divine power to make it look like the wounds there were wounds 
in his hands and his feet Christ says handle me and see and For 
a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have. So you see quite clearly Jesus 
Christ was deity manifested in the flesh as a true man bearing 
true humanity. And he even has the condescending 
attitude to allow his disciples to handle him and see. Not only that, verse 42, so they 
gave him, in fact, if you read the narrative here, it's amazing. 
They handle, but then verse 40, when he had said this, he showed 
them his hands and his feet, but while they still did not 
believe, for joy it says, and marveled, he said to them, have 
you any food here? So they gave him a piece of broiled 
fish and honeycomb, and he took it and ate it in their presence. 
So he shows them, he lets them handle him, and he even goes 
to the extent of eating broiled fish and honeycomb to almost 
stress, though it's not repeated here, A spirit does not have 
flesh and bones as you see I have Gracious and merciful Christ 
engaging in his disciples in this way But all of that to show 
that most certainly Jesus Christ as deity still had humanity He 
was in the incarnation the God-man Also as we just before we move 
on turn to Hebrews for a moment. This is a very important part 
that contributes well to to our Christian doctrine of the deity 
and the humanity of Christ, though the humanity is primarily in 
view, we'll make a note also with respect to his deity. This 
is Hebrews 2, beginning at verse 14. Hebrews 2, beginning at verse 
14. In as much then as the children 
have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in 
the same. that through death he might destroy 
him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release 
those who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject 
to bondage. For indeed, he does not give 
aid to angels, but he does give aid to the seed of Abraham. That should actually better be 
rendered for our understanding. You may have a marginal note. 
For indeed, he does not take on the nature of angels, but 
he does take on the seed of Abraham. Why does this verse help us first 
with the deity of Christ? Well, the argument against the 
deity of Christ, for example, by Jehovah's Witnesses, is that 
Jesus was a created angel. But you see, it says here in 
verse 16 that in the incarnation, for indeed he did not take on 
the nature of angels. So why would Paul need to write 
that in the book of Hebrews if it was the case that Jesus Christ 
was already an angel? It's because Jesus Christ is 
God, and that in the incarnation, he did not take on the form of 
angels, but rather he took on the seed of Abraham. He came 
to redeem guilty humanity. But with regards to the humanity 
of Christ, notice verse 14, and as much then as the children 
have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself, that is Jesus Christ, 
likewise shared in the same. Of course, he was without sin. Moving on then, we have the person 
of Christ. there set forth in Philippians 
2 in his deity and in his humanity. He is full in both, not half 
God, half man, but he is fully God and fully man. Secondly, we have the work of 
Christ set forth in Philippians 2. Notice if you navigate your 
way back to Philippians chapter 2, we have the work of Christ. As his person is set forth as 
deity and humanity, we have at verse, well, we'll continue at 
verse eight. Notice verse eight here with 
regards to the work of Christ. 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, literally the cross death. 
Jesus Christ humbled himself and became obedient to the point 
of death, even the cross death. We have the work of Christ set 
forth here for us. Notice first, it is voluntary. The work of Christ is voluntary. He took upon himself the mantle 
of his messiahship voluntarily. It was not pressed upon him. 
He was not the unwitting or the passive recipient of his messianic 
investiture, that is his mission as the Christ, but rather he 
voluntarily took it upon himself. Notice what the text says, backing 
up, made himself of no reputation. He made himself of no reputation. He humbled himself, it says here 
in verse eight, in being found in appearance as a man, he humbled 
himself. It wasn't that he was made to 
be humiliated, but rather he humbled himself. Remember, Jesus 
Christ himself says, reiterating that Matthew 26, 47 to 56 passage 
that I alluded to earlier, at any moment I could call 12 legions 
of angels to my aid. But that the scriptures must 
be fulfilled, I do thus. Jesus Christ voluntarily took 
upon himself the messianic task to save sinners from their sins. Notice second, it is comprised 
of obedience. It is comprised of obedience. 
The work of the Lord Jesus Christ is comprised of obedience. One, I can't remember how he 
actually puts it, but Robert Raymond in his systematic theology 
says that the work of Christ is one large work of obedience. The entire mission, the messianic 
work of Jesus Christ is one large act of obedience. Notice what 
the text says in our hymn to Christ as to God in verse 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. His work is marked by obedience, 
and that is something to marvel at as well. is that in Christ's 
act of obedience to the plan to redeem sinners from their 
sins, to bring about the reality of that covenant of redemption 
wherein the persons of the triune God had commissioned in time 
and in history to save a multitude of sinners to the praise of God, 
we have Jesus Christ submitting in his incarnation to the law 
of men, to the civil magistrate. We have him, of course, submitting 
to the law of God. What we see is he as he stands 
before Caiaphas, as he stands before Herod, as he stands before 
the spittings and the bruisings of his countrymen, Jesus Christ 
is resolute to his task as the Christ, as the Messiah. We see 
at many points he did not open his mouth, he did not speak a 
word. In fulfillment of that prophecy, 
as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his 
mouth. Jesus Christ for the task of 
his messiahship engaged in obedience. And we need to see specifically 
two things that you have been told and taught before. Two things 
mark Christ's obedience. The first thing is his preceptive 
obedience, which has also been called his act of obedience. 
That was one man's deathbed glory, the act of obedience of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. It should be every Christian's 
deathbed glory, the active and the passive, the preceptive and 
the penal obedience of Christ. The fact that Jesus Christ, this 
is what we say when we mean the preceptive obedience of Christ. 
And let not these big words cause the eyelids to drop and cause 
the mind to wander. Do you know that a lot of Greek 
words, original Greek words that we translate into English are 
larger than the English ones? God loves big words. But you 
see, big words, impress upon us or express glorious truths 
of Holy Scripture. When we say Christological, that's 
a big word. What does it mean? It comes from 
Christ and Logos, or Christos and Logos. Doctrine concerning 
Christ, teaching concerning Christ. Christological is a glorious 
word. Why? Because wrapped up in it 
is what the Bible discloses concerning the King of Kings and the Lord 
of Lords, concerning our precious Christ, our Jesus. So when we 
talk about the preceptive obedience of Christ, another big word, 
obedience is kind of big, but I kind of get that one, but preceptive. 
I'm out of here. No, preceptive, it has to do 
with the law of God. It has to do with the revealed 
will, the revealed law, the statutes, the commands of God. So what 
does the precept of obedience of Christ mean? It is intimately 
linked to his vicarious and substitutional, two more big words, look out, 
his substitutionary work. His obedience to the law of God 
was in the stead of, in the place of, and for his people. So Christ 
humbles himself and becomes obedient. And that obedience is marked 
by the perfect fulfillment of the law of God, not just generally, 
which it was, but specifically for and instead of guilty sinners 
who every second of every day have broken and will break the 
law of God, because it requires exact and perpetual and abiding 
adherence and obedience to it. Christ comes and his obedience 
is marked by preceptive obedience, obeying everything that the Father 
commissioned him to obey. He never violated the law of 
God. It is this obedience wrapped 
up and it is his penal obedience. Penal, P-E-N-A-L, is a smaller 
word. But it's a glorious one as well. 
What does that mean? Christ's penal obedience, also 
called his passive obedience. Well, penal refers to the sanctions, 
the punishments due for violations of the law of God. Okay, so Christ 
in his precept of obedience obeys the law of God perfectly for 
guilty sinners, for those whom the Father had given to him. 
The penal obedience has to do with Christ bearing the penalty 
for those same people violating the law of God. So not only does 
he fulfill the law of God perfectly and actively and preceptively 
in doing it, but as our substitutionary sacrifice, he bears the wrath 
and the penalty of God, do sinners, do the elect for their violation 
of the law of God. What a comprehensive work are 
Christ engaged in. And I hope you see here, at both 
of these points, if we eliminate one of those from our Christian 
confession, we're in, to put it simply, a lot of trouble. 
Because if Christ did not fulfill the law of God in our stead, 
we have no righteousness that avails before God. If Christ 
did not bear the wrath and the penalty due sin for us at the 
cross, then we're condemned and we still have to bear the penalty 
for that. You see, Christ engages in a 
work of comprehensive salvation. He fulfills the law of God and 
he dies in our stead. That obedience, we are to see 
there, substitutionary obedience, preceptively obeying the law 
of God, penally bearing the wrath of God for his people. And we 
need to see here as well, just as we did with the person of 
Christ. Just as we did with the person of Christ. If anyone preaches 
any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him 
be accursed, Paul wrote. The deity of Christ, we must 
own. The humanity of Christ, we must own as Christians. The 
gospel of Christ, which is seen in Christ, preceptively obeying 
the law of God and penally bearing the wrath of God, his death and 
resurrection. If we reject that, then we reject 
the gospel and the God of it. So we need to have these things 
close to our heart. That's why I said that Philippians 
2, 6 to 11 is a short six verse summary of the point of the entire 
Bible. The person and the work of Christ 
to the glory of God the Father, which brings us thirdly to the 
glory of Christ. So we have the person of Christ, 
the work of Christ, and now we have the glory of Christ. Notice 
what a beautiful way to end this hymn to Christ. as to God. Verse nine, therefore God also 
has highly exalted him and given him the name, which is above 
every name, 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. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ 
is Lord to the glory of God, the father. I find it an amazing 
thing. a wonderful thing to look at 
and to consider when we're reading our Bibles. For example, when 
Jesus is standing before Caiaphas, before his crucifixion, Christ 
knows what he's going to endure. He had already prayed and wept 
in the Garden of Gethsemane. He had already cried out to the 
Father, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but 
thine be done. He knows and he is resigned to 
his messianic task and the salvation of a multitude of sinners by 
bearing the horror of the cross. You see, there's a glimpse of 
his exaltation, there's a glimpse of the glory that he will receive. 
Notice, for example, you can turn there, you don't have to, 
Matthew 26. Verse 62 and the high priest arose and said to 
him, do you answer nothing? What is it these men testify 
against you? But Jesus kept silent and the 
high priest answered and said to him, I put you under oath 
by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, 
the son of God. Jesus said to him, it is as you 
said. Nevertheless, I say to you hereafter, 
you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the power 
and coming on the clouds of heaven. Why is that amazing? Because 
this son of a carpenter, this son of Jesus and Mary, who many 
blasphemously thought to be an illegitimate son, born of a Roman 
soldier to Mary because we can't comprehend the virgin birth, 
this son of a carpenter who was about to be crucified, who had 
already been, or who would be, scourged, who would, in a matter 
of seconds, be spit upon and beaten, this one is saying that 
he's going to be exalted to the right hand of the power. That he's going to be going to 
the ancient of days on clouds of power. He's saying to Jews, 
That he is the Danielic son of man in Daniel 7 14. They would 
have been so familiar with that text. Daniel having that vision 
of one like the son of man coming to the ancient of days receiving 
dominion and glory in a kingdom. The son of a carpenter about 
to get spit on and bruised. He's going to be a bloody massacre 
upon a Roman implement of execution. And yet he is the one who is 
exalted here in our text. He is the one who is given the 
name which is above every name. That's not the name Jesus, though 
his name is Jesus. Remember before the incarnation, 
Jesus wasn't Jesus. And what I mean is we have that 
narrative in Matthew. You shall call his name Jesus, 
for he will save his people from their sins. Prior to the incarnation, 
Jesus's name wasn't Jesus. Now, he's called Christ in the 
Old Testament, but that's not the name that's in view here. 
But what a glorious name! The Anointed One, the Messiah, 
the One, the Promised One who would come to execute and to 
wrap up and to consummate and to fulfill everything that the 
Bible is about, everything that the Old Testament is about. But 
that's not the name being referred to here. Probably the name that's 
being referred to here given the name which is above every 
name and it's not so much the name itself but the reputation 
the power and the authority that comes with it, but it's probably 
King of Kings and Lord of Lords we have that in Revelation 19 
and the name which is written in upon that glorious white rider 
is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And it has to do not with 
his deity, though that is glorious and that is immense and that 
demands all honor. But it has to do with the reward 
for his perfect work of his messiahship, his perfect life of obedience, 
his exact and precise and perfect work upon the cross of Calvary 
that did everything the father intended it to do. His victorious 
resurrection, His work as the man Christ Jesus is in view here 
at His exaltation and with the name that is above every name, 
King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but no doubt with His deity, 
He already has the honor of the sovereign of the universe. He 
is rewarded by the Father, is exalted and given the name which 
is above every name, and He is the recipient of worship. Right 
now in Chilliwack, BC and in this church, it's hot and I've 
preached for a while, so I'm going to finish soon. But notice 
here at the end of this text, Christ is worshipped. Christ 
is worshipped. You see the flow of the text. 
What is to naturally happen, what is and should happen in 
the heart of every Christian is that as they move from a consideration 
of the person of Christ, And by that consideration, I mean 
the right one, deity, humanity. As they move from there to the 
work of Christ, to his voluntary condescension and taking up of 
the task of his messiahship, to the obedience which is marked 
by the general posture of it, the preceptive obedience to the 
will of God, and the penal obedience to the will of God and the cross, 
we are to naturally then arrive at Worship. We're not just to 
leave then and say, isn't that interesting? Isn't that splendid? No, we are to finish and wrap 
up with worshiping the Christ of heaven and earth. That's what 
the flow of the text says. He was in the form of God, did 
not consider that subsequent equality with God something to 
be held on to at all costs, but came in the incarnation, being 
found in the form of man as a bondservant, He gave his life for guilty sinners 
and was obedient to his father. And now what are you to do? First 
century Christian, second century Christian, fast forward 21st 
century Christian. Now what are you to do? You are 
to worship. You are to bless the name of 
the Christ, to honor the glory of the father who sent him, to 
glory in God, the spirit who has impressed upon us the glories 
of Christ by power and for for God's glory's sake. We are to 
rejoice, we are to worship, we are to, as the text says, bend 
a knee to the Lord Jesus Christ and confess with our tongues 
that he is Lord unto the glory of God the Father. And what many 
a preacher has stressed from this text and the theology represented, 
you've heard this before, maybe some of you here haven't, The 
text says that every knee shall bow. The text says that every 
tongue shall confess. Now, we should see in this that 
that includes Christians. We just talked about that. We're 
to worship the person of Christ by virtue of his person and his 
work, who he is, what he's done. We worship Christ. But you see, 
bowing a knee, And confessing with a tongue that he is Lord 
will happen by the unbeliever as well. Not in that glorious 
way that we know. The Spirit, God in his appointed 
and accepted time has turned us from blasphemers and sinners 
dead in our trespasses to worshipers who with great joy, with earnest 
and genuinely rejoice and bow knees and confess with tongues. 
But those unbelievers will bend a knee and they will confess 
with their tongues. the glory of this one. They may 
want to hide themselves in the trees and under the rocks from 
the wrath of the Lamb, as it's indicated in Revelation, but 
nevertheless, at some point, prior to being cast into the 
lake of fire reserved for the devil and his angels, you will, 
if you're outside of Christ, bend a knee, forced by his majesty 
and his glory and his power, and you will confess with your 
tongues that he is Lord. forced by the immensity of his 
righteousness and his holiness as he gazes at you with flames 
of fire, eyes as of a flame of fire. So what is the clarion 
call then of the same Bible that presents that judging Christ? 
The clarion call of the Bible is believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ and you shall be saved. Why would you not want to believe 
in such a glorious Christ? Spurgeon said, lay on you men 
of eloquence, spare no colors, You will never be able to declare 
Christ too bravely. In other words, he is glorious. 
He is rich. We've only cracked the surface 
of his person, his deity, and his humanity. We only briefly 
touched on his work. Worship him. Believe on him. Rest with Christ before you leave 
those doors today. Don't leave salvation. Don't 
dangle, don't wait. but rather close now with the 
Lord Jesus Christ. Believe on him and you shall 
be saved. And you will not force, but with great joy, genuinely 
and with fiery earnest, bow your knees and confess with your tongues 
that he is Christ to the glory of God the Father. Let us pray. 
Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for the scriptures. We 
thank you for what we were able to consider this morning in our 
brief time. And we thank you for what your 
Bible discloses concerning Christ Jesus, our blessed Savior, truly 
God, bearing all those attributes of blessed deity, and truly coming 
in the incarnation, taking on the form of a man, taking on 
humanity, that he might redeem guilty sinners from their sins. 
And we thank you and we pray for all your saints gathered 
here that we would rightly and properly worship, that we would 
bow our knees, that we would confess with our tongues that 
he is Lord unto your glory. We pray Lord God that none here 
would rest who are outside of Christ in their damnation, in 
their condemnation, and abiding under your wrath. But rather 
that you would conquer their hearts, that you would condescend 
in amazing and victorious grace to turn them from the madness 
and folly of sin and death and hell to the glory of being found 
in Christ. Not having their own righteousness 
which is from the law, but that which is from God through faith 
in Christ Jesus. We pray that you would save many 
this morning, that you would strengthen your saints, and that 
you would, Lord God, help us to properly rejoice in our Savior 
and to live in a manner consistent with our profession of faith. 
And just go with us now as we finish off this day and as we 
gather tonight for the Lord's Supper. We pray that you would 
help us to have minds and hearts set upon the worship of our triune 
God, that you might receive all glory. We pray in Christ's name, 
amen.