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If you've been with us the last 
number of weeks or if you've been listening, we've been working 
through this hymn to Christ as to God, Philippians 2, 5 to 11. 
Going through it. more slowly than we might at 
different times, taking sort of each clause and each section 
of this under consideration to behold, hopefully, each time 
we come together, the riches and the excellencies of our Savior, 
the Lord Jesus Christ, as Paul brings it out here in this hymn 
to Christ as to God. This time I'm just going to read 
Philippians 2, beginning in verse 5 and finishing at verse 11. 
Once again, the Word of God, Philippians 2 verse 5. 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. Let us go again 
to our Lord in prayer. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, 
we thank you now for this time in preaching. We would ask that 
you would help us now, Lord God, be with us by your Spirit, strengthening 
us, keeping us attentive, helping us to be focused upon the Word 
of God and the Christ to whom it points. And we pray once again 
that our Savior would, by this act and by this gathered assembly, 
be exalted upon our praises here Lord God, we do pray that you 
would receive all honor and glory, Father, Son, and Spirit. We pray 
in the name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus. Amen. Well, we've 
been working through this hymn to Christ as to God a number 
of Sundays ago. We introduced it. We had a look 
at the context. We had a look at the exhortation 
proper in verse 5, let this mind be in you, which was also in 
Christ Jesus, simply remarking that the Apostle Paul is exhorting 
the church to humility. He's actually exhorting the church 
first to unity, congregational togetherness and harmony for 
the gospel's sake, through humility that he exhorts them to first 
in verses 1-4, and then by introducing the example of humility, the 
chief and the highest example of humility, the Lord Jesus Christ 
in verses 6-11. On the last Lord's Day, we looked 
at the structure of the hymn first. We noted that it starts 
high and lifted up. It then condescends to Christ's 
lowliness and taking on humanity to the point of being lifted 
up upon Calvary's cross. And then by virtue of the perfection 
of Christ's saving work, He's exalted to the right hand of 
God, and every tongue is to confess. Every knee is to bow. everyone under the earth, on 
the earth, and everyone in heaven is to give rightful praise to 
God through the Lord Jesus Christ. And we secondly look last time 
at the certain divine majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, 
this hymn starts high and lifted up. It starts by saying that 
Christ is in the form of God. Being in the form of God, we 
noted that that argues for the certain divinity, the certain 
deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the exaltedness, the loftiness 
of the hymn didn't stop there, but we also noted His equality. Christ did not consider it robbery 
to be equal with God. He has a sure, certain, unmitigated, 
equality with the Father, laud and honor to the Father, laud 
and honor to the Son. Before we move on to His lowliness, 
I just want to remind ourselves of that equality, noting that, 
remember, Paul's exhortation to humility makes no sense if 
Christ is not equal to the Father. Force of this hymn is contingent 
upon Christ's equality with the Father. And what we move on to 
next, His condescension and taking on humanity, the glory of that 
contrast hinges upon His certain equality with the Father. Note 
at this point that Paul's exhortation to humility makes no sense if 
Christ is not equal to the Father. Chrysostom's words, if He, who 
has it not in His power to usurp and be a king. Kids, usurp is 
a word for taking violent seizure of something. If something isn't 
yours, someone has something that isn't yours, who maybe is 
higher in power, has higher prestige, to usurp would mean to take what 
isn't yours, to take what is theirs. If he who has it not 
in his power to usurp and be a king remains a private citizen, 
should we praise him for his quietness? I think not. And then 
Chris Austen goes on to speak of Christ according to His deity 
as the Word or Son of God. He says, if He be a servant, 
He is inferior and subject to Him that is greater. But this 
is not lowliness of mind. If the Son were inferior, this 
is not a sufficient example to lead us to humility. And why? Because it is not humility for 
the lesser not to rise against the greater, not to snatch at 
rule, and to be obedient unto death." You see, if Christ is 
inferior to the Father, then this exhortation to humility 
makes absolutely no sense. Because is it humility for one 
not to snatch at something that isn't theirs to begin with? Of 
course not. Theodoric writes, if the Son 
was not equal to the Father but inferior, He did not obey in 
humility, He merely fulfilled His station. You see what this 
does to the incarnation then? It's not that remarkable if Christ 
is less than the Father and inferior. But of course we know, don't 
we? Christ is one in substance, equal in power and in glory with 
the Father. And that's what makes the Incarnation 
so glorious. That's what makes the Incarnation 
so remarkable. Because one who is equal with 
the Father takes to himself our nature, and in that nature, assumed, 
is submissive and is subject to the Father. Not according 
to His deity. Which now brings us then to Christ's 
lowliness. We want to do simply two things 
by looking at Philippians 2.7. This morning and those two things 
are this borrowing a bit from John Owen. We're going to observe 
two things his Self-emptying by taking upon himself man's 
nature and his self-humiliation Engaging in man's nature according 
to his task now if you're worried If you're worried, I don't know 
what it is about mornings, but I need a lot of water in the 
morning In the evening, I'm okay. If you're worried that we're 
just going to be reflecting on theology this morning, not that 
that's a bad thing, but if we're just going to be engaging in 
a survey of Christology, that's not all that we're doing. There 
is immense practicality in what we're going to be looking at 
this morning. There is immense application in studying the person 
of Christ here at Philippians 2.7. So notice first his self-emptying 
by taking upon himself man's nature. Notice the language here 
in verse 7. But made himself of no reputation. Other versions render that the 
NIV made himself nothing. The NASB and the ESV, he emptied 
himself. So Christ, who being in the form 
of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied 
himself, made himself of no reputation. Now note, we said that this main 
point that we're considering now is his self-emptying by taking 
upon himself man's nature. So what does this not mean then 
when we come across this language in verse 7 where we have just 
been confronted with his loftiness, who being in the form of God 
and not considering equality with God something to be held 
on to at all costs, but made himself of no reputation. What 
does that mean? Or if you have a version that 
says he emptied himself, that's curious language. What does that 
mean? Well, first, what it does not 
mean. It does not mean that He did 
not press His divine prerogatives. This is what we mean by that. 
You see, some think that this whole hymn, that this whole exhortation 
is from the vantage point of Christ already being in the flesh. 
He's already incarnate. And so this language, making 
himself of no reputation, simply pertains to the fact that he 
didn't press his divinity while on earth. Now, we do have examples 
of that, and that is true. While Christ went about doing 
good in his humanity, in his messianic work, according to 
the charge of the Father, when he went about doing good on earth, 
he didn't press his deity all the time, did he? He's a man 
of sorrows, acquainted with grief. We did not esteem him, Isaiah 
says. He went about the earth doing 
good, and he didn't always press his divine prerogatives. Remember 
the example of his temptation in the desert. When Satan tempts 
him to press his divine prerogatives, Christ is resolute to his messianic 
task, and he doesn't cave to the temptations of the devil. 
Remember on the night in which Christ was betrayed. Remember 
what Peter does. He takes his sword, he unsheathes 
his sword, and he lops off the ear of Malchus, the servant. 
Christ heals the servant, puts the ear back on in sovereign 
power. And what does Christ say? He 
says, do you not know that I could call to my aid twelve legions 
of angels? But in order that it must be 
fulfilled, the Christ going to be delivered up into wicked hands, 
crucified and rise again the third day, let it happen thus, 
in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. So there 
is a reality to this, that Christ did not press his divine prerogatives 
while on earth. We do have glimpses of his deity 
though, the Mount of Transfiguration. where there is a sort of unveiling, 
if you will, of His deity, and they beheld His glory as of the 
only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. We have 
an example of His divine power when the storm takes captive 
the boat upon the Sea of Galilee. We have that wonderful account 
where it really is, if we were to read later on in Psalm 107, 
in the scripture, the call to worship this morning, Psalm 107 
says that God has the power to raise up the stormy winds which 
lift up the waves of the sea, and He calms the storm so that 
its waves are still. Christ. in His divine power does 
that in His earthly ministry. So yes, Christ does not press 
His divine prerogatives. He doesn't always call upon His 
deity as He goes about the earth doing good. But this is a man 
attested to you, Peter says, who goes about the earth doing 
good. But what does this mean then? 
But we're actually continuing with what it doesn't mean. So 
it doesn't mean that he did not press his divine prerogatives. 
Secondly, it doesn't mean that he lost anything of the glory 
of his divinity. When we read, but he emptied 
himself, this does not mean that for a time or forever, it does 
not mean that for a time or forever, he cast off his deity. God cannot cease to be God. When we read before, being in 
the form of God, which carries with it, remember, the weight 
of being very God. The nature, the essence, the 
indivisible substance of deity Christ has. He's equal with the 
Father, laud and honor to the Father, laud and honor to the 
Son. And so when we read, "...but made Himself of no reputation 
or emptied Himself, let it never enter into our minds that Christ 
cast off His deity, that He ceased to be what He ever and always 
was, God in essence and in truth." That is not what the text means. God cannot stop being God. The 
One who is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable cannot incur 
loss. He doesn't stand in want and 
in need of gain, but He also cannot incur loss. Brethren, 
when we use that sort of language, we're not simply trafficking 
in theology proper considerations, who is God? That's glorious stuff. Our God cannot change. He cannot 
incur loss. He doesn't stand in need of gain. 
He is perfect, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in all of His 
glorious perfections. Let the trumpets blast and let 
us all fall down in worship. So, what does it mean then? What 
does it mean? Made himself of no reputation. 
The old boys would say things like this. Chrysostom, while 
he remained what he was, he took that which he was not. Turretin, 
echoing the same sentiment, writes, "...emptied himself is not to 
be taken simply and absolutely as if he ceased to be God, which 
is impious even to think. He emptied himself not by putting 
off what he was, but by assuming that which he was not." And finally, 
Gill, "...though he took that which he had not before, he lost 
nothing of what he had." You see the consistent echo from 
the apostles all the way through to that Baptist Gil in the 18th 
century, born at the end of the 17th, but a minister in the 18th. You see the constant stream of 
recognizing the glory of Christ in divinity unchanging, but in 
taking on humanity. So what does it mean then, but 
made himself of no reputation? The answer comes with the very 
next clause, with the very next part of that sentence. Taking 
the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. 
You see how Christ emptied Himself, not by casting off that which 
He was, but by taking on that which He was not. Man, He takes 
the form of a bondservant, coming in the likeness of men, and that 
is the means by which we have this self-emptying. You know 
where the early church would go to argue for this glorious 
truth that He did not cast off that which He was, but took on 
that which He was not? Go to John 1 for a moment. I 
think we had a look at that last time, perhaps under a subtly 
different consideration, but notice in John 1, where would 
we go to see the fact that when Christ takes on flesh, He doesn't cast off that which 
He was, but rather being what He always was, God in essence 
and truth, He takes on something which He was not before. Notice 
in John 1 at verse 14. With the reality in our minds 
that the Word is God from verse 1. And the Word became flesh 
and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the 
only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." So 
you see, let's just say for example that John had only written and 
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Let's just say that's 
sort of all we had there. We have other Bibles, so we know 
the truth. We know what happens. But someone 
could just take that, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among 
us, take it to mean that the Word was something, but He became 
something else. That He morphed into or changed 
into flesh. That deity became flesh. No longer 
deity, but now flesh. But you see, it goes on, and 
we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, 
full of grace and truth. They were looking upon this Christ 
and they saw a man, but they knew by virtue of the fact that 
if they see Him, they see the Father. They knew by virtue of 
who Christ was. that this One is very God of 
very God, light from light. And so we have the reality that 
yes, He became flesh, but He did not cast off that which He 
was. as we are working towards a consideration 
of the Incarnation. The reason we have to glory in 
the Incarnation is it's variegated. There's so many sides to the 
glorious truth of the Incarnation that Christ took on our nature 
in order to redeem the sons of men. This is something that we 
glory in or that we ought not to glory in once a year around 
the time encompassing the 25th of December. Each and every day 
we draw breath, and I'm not trying to be hyperbolic here. Each and 
every day that we draw breath, we are to rejoice in the Incarnation. That eternal God would take on 
temporal man, take on our humanity in order to redeem guilty sinners. 
You know, when we come to the Incarnation, this truth that 
God did not cast off that which He was, but condescended in taking 
on to Himself that which He was not, consider some of the language 
that we use as Christians. Christ descending from heaven. 
You know, the old creeds would say things, they do say things, 
like Christ, when they're identifying Christ, He's God of God, light 
of light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, one in being 
with the Father, who for us men and for our salvation came down 
from heaven. But you see, that language, That 
language betrays a measure of inaccuracy, because God did not 
leave heaven and come down, departing from a place where He no longer 
is, and coming to a place where He was not before. What do I 
mean by that? Calvin says he descended from 
heaven in such a way that, without leaving heaven, he willed to 
be born in a virgin's womb, to go about the earth doing good. But he ever and always was that 
one who filled the heavens and the earth, even from the beginning. You see the glory of our Christian 
doctrine of the incarnation? We don't have a Greco-Roman-Egyptian 
sort of deity that is bedecked in robes with maybe an animal 
head, who inhabits physically and spatially a place in the 
sky somewhere, who condescends. He's nowhere there now because 
he's left and he's come down on a chariot or some strange 
thing, and he goes about the earth doing whatever, and then 
goes back to another place. We need to divest ourselves of 
any sort of pagan conceptions of God. You know, the old creeds 
would say things like, he who wishes to be saved, or he who 
is to be saved, must think thus of the Trinity and Christ. Christ 
did not descend from heaven leaving heaven, but he descended in such 
a way that without leaving heaven, he willed to be born of a virgin, 
to go about the earth, to do good, to die upon a cross, to 
rise again, to ascend, and to now ever live to make intercession 
for his people. Brethren, Christ, the point is 
that this emptying in Philippians 2, if you can find your way back 
there, this making himself of no reputation does not mean that 
he cast off divinity, but it does mean that he took on the 
form of a bondservant. Let's move on to that now. The 
second aspect, the first aspect of his self-emptying was making 
himself of no reputation. And it is by taking the form 
of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of man. Note the 
language is that Christ does this voluntarily. But made Himself 
of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming 
in the likeness of man. Christ engages in the task of 
incarnation and His messianic work. He does so voluntarily. 
He does so freely, not by obligation, not by any sort of natural compulsion 
or natural obligation, but rather He does so freely and voluntarily. He takes to Himself man's nature, 
taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of 
man. Now, brethren, just by way of 
application here, to interrupt the flow of looking at the text 
with a bit of application, This is often application that I bring 
out, and hopefully you see it's warranted and not simply repetitive, 
but this is to incite the believer to worship. We're to admire Christ. That's 
the language of John Gill. You know, John Gill, if you read 
his commentaries, a lot of the time he's very technical, brilliant, 
technical observations, very sort of, you know, I don't want 
to... His language isn't, let's say, 
as poetic as Spurgeon. But there are times where he 
punctuates points and he is poetic. And at the point of Philippians 
2, 5-11, he says this, take these two things, form of God and form 
of a bondservant, and admire the amazing stoop. We are to 
admire. Christ. Not the admire, you know, 
not the admire that we use in our common parlance. You know, 
we can use the word admire for low things. It's kind of like 
the word awesome. I think the 1980s destroyed the 
word awesome. Yeah, anybody lived in the 80s 
and you were, you know, in your, you know, teenage years perhaps 
or something like that, the 80s ruined the word awesome because 
awesome was just applied to everything. The wave I caught off the beach, 
that was awesome. The ketchup chip bag that I had, 
that was awesome. The steak I ate, whatever. Those 
things were awesome. But you see, the psalmist says, 
our God is awesome and a great king. It's the same with the 
word admire. We can use it wholesomely. I 
really admire that the way that family preps their food into 
Tupperware containers, that's admirable. But you see, admire 
is to be lifted up from common parlance to heavenly considerations 
when we think of this Christ. The One who is infinite, eternal, 
and unchangeable took on finitude, temporality, mutability. Without casting off His infinitude, 
His eternality, and the fact that He's unchangeable, He took 
on the nature of us who are finite, who are temporal, who are changeable. He took on, our confession says, 
our essential properties and our common infirmities. Christ 
endured weakness. Some of the things we ought to 
admire, to borrow Augustine's word, the preacher labors under 
a great dearth of words to adequately explain and to open up the doctrine 
of the Incarnation. The preacher really does labor 
under a dearth. That is a notable absence, kids. 
We labor under a notable absence of words to adequately encapsulate 
the glory and the mystery of the Trinity and of the Incarnation. But consider some things when 
we're talking about taking on the form of a bondservant and 
coming in the likeness of men. Consider some things here. The 
one who formed the womb is formed in a womb. I think the language 
of Thomas Watson is something like the one who hung the stars 
hangs upon a breast. The one who created the dust 
of the earth and who brought forth man from the dust of the 
earth and breathed life into him now takes on the form of 
the one he brought up from the dust and he walks upon the dust 
of Jerusalem. Brethren, we need to admire. We need to worship. You see, 
it doesn't stop with this Christ hanging upon the breast of a 
woman or walking the dust of Jerusalem. It continues in this 
hymn, and we'll get there next week, but it continues in being 
found in appearance as a man. He humbled himself and became 
obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 
The one who fixed the stars in place, yes, hung upon the breast 
of a woman, but also hung upon that cross of ignominy. giving 
Himself for guilty sinners. Admire. Worship. So it's voluntary. He takes to Himself our nature. He makes Himself of no reputation. And notice that it's not only 
assumed humanity in view, but it's also servanthood. Notice 
the language of the text here. Taking the form of a bondservant 
and coming in the likeness of men. He takes the form of, what, 
a bondservant. You know, this would have brought 
much cheer to the hearts of those we sort of talked about just 
a little bit in passing a couple Sundays ago. Remember that we 
noted that, what's his name again? Pliny the Younger, I think it 
was. Pliny the Younger, and he's writing to Trajan. It's around 
the year 112. And he's writing remarking that these Christians 
are gathering together on a fixed day, and they're singing a hymn 
to Christ as to a God. And they gather together in the 
wee hours of the morning. Why? Because most of them were 
likely slaves. They were bondservants. This 
Christ, this highly exalted One, comes to our lowliness, but you 
see, it's not just, though that is condescension, that He takes 
on the form of humanity, but rather He's in the form of a 
bondservant. We'll get to it in a number of 
moments here. He humbles Himself. That's just 
not repetition of the incarnation, though it is that, but it's also 
the manner in which He went about the earth doing good. It does 
so as a servant, as a bondservant, as even a slave. It's not simply 
assumed in humanity and view, though that is immense condescension, 
but it's also servanthood. And make no mistake, when you're 
reading your Bibles, when you read this passage, for example, 
and you see the language of bondservant, If you've read your Bible, if 
you've come to church for years, and if you're familiar with the 
Old and the New Testaments, your mind should be working a bit 
here when you land upon form of a bondservant. Hopefully your 
mind goes back and it thinks, Isaiah. It thinks, Isaianic promise. My servant whom I uphold. That's how the Father speaks 
of the Son. My servant whom I uphold, I'll 
put My Spirit upon Him, and He will be a light to the Gentiles. Here we have Paul and these Christians, 
us, by virtue of singing this hymn and reading this hymn to 
Christ as to God, reflecting upon the reality that this Christ 
is the promised servant of Isaiah who would come in the fullness 
of the times. to give His life for guilty sinners. Two, prior 
to that, instruct men as He goes about in the days of His flesh, 
preaching only verity ever and always from His lips, proclaiming 
the glory of the Kingdom and salvation by Him, and then He's 
delivered up into the hands of wicked men, crucified, risen 
again and ascended, and He still speaks His truth by His Spirit 
through His church. You know, this is another application 
here. If you think, what's practical about rehearsing Christology, 
rehearsing first the deity of Christ and then his humanity, 
that he really did take man's nature? What do we get out of 
that? Hopefully, we just realize that 
this is to bring us to worship. But brethren, this also serves 
to exhort us and instruct us that we are to be in church. 
You might be thinking, oh, here we go again, another guilt trip 
to come to church. If you're a Christian, it's never 
a guilt trip to come to church, is it? When a preacher says you 
need to be in church, yes. It's our joy. Our absolute joy. But you see, this Christ, who 
came down from heaven for us men and for our salvation, He 
is present with His people when they gather together in church. 
Have you ever thought about this? When Christ appears after His 
crucifixion, He appears when? Well, He's resurrected on a Sunday, 
and He appears on that first Sunday to His disciples. If you read the Gospel accounts, 
if you read, for example, John 20, what we read is that Eight 
days later, He appears again to the disciples on the eighth 
day. And that language doesn't just 
simply mean eight days later. It means a full week after the 
first instance. Which means that on another Sunday, 
on the second Sunday, Christ appeared to His disciples and 
said, peace to you. And spoke to Thomas and said, 
put your hands here and see that it is I. You see, we are just 
like those disciples, in a special and in a different way, but we 
are just like those disciples every time we come to church. 
Christ comes on Sundays, and He's found in the midst of His 
people. Just like He did on those Resurrection Sundays, our Christ 
is here. He's here by His Spirit. His 
humanity is at the right hand of God. In His humanity, He's 
exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on High. But, brothers 
and sisters, He's walking in the midst of His lampstands. 
What's practical about a rehearsal of this hymn? This champion proclaimed 
and sung about in this stanza, in these stanzas, is with us 
now. Worship Him and fellowship with 
Him. He is our worship leader. Our precious Christ. He's the 
servant to the Father. He's also a servant to men. When 
He assumes our humanity, remember the words of Christ Himself. 
What is the purpose of His humanity? What is the purpose of Him taking 
to Himself our nature? Matthew 20. Let's turn there. 
This is a passage you ought to know well. Matthew 20. Specifically, verse 28. But we 
want to back up a little bit. just to rehearse some of the 
things that are going on in the context of that grand statement 
that closes out the section. Notice in Matthew 20, beginning 
in verse 22, Matthew 20, 22, But Jesus answered and said, 
You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup 
that I am about to drink? And well, actually, sorry, let's 
back up even further. Verse 20, I apologize. Then the 
mother of Zebedee's sons came to him with her sons, kneeling 
down and asking something from him. And he said to her, What 
do you wish? She said to him, Grant that these 
two sons of mine may sit one on your right hand and the other 
on the left in your kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, 
You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup 
that I am about to drink and be baptized with the baptism 
that I am baptized with? They said to him, We are able. 
So he said to them, You will indeed drink my cup and be baptized 
with the baptism that I am baptized with. But to sit on my right 
hand and on my left is not mine to give, but is for those for 
whom it is prepared by my Father. And when the ten heard it, they 
were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called 
them to Himself and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles 
lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority 
over them. Yet it shall not be so among 
you. But whoever desires to become 
great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires 
to be first among you, let him be your slave. just as the Son 
of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His 
life a ransom for many." You know, I think it's very often 
the case that we consider this text, whether reading it or perhaps 
hearing a preacher mention it, and we're brought to the place 
of considering the cross of Christ. And you should. I mean, it says 
here, give His life a ransom for many. So, a destination in 
your contemplation ought to be the crux of Christianity, the 
crucifixion of the Son of God upon Calvary's cross. But you 
see, the Son of Man did not come to be served. You know, the incarnation 
just isn't the vehicle unto the cross death. Though, remember, 
the cross is that prime crux of our high and holy religion. 
But remember, the Incarnation bears to us the reality or brings 
to us the reality that this Christ came and He was a servant. He 
was a slave. You have to be drawn to at least 
a consideration that perhaps Paul has in mind here in Philippians 
2, 1-11, the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's speak here with regards 
to whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. Before that, whoever desires 
to become great among you, let him be your servant. I love what 
Calvin says on this, because remember, as we're working through 
this, hopefully this is continually plowed up in your minds. The 
reality, the whole point of this hymn that we have rehearsed over 
the last three Sundays Since then the Son of God descended 
from so great a height, how unreasonable that we who are nothing should 
be lifted up with pride." That's Calvin. He says this on the words 
of Christ in Matthew 20, 26 specifically. These words are employed in an 
unusual sense. For ambition does not allow a 
man to be devoted, or rather to be subject to his brethren. 
Abject flattery, I do acknowledge, is practiced by those who aspire 
to honors, but nothing is further from their intention than to 
serve. But Christ's meaning is not difficult to be perceived. 
As every man is carried away by a love of himself, he declares 
that this passion ought to be directed to a different object. Let the only greatness, eminence, 
and rank which you desire be to submit to your brethren, and 
let this be your primacy, to be the servants of all." You 
see, this rubs against the minds of men, doesn't it? Our natural 
inclination is to be honored. Our natural inclination is to 
receive praise. We don't want to submit. We don't 
want to subject. You know, even sitting in a restaurant, 
we might even reject a salad because it's not moist enough. 
That's how special and awesome we are. We don't want to subject 
ourselves. We don't want to submit and to 
be humble. Naturally, it's not the human inclination to cast 
off pride and to put on humility. It rises up in the hearts of 
the sons of men to put on pride and to suppress any exhortations 
to humility. This is why this hymn to Christ 
comes as a dart to the heart of every Christian, to be sure. 
It comes as a dart to the heart of everyone, I hope, that the 
God of heaven and earth would come down from His loftiness 
to be a servant not only of His Father in the nature assumed, 
but also to be a servant to us. That He would come not to be 
served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. admire, 
worship, and imitate. Because this Christ, not only 
was He equal with the Father but condescended, but takes on 
our humanity and even serves us. What glorious stuff we have 
in our Christ, in our God, and in His Christ. Notice as well 
the contrasts that we have here. If you find your way back to 
Philippians 2, The last two Sundays I went long 
and I intend, emphasis on intend, I intend not to go long as long 
as I did the last two Sundays. But let's continue with this 
by noting that there are some contrasts that this hymn to Christ 
as to God is to bring to our minds. Hopefully one of the many 
of the things that we do as Christians is to remark after and to glory 
in Contrasts that the word of God brings to us. The first of 
course is deity and humanity and We see this wonderful contrast 
in the hymn, this one who is in his very nature, eternally 
God, equal with the Father, who comes and takes to himself man's 
nature. The contrast between deity and 
humanity, that which is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, takes 
on finitude, temporality, and mutability. But secondly, we 
have remarked in the past, and this is a second contrast, we've 
remarked in the past What we have going on here isn't primarily 
this but this is here nevertheless for the consideration remember 
that in Philippi We had Philip II of Macedon who had a shrine 
in the city. He exalted himself to a place 
of deity. He being man, and man alone, 
exalted himself to a place of deity and set himself alongside 
the 12 major gods of the Greco-Roman pantheon of that time. You see 
the contrast there. The exaltation from humanity, 
the wrongful. the vainglorious exaltation of 
humanity to the point of deity. But this Christ, who has full 
and unabridged deity and equality with the Father, takes on Himself 
humanity. You see the contrast between 
our King, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, and earthly 
kings. It's the earthly king's heart, 
it's the mindset of an earthly king to exalt himself. In this 
case of Philip II of Macedon, the namesake for Philippi, it 
was to exalt himself to the place of deity. The same would go in 
the context with the Roman emperors of that time, imperial cult. 
the exaltation of Caesars to the place of deity. And in the 
context of the Christian religion, our brothers and sisters 2,000 
years ago would bump up against that imperial cult. And if they 
did not, as we remember from that whole Trajan-Pliny thing, 
if they did not bow a knee to Caesar and cast off obedience 
and allegiance to Christ, they were ultimately put to death. 
But this Christ, again, he condescends from a position of eternal glory 
and takes on himself humanity. There's another contrast here, 
and we're moving towards a point to introduce what we'll look 
at next week. But there's another point of contrast here. The contrast 
between Christ and us. It's an obvious contrast. None 
of us are God. None of us ever condescended 
from a place of highness to a place of lowliness. In fact, our humility, 
as we'll note from Calvin in a few moments, our humility is 
not seen in condescending because we don't have any high place 
from which to condescend. Our humility is seen in not estimating 
ourselves as high. Because we're already low. We're 
the sons of man, we're not the son of God. But there's a strike 
contrast here between Christ and us. And you see, the imploring 
of the Apostle Paul is to rise us up with our regenerate hearts 
and in our Christianity to be like the Christ of our profession. We are to suppress by the Spirit 
of God that natural inclination to exalt ourselves and be like 
Christ in the context of the church, to serve and to be a 
servant to all. to condescend, as it were. No, 
not even to condescend, but to take on humility, to cast off 
pride, and to be like this Christ. But you see, before we close, 
we want to remark after this, and we'll look at this more next 
time, in the context of obedience unto cross death. There's a fourth 
contrast here, and it's the contrast between two atoms. Adam the first, 
who thrusts humanity into sin and depravity, and Adam the second, 
who comes in the fullness of times to restore the blessings 
lost by first Adam, though in a much more excellent way, and 
to undo, to answer the curse of condemnation for sin by the 
giving of himself upon Calvary's tree. You see, when we get to 
obedience next Lord's Day, where we read, being found in appearance 
as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point 
of death, even the death of the cross. Make no mistake that there 
is to be a contrast made there between Adam, that one who by 
his disobedience thrust humanity into sin and depravity, Just 
as that Adam thrust all of us into sin by His disobedience, 
this last Adam, this One who is deity and humanity, perfect 
Godhead and perfect manhood in one Person, this One comes as 
the second Adam, and by the perfection of His obedience, we're raised 
to glory and we have a righteousness not our own that avails with 
God. Brethren, Christianity, presents 
to the world the only religion that has the stuff of eternal 
glory and blessed salvation. We're not a religious option 
out there among many that bring to the hearts of men legitimate 
options to consider for their journey in this lower sojourn. Christianity is a religion about 
the God-man who redeems guilty sinners from their sins, who 
brings the elect to glory by virtue of the perfection of his 
obedience and his perfect cross-death. Glorious things to consider in 
our Christ taking to himself. man's nature. We'll get to this 
next time. The contrast isn't only seen 
in obedience here, this contrast of the two Adams, the disobedient 
Adam and the gloriously obedient Christ. It's not only there, 
but it's also the entire hymn, the contrast. Adam sought to 
exalt himself to deity by taking of the fruit offered to him by 
the deception of the serpent by way of Eve. He went from a 
position of humanity and sought after something that was not 
His, but Christ having something that is His eternally, condescended 
to take on the nature of the sons of those who were thrust 
into sin by Adam, to redeem us. It's absolutely glorious. Hopefully, 
I might not be explaining it well, but hopefully you're entering 
into the glory of the incarnation and the salvation that Christ 
brings to the sons of man. What a glorious story. True story. The glorious verity. The truthfulness 
of the Word of God. Well, let's just close by noting 
his self-humiliation, engaging in man's nature according to 
his task. Notice the language here. 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. You see, what we're supposed 
to see here, well, first off, in being found in appearance 
as a man. I don't know if we can properly 
enter into, maybe that's not the right language, an appreciation 
for the true and real humanity of Christ, as it may have touched 
the early Christians here. Christ really did become man. 
He didn't just come as the specter outwardly appearing in the form 
of a man. It wasn't just a phantom. The 
incarnation of Christ, Christ going about as a man, wasn't 
only outwardly that He looked like a man, but rather that He 
really did take on humanity. Body and reasonable soul. He 
had a human mind. He is fully man, yet without 
sin. You see, the early Christians, 
if you read 1 John 1, for example, and in fact, turn there. 1 John 
1. You may or may not know this, 
but the early Christians were dealing with a heresy, perhaps 
not fully formed and fully organized, but influenced by paganism. They were saying that Christ 
only appeared as a man. That he only looked outwardly 
as a man, but he was a specter, a phantom. He had the outward 
form of a man, but he was not truly humanity. And John is writing 
in opposition to those very heretics. He's writing in opposition to 
those who were saying that Christ had not come in the flesh. In 
fact, he is anti-Christ who says that Christ has not come in the 
flesh. And notice the beginning of 1 
John. Notice what we find here. That 
which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we 
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our 
hands have handled concerning the Word of Life. The life was 
manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and declare 
to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested 
to us. That which we have seen and heard, 
we declare to you that you also may have fellowship with us, 
and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, 
Jesus Christ, and these things we write to you that your joy 
may be full." You know, what is one of the reasons why their 
joy may be full? What is one of the things that 
constitutes the proper joy that they are to have? The realization 
that Christ really did take on humanity. He was not a phantom, 
because if He was, as one of the early church fathers said, 
if Christ was a phantom, then our salvation is a phantom also. You see the importance of Christ 
taking on humanity, that your joy may be full? That's connected 
to the reality of Christ taking on humanity such that these could 
cast their eyes upon Him and their hands could handle. Luke 
in his gospel at the end, recounting, writing concerning, Luke wasn't 
there, but writing concerning with divine inspiration the resurrection 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. What is he writing there? Christ 
himself uses the language in his resurrection, I'm not a phantom, 
I'm not a spirit, I'm not a specter, I have flesh and blood just like 
you. He eats broiled fish and honeycomb. You know, what was the end of 
Christ's eating broiled fish and honeycomb to counter the 
later Christological heretics? Well, in part. But it was to 
bring joy to His disciples, so that they might know that He 
really is the Christ that walked with them, and taught them, and 
talked with them, and that died for their sins. See, the humanity 
of Christ, the doctrine that Christ took to himself, humanity, 
isn't just a concept, a theological truth reserved for the contemplations 
of ivory tower theologians. It's absolutely practical, and 
do you know how practical it is? It's so practical, brothers 
and sisters, that it forms part of the basis for our very salvation. What's an application in rehearsing 
that Christ took upon himself the form of a bondservant? It 
is to rejoice in your salvation. Because if Christ was a phantom, 
so too is our salvation. Christ is not a phantom. He took 
to himself man's nature with all the essential properties 
and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin. Oh, confessional 
language! Glorious confessional language! 
It's our salvation found in that. You know what else is of application 
here? that Christ truly took upon Himself, 
our nature, that He humbled Himself, He's not just found in outward 
appearance as a man, but He took on humanity, is the suffering 
under persecution by Christians throughout the ages of the Church. 
Do you know that on His way to Rome, at least if history is 
any guide, on His way to Rome, Ignatius, Ignatius was born around 
35 AD, right around the time of the crucifixion of Christ. 
He was a disciple of John the Apostle, Ignatius was. And it's 
told that on his way to Rome to be martyred, he wrote a number 
of epistles. And one of the epistles he wrote 
regarding the error that Christ was only a phantom, that he didn't 
take on himself true humanity. And his application was this. 
Why am I suffering in chains if Christ is a phantom you see 
those who are suffering for the cause of Christ? Their suffering 
is sanctified and consecrated and blessed because Christ himself 
suffered and you see that's the point when we just read there 
that Christ took on humility that he he made himself humble 
to the point of obedience and His humility is seen in so many 
things, but one of the things it's seen in is that He took 
to Himself suffering unto the cross death. And such suffering 
then sanctifies every persecuted saint out there. In fact, I'm 
ending in 1 minute and 47 seconds. In Philippians, notice this language 
of suffering. You see, this hymn to Christ 
as to God, answers so many of the exhortations that we have 
by the Apostle Paul in Philippians. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, 
I say rejoice. Why? Because the lofty one made 
himself lowly, that he might be lifted up upon a tree, that 
upon the perfection of his saving work he might be raised to the 
right hand of the Majesty on high. Another exhortation here 
comes in verse 28. And not in any way terrified 
by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition. This is Philippians 1.28. 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. See, Christ humbles himself to 
the point of death in order that, this isn't the prime thing, it's 
to save sinners from their sins, but also in order that those 
who follow after him in their suffering will not be suffering 
in vain because he himself also suffered. Consider that one, 
the apostle Paul writes in 12.3, who suffered under the persecution 
of the Jews and the Romans and was delivered up upon a tree. 
You have not yet suffered unto bloodshed, but this one suffered 
to give his life a ransom for many. Consider him in your suffering. And brethren, it's a help to 
us, and we'll close to this. It's a help to us in our temptations. What is a practical application 
of this doctrine that Christ took to himself man's nature? 
It's that he's a help to us in our temptations. We've already 
noted the prime thing and let it never escape our minds that 
the prime reason for Christ to take humanity is to save his 
elect, his people, from their sins. To save a multitude of 
sinners that no man can number. But as you go home and as you 
go through your week and you struggle with sin, you struggle 
with the devil, your own flesh, and the world around you seeking 
to pull yourself away from Christ and all that is Christ, pull 
you down into the pit of depravity and sin. fighting against those 
things, fighting against temptation. Remember our Christ. Hebrews 
2.14, "...inasmuch 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, or take on the nature of angels, but 
He does give aid to the seed of Abraham, or take on the nature 
of the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had 
to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and 
faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation 
for the sins of the people." There's that prime thrust. Incarnation 
and the assumption of humanity by Christ, but notice verse 18, 
for in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to 
aid those who are tempted. Brethren, when you're tempted, 
have you ever, when you're being tempted to fall into sin, have 
you ever dwelt upon Christ? See, that's the point Paul's 
bringing forth here. We have this high priest who 
suffered, who has been tempted. When you're being tempted, think 
of Christ. Pray to Christ. Remember, He's the second person 
of the blessed triune God. Christ, give me strength. Christ, bless me with the knowledge 
of Your presence, with the grace of endurance, with the grace 
of resistance. Contemplate that Christ who came 
into this world, who took upon himself man's nature, that he 
might bring many sons to glory, and that he might also provide 
help in time of need. Brethren, next week we will observe 
the Lord's Supper. You're a Christian in this church 
right now. The application is where are 
you when the Lord's Supper is being served? Where are you when 
the supper is being spread out by our God in remembrance of 
this Christ that we are rehearsing in Philippians 2? Are there greater 
things to be doing when the supper is being served? Are there better 
things, if you're a Christian here this morning, to be doing 
when the supper is being served? Christ said, do this in remembrance 
of me. And who are we remembering but 
the lofty one? who put on our lowliness in order 
that we who are lowly might be brought in eternal life to that 
place of loftiness. If you're here this morning and 
you reject Christ, you don't believe in Him, know that this 
same Christ, we read later on, every knee will bow, every tongue 
will confess that He's Christ, the glory of God the Father, 
will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. You 
do not want to fall under the heavy and the righteous hand 
of Christ in everlasting condemnation and judgment. Believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. And you'll have that 
hand that grips your soul for eternity. Nothing can snatch 
it away. Nothing can snatch you away from 
the sovereign grip of this One who came, who died, who rose 
again, who ascended. And all who believe in Him now 
have everlasting life. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, 
we thank you for your time together and your word. We rejoice that 
we can rehearse the glories of our Christ. We pray, Lord God, 
that you would forgive us of our sins. God, that you would 
help us in our thoughts to contemplate so often the glories of our Christ, 
to rehearse his perfections, to rehearse his conquerings, 
to rehearse the fact that a true God took on true humanity. and 
gave His life for guilty sinners. We pray, Lord God, that by Your 
grace and for Your glory, You would even now save, that You 
would be here presently by Your Spirit, raising forth dead sinners 
to life, that You would be strengthening now Your saints, and that You 
would cause us to leave this place rejoicing in You, seeking 
to live in a manner worthy of free and sovereign grace. And 
we pray in the name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.