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.
Opening Prayer
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.
Introduction
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.
Self-Emptying by Assuming Human Nature
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,
What Self-Emptying Does Not Mean
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.
Christ Did Not Lose His Divinity
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?
Taking the Form of a Bondservant
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.
The Voluntary Character of the Incarnation
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.
Contrasts in the Hymn
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.
Deity and Humanity
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
Christ and Earthly Kings
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.
Christ and Us
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.
The Two Adams
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.
Self-Humiliation in Man's Nature
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.
Closing Prayer
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.
Scripture References
- Psalm 107:25-29
- Matthew 20:20-28
- John 1:1; 1:14
- Philippians 1:28-29; 2:1-11
- Hebrews 2:14-18; 12:3
- 1 John 1:1-4