Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus’ told of our Lord’s heart attitude, which we, too, must have. He gave us His command, as well as setting us a perfect example, (v5) which contradicts the standard of this present world. Many claim, ‘I’ve got a mind of my own - and no-one will change it.‘ God’s Spirit challenges such bragging when He begins to work in the life of a defiant one.

This truth is also in 2 Corinthians 10:9 , where ‘we must cast down every imagination and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.’ If God’s standard were .high.for His Son- why not for us His children? ‘Let this mind be in you.’

Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery ( a thing to be grasped at) to be equal with God’ described the Son’s oneness with His Father from all eternity. The Son did not seize anything that belonged to the Father. ( v6) Our Lord Jesus was in the ‘nature’of God, linked with the Father and the Holy Spirit, being fully co-equal. The Son did not grasp at equality with the Father , as satan struggled to seize control of heaven’s authority, and displace God from His reign. Thank God the latter was thrown out of heaven. .And routed at the cross.

He made Himself of no reputation’ was contrary to all human desires, for we are taught to present ourselves as favourably as possible. . Our educational system fosters self-esteem. In contrast, the Saviour humbled Himself before heaven and earth. He chose a virgin as mother with all the inevitable, whispered scandal of pregnancy out of wedlock; ( even though miraculously conceived of the Holy Spirit. . He developed normally as every other human, for scripture showed how ’He grew in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man’ He chose Nazareth as his home for 30 years, and, as a carpenter, moulded the forest wood , that He, as Creator and Sustainer, had nurtured.

He allowed the temple guards to arrest and bind Him, even though they fell to the ground in His Presence. He submitted to the brutal flogging of the cat and nine tails.

He winced when they jerked the hair from His face and punched Him. . Men dragged His character into the dust. We marvel how He humbled Himself willingly.

He took on Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man’ told of His incarnation, being God in human form. Wesley said, "He was contracted to a span", describing the miracle of the infinite God becoming a helpless babe, totally dependent o n the flow of oxygen from His mother’s womb; and the nourishing milk from her breasts. .

He fed the famishing 5000, He healed the desperate leper, He gave sight to the groping blind; He washed His haranguing disciples’ feet. He was the perfect Servant.

He was found in fashion as a Man’ as He wept at Lazarus’grave, while He slept in the thick of the storm, He hungered at Jacob’s well; and thirsted at the cross. He was ‘very God of very God’, yet perfect man. His true manhood equipped Him to be the great High Priest. ( v8) He was ‘touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin’, thus shaping Him to be our great High Priest. "

He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death’ ( v 8 ). Death had no claim on God’s dear Son with His sinless, perfect life. He came from eternity with no corruption or decay, spoiling His character. He submitted to a death that he did not deserve.. ‘He died in my place, for I deserved to die as a sinner. . Our dear Lord understood the coldness of death, the isolation, the irreversible nature of death as bodily weakness advanced, that it turned upside-down God’s perfect creation.. Yet, He became obedient unto death. He tasted death for every man, so we could say, Oh, death, where is your sting?’( 1 Cor 15 ) Oh, how He loved us – even unto death.

Even the death of the cross’ ( v9), the ultimate in human degradation and suffering, administered by the callous Roman guards. No one chose to die by such torture, except the Son of the most High God. The Jews sought to stone Him to death, but the Almighty God forestalled them, so that His dearly-beloved Son could fulfil every requirement of the Old Testament.

If the Jews had stoned God’s Son, they would have fractured His body, as they did Stephen’s in the stoning supervised by Saul. However, the Scriptures plainly taught that ‘not a bone of His body was broken ‘ that death by the cross would prove the prophetic word was accurate. That strengthened my faith. I hope it does your’s.

Isaiah 53 writes ‘He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.’ Psalm 22 records ‘They pierced My hands and My feet.’ Only the cross-sufferings of the perfect Son of Man could satisfy the demands of our holy God, so providing a great salvation.

Paul showed how the Saviour humbled Himself even unto such a disgraceful death. We worship Him.. He died as our Substitute. He rose again as our Conqueror. .

These are the steps our beloved Saviour took when He surrendered Himself to the shame of the cross and to His heavenly father’s perfect will.

Millions today call Him their personal Saviour. Have you invited Him to save you? Why not do so by bowing your head and praying,

‘Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I have broken God’s holy laws.

Please wash my heart from every stain of sin, I repent of all my wrong-doing

I ask the Lord Jesus to come in; to pardon all my evil; and give me your gift of eternal life.

Thank you for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ Name put your name there.