Condescension of the Lord of life Phil 2:5-8

Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus’ told of the heart attitude we must have. It was His command, as well as our perfect example. .(v5)

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 usurp anything that belonged to the Father. ( v6)

He made Himself of no reputation’ was contrary to all human desires, for we are taught to present ourselves in the best light. Our educational systems majors on our self-esteem. In contrast, the Saviour humbled Himself before heaven and earth. He chose a virgin as mother with all the inevitable, whispered scandal. He accepted normal development that every human undergoes.’He grew in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man’ He chose Nazareth for his 3o years, and, as a carpenter, moulded the wood from the forests, that He, as Creator and Sustainer, had nurtured.

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.

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

He was found in fashion as a Man’ as He wept at the grave of Lazarus, 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 perfect manhood qualified Him to be the great High Priest. ( v8) He was ‘touched with the feeling of our infirmities, qualifying Him to be our great High Priest. "

He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death’ ( v8). Death had no claim on God’s dear Son with His sinless, perfect life. He came from eternity with no corruption or evil spoiling His character. He submitted to death that he did not deserve.. ‘He died in my place, for, as a sinner, I deserved to die. Our dear Lord understood the coldness of death, the isolation, the irreversible nature of it . 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) described 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. 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 for our salvation.

Paul showed how the Saviour humbled Himself even unto disgracefuldeath.

WE worship Him.. He died as our Substitute. He rose again as the Conqueror. .