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5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! ~ Philippians 2:5-8
Philippians 2:5 is a transition from exhortation to illustration. If we follow the example of the Lord Jesus, we will experience unity one with another. Paul's goal is not to answer theological questions, but to highlight transformational relationships. Unity does not come through agreement, it comes through humility. This is why Paul describes the humility of Christ in our passage for today.
In v.5, we read, "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus." Literally, Paul is saying, "have this attitude, which you are able to have because you are in Christ Jesus." Due to the fact that "we are in Christ", the sphere in which we live our lives is different. We live surrounded by Christ; everywhere we go in everything we do. We are "in Christ." The only reason that this is remotely possible is that we live in Christ. It is an impossible goal, but through the Lord Jesus, the impossible becomes attainable. As a result, we look like we are imitating Christ when in reality it is Him doing it.
The verb used here translated "have the same mindset as Christ Jesus" is literally, "think His way." But, this is not an intellectual exercise. This is how we start down the road toward unity. We think like Jesus because we are in Jesus so that we can live like Jesus.
In v.6-8, the Apostle describes the humility of the Lord Jesus. First, as God, He was pre-existent. Then, He becomes a man. Finally, He dies.
In v.6, we read, "being in very nature God." In all of His essence, He is God. Yet, v.6 continues with, "did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage." The Lord Jesus didn't struggle with proving He was God. And, He was totally motivated for the other, be it His Father or be it you and me.
He gave up the right to His rights. He did not give up His rights, He couldn't do that, but He gave up the right to enjoy those rights. He was equal with God, but He experienced the life of fallen man.
In v.7, we read, "he made himself nothing." The Greek word used here is "ekonosen." This is described in three ways: "by taking the very nature of a servant," "being made in human likeness," and "And being found in appearance as a man." The Lord Jesus became a servant. He was born as a poor, working-class infant to an unwed mother of an oppressed people group.
It began in His mind with the idea that My enjoyment is not the most important thing to me. In other words, He did not insist on His rights, but laid aside the right to have His rights. This is where humility begins, the readiness to lay aside the right to enjoy our rights.
Then, according to v.8, the Lord Jesus died. God, the giver of life, had His taken from Him. He died in the most degrading, humiliating, shameful way possible. He was abandoned by everyone. He not only took our sin upon Himself, He also took our shame. As He hung on that cross, He was naked.
There is no humility without humiliation. The humility of the Lord Jesus was most humiliated. He is our model. With unity as our goal, we are invited to humiliate ourselves. The Lord Jesus stopped at nothing. His downward journey took Him as far as He could possibly have gone. From God to man to death.
The Lord Jesus is the epitome of humiliation. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." He didn't have to die; He volunteered. No man took His life from Him; He gave His life for you and me. It was an undeserved death. And it was a death of a humble person. He went all the way to death. Since the wages of sin is death, somebody had to die. Since God required a sacrifice, someone had to be the sacrifice.
He went “to death-even death on a cross.” That is the worst form of tortured death man has ever devised. His was incredible pain, unbelievable shame, nakedness and disgrace. And beyond that, the desertion of God. But that's how far He went for sinners who didn't deserve it, who didn't even want it, and who still don't want it except that God in His free, sovereign grace gives it to us.
I love these words of Philip Yancey. "To some, the image of a pale body glimmering on a dark night whispers of defeat. What good is a God who does not control his Son's suffering? But another sound can be heard: the shout of a God crying out to human beings, "I LOVE YOU." Love was compressed for all history in that lonely figure on the cross, who said that he could call down angels at any moment on a rescue mission, but chose not to - because of us. At Calvary, God accepted his own unbreakable terms of justice."
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