Man or God? -- Does it Matter?
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Philippians 2:1-13 NIV)
Our scripture for this morning is one that I would say has a lot of “theological meat” to it. Its like a gigantic T-bone steak that would take more than one meal to eat. I think you could easy spend an entire month on this scripture in a sermon series and still not get all the way through it. In 13 verses Paul does a great job in explaining exactly who and what Jesus is. Paul explains the human element of Jesus as well as the Godly element of Christ. It is not as difficult for us today because we easily accept the idea of the Trinity but trying to explain Jesus as both God and man was incredibly difficult for the point in history in which Paul is writing. Gods were abundant and polytheism was a way of life. Paul had the task of trying to explain Jesus in a culture that understood many gods instead of a singular God. Many people wanted to make Jesus another god instead of one part of thee God. It was a difficult task but in our scripture this morning, I feel Paul gets his point across.
Paul explains that by nature Jesus is God and yet he humbled himself by becoming a servant with a human likeness. Paul is trying to explain to the people of Philippi that Jesus was God by nature and human only in likeness. Modern theology has a tendency to flip this point of view. Modern day thinkers have a tendency to think that Jesus was human by nature and resembled God in likeness. To be honest, the latter makes Jesus’ servanthood more attainable. What I mean by this is that if Jesus was human by nature, then we can more easily resemble his words and actions than if he was God and I think that is what modern theologians are trying to accomplish. But I would mention to those thinkers that we all, every single one of us, are born with a part of God inside. The debate of whether Jesus was more Godly or more human has gone on since Jesus died on the cross. I have a tendency to lean the way of Jesus as being more Godly simply because of what happened after Jesus died when he was resurrected. If Jesus weren’t more Godly than human, then why did God choose him to be resurrected? For me, that is how I make sense of it all. In saying that, your faith can follow either way of thinking. I can say with confidence because of the truths that remain despite how you personally see the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
The first truth is that Jesus came to serve. Despite how we view the life of Jesus, there is no doubt that every word and deed was meant to serve. Jesus served God with a very strong conviction and his actions and teachings were meant to show us how to serve one another. Jesus gave up the riches of divinity to become poor. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says “For you know the grace of of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Jesus did not have to die on the cross. He could have avoided that whole situation. Yet he did the will of God and showed us the ultimate example of sacrifice. In both Matthew and Luke, we find Jesus almost pleading with God on the night he was arrested. In Matthew, Jesus says, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” The cup to which Jesus is referring to is death. Jesus knew he was going to be arrested and what the subsequent punishment would then be and yet he faced that future head on, holding true to his servanthood to both God and us.
The second truth is that we called to humility. Despite how we view the life of Jesus, Jesus was walked this earth with a humility never seen before or since. If Jesus was more Godly in nature, this means that he possessed all the tools necessary to escape the cruxifiction. He could have been an earthly ruler. And to be honest, this is exactly what the disciples were expecting. They were hoping for an earthly ruler who would restore the Hebrew empire. Instead, Jesus was concerned only with being a heavenly ruler. The empire he was building was one of love not brick and mortar. Jesus had the potential to make himself anything and he chose to be like you and I. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the death. And not just any death, the most humiliating and painful death imaginable so we could see just how humble he was.
When we combine humility with servanthood we are left only with love. Jesus loved each of us enough to become poor, he loved us enough to go through the cruxifiction, he loved us enough to serve. Whether Godly or human, Jesus undoubtedly showed us how to love. He gave us teachings in how to deal with one another. He showed us what a life of love looks like. He gave us an example to strive for. An example that at times seems unattainable but I am telling you today that this humility, servanthood and love is more than reachable.
Jesus becoming a servant who was full of humility and love did not happen overnight. It was a process. Faith is a process. Faith is something that we all have but it is completely unique in nature. My faith is different this morning than it was last Sunday and it will be something different next Sunday. Our faith is ever changing and always evolving. No one faith is better than another. Within reason, no one way of viewing Jesus is better than another because of the truths that remain. Our faith is what gives us truth in all the facets of our lives. The truths I live by may be different than yours because our faith has made us so but that is ok. I would love to tell you that there are undeniable facts about faith and life but outside the old cliche of death and taxes I can make no other guarantees. Your faith has carried you here this morning and it will be your faith, no matter its form, will be what carries you into the future.
I want to leave you this morning with a quote from the biblical commentator William Barclay, “Verses 6-8 form a very short passage; but there is no passage in the New Testament which so movingly sets out the utter reality of the godhead and the manhood of Jesus and makes so vivid the sacrifice that he made when he laid aside his godhead and took manhood upon him. How it happened, we cannot tell, but it is the mystery of a love so great that, although we can never fully understand it, we can blessedly experience it and adore it.” In verses 12 and 13 of our scripture this morning Paul calls us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Paul understood the uniqueness of faith by calling our salvation our own. Our exact understanding of Jesus, of God may never be complete but the truths of hope, love and grace remain. How you live out those truths is up to you. Amen.
Our scripture for this morning is one that I would say has a lot of “theological meat” to it. Its like a gigantic T-bone steak that would take more than one meal to eat. I think you could easy spend an entire month on this scripture in a sermon series and still not get all the way through it. In 13 verses Paul does a great job in explaining exactly who and what Jesus is. Paul explains the human element of Jesus as well as the Godly element of Christ. It is not as difficult for us today because we easily accept the idea of the Trinity but trying to explain Jesus as both God and man was incredibly difficult for the point in history in which Paul is writing. Gods were abundant and polytheism was a way of life. Paul had the task of trying to explain Jesus in a culture that understood many gods instead of a singular God. Many people wanted to make Jesus another god instead of one part of thee God. It was a difficult task but in our scripture this morning, I feel Paul gets his point across.
Paul explains that by nature Jesus is God and yet he humbled himself by becoming a servant with a human likeness. Paul is trying to explain to the people of Philippi that Jesus was God by nature and human only in likeness. Modern theology has a tendency to flip this point of view. Modern day thinkers have a tendency to think that Jesus was human by nature and resembled God in likeness. To be honest, the latter makes Jesus’ servanthood more attainable. What I mean by this is that if Jesus was human by nature, then we can more easily resemble his words and actions than if he was God and I think that is what modern theologians are trying to accomplish. But I would mention to those thinkers that we all, every single one of us, are born with a part of God inside. The debate of whether Jesus was more Godly or more human has gone on since Jesus died on the cross. I have a tendency to lean the way of Jesus as being more Godly simply because of what happened after Jesus died when he was resurrected. If Jesus weren’t more Godly than human, then why did God choose him to be resurrected? For me, that is how I make sense of it all. In saying that, your faith can follow either way of thinking. I can say with confidence because of the truths that remain despite how you personally see the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
The first truth is that Jesus came to serve. Despite how we view the life of Jesus, there is no doubt that every word and deed was meant to serve. Jesus served God with a very strong conviction and his actions and teachings were meant to show us how to serve one another. Jesus gave up the riches of divinity to become poor. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says “For you know the grace of of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Jesus did not have to die on the cross. He could have avoided that whole situation. Yet he did the will of God and showed us the ultimate example of sacrifice. In both Matthew and Luke, we find Jesus almost pleading with God on the night he was arrested. In Matthew, Jesus says, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” The cup to which Jesus is referring to is death. Jesus knew he was going to be arrested and what the subsequent punishment would then be and yet he faced that future head on, holding true to his servanthood to both God and us.
The second truth is that we called to humility. Despite how we view the life of Jesus, Jesus was walked this earth with a humility never seen before or since. If Jesus was more Godly in nature, this means that he possessed all the tools necessary to escape the cruxifiction. He could have been an earthly ruler. And to be honest, this is exactly what the disciples were expecting. They were hoping for an earthly ruler who would restore the Hebrew empire. Instead, Jesus was concerned only with being a heavenly ruler. The empire he was building was one of love not brick and mortar. Jesus had the potential to make himself anything and he chose to be like you and I. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the death. And not just any death, the most humiliating and painful death imaginable so we could see just how humble he was.
When we combine humility with servanthood we are left only with love. Jesus loved each of us enough to become poor, he loved us enough to go through the cruxifiction, he loved us enough to serve. Whether Godly or human, Jesus undoubtedly showed us how to love. He gave us teachings in how to deal with one another. He showed us what a life of love looks like. He gave us an example to strive for. An example that at times seems unattainable but I am telling you today that this humility, servanthood and love is more than reachable.
Jesus becoming a servant who was full of humility and love did not happen overnight. It was a process. Faith is a process. Faith is something that we all have but it is completely unique in nature. My faith is different this morning than it was last Sunday and it will be something different next Sunday. Our faith is ever changing and always evolving. No one faith is better than another. Within reason, no one way of viewing Jesus is better than another because of the truths that remain. Our faith is what gives us truth in all the facets of our lives. The truths I live by may be different than yours because our faith has made us so but that is ok. I would love to tell you that there are undeniable facts about faith and life but outside the old cliche of death and taxes I can make no other guarantees. Your faith has carried you here this morning and it will be your faith, no matter its form, will be what carries you into the future.
I want to leave you this morning with a quote from the biblical commentator William Barclay, “Verses 6-8 form a very short passage; but there is no passage in the New Testament which so movingly sets out the utter reality of the godhead and the manhood of Jesus and makes so vivid the sacrifice that he made when he laid aside his godhead and took manhood upon him. How it happened, we cannot tell, but it is the mystery of a love so great that, although we can never fully understand it, we can blessedly experience it and adore it.” In verses 12 and 13 of our scripture this morning Paul calls us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Paul understood the uniqueness of faith by calling our salvation our own. Our exact understanding of Jesus, of God may never be complete but the truths of hope, love and grace remain. How you live out those truths is up to you. Amen.
A lot has gone on since the last time I posted on here... The addition is now done and looks fantastic! We had a great turnout for our dedication and we are greatful for the Leo Kading Family and their generousity. I hope to be doing better about getting these posted (I know several of you have been asking about them)
Thank you for your continued support!
God Bless,
Clinton
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