Strathalbyn Church of Christ

The Humility of Christ

Philippians 2:3-11

If I asked you to tell me what’s your friend like, you might include one or more of his/her noticeable character traits.

What’s Jesus Like? This is a big subject, but this morning and next Sunday I’d like to focus on just one of his character traits.

This morning we will think about his humility, and next Sunday about his compassion.

There was a comic strip Peanuts, in which Linus and Charlie Brown were sitting and talking about their plans for when they grew up. Linus says, “When I get big, I’m going to be a humble little country doctor. I’ll live in the city, see, and every morning I’ll get up, climb into my sports car and zoom into the country! Then I’ll start healing people; I’ll heal everybody for miles around.” And he concludes his speech with “I’ll be a world-famous, humble, little country doctor!”

On a more ‘serious’ note, here’s a story by Bede, a church historian of the early 8th century AD in which Augustine, a missionary to England under Pope Gregory 1 was trying to convert the English to Christianity. Despite much success, Augustine had trouble converting the Celts to Rome. The Celtic leaders asked a wise man whether they should submit to Augustine or not?

‘Yes’, the old man said, ‘if he is a man of God.’

‘How can we tell?’

‘If he is gentle and humble of heart.’

‘How can we discern that about him?’

' Arrange it so that Augustine and his men arrive first at your meeting place,’ replied the wise man. ‘If he stands up when you arrive, it will prove that he is a servant of Christ. In that case, do as he bids you.’

Unfortunately, Augustine failed to rise as he greeted the Celts, and they refused to accept his leadership.

Now thinking about the humility of Jesus, what things might indicate his humility?

The circumstances of his birth were humble.

Although he was the Son of God come from heaven, he was born in a courtyard of a motel; there was a ‘no vacancy’ for such a majestic person! No red carpet, no 5 star hospital suite and just an animal’s feed trough for a basinet, and the first visitors were lowly shepherds!

At age 12 when Jesus was becoming a young man and could become a partner in Joseph’s business, we read Jesus was “was obedient to Joseph and Mary” Luke 2:51

At age 30 Jesus came to be baptised by John. “John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness." Mtt 3:l4,l5

Once some scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery. They tried to trap Jesus - “in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?"

Then Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground, and as they persisted in their question, he then said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."

Then Jesus looked up- I notice he looked up at the woman, not down on her - and said, “Woman where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord."

“Neither do I condemn you; go and do not sin again.“John 8.10,11.

In this humble treatment of the woman, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy,“he will not break a bruised reed, or quench a smouldering wick.” Isaiah 42.3 and Matthew 12.20.

Once Jesus was asked by his disciples, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Did each secretly hope it would be himself?

Jesus called a child to himself and put him in the midst of the, and said “Truly, I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.“Matthew 18.1 -4.

One day Jesus rode into Jerusalem humbly on a donkey. He didn’t come charging in on a warrior’s white steed! This was a fulfilment of a prophecy from Zechariah - “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey.“Matthew 21.5

Christian lady Corrie Ten Boom was once asked if it was difficult for her to remain humble. Her reply was - ‘when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments on the road, and singing praises, do you think that for one moment it ever entered the head of that donkey that any of that was for him?’ She continued, ‘If I can be that donkey on which Jesus rides in his glory, I give him all the praise and honour.’

On the last night Jesus spent with his disciples he washed their feet. None of the disciples would do it for one another, but Jesus their Master did it for them. He took off his coat and was clothed simply in a loin cloth: that’s how a slave dressed. Then he took the towel and fastened it round his waist. Jesus humbled himself before them.

We read in John’s gospel about this - “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, (note those words) rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel." John 13:5

The Jewish rabbis had a saying,” Everything a servant does for his master a pupil should do for his teacher except untie his sandal.” That was the most undignified, humiliating task. The lowest slave in any large household had the job of untying people’s shoes.

And then the gospel writers go on to tell us how later, Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe; and they came up to him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ and struck his head with a reed, and spat on him.

In short, they mocked him. But through it all he submitted to being whipped,stripped,slapped,spat upon, mocked,handed over and being crucified. Remember this is the Son of God, with 12,000 angels waiting to do whatever he told them,and he submitted with just a quiet spirit and no aggressive response to his attackers, or self - assertion. He is truly humble and dignified.

The treatment of Jesus had been prophesied centuries before by the prophet Isaiah - “I gave my back to the smiters…. I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” Isaiah 50.6

Isaiah had also prophesied “He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearer is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.“Isaiah 53.7

At his trial, the high priest tried to get Jesus to answer by saying “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?" But he was silent and made no answer. Mark 14.60

Paul knew of the humility of the Lord, for in writing to the church in Corinth, he appealed to them by referring to Jesus’ humility. He said, “I , Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” 2 Cor. 10:1

And in his letter to the Philippians Paul appeals to the Christians to be humble by referring to the humility of Christ. He says in Philippians 2:3-5, “Do nothing from selfishness or conceit but in humility count others better than yourselves (or think more of each other than you do of yourselves.) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which you have in Christ Jesus (or let your attitude to life be that of Christ Jesus himself)."

So let’s consider Christ’s mind or attitude.

Speaking of Christ, in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we read,

“who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men,"

Philips 2:6,7

In other words, before he became human, Christ had the glory and dignity of God. His nature and status was that of God. He was at the very top! But he didn’t think this equality with God was something to clutch to himself and hold onto at all costs. Rather, although he didn’t empty himself of his deity, he let go his rank and rights and privileges because his concern was to save us.

We read on, “And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. “ Philips 2:8. We notice those words, “he humbled himself and became obedient - “ that is, obedient to God the Father, and this obedience was unto his death on a cross.

A cross was for criminals and was painful and shameful. And Jesus was crucified naked.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians we are told about the meaning of Christ’s death. " For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin.” 2 Cor. 5.21. That’s some humility! God made his own Son who knew no sin to be sin! But why? " so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

And so Jesus took our sin so that we can have his righteousness. He took all our badness so we can have all his goodness; he took God’s anger against sin so we can have God’s love.

We see that Christ was prepared to let go of his dignity, glory, status, and be treated as a sinner and give up his very life so that we could be saved. Truly he humbled himself! He went from the top to the bottom.

But God wouldn’t let his own Son stay at the bottom! He exalts those who humble themselves.

He raised him up and super exalted him.

“Jesus is Lord”.

He’s now at the top!

And so, “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

Now we would expect that those who are following Jesus will show something of his humility.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he appeals to Christians, “do not be haughty but be willing to associate with people of low position; never be conceited." Romans 12:l6.

One form of pride is snobbery. We might think of Mrs Bouket in ‘Keeping up appearances’!

Preacher Charles Spurgeon said, ‘Say much of what the Lord has done for you, and little of what you have done for the Lord.’

Paul could say “For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has wrought through me…" Romans l5:l8

And again, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our sufficiency is from God…"

2Cor 3:5.

When the apostle Peter wrote his letter he described himself as “a fellow elder.” “I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder." He could have said, ‘I was the first appointed leader of the Jewish Christian church’; but he didn’t.

Hudson Taylor, missionary to China, was scheduled to speak at a large Presbyterian church in Melbourne. The Moderator introduced Hudson in glowing terms, telling the large congregation all that Hudson had accomplished in China, and then presented him as ‘our illustrious guest.’

Hudson stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his message saying, ‘Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master’ !

In the ancient world, if you called a Greek person ‘humble’, they would feel insulted, because for them it meant someone who grovelled. But when Jesus came into this world he took a ‘grovelling’ word and made it one of the great virtues of character.

Peter, in his first letter says “clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another.' 1 Peter 5:5.

Peter is writing this to Christians in a church. Acting in humility towards one another is to be a mark of our relationships, and will promote harmony.

Peter here, singles out a particular reason why we are all to “clothe ourselves with humility toward one another."

He says, “for God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." And then Peter draws an application -

“Humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you."

Maybe each of us might reflect on what it means for us personally to “humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God."

Let us be encouraged to do this, remembering “God gives grace to the humble," and “in due time” he exalts those who humble themselves under his “mighty hand."

“the mighty hand of God” is an old Testament expression used in connection with God delivering his people from Egyptian slavery and ushering them into the promised land.

“The Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm”, Moses told the people.

Deut. 26:8.

God’s mighty hand is on the destiny of his people, if they will humbly and faithfully accept his guidance.

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that in due time he may exalt you."

“in due time” - we may want things done yesterday, but things will be done on his time schedule - in due time, at the proper time, he will exalt us, lift us up.

“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God," may well remind us of our Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane before he was captured by soldiers. Three times he prayed that the cup of suffering be removed from him; but each time he added, “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done,"

and then he carried out the will of the Father. Jesus humbled himself under the mighty hand of his Father.

Peter then goes on to add, “Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you."

Notice the verb “cast” - When you go fishing you ‘cast’ out your line, don’t you? You throw it out. Well here, we are to throw our anxieties on God, cast them upon God, commit them to God, surrender them to God who cares about us.

“Cast all your anxieties on him."

Now James says something similar to Peter in his letter, “But he gives more grace; therefore it says ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

“But he gives more grace."

A little boy from a family of seven children met with an accident and was taken to the hospital. He came from a rather impoverished home where his hunger was seldom satisfied. If he was served a glass of milk, he had to share it with at least two of his brothers. After the child was made comfortable in the hospital bed, the nurse brought him a large glass of milk. He eyed it carefully, and asked timidly, ‘how deep should I drink?’

The nurse assured him he could have it all, and there was more from where that came from.

So it is with God’s grace.

“But he gives more grace; therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

James 4:6,7

Let me end with two sayings of Jesus.

Firstly, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:l4

And secondly, his gracious invitation,

“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Matt 11:28-30

Let’s just notice how Jesus describes his heart: “for I am gentle and lowly in heart - and you will find rest for your souls."

Series: Philippians

Topics: #Philippians