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Philippians 2:7b-8

Paul is seeking to inspire his friends in Philippi to encourage and to comfort one another in the face of the
persecution they are suffering, and to be ready to forgive and to help one another - to serve one another in
love, instead of pursuing any selfish interest of their own. And weve seen that Paul draws on the ultimate
example of such selfless service - the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul is intent on showing the Philippians the magnitude of the sacrifice that Christ Jesus made, on their
behalf. To do that, Paul first presents to the Philippians the perspective of Christ, in Eternity Past - in His
essence as God - Spirit Being of Deity - one of the three persons of the Godhead - something He was, is,
and always will be - equal to the others, in every way.

Paul shows that Christ Jesus did not think this equality something that He should grasp for Himself; hold
for His own advantage. In contrast, Paul says, Christ Jesus made Himself of no reputation; He emptied
Himself of His glory.

The beginning of this was in taking the form of a bondservant. Christ Jesus set aside His position of honor
with the other members of the Godhead. This was glory that Christ had with the Father before the world
was (Jn 17:5). He gave it up in order to subordinate Himself to the Father - to become the Servant of
Jehovah - to do the Fathers will, as the Savior of the world.

Then, in coming to the earth, Christ Jesus laid aside His manifest glory as God; His divine attributes.
Christ Jesus limited Himself in this way in order to come to the earth as a man. He had to become as a man
in order to be the acceptable substitute, in mans stead, for sin.

This is what Paul is describing as he continues to reflect on just how far Jesus came down, to be the Servant
of Jehovah. Lets read the passage again, before we continue with his thoughts.

[Philippians 2:5-11]

So as the Servant of Jehovah, Christ Jesus set aside His divine qualities when He came to the earth. He
came in the likeness of men. In the Greek, its literally in likeness of men, becoming - Christ Jesus
became - that is, He came to be - in their likeness. How did He do this? In His incarnation; when He was
born.

He came as a man; but He was always more than a man. The manner of His birth was like that of any other
baby; He was born to a human mother - Mary. But His conception was not of this world.

Turn to Luke chapter 1. The angel Gabriel had come to Mary to announce that she was to bear the
promised Messiah - the Christ.

[Luke 1:26-35]

v. 26-27 Mary was betrothed to Joseph, which in that day meant that they were legally bound to one
another in marriage, but that the marriage would not be consummated until their wedding.

v. 28-31 So Mary was highly favored in that she had been chosen by God to bring a very special Son into
the world. And Gabriel told Mary what He was to be called - Jesus. What does His name mean? Jehovah
is salvation. And as Gabriel continued, he made it clear just who this special Son would be.
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v. 32-33 Mary would understand from what Gabriel said that the Son she is bringing forth was Israels
long-awaited Coming One; their Messiah. Surely the news was overwhelming! But Mary had a technical
question for Gabriel.

v. 34-35 Mary was a virgin; she was asking how her body could conceive a baby, apart from sexual
relations with a man. Gabriels answer reflects that this would be the creative act of God.

In Matthews gospel, an angel comes to Joseph in a dream and tells him, that which was conceived in Mary
is of the Holy Spirit (Mt 1:20). And in Psalm 139, the Messiah speaks prophetically of how God formed
His inward parts, and covered Him, in His mothers womb (Ps 139:13).

So we might say that God prepared a body, for Jesus; a one-of-a-kind body, that was not the product of
natural human reproduction - but supernaturally conceived in a virgin womb, by the life-giving power of
God, through the Holy Spirit.

This body had to be human in every way - but it could not be a direct product of the human race, which had
the corruption of sin in it - and death, through sin (Rm 5:12). This body would be perfect - fearfully and
wonderfully made, meaning that it was awe-inspiring and unique (Ps 139:14) - without the blemish of
sinful self-will in it; without the corruption of death in it.

The body of Jesus wasnt born dying, like the body of every other man. And yet, His body had the capacity
to be put to death; it was a genuine human body - with a mortal life, capable of ending.

And so the Eternal One came to be in the likeness of men - mortal. God prepared a body for Him - with a
mortal life - a body by which Jesus could be made the sacrifice for sin (Heb 10:5-7) - that men might be
saved. Jehovah is salvation - as expressed through Jesus.

Here we recognize what we have seen to be Johns unique perspective of the preincarnate Jesus as the
Word - the expression of the mind of the Father. And John wrote, the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us (Jn 1:14).

Now, John didnt say, the Word was born in a flesh body; he said, the Word became flesh. The Word
continued to be who He always was - God - and in addition, He began to be flesh - a man - dwelling, or
tabernacling among men - in His tent of flesh.

Paul gives this description of Jesus to the assembly in Colosse: For in Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily (Col 2:9). Paul is saying that the incarnation of Jesus in a human body did not
cause Him to be in any way isolated or separated from the other members of the Godhead; instead, they
dwelt together with Him through the Spirit, in that body - as One Spirit Being of Deity - united, as they
always are.

But Jesus was not merely a divine being in a human body; He came to be in the likeness of men, in every
respect. Never ceasing to be God, in His incarnation He veiled His Deity within His humanity.

He lived within the confines of what it is to be human, and never overstepped those limitations through His
divine attributes. Jesus had to be in all respects as a man, to be the perfect substitute, for men. He came
into this world as a man, and had to live as a man in it.
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The author to the Hebrews brings this out. Turn to Hebrews chapter 2. This author has been explaining
why it was fitting for God to have Jesus come in a body and suffer, including the suffering of death (2:10).
Suffering was the necessary means of perfecting Jesus, through life and even death experience, as the
Redeemer of mankind - in order for God to obtain sons for His kingdom.

The children which the author is writing of are the children of God; those who have believed into Jesus
as their Savior (v. 13).

[Hebrews 2:14-18]

v. 14-15 So Jesus partook of the same - a flesh and blood body - so that He could die, and in doing so,
release those who are in bondage to death.

The devil here is portrayed as a strong man (Mt 12:29). The power of death that he possesses is his ability
to hold men captive through their fear of death. In a similar way, the devil holds men captive to sin by their
lust for it. In both cases, he keeps them in bondage through the snares of his world system - religion;
economics; politics.

The word in verse 14 for destroy in the Greek means to render inoperative; to make powerless.
Through His work on the cross, Jesus has freed those who believe in Him from sin and death; the devil has
no hold on them, anymore.

v. 16 What the author is saying is that angels dont need this aid, that Jesus gives to men. Why not?
Because angels dont die.

The aid that Jesus gives is to mortal men - here the author says, the seed of Abraham. The seed of Abraham
are those who believe, as Abraham did - who have been justified by faith in Christ (Rm 4:11, Gal 3:7, 29).
They are not trying to save themselves, through good works; they believe in the One whom God sent, to
save them.

The author returns to his thoughts about why Jesus had to come in a flesh and blood body.

v. 17-18 In all things Jesus had to be made like His brethren - like the children of men - in order to be a
merciful and faithful High Priest - to make propitiation for the sins of the people, before God. What does
propitiation mean? It refers to the satisfaction of Gods justice, concerning sin.

According to the Law, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest was to be the peoples advocate,
interceding with the LORD on all of their behalf. The High Priest would offer up to God sacrifices for the
peoples sin; offerings in which the blood of animals were shed, through death - a vicarious offering, in the
stead of all the sinners.

The sacrifices had to be perfect - without blemish, without spot - and in exact accordance with what the
LORD revealed to be acceptable to Him. And the blood of those sacrifices would ceremonially cover over
the peoples sin - an atonement. But this atonement was just a picture; and so it had to be repeated, year
after year.

Until Jesus came; and as the great High Priest, He made His offering to God once - on behalf of all people -
for all sin - for all time. And what was His offering? Himself.
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The offering of Jesus had to be perfect - He had to be perfectly righteous, without any sin - but at the same
time, the offering had to be Him, as a man - in all things, made like His brethren - in order to serve as their
real, acceptable substitute with God. In no other way could Jesus make propitiation for the sins of the
people.

Through the offering of Jesus in death - the Perfect Man, in the stead of sinners - Gods justice was
satisfied, concerning sin - and He could extend to the sinner His merciful forgiveness.

Notice that when the author writes that Jesus had to be like His brethren in all things, he is not just
speaking about a body. We can know this because of what he writes in verse 18 - that Jesus suffered, being
tempted.

A temptation comes in through the body, but then it is processed within the inner man. Bodies arent
tempted; men are. In all things, Jesus was made like His brethren - in the likeness of men - so that He
could be the acceptable Substitute for men.

The word for tempted in verse 18 can also be translated tested. Throughout His earthly life, Jesus
suffered being tested. This was something which God had to allow, in order for Jesus to be proven as a
man - and as the Perfect Man. It had to be demonstrated that the Servant of Jehovah would be perfectly
obedient to the will of God - as a man.

Turn to Matthew chapter 3. Matthews record moves from the earliest years of Jesus directly to the scene
of His baptism. John was in the desert, preaching a baptism of repentance to the Jews, as a preparation of
heart to receive their Messiah - their Savior.

[Matthew 3:13-17]

v. 13-15 By Johns question, we can see that he already knows that this is the Messiah - otherwise, John
would not have said what he did. Most likely, the Holy Spirit revealed this to John shortly before Jesus
came to be baptized by him (Jn 1:29-34).

Johns was a baptism of repentance, and he knew the Messiah had no need to repent - unlike himself and all
other men. But Jesus urges John to baptize Him - and what is the reason He gives? Because it is fitting for
us to fulfill all righteousness.

It was right for Jesus to be baptized. As the Servant of Jehovah, He had come to join Himself to mankind,
to partake with them of flesh and blood, to share in their humanity - and here, He receives their baptism,
symbolizing repentance - to show Himself forth as their Sin Bearer.

Like immersion in the waters of baptism, Jesus would go down into death for the children of men, bearing
their sin, taking it away, in order to bring them up alive to new life - born again, as children of God. In this
way, the Servant of Jehovah would fulfill all righteousness, towards God and man.

So with that, John allowed Jesus to proceed.

v. 16-17 Before John and the other witnesses present, there was a visible manifestation of the Holy Spirit -
like a dove - a heavenly bird. And there was an audible manifestation - a voice from heaven. We can
identify the voice from what was said; who must it be? The Father.
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The Father gazed down from heaven at His beloved Son, and saw in Jesus the perfect, acceptable offering,
for sin; and by the Holy Spirit, the Father put His seal of approval on the offering.

The Spirit alighted on Jesus, resting on Him. The Spirit was the anointing of Jesus with power, for His
ministry - to redeem mankind.

So all three persons of the Godhead made themselves known at the baptism of Jesus, a clear testimony to
Israel that this assuredly was her Messiah - the Son of the Fathers love - the Servant of Jehovah, who
always does the things that please Him (Is 61:1-2, Lk 4:18-19).

Marks gospel brings out that immediately, the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness (Mk 1:12). No sooner
had Jesus presented Himself as mans Substitute, than His testing began - to prove that He was acceptable
as such.

Well continue in Matthew chapter 4.

[Matthew 4:1-11]

v. 1 So clearly we also see in Matthews gospel that God was allowing this testing of Jesus, by the devil;
the Spirit had led Him to this wilderness, in order to be tempted by Satan.

We cannot help but recall another temptation by the devil - as the serpent of old - of the first man, Adam,
not in a wilderness, but in a garden - the garden of Eden (Gen 3:1-15).

What happened when Adam was tested? He failed the test; the devil succeeded in tempting him to
transgress the command of God. In disobeying, Adam brought sin into the whole world of men - and death
through sin (Rm 5:12-14).

All was foreknown to God, and all was a part of His plan (Rm 5:12-21) - which now continued through His
second Man (1 Cor 15:47) - Jesus. And once again, Satan was permitted to issue the temptation - allowed
by God to test and prove Jesus, as the acceptable Substitute, to put away sin and death.

v. 2-3 Satans If in the Greek means theres no uncertainty. He is saying, Since You are the Son of
God; he knew exactly who Jesus was.

His meaning is, Since you are Deity, you can command these stones to become bread - and they will; then
youd have something to eat. So thoughtful! In reality, Satan was tempting Jesus through His material
need - and Jesus was certainly hungry.

Now, is there any indication that God had specifically prohibited Jesus from making bread out of stones?
No. So why would that be an issue, then? Because if Jesus was to do that, He would have to exercise His
divine ability, by His own volition, as the Son of God - only God can make bread out of stones. And Satan
knows that if Jesus does this, it would disqualify Him from being the acceptable Substitute, for man.

But Jesus is not deceived.

v. 4 Jesus does not contend for Himself; Hes not deceived by the Deceiver; and He answers only with the
Word of God. As the Servant of Jehovah, Jesus lived by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God -
and God had not commanded Him to make bread out of stones. Satans effort to exploit Jesus material
need proved to be no temptation at all, for Jesus.
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v. 5-6 The pinnacle of the temple referred to here was believed to have a 450-foot drop. Again Satan
makes his appeal to Jesus as the Son of God. This time he is not tempting Jesus so much bodily - as
spiritually.

How much does Jesus trust His Father? How certain is He, of His Fathers love? If Jesus was to throw
Himself off the temple, surely God would have to send His angels to save His beloved Son! And whats
more, if Jesus died from a fall, He couldnt complete Gods plan, right?

God would have to save Him - lets prove it! And Satan even quotes Scripture to back up what hes saying
- although he completely twists its original meaning, to suit his purpose.

v. 7 Now, Jesus was not saying that Satan should not tempt Him - God was permitting that, and that is just
what Satan was doing.

Jesus was speaking as a man. He once again quoted Gods Word as His response - indicating that man was
not to test God. As a man, Jesus would not participate in that - for that would cause Him to disobey Gods
will - and then He would no longer be the perfect offering for sin.

v. 8-9 Satan makes a grand show of power - and with it, he attempts a power play. He tries to entice Jesus
with the glory and the majesty of all the kingdoms of the world. Could Satan give these to Jesus? Though
each is just temporary, they are his to give - they comprise his ever-changing world system.

But that had to be repulsive to Jesus; kingdoms that have been built up in rebellion against God, on the face
of Gods earth! Whatever made Satan think that he could tempt Jesus with them?

Perhaps this. Jesus had chosen to come to the earth, limiting His divine qualities, confining Himself to a
flesh and blood body, in order to carry out His Fathers will - which would require His death - in order to
have a kingdom of sons.

Why not have that kingdom, right now, and skip all of this suffering? All of this - limitation of His will?
Satan can even give Jesus multiple kingdoms. And all Jesus has to do is give Satan what he wants - to be
like the Most High God.

But Jesus had set His course in Eternity Past, as the Servant of Jehovah; and He will follow that course, to
the end.

v. 10-11 The failure for Satan is that he imagined Jesus to be such a one as himself. Satan in his pride did
not hesitate to act outside of the will of God, to try to seize a kingdom for himself.

But Jesus is humble. He will not use His Deity to His own advantage, to grasp power and glory for
Himself, here and now. The Servant has no thought for Himself, but only for doing the Fathers will.

The audacity of Satan is astounding. Could it be that Satan intended to be just that way - hoping that, if all
else failed, he could provoke Jesus to an angry, rash response, apart from the will of God? But the final
answer of Jesus is as even as all of His others; He once again responds only with the Word of God. Jesus
dismisses Satan, and he departs; they both know its over.
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God allowed the devil to tempt Jesus, as He had the first man, Adam; and in so doing, God proved that the
second Man would succeed where the first man failed; in His obedience, to live by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God. Jesus would not act independently out of His own divine initiative; He
would not test God; and He would serve God only - and as a man, He would worship God with the ultimate
act: the offering of Himself.

Throughout the ministry of Jesus, He continued to be tested - like the sifting of the fine flour of the meal
offering, to demonstrate that there is no lump of self in it. This testing proved that Jesus was truly the
perfect Man. He came in the likeness of men, and lived as a man - righteously.

It was in this way that the Servant of Jehovah became the servant of all. The Son of Man did not come to
be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Mk 10:45).

Lets return to Philippians 2.

After Paul speaks of Christ Jesus coming in the likeness of men, he goes on to say in verse 8, and being
found in appearance as a man. Although this sounds quite similar, Paul is actually making a new point.

Appearance in the Greek refers to the outward appearance; the external form. In saying that Jesus was
found in appearance as a man, Paul is referring to the judgment of men, concerning Him; what they
perceived Him to be; how they found Him.

In the entire mode of His appearance - in His form, His manner, His bearing, His conduct - Jesus made
Himself known and was recognized as a man. Paul is indicating that this was mankinds finding
concerning Jesus - that He was indeed, a man - like they were. Heaven and earth agreed.

As a man, having humbled Himself in obedience to the will of God throughout His life, Jesus then further
humbled Himself and became obedient to death. Became obedient is emphatic in the Greek.

Jesus submitted to betrayal, arrest, and false charges. He suffered lying witnesses, mockery, and beatings.
Throughout the sham trials of Annas, Caiaphas, Herod and Pilate, Jesus never defended Himself. He was
led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth (Is
53:7).

And then, finally, the Suffering Servant became obedient to death - even the death of the cross.

Crucifixion is considered to be the cruelest, the most excruciating, the most degrading form of execution
that men have ever devised. In the Empire, it was reserved for non-Roman criminals - and only for those
who were slaves or free persons of the lowest status.

No death was considered more shameful. It was reprehensible to the Romans, and a curse to the Jews. But
as a death reserved for slaves, it was perfect, for Gods bondservant.

The depths of humiliation to which Jesus freely submitted Himself only served to show the soaring
greatness of His love - that God would empty Himself into the receptacle of a human body, in order to pour
out His life in service to all.

Reading: Is 52:13-15; Acts 2:22-36, 5:28-32; Eph 1:15-23.

Heb 1:8-9; Rev 4; Ps 110; Mt 25:31-46; Rev 20:11-15.