The Greatest Hymn

Introductory Thoughts

· The Greatest Hymn ever written
· This was written to solve the problems mentioned in 2:1-4

1. Who Jesus Is—2:6

a. The Deity of Christ Jesus—Phil 2:6 "… He existed in the form of God…”

(1) Form = [morphe]
(2) “…existed…” a present participle—

b. He “…did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped…”
(1) “…Did not regard…” is in the aorist tense—He did not think for one moment that He needed to be grasping about Who He Is. [The illustration of the old paratrooper and the young paratrooper]
(2) The word “equality” is in the plural form— equal in all things

c. Doctrinal point—Jesus is God.

(1) His inward reality is that He is the eternal God--John 1:1-2, 14, Micah 5:2, John 8:58, Rev 22:13

(2) His outward expression of that inward reality has eternally been to reveal the Father—John 1:18.

John 1:18 ”…No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

(3) He is not “a” God, He is The God— John 20:28
(4) He is not “god in the sense that all men are divine”—
(5) He is not “a man in whom God came to dwell”—
(6) He is not “the son of God only”—He is God
(7) He is not a man who became God—
(8) Christ is the eternal God, very God of very God, one with the Father and Spirit, yet distinct in His personality.
(9) If you examine the pages of scripture, you will find:
(a) He is called God.
(b) He accepts worship from men and angels
(c) He does the works of God

Ø Creation
Ø Preservation of the universe
Ø The sending of the Spirit of God
Ø The forgiveness of sins
Ø The giving of eternal life –
Ø He demonstrated His power over nature, over disease, demon powers, even over death,

(d) He possesses divine attributes.

Ø Self existence
Ø Eternity
Ø Omniscience
Ø Omnipresence
Ø Immutability
Ø Sovereignty
Ø Omnipotence

2. What Jesus Did—three self humiliations—leaving Heaven, becoming a man, dying for sinners.

a. The Self Humiliation of leaving the Glories of Heaven—John 17:5, 24

b. The Self-Humiliation of Christ Jesus to Manhood—Phil 2:7—7but £emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

(1) Of what did He NOT empty Himself? Not of His deity, power, sinlessness, or holiness

(2) Of What DID He then empty Himself?

(a) He emptied Himself of the external revelation of His Glory (except on the Mount of Transfiguration)

(b) He emptied Himself of the full and independent use of His attributes—though sometimes He did use them—Nathaniel, or “who touched me?”

(c) He emptied Himself of His own authority—He submitted Himself completely to the Father’s will

(d) He emptied Himself of all wealth—2 Cor 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."

(e) He no longer had the eternal face-to-face communion He’d always enjoyed with the Father

(3) How did He empty Himself?
(a) By coming as a man
(b) By taking on the morphe (nature) of a servant.

(c) When God became a man, it was a team assignment!
(d) The Father prepared Him a body—Heb 10:5
(e) The Spirit overshadowed Mary and caused the virgin conception—Lk 1:35
(f) The Son BECAME flesh—John 1:14

(4) The purpose of His self-humiliation was our salvation—Gal 4:4-5 "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."


c. The Self-Humiliation of Christ Jesus to Death—Phil 2:8

(1) He humbled Himself to die the death of a common criminal;
(a) He was in control of the situation all the time
(b) Help was standing by (Mat 26:53) ""Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?"
(c) He knocked them down—John 18:4-6

(d) He laid down His own life—no one took it!—John
John 10:17-18 ""Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.""

(2) Not just any death—but the death of the Cross, a cursed death.
(Gal 3:13) "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),"

3. What the Father did

a. He planned salvation before the World was made
b. He sent His Son to Die
c. He called Him forth from the dead
d. He sat Him down on the right hand of the majesty on high
e. He has highly exalted Him.
f. The Exaltation of Christ Jesus by the Father—Phil 2:9

(1) Has …exalted—this exaltation is a done dead. Christ Jesus reigns now.
(2) Has HIGHLY exalted
(a) His is the Highest place—1 Pet 3:21-22
(b) His is the Highest Name

g. Wherein is His exaltation?
(1) In His bodily resurrection
(2) In His 40 days of post resurrection appearances
(3) In His glorious ascension
(4) In His being seated at the right hand of the throne
(5) In His intercession for the saints
(6) In His present rule over the universe
(7) In His future return and rule after the consummation of all things.
(8) The Total Victory of Christ—Every knee will bow, Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God The Father

4. What WE are to do —Phil 2:1-5— Eph 3:21

a. If (1st class condition: “since…”) Since Christ is our Mediator and Savior
(1) —5 "Therefore if [since] there is any consolation [encouragement] in Christ è There is consolation and encouragement in Christ! Heb 4:14-16
(2) Because of Him, we are forgiven
(3) Because of Him, we will live forever
(4) Because of Him, death has no sting—1 Cor 15:55 ""O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?""
(5) Because of Him, we have power to live for God—Rom 6:14 "… sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."
(6) Because of Him, we have an advocate in heaven—1 Tim 2:5

b. Since Christ is our loving Shepherd— John 10:7-15
c. Since the Holy Spirit unifies our fellowship— Rom 12:5, 1 Cor 12:13, Eph 4:3-4
d. Since The Love of God has been given to us—Rom 5:1-5
e. What Paul Wants to See— “…2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded…”

(1) “…Like minded…” = “mind the same thing…” four statements—the basis for true unity
(2) What “…Like Minded…” Means:

(a) Like minded means mutual Love—“…having the same love…”
(i) Love between the brethren in a church is required, not suggested—1 John 4:7-11
(ii) John 13:34-35 ""A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.""
(iii) Love is not gushy emotion, but is a life of action—1 John 3:14-19, James 2:1-9

(b) Like minded means Mutual Agreement— “…being of one accord, of one mind…”
(i) Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
(ii) 1 Cor 15:1-11—we do not drop our differences; we cling to the heart of the faith.
(iii) Eph 4:4-6 "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

(c) Like minded means Mutual Consideration— “… 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself…”
(i) What is your motive for being in church?
(ii) What is your motive for doing whatever it is you do in church?
(iii) Do you think you are better than others?

(d) Like minded means Mutual Concern—“…4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others…”

(i) But we are to be concerned about others in the church
(ii) We are to be concerned about their physical welfare
(iii) We are to be concerned about their spiritual welfare.
(2) Note of caution—“…this is not a command for unity at the expense of truth. It assumes that “the same thing” is also the right thing…” (Expositor’s Commentary)

5. Our Supreme Example— “…Phil 2:5 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…"

a. If He can disregard His own divine prerogatives, we can learn humility

b. If He can humiliate Himself by becoming a man, we can “wash some feet…”

c. If He can humiliate Himself to die for us, we can learn to live for Him.

d. The Exaltation of Christ Jesus by the Father—2:9-11—There is no limit to our inheritance.