It might surprise you but President Lincoln wasn’t the main speaker for that dedication, Edward Everett was. Everett, also a politician, was considered one of the greatest orators of his time. So moved by Abraham Lincoln’s ability to say so much in so few words, Everett predicted that the President’s Gettysburg Address would live for generations to come while his own speech would soon be forgotten. Later, he wrote the President, “I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.”
However, among those who heard Lincoln’s famous speech that day was a newspaper editor from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 35 miles away. In his editorial he wrote, “We pass over the silly remarks of the president; for the credit of the nation, we are willing that the veil of oblivion shall be dropped over them and that they shall no more be repeated or thought of.”
That poor editor—he stood in the presence of greatness, listening to some of the greatest words ever spoken—but he never heard them.
AS WE APPROACH THE PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE THAT IS OUR TEXT TODAY, WE STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF REAL GREATNESS. Although ALL SCRIPTURE is God breathed, where else in all of Scripture, can one find a more magnificent statement about the Lord Jesus than is written in Philippians 2:1-11?
In this passage we learn valuable insights about humility.
#1 THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMILITY
Philippians 2:1–4 (NIV) “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with 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 purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Humility before God and man is a quality every child of God needs to strive for. A spirit of pride in human interaction indicates a lack of humility before God.
1 Peter 5:5b–6 (NIV) “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.”
#2 THE EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY
Philippians 2:5 (NIV) “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:”
The ETERNAL Christ exemplifies humility.
Jesus did not begin as a baby in Bethlehem! John 1:1–3 (NIV) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.”
Philippians 2:6 (NIV) “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped...”
Christ's decent into humanity epitomizes humility. Leaving the presence of the Father and the praise of the angels, He came to this earth where men would despise Him. Think about it, even if He were to come to the highest splendor that the earth could afford, the descent would still have been immense. The greatest of riches or the highest earthly honor would be nothing in comparison to what Jesus Christ was used to.
However, He did not hold on to those rights as God. Rather, voluntarily, He laid aside the manifestation of His glory. Willingly, Jesus Christ laid aside that Shekinah glory that had been His from all eternity, and He clothed Himself in a human body.
The EARTHLY Christ exemplifies humility.
Philippians 2:6–8 (NIV) “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
Jesus TOOK ON flesh and blood Hebrews 2:14–15 (NIV) “Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
The Incarnation was voluntary. Jesus “made Himself nothing” It wasn’t forced upon Him; He chose it. He saw our great need and did something about it! John 10:18 (NLT) “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
The words “made Himself nothing” can literally be translated “emptied Himself”
So the question is: What did He empty Himself of? If it wasn’t His deity, what was it?
Jesus “emptied” Himself of the outward expression of His deity. Isaiah tells us that "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him…”— There was NO HALO hovering above His head!
• Though He remained ALL POWERFUL, He did not use what He had to His own advantage.
• The OMNIPRESENT chose to be confined in skin.
• The Maker became a man.
• The Sovereign became a servant.
• The Prince became a pauper.
• Jesus Christ, without ever ceasing to be God, humbled Himself and became a man--as much God as if He had never become man, but yet as much man as if he'd never been God!
Though His was fully human, He was different from all other humans in that He was sinless Hebrews 4:15 (NIV) “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.”
Lastly, the EXALTED Christ exemplifies humility.
Before He was crucified Jesus prayed for Himself... John 17:5 (NIV) “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” He was going HOME!—by way of the cross.
Philippians 2:8–11 (NIV) “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became 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 confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
I want you to notice that, at this point in time, Jesus is giving us an option. It says "every knee SHOULD bow…" We ought to bow but we are not being made to bow.
That “option” will be replaced with “compulsion” later! One day we will all be overcome and bow before God. Romans 14:11 (NIV) “It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’”
God is patient not willing that anyone perish. Humbly, He holds Himself back but He will not always restrain Himself. He is waiting now but He won’t wait forever.
Please listen to the following song by Phillips, Craig, & Dean called “Come, Now is the Time To Worship.” Part of that song says… "One day every tongue will confess You are God...One day every knee will bow...Still, the greatest treasure remains for those who GLADLY CHOOSE YOU NOW!"
Amen to that!
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