Over the past few Sundays we’ve been looking at John’s declaration - John the Baptist at the Jordan River - baptizing - Jesus coming down to the River to be baptized - John declaring:  “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!”  (John 1:29b)

John’s declaration is an amazing description of Jesus - the Messiah - Who was born in Bethlehem - wrapped in swaddling cloths - laid in a manger.  Jesus the Lamb of God - Who has come for us.  John’s declaration is astounding.  The implications are huge. 

“Behold” - has the idea of spiritually “waking up and smelling the coffee” -spiritually getting it - processing this at the core of who we are.  Jesus - born in Bethlehem - is the Lamb of God.  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world - our sin.

We’ve been taking up John on his challenge.  What  does all that mean for us - for us individually - as we celebrate Jesus’ coming?

This morning we’re coming to Philippians 2 - starting at verse 5 - a passage that I hope is familiar to you.  To refresh our minds, would you read these verses out loud with me.  Then we’ll come back and take a look at some of the implications here for our lives.

Philippians 2:5:  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so 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.

Looking at these verses we want to focus this morning on The Humility of the Lamb. 

Beholding Jesus - the Lamb - there are three descriptions of Jesus here that we need to focus on.  Number one is the description of Who Jesus Is.

Paul writes in verse 6 that Jesus was in the form of God.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses tell us that Jesus is a creation of God.  The Mormons tell us that Jesus, through obedience, attained to the rank of a god.  The Christian Scientists say that Christ is a “divine idea” and Jesus is a “human man.”

The verb “was in” - in the original Greek - has the idea of “existed and existing.”   “Jesus existed and He is existing.”

“Form” in Greek has the idea not just of an outward appearance - but of one’s inward nature - the essence of who a person is.

 “Grasp” literally means to grab at - like reaching for a prize - something valuable to grab on to.  Like Jesus is playing the Divine lottery and He’s hoping to win it big at being a god.

Point being:  Jesus doesn’t need to grasp at being God because whatever it is that God is Jesus is - always is - forever past - right now - forever future.  Jesus is God.  The God.

Over that last two Sundays especially we’ve been looking at that truth.  If you were unable to be with us you can go back and hear those messages on our web site. 

We’ve looked at Revelation chapters 4 and 5 - the Apostle John being invited into the Throne Room of God.  John trying to describe all that for us.  Trying...  How does one describe the indescribable?

John writes that there are 24 elders - representing God’s people - 24 elders with front row seats.  12 of whom represent us - New Testament saints.  But hang on one day we’ll be there too.  I won’t mind if it’s a seat in the back.  But I’m gonna be there.  24 elders - representing God’s people - bow prostrate - in utter devotion -  in worship. 

4 living creatures from the 4 sides of God’s throne - 4 angelic beings of the highest rank - worship at the throne.  They’re joined by countless numbers of angels - myriads and myriads - thousands upon thousands.  From the farthest reaches of His creation - from all of His creation - comes the anthem of praise - adoration - worship.

God’s presence - His splendor - His majesty - His holiness - fills His Throne Room.  The foundations shake with worship.  Put simply - the place is rocking - overwhelmed with the presence of God and worship.

Worship that grows in volume - in intensity - focusing on God and Jesus - so intertwined - that the reality is declared.  Jesus - God - the Lamb is worthy of worship.  Jesus alone is awesome in His majesty - His power - His authority - His sovereignty - His wisdom - His holiness.    Jesus alone is worthy to receive all blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.  

The focus is the infinite honor and power of the One who is at the center of it all - “Agnus Dei” - the Lamb of God - Jesus.  Worthy is the Lamb.  Alleluia.

Will you rise with me - look at the screen - the five songs of worship in Revelation 4 and 5.  We’re going to sing these words together in Heaven.  Can we speak them together in worship today?

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!

Worthy are You, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things,

and by Your will they existed and were created.

Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals,

for you were slain,

and by Your blood You ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!

To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!

AMEN!!!

Before we come to the manger we need to try to somehow process Who Jesus is.  God - the Creator - our Creator - the holy sovereign God of His creation.

Beholding Jesus - the Lamb - description number two is What Jesus Did. 

In verse 7 Paul writes that Jesus “made Himself nothing” - literally the Greek has the idea of emptying Himself - or taking something off.  Meaning Jesus choose to empty Himself of His right to act as God.

Going on - verse 7 - Jesus took on “the form of a servant.”  Servant meaning not like a household servant - but literally a slave - on the same level as a pick or shovel.  Something to be used - abused.

Going on - “begin born in the likeness of men.”  Meaning that Jesus didn’t come as a king - a ruler or a rich person - someone insulated from the worst parts of our human condition.  Jesus fully took on everything of what it means to be human - except for the guilt we carry because or our sin.

All of which is described by theologians with the words “kenosis” - meaning “emptying” and “incarnation” meaning “in the flesh” - think carne asada.  Which are impressive sounding words that theologians use so that we think they understand what it means that God became man.  But, in reality only God really gets this.

Point being:  What Paul is describing is what happened at Bethlehem.  All of Who Jesus is - God. Think:  Throne Room of Heaven and worship.  Being born in human flesh.  Think:  Bethlehem and a manger.

Imagine if I’m Jesus.  That’s a stretch.  Right.  And I choose to take my coat - which represents my prerogative to act as God - which I am.  And I take off my coat and lay it aside.  I’ve taken off - emptied myself - of my right to act as God - to use my abilities - my attributes - as God.

Be careful.  Have I changed?  No.  I’m still divine me.  Is the coat still mine?  Yes.  But, I choose not to wear it.

Then comes Bethlehem.  The baby laid in a manger - Jesus - God - taking on human flesh - in carnation.  Jesus really is a human baby in the fullness of everything it means to be a human baby.

The baby Jesus gets wrapped in swaddling clothes.  Great illustration of God - at birth - God getting wrapped - taking on - the prerogative to act as a human.  My coat is there for when I choose to put it on again.  But right now I’m in diapers.

Be careful.  Is Jesus still Jesus?  Yes.  Still God?  Yes.  Human?  Yes.  What changed?  He’s set aside His divine attributes in order to be clothed in human attributes.

Are we kind of together?

Jesus - born in Bethlehem - laid in a manger - is the only begotten Son of God and the virgin born Son of Man.  That means that Jesus - by a supernatural work of God - Jesus is both God and man - united in one person without the inheritance of sin.

Going on - verse 8 - and being found in human form - meaning God in human flesh - He humbled Himself  

“Humbled” has the idea of lying down level with the ground.  “He humbled Himself” - means that Jesus did it to Himself.  “Obedient” in Greek means to place ourselves “under” the authority of what we “hear” - the instructions - the will of the one giving the instruction.

Grab that.  Jesus chose - voluntarily placed Himself in a position low enough to be used - even as the ground beneath our feet - to be trampled on by humanity - even crucifixion - because that was what God willed for Him to do.

How did Jesus humble Himself?  First - He became “obedient to the point of death.”

Jesus didn’t have to die.  He isn’t born - as we are - with the terminal illness of sin.  Jesus loved us so much that He chose to receive the death sentence that’s really ours.

Which is what we looked at when we looked at The Blood of the Lamb - the Passover back in Exodus.  And that message is on line as well.

In Exodus - God sent plague after plague - frogs, insects, and locust - oh my.  Pharaoh’s heart was hardened - arrogant.  Finally there’s one last plague.  All the firstborn in Egypt will die - from the first born of Pharaoh down to the firstborn of a slave girl.  Even the firstborn of the cattle.  Its and immutable death sentence hanging over every firstborn.

The only salvation for God’s people is to sacrifice a 1 year old unblemished male lamb.  Kill the lamb.  Put its blood - where?  on the doorposts and across the lintel.  When the Lord passes through Egypt and sees the blood of the lamb - He’ll “pass over” that house - spare the firstborn within.

In His Levitical Law God took that Passover lamb and prescribed it as a an offering for sin.  The animal was placed on the altar and the one making the sacrifice - the sinner - would put his hand on the animal to signify the transfer of guilt - that the animal was taking the place of the sinner - taking the penalty for the sin - dying in the place of the sinner - so that the one making the offering - the sinner - would be pardoned by God and cleansed of the sin and the guilt.  The innocent dying for the guilty. 

Hang on.  Since Jesus is fully God He’s perfect.  No sin.  No blemish.  Just like God required a perfect lamb for the Old Testament sacrifices - Jesus is perfect to be offered as God’s sacrificial Lamb on the cross.  He meets the requirements.

Because Jesus is fully man - one of us - Jesus meets the requirements - He’s able to represent us - humans - as our sacrifice.  To take our place on the cross - taking on Himself the wrath of God which should have been leveled against us - to provide for us the means for our salvation from all that coming deserved coming judgment and wrath - to provide the whole basis for our restored relationship with God.

Jesus who is worthy to be worshipped - by elders, angels, and all of us - oh my.  The Almighty Sovereign God of Creation.  Jesus set all that aside to serve - us - to die in our place.

“Even” - Paul writes - “even death on a cross.”

Jesus could have chosen to die quickly - painlessly - in some peaceful setting surrounded by His family and friends.  But, He chose to die on a cross - in pain and agony - rejected and despised - executed as common criminal - in shame and disgrace.  Deserted by everyone - including His Heavenly Father - He died finally - because He was unable to breathe.

We need to let that sink in.  To not just pass by that.

It is extremely difficult to imagine a type of death more hideous than crucifixion.  The pain is so beyond words to explain that they had to invent a new word to describe it.  “Excruciating” literally means “out of the cross.”  Think about that.

By time Jesus finally made it to the cross He’d been flogged - that alone is a study in agony - flesh being shredded and stripped from the body.  He’d been beaten, spat on, mocked, a crown of thorns shoved down over His head.  He’d carried that cross beam at least part way to Golgotha.

When they laid Jesus out on the cross they drove 5 to 7 inch spikes - nails - through His wrists and feet - severing and crushing vital nerves.  Searing jolts of unimaginable pain would have shot though His body.  When the cross is raised and set into place Jesus’ arms are stretched - probably six inches beyond their normal reach.  His shoulders are dislocated.

Death by crucifixion is ultimately a slow process of asphyxiation.  Stresses on the muscles and diaphragm put the chest into an inhaled position.  In order to exhale - Jesus would have had to push up on His feet  - causing the nails to tear through the flesh of His feet - pushing up enough to relax the tension on the muscles just enough to exhale.

That went on and on - an agonizing process of pushing up - exhaling - letting down - pushing up - exhaling - until exhaustion took place and the victim simply couldn’t breathe anymore.

The slowing down of the breathing - because of that process - probably resulted in an increase of acidity in Jesus’ blood leading to an irregular heartbeat.  In other words, Jesus could have ultimately died of heart failure.    

Then there was the shame - the disgrace - the humiliation of hanging on a cross - a death reserved for thieves and murderers - slaves and foreigners.  A type of execution that wasn’t allowed for Roman citizens.  That the Jews claimed was indicative of God’s curse.  Jesus being crucified before His family and friends.  And grief - not for Himself - but for those standing around the cross - jeering - laughing - mocking - arrogant.

Isaiah wrote, “He - Jesus - was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His scourging we are healed.”  (Isaiah 53:5)

Peter writes, “He Himself - Jesus - bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

Paul writes in Romans:  “For while we were still helpless - condemned by our own sin - at the right time - at Passover - on the cross - Christ died for the ungodly” - each one of us. (Romans 5:6 NASB)

It is what John the Baptist cries out:  “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!”  (John 1:29b)

Words can’t describe this.  The Throne Room of Heaven - to the manger - to the cross.  What Jesus did.

Let’s go on.  Beholding Jesus - the Lamb - description number three:  Who Jesus Glorified.  Ultimately, Who gets the credit for what Jesus did?

Paul writes - verse 9 - “Therefore - because of Who Jesus is and What Jesus did - therefore God has highly exalted Him - Jesus - and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so 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 the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

First:  Paul writes, that God “highly exalted” Jesus.  The Greek word has the idea of being “super-lifted up” - way up there - powerfully lifted up.  It has to do with Jesus’ resurrection.  Jesus was crucified - died - is resurrected.

God didn’t just resurrect Jesus a little bit.  Kind of quietly - so no one would really notice.   

God resurrected Jesus in a place that was geographically central to the peoples of Asia, Europe, and Africa.  At a time when communication - roads - language - empire - all facilitated the message being spread.

God broke the seal of the mighty Roman Empire.  Took out carefully selected highly trained crack Roman troops.  Had a massive stone rolled away.  Sent angels to declare the resurrection.

The resurrection is a history direction changing - life will never be the same - all of creation has to sit up and take notice - powerful historical event.  Death has been conquered.  The penalty for sin has been paid.  Satan and his hordes have be utterly defeated.

God powerfully raised Jesus - highly exalted Him.

Then, second, God “bestowed” - graciously gave to Him - “the name which is above every name.”

A name is not just something we call someone.  A name is our reputation.  It represents character - dignity - position - rank - office - majesty.  It commands respect - honor - even worship.

When God powerfully raised Jesus - all of what Jesus voluntarily set aside at the incarnation - in obedience dying - at the resurrection - God the Father powerfully restores and gives to Him the name.  Notice the definite article:  “the” name - not “a” name.  There is no name greater than “the” name of Jesus - no one greater than He.

The scene of worship before the throne in Revelation - the declaration of Jesus’ worthiness - the slain and victorious Lamb of God - that worship before the Throne is a part of the exaltation that Paul is writing about. 

Jesus is Immanuel - The Son of David - Prince of Peace - Wonderful Counselor - The Word - The Light of the World - Advocate - The Great Shepherd.  He is the Way - the Truth - the Life.  Man of Sorrows - The Firstborn From The Dead - The Cornerstone - The Head of the Church.  Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah - The Root of David - The Bright Morning Star - the Holy One - Alpha - Omega - The Lord God - The Great I Am - The Lamb of God.  In character - in reputation - in majesty and rank and office and on and on - He’s all of that and so much more.

Then Paul writes - verse 10 - “So that - the reason God highly exalted Jesus - bestowed on Him the name - is so that - number one - at the name of Jesus every knee should bow” - surrender by choice or submit by decree - bow in reverence or grudging admiration - in joyful faith or resentment and despair.  One day every knee will bow.

Notice the scope:  “Every knee” - “those who are in heaven” - celestial - angels - saints in heaven - everyone up there.  Those who are “on earth” - terrestrial - everyone on earth.  Those who are “under the earth” - infernal - Satan and his hordes - those lost in hell.  Anyone left out?  No one.  The scope is universal.  Every rational being will bow.

Second - God exalts Jesus so that at the name of Jesus - verse 11 - “every tongue will confess.”

To confess is to agree and openly - publicly - without any reservation or disagreement with what’s being declared - acknowledge - what?  “that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Jesus meaning:  The angel comes to Joseph - who’s bride is pregnant - who’s thinking about secretly sending her away.  The angel says to Joseph, “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name - what?  Jesus, for He will - what?  save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20,21)  Jesus is the Savior.

Christ meaning:  “Christos” - Christ - is the Greek translation of the Hebrew “Messiah” -literally “The Anointed”  The Messiah was to be the Deliverer - the One anointed by God - set apart by God through whom God’s people would be restored in their relationship with God.  Jesus is the One through whom we have access to God - the One through whom we can enter into a personal relationship with God.

Lord meaning:  The Old Testament equivalent of “Lord” is “Jehovah” - “Yahweh” - the Great I Am.  Jesus is the eternal sovereign Lord God.

One day - every rational being will physically bow - every tongue will audibly confess - with one voice - in agreement - openly - in acknowledgement - that Jesus is the Savior.  Jesus is the Christ.  Jesus is the Sovereign Lord God - Jehovah Himself.

(picture of manger:  "King Size Bed")  Point being this.

All of what we’re celebrating - or what we should be celebrating - what people rushing around caught up doing Christmas stuff - what people need to know about Christmas - is that Jesus grew up to become a man.  Jesus died on a cross.  He was raised from death.  God has exalted Him and we must worship Him.  The vulnerable baby is the Lord of all.

Then - bottom line - verse 11 - Who Jesus glorified - bottom line:  “To the Glory of God the Father.”

Wasn’t that what the angels declared to the Shepherds?  A multitude of the heavenly host - praising God.  Saying, “Glory to God in the highest!”  (Luke 2:13,14)

Everything Jesus did - His divine attributes set aside - His taking on humanity - His choice - His humility - He did in obedience to God the Father - to the glory of God.  Everything God has bestowed on Jesus - exalting Him - is all to the glory of God.  The great purpose of the Son is to glorify the Father - to bring honor and praise to Him. (John 17:1) 

Point being:  When creation recognizes Jesus Christ’s Lordship - the great purpose of the Father in sending the Son is realized and God is glorified.

There is a lot there in what Paul writes here in verses 5 to 11.  Yes?  What does all that means for us - for us individually - as we celebrate Jesus’ coming?

Go back up with me to verse 5.  Paul writes - “Have this mind among yourselves - which is yours in Christ Jesus.”  In other words:  Process what Jesus did for yourselves.  What would what Jesus did look like in your life?

Three Descriptions of us.  Description number one:  Who We Are.

Jesus - born in a manger - is God.  Jesus the Lamb of God - Jesus is worthy to be worshipped.  Exalted.  Sovereign.  Holy.  We are not.  In fact - our very lives are an affront to God.

That may sound harsh.  Might ruffle a few feathers.  But, if we honestly think about - its true.

(picture of shark stalking a paddleboarder)

Paul in Romans - summarizes our condition before God:  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 3:23; 6:23) 

Spiritually each of us is in a vary precarious position.  We can try to paddle faster - work harder - do more religious stuff.  But ultimately we’re fish food.

Even as a Christians.  Forgiven?  Yes.  Sinners?  Yes.  Even as Christians our sin is an affront to God.

We’re desperate.  Immutably condemned in our sin.  With no way out.  Destined for eternal punishment and separation from God.  Only God is capable of forgiving our debt.  Only a man could pay it.  What did Jesus do?  Jesus - God - took on humanity - took our place - endured the cross for us. 

We need to acknowledge that apart from God and what He by His grace - not our great intrinsic value and efforts - but only by what God because of His grace offers us in Jesus - do we have any hope of our sins being forgiven - of living in a restored relationship with God now and forever - of living in a way that isn’t an affront to God.

Description number two:  What We Do.  Or, more to the point - what we should be doing.

Jesus chose humility.

There is a vast contrast between the throne room of God and being the center of worship to the cross and being the focal point of rejection.  That was the choice Jesus made.  “He humbled Himself.”

Humility is a choice.  Try that together:  “Humility is a choice.”

That is profoundly difficult.  Someone has said, “Humility is a strange thing.  The minute you think you’ve got it, you’ve lost it.”

Jesus - always the great motivational speaker - Jesus defined the choice of following Him with these motivating words:  “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”  (Luke 9:23,24)

That’s humility Jesus style:  Take up an instrument of cruel torturous death and die following Me.  Not much self left over after that.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer - a Christian martyr of the Nazi’s Third Reich - Bonhoeffer wrote this:  “To endure the cross is not a tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ…  If our Christianity has ceased to be serious about discipleship, if we have watered down the gospel into emotional uplift which makes not costly demands and which fails to distinguish between natural and Christian existence, then we cannot help regarding the cross as an ordinary everyday calamity, as one of the trials and tribulations of life.  We have then forgotten that the cross means rejection and shame as well as suffering… When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” (1)   

If we’re going to live in Christ-like humility we need to get off of our own self-made pedestals and learn to trust God with the circumstances and people in our lives.  To let go of all the things and attitudes - our prerogative to trust ourselves and defend ourselves and take care of ourselves - to focus on the unholy trinity of me, myself, and I - by letting go of all the things and attitudes we hold to - trusting God is a choice. 

Which brings us to Description Number Three:  Who We Glorify.  Or more to the point - Who we should be glorifying.

Sometimes we come to the celebration of Christmas and we congratulate ourselves because somehow we were able to put it all together - Christmas Sunday being maybe a tad crazier than most - and to get here to sing Christmas carols and worship God and enjoy being together in this wonderful sanctuary - and to be tempted to think that Jesus’ coming is all about us.

Its tempting to live our lives that way - Jesus’ coming - death and resurrection - is all about us.  To think that the whole purpose of Bible study and prayer and worship and serving God is somehow about us.

Everything about Jesus’ ministry was designed to expand the kingdom of God to make salvation and the knowledge of God more accessible - to glorify the Father.   (John 17:1)

Jesus made it clear - not only in what He taught - but in how He lives - that to follow Jesus as our Savior - as His disciple - for us to live lives where God gets the glory - we must abandon everything - our needs - our wants - our version of what it means to follow Him - to let go of whatever we’re clinging to that keeps us back from trusting Him totally with our lives - to abandon it all to follow Him - so that everything that God blesses us with - time - talent - treasure - our very relationship with Him - all of that is without reservation totally at His command - that we will without question obey Him - so that the only remaining possibility for Who our lives testify of - is God.

Maybe hearing a Christmas message about dying and death isn’t exactly cheerful.  But its honest.  What took place that night in Bethlehem -   Jesus’ emptying and incarnation isn’t about us.  “Glory to God in the Highest.”

Part two:  “and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.” - even that is about God.

What does all this mean for us?  Each of us needs to face our desperate need for the Savior - to give ourselves with abandon to God - to give ourselves in total obedience to God - to serve Him in His whatever He would have us do - for His glory alone.

_________________________

1.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship - Discipleship and the Cross