Verse 6
[6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Who being in the essential form — The incommunicable nature.
Of God — From eternity, as he was afterward in the form of man; real God, as real man.
Counted it no act of robbery — That is the precise meaning of the words,-no invasion of another's prerogative, but his own strict and unquestionable right.
To be equal with God — the word here translated equal, occurs in the adjective form five or six times in the New Testament, Matthew 20:12; Luke 6:34; John 5:18; Acts 11:17; Revelation 21:16. In all which places it expresses not a bare resemblance, but a real and proper equalitg. It here implies both the fulness and the supreme height of the Godhead; to which are opposed, he emptied and he humbled himself.
Verse 7
[7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Yet — He was so far from tenaciously insisting upon, that he willingly relinquished, his claim. He was content to forego the glories of the Creator, and to appear in the form of a creature; nay, to he made in the likeness of the fallen creatures; and not only to share the disgrace, but to suffer the punishment, due to the meanest and vilest among them all.
He emptied himself — Of that divine fulness, which he received again at his exaltation. Though he remained full, John 1:14, yet he appeared as if he had been empty; for he veiled his fulness from the sight of men and angels. Yea, he not only veiled, but, in some sense, renounced, the glory which he had before the world began.
Taking — And by that very act emptying himself.
The form of a servant — The form, the likeness, the fashion, though not exactly the same, are yet nearly related to each other. The form expresses something absolute; the likeness refers to other things of the same kind; the fashion respects what appears to sight and sense.
Being made in the likeness of men — A real man, like other men. Hereby he took the form of a servant.
Verse 8
[8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
And being found in fashion as a man — A common man, without any peculiar excellence or comeliness.
He humbled himself — To a still greater depth.
Becoming obedient — To God, though equal with him.
Even unto death — The greatest instance both of humiliation and obedience.
Yea, the death of the cross — Inflicted on few but servants or slaves.
Verse 9
[9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Wherefore — Because of his voluntary humiliation and obedience. He humbled himself; but God hath exalted him - So recompensing his humiliation.
And hath given him — So recompensing his emptying himself.
A name which is above every name — Dignity and majesty superior to every creature.
Verse 10
[10] That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
That every knee — That divine honour might be paid in every possible manner by every creature.
Might bow — Either with love or trembling.
Of those in heaven, earth, under the earth — That is, through the whole universe.
Verse 11
[11] And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
And every tongue — Even of his enemies.
Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord — Jehovah; not now "in the form of a servant," but enthroned in the glory of God the Father.
Sermon Story "Serving Others" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 26 November 2014
How do you imagine a God who created everything in the cosmos sending his son, who is still God, into the world of sinful humantiy to save them from their sins by His obedience to death on a cross, which was a curse according to the Bible? No wonder Jesus told the parable of the King who left his land in charge of his servants than sending other servants back to them to gather the rent and they either beat up or killed the servants, then the King sent his son to gather the funds from the servants but they decided to kill him to gain the inheritance. If you were the King, how would you have responded. I can see it now as my own mother was raised in a Christian/Methodist home losing her father when she was 16 years old. Graduating from high achool and graduating from a Business Institute with a business degree in accounting/bookkeeping. The Second World War came along and she began working in a Remington factory because there were more jobs for women due to the men enlisting into the military, but as the war continued, she decided to join the United States Navy as a Wave being trained as a baker. After basic training and tech school, somehow she had an encounter with a gentleman that produced a child. Due to the policies of the United States Navy at the time, she was discharged and chose to have the son as a single mother. She went back to her hometown and raised my older brother and had him baptized in a Lutheran Church. Through however she met the man who became my father she married this man in Phoenix, Arizona and traveled with her husband as a migrant farm worker. After having given birth to a girl continuing as a migrant farm worker, she became pregnat with another child and her husband dealing with alcohol addiction and his PTSD from his experiences in the Second World War leaving my mother, moved back to her hometown. After the boy was born, she live with her mother and grandmother for six months before deciding to move into Waverly and raise her three children as a single mother. Through these times, she had the opportunity to work as a bar maid and even give up her children to work more3 successively, but she did not. Throough it all, even though she was placed on Welfare, she raise these three children where two of them graduated from college and the third attended college but married and became a successful women apparel store manager. She lived to see her children married giving her five grandchildren and two the grandchildren giving her three or four great-children. Through this time, she dealt with cancer and survived cancer for some 40 years before meeting her creator receving her rewards and her heavenly body. There are many stories from other people as well. What characters due you relate to or not relate to? How do you see your own life coming together? Where do you see your net time serving others and God? What stories can you come up with? Through all this, I am reminded of the Hymn "BROTHER, LET ME BE YOUR SERVANT":
1. BROTHER, LET ME BE YOUR SERVANT,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, too.
2. We are pilgrims on a journey,
We are brothers on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.
3. I will hold the Christlight for you
In the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the peace you long to hear.
4. I will weep when you are weeping,
When you laugh I'll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we've seen this journey through.
5. When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony,
Born of all we've known together
Of Christ's love and agony.
6. Brother, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, too.
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