Phil. 2:5-8; Isa. 50:4-9, Bond-Servant

Listen to others describe Jesus’ emptying of Himself.

Dwight Pentecost: The One who had rights as the eternal Son of God, subject to no one other than Himself, gave up His rights.

J. B. Lightfoot: (He did not give up) His divine nature, for that was impossible; but of the glories, the prerogatives of Deity.

Kenneth Wuest: His rightful natural desire as Deity was to be glorified, to give expression of His glory to the angels.  But to go to the Cross, He had to set that desire aside.  Setting that desire aside, He set self aside, He emptied Himself of self, He made self void, the very Person who had the right to assert self, which is the prerogative of Deity alone.  Here is the supreme example of the self-emptied life.

This is the definition of meekness, as in Gal. 5:22-23 (the fruit of the Spirit, often translated gentleness).  It is laying aside one’s rights and expectations.  Jesus’ move from heaven to earth began here.  Jesus rightly claimed this trait (Mt. 11:25).  And it is fundamental to our own blessedness (Mt. 5:5).

·        Station #3: taking the form of a bond-servant.

Again let us consider each word in this phrase.

o   Taking: Again, Christ is active.  He did this; it was not pressed upon Him.

o   Form: This is the same term as in v6.  The form of the bond-servant means this is not just external; it became His very nature.  The Master became slave. 

o   Bond-servant: This is the “servant” term in Greek that is the lowest, if you will.  The bond-servant has no will of His own but only that of His Master.  Remember that Jesus said this of Himself: I am among you as a servant (Lk. 22:27).  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). 

The reality of this was seen in Jesus’ entire earthly life.  Upon entering the world He said, I have come to do Thy will, O God (Heb. 10:5-7).  For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me (Jn. 6:38).  In His greatest trial, in Gethsemane, He said Yet not as I will but as You will (Mt. 26:39,42).  The Servant Song of Isa. 50:4-9, speaking of Messiah, expresses this servant role with great power.

Now is a good time to remind ourselves of our context.  Paul is encouraging believers to stand fast together by having the mind of Christ.  Do you remember that Paul described himself as a bond-servant of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:1)?  What Christ did in the Incarnation was to make Himself the slave of His Father.  So we will be able to stand together as believers if we have the slave mentality.