Okay, today for Sunday school
we'll be in Philippians chapter 2. We'll look at five Bible facts
about Christ. And they're right here in this
text. Five Bible facts about Christ that are found right in
the text here. Philippians chapter 2, we'll read from verses 5 to
11, so we'll read the context. And in our main context, the
main verses we'll be looking at will be from 6-9. So, starting
in verse 5 of chapter 2, Let this mind be in you which was
also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it
not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men, and being found In fashion as a man, he humbled
himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given
him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth
and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Five Bible facts about Christ, and they're contained right in
these verses, in verses six to nine. The first one that I'd
like us to consider, the first Bible fact that I'd like us to
consider is found in verse six. The equality of Jesus Christ
with God. The equality of Jesus Christ
with God. Look at, who being in the form
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. So right
here before us we see, and one commentator said, if there was
nowhere else in scripture that declares the deity of Christ,
right here before us we have very plainly stated the deity
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is God. He is God. Scripture declares, who being
in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with
God. So the Lord Jesus Christ was
born at Bethlehem, he was raised in Nazareth, and he was crucified
at Calvary's cross, and he is none other than God Almighty. God Almighty. For unto us a child
is born, and unto us a son is given, and the government shall
be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God. And this is speaking of Christ,
the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. And Christ is the Prince
of Peace. Turn, if you would, to Matthew
1, verse 23. So this verse before us in Philippians
6, "...who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery
to be equal with God, proclaims the deity of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ." Look at Matthew 1, 23. Behold, a virgin shall be with
child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his
name Immanuel. Immanuel, which being interpreted
is God with us. The Lord Jesus Christ is none
other than the self-existent One, the Great I Am, incarnate
in the flesh. And His humanity and deity are
so intertwined that we call Him the God-Man. Because that's what
He wants. Perfect, spotless, sinless. The perfect man. And the Lord
Jesus Christ is the same in nature, essence, and purpose with God
the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He's God. He's Emmanuel. God
with us. God incarnate in the flesh. And
do you know all the Holy Trinity was involved in accomplishing
our salvation? The whole Trinity was involved. We've seen that in our studies
in Ephesians. Turn, if you would, to Hebrews
9. And Scripture declares in Ephesians, remember when we were
looking through Ephesians? In Ephesians 1-4, Scripture declares
that the Father chose us in Christ in eternity. in Ephesians 1.4.
And then the Son redeemed us by shedding His blood in Ephesians
1.7. And then John 3.8 says the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual
life. And Hebrews 9.11 says, But Christ, becoming a high priest
of good things to come, verse 11, by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building,
neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood,
He entered into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us. For if the blood of bulls and
goats and the ashes of heifers sprinkle of an unclean sanctified
to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without
spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the
living God? So we know that Christ offered Himself up to the Father.
And we were all chosen in Christ. So when Christ died, we were
in Him. And we are all drawn by the Holy Spirit of God. He's
the one who gives us life. He's the one who quickens us
from the dead. And we flee to Christ. And the only reason that
happens, the only reason Christ died for us upon the cross was
because the Father gave us to Him. In Him. We're chosen in
Him. So the whole Trinity is in action
in the salvation of sinners. So back to our text, it says,
"...who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God." So here this Scripture plainly reveals the
deity and the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. So let us consider this as we
go further in our study too. 1 John 5, 7 says this, "...for
there are three that bear record in heaven." Three. the Word,
and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. They're
all one. Our Lord Jesus Christ was God. He is equal with God. So let's
consider our second Bible fact which is found in verse 7. The
condescending grace of Jesus Christ. Look at this. But made
Himself of no reputation. and took upon Him the form of
a servant and was made in the likeness of man. Our Lord didn't
come as a conquering king. He didn't appear as a king. He
appeared meek and lowly." Meek and lowly. He made Himself of no reputation. He took upon Himself the form
of a servant. Our surety, our Redeemer, our
Savior, when He was manifested in the flesh as the Son of Man,
He never ceased being God. He's both God and man. And this
is the condescending grace here before us. The fact that God
became a man. God became a man. He became a
man He was made under the law, and why was he made under the
law? That he might redeem us. He might redeem us. He's fully
God, and he's fully man. What condescension. The God of
glory. I remember one person saying,
be like us becoming an ant. Now that's not even close to
what it is, but think of that. The God of glory becomes a man. This is condescending grace.
And this is why, this is why, beloved, he's worthy to receive
all the glory and all the praise. It's because God himself became
a man to redeem his people. He made himself of no reputation. no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant. His whole life was a life of
servitude. And was made in the likeness
of man. He was made flesh, just like you and I are flesh. My God, God did this. Now he remained what he was.
He was God, but he became what he wasn't, man. And now, in glory, He's the God-man. He's the God-man. Turn, if you
would, to Revelation chapter 1. Revelation chapter 1. And I'll read 1 Timothy 3.16,
which says this, And without controversy, great is the mystery
of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto Gentiles,
believed on in the world, and received up in the glory. Great
is the mystery of Godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. And that's no other than the
Lord Jesus Christ. And He came willingly. Think
of this, beloved. He willingly left the glories
and splendors of heaven. Willingly. Willingly. Freely. knowing what
he had to do. Oh, what great love Christ has
for his people. My. He willingly left the glories
and splendors of heaven, the worship of angels. We can't even
fathom. They have to cover their eyes
in his presence. They cover themselves in his
presence. He's so holy. and He leaves the glory and splendors
of heaven and comes down to this earth to redeem us from our sins. What great love. What condescending
grace, beloved. Look at Revelation 1, verses
10-13. And I was in the Spirit on the
Lord's day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet,
saying, I am Alpha and Omega. Oh my. He's the beginning and
the end. The first and the last. What
thou seest, write in a book and send it unto the seven churches
which are in Asia, unto Ephesus, unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and
unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto
Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice
that spoke with me, and being turned," now look at that. I
remember hearing one grace preacher saying, look at this, as I turned
to see the voice, and being turned, God people, we're going one way,
and we're turned to Christ. And being turned, I saw seven
golden candlesticks, and in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks,
one like unto the Son of Man. clothe with a garment, down to
the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle." Oh,
he's the God-man mediator in glory, beloved. So let us consider
the third part, the third Bible fact which is found in our text.
And it's found in the latter part of verse 7. The humiliation
of Jesus Christ as the servant. And took upon him the form of
a servant. Now this is the King of Kings.
and the Lord of Lords. This is the one, as I said, who
angels are falling down before Him and worshipping Him in adoration. And took upon Him the form of
a servant. And was made in the likeness
of man and being found in fashion as a man. The Lord Jesus Christ,
again, voluntarily, voluntarily, beloved, took upon Him the form
of a servant. He did it willingly. And He knew
exactly what He was doing. And He was made in the likeness
of man. He willingly became a servant.
He willingly became submissive. Submitting Himself in perfect
submission to the Father's will. We saw that last week, didn't
we? In the Sunday message. We saw that. He willingly, perfectly,
in perfect obedience, submitted himself to the Father's will.
And it was all for you and me. He's perfect. It's all for us. As one commentator said, he's
weaving our coat of righteousness as he lives upon this earth.
My goodness, beloved. My goodness. Turn, if you would,
to Isaiah 42. Isaiah 42. He's a servant to
His Father. His Father chose Him and called
and sent Him and upheld Him and regarded Him as a servant sent
to be the substitute of His people who the Father had chosen in
Him. Look at Isaiah 42, verses 1-7. The humiliation of our Lord and
Savior. He is a perfect servant. Look
at Isaiah 42, verses 1-7. Behold my servant, whom I uphold. God upholds Christ. Well, He's
here. Mine elect is chosen. And we're chosen in Him. In whom my soul delighteth, I
have put my spirit upon Him, and He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up,
nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed
shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench. He
shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail. I love that. Oh my goodness.
That's a nail in the sure place, beloved. Right there. And he
didn't fail, did he? He didn't. He redeemed his people
from their sins. Everyone. And even the debt that
condemns us is blotted out. We saw that Wednesday. Blotted
out. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. He shall not
fail, nor be discouraged. Remember? Scripture says he set
his face like a flint, right? Steadfast. He knows exactly what
he must do. Until you have set judgment in
the earth and the owls wait. for His law. Thus saith God the
Lord, He that created the heavens and stretched them out. That's
our God. Our God's not a weak God. He's
not a God who's waiting for people to make a decision. Our God's
the God who created the heavens. Who spoke them into existence. Who stretched them out. That's the God of the Bible.
That's our Redeemer. He that spread forth the earth
and that which cometh out of it, He that giveth breath unto
the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein, I
the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold
thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for the covenant
of the people. Oh, this is speaking of Christ. For a light of the
Gentiles to open the blind eyes to bring out the prisoners from
the prison. There we were. That's us. We
were prisoners. Now what? We're set free. We're
set free in Christ, aren't we? The shackles are gone. They're
gone. And then that sit in darkness
out of the prison house. Oh, the darkness of sin we were
in. Now the marvelous light of the
gospel of our glorious Savior has shone in our hearts. We're
born again of the Holy Spirit of God. Trusting and resting
in Christ alone. But Christ was sent. What humiliation
of our great Savior. He was sent to be a servant.
He was sent to live. Think of this. He was sent to
live a perfect life. That was his mission, right?
He was sent not only to live a perfect life, but he was sent
to die under the law that he never offended. But we did. I did. He's sent
to redeem me. He's perfect. He's sinless. He's
spotless. But he's sent to die under the
law in the place of his people. So he's sent to live, and he's
sent to die. And he's the perfect servant.
And he willingly, we know he, nevertheless not my will but
thine. Oh my. And what has Christ obtained
for his people by doing that? Now false religion will tell
you you can lose your salvation. But you know the scripture says
that Christ has obtained eternal, there's the key wording, eternal
redemption for his people. Eternal, it means it can't be
lost. Why can't it be lost? Because it's in him. It's in
Christ. Now if you're the one who's responsible
for your redemption, you ain't got no redemption. But if your
redemption is in Christ, He's obtained eternal redemption for
His people. Great joy this brings God's people.
Great comfort this brings God's people. Eternal redemption through
Christ. And Christ alone, we saw there
in Isaiah, Christ alone is the only one who can give sight to
spiritually blind people. To those who sit in darkness.
Only he can do that and that's what he's done for you and I
who believe. He's given us eyes to see and
ears to hear. He's raised the dead. He set
the prisoners free. Oh my. And this is all through
through Christ and him alone. And he uses the preaching of
the gospel to draw lost sinners. The Holy Spirit uses the preaching
of the gospel to woo dead sinners. And he gives them life, though.
See, the Holy Spirit must regenerate us or we'll never come, right?
That's why salvation's of the Lord. We got to be, again, what
comes first, faith or regeneration? Always regeneration. Must be
born again. And then you run, then you have
faith, It's a gift. It's given to you. So let us
ponder this. Let us ponder this and let us
think on this precious truth. That the Creator of all things
lives among His creation as a servant. As a servant. And He does all this for His
people whom He redeemed. And whom He did redeem. And whom
He did obtain eternal salvation for at Calvary's cross. The infinite
God joined Himself to an infant, becoming both man and God. He's intertwined. The divine
nature intertwined with the human nature. He's the God-man. In
Galatians 4 it says this, but when the fullness of time was
come, God sent forth His Son on that perfect second. Not a
second before, and not a second after. When the fullness of time
was come, when God had ordained, the very second God ordained, God sent forth His Son, made
of a woman, made under the law. And He did this, beloved, for
the sake of His people, that our sins, that my sins, and if
you're a believer that your sins, might be forgiven. This is the
whole reason. My, what love. What love. For ye know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes
he became poor. And think of that richness of the glories and splendors
of heaven. He's God. And in the condescension, he
becomes a man. to redeem. He becomes poor. Why? Yet for your sakes He became
poor that ye through His poverty might be rich. And we have all
spiritual blessings. Where? In Christ. In Christ. We're rich. The richest man in the world
has nothing compared to what we have in Christ. as all His riches are temporal. Our riches are eternal, beloved.
My, what a God we have. And He was a servant not only
to the Father, turn if you would to Matthew 20, verse 28, but
He's a servant of His covenant people too. So He's a servant
not only to the Father, but He's also a servant to His covenant
people. And may we marvel at the condescending
grace of God, the humility, how He just humbled Himself as a
man. God incarnate in the flesh. Look at Matthew 20, verse 28. Even as the Son of Man came not
to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His
life a ransom for many. He's a servant. His whole life
is a life of servitude. He didn't come here to be ministered
unto. But He came to minister and to
give His life a ransom, a payment. A payment for what? For all my
sins. And if you're a believer, you
could say the same thing. For all my sins. A ransom, a payment. Oh my, what a God. Do you just
see? Don't you just marvel that Christ
was God? And he did this. What love, again. No wonder scripture declares
he's loved us with an everlasting love. Would we do this for people who
were enemies in their minds towards us? Well, the reason he did this
is because we're his covenant people. We didn't know that. We didn't know that, but he knows.
And he comes and lives that perfect life that I can never live and
that you can never live. And then he dies upon the cross
and he pays all that God demanded for every, think of this, for
every single one of our sins, the sins that we commit, the
sins that we don't even know we commit, everyone. Everyone, it's finished. Scripture there in Matthew 20,
28, give his life a ransom for many. He willingly gave up his
life, too. He willingly gave up his life
for his people. May we just marvel at this condescending
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We who believe on Christ, may
it just fill us with awe. It's incredible. Let's consider
our fourth Bible fact, which is found in the latter part of
verse 8. His perfect obedience in all
things. And we looked at this last week in our Sunday morning
message. And became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. He was really a man. Not just
in appearance, but in reality. He was a real man. He lay nine
months in the womb. Nine months. He lay in a manger.
He knew hunger. He knew thirst. He knew weariness. He knew grief. He knew pain.
He knew death. And His submission was real. His obedience was real to the
Father. From cradle to the cross, He is our righteousness. And
we are made righteous by His obedience. were made righteous
by his obedience. For by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners. Romans 5, 19. So by the obedience
of one, being Christ, shall many be made righteous. Made righteous.
Can't make ourselves righteous, but God can make us righteous,
and he has. We who believe on Christ, made
righteous. My goodness. The Lord Jesus Christ
rendered To the righteous, holy, and just
God, perfect obedience in the place of His people. Perfect
obedience in the place of His people. Turn, if you would, to
Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5. We'll look at one verse there. And I'll read a verse in Isaiah
42, 21, which says this. The Lord is well pleased for
His righteousness sake. He will magnify the law and make
it honorable. That's in the Old Testament.
In Isaiah 42, 21 it was said, The Lord is well pleased for
His righteousness sake. He will magnify the law and make
it honorable. Look what he says in Matthew
5, 17. Think that I have not come to destroy the law or the
prophets. I have not come to destroy. What? But to fulfill. And he did that
for us. He fulfilled the law of God in
our room and place, beloved. He didn't destroy the law. He
fulfilled it. Now God's people love the law.
It's holy. It's a reflection of God's holiness. But we look at the law and we're
like, oh my. We're in desperate trouble, aren't
we? But look at this marvelous scripture. Think that I have
not come to destroy the law of the prophets. I have not come
to destroy, but to fulfill. Oh, my. He fulfilled all the
law's demands in absolute perfection. Absolute perfection. And He is
the perfect spotless Lamb of God. Again, in perfect obedience,
in perfect submission to the Father's will for us. He did
not come to destroy the law, but He came to fulfill it. And
He did it, beloved. He did it for us. That which
we could never, we can't even, we can't even please God on one
thing that we knew. I look at the law and I'm doomed.
But then I look to Christ, to this verse here too and say,
He fulfilled it in my place. My goodness. See the law is the
schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. It makes us believe in Him. Even
after we're saved. Oh my. Hebrews 7, verses 26 and
27 says this, For such a high priest became us, who is holy,
harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher
than the heavens. Who needeth not daily as those high priests
to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins. He doesn't need
to do that because he's absolutely sinless. And then for the peoples,
for this he did once when he offered up himself, the perfect
spotless lamb of God, offered up himself as sacrifice for your
sins and for mine. To redeem the sinner. Oh my,
my goodness. The law demands perfection and
Christ lives the perfect life. The law demands death for a sinner.
Christ, our sins are imputed to Christ and he dies in our
room. What a Savior. What a Savior. The perfect, sinless,
spotless Lamb of God establishes a justifying righteousness before
God that we could never produce by our own works. And He does
it for us. For he hath made him to be sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. He established a justifying righteousness
before God for us, provided a perfect atonement by the sacrifice of
himself in our place. What a God! What a Savior! Wherefore,
in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in all things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."
So he dies for our sins, the sinless one. The just one dies for unjust
sinners. like me and like you, and because
of His atonement, because of the shedding of His precious
blood, God says to His people, and I love this, oh, may this
just be honey for our souls, Hebrews 10, 17, and their sins
and iniquities. Well, I remember no more. No more. God don't remember my
sins. Now, I remember them, but God
don't remember them. They're covered in the precious
blood of Christ. That's good news for sinners. That's good
news for sinners. So our last point, let us consider
our last 5th Bible fact, which is found in our text. It's found
in verse 9. Verse 9. Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him and given him a name which is above every name. God
has accepted, beloved. He's accepted the sacrifice of
Christ. He's pleased. He's satisfied. We could never
satisfy him. We could never satisfy His wrath.
We could never satisfy His justice. We could never satisfy His law.
But Christ, by living as a substitute for His people, absolutely satisfied
the law and justice of God in our place. God is satisfied. Absolutely satisfied. And here
are three ways in which we can know that God is satisfied. Three
ways in which we can know that God is satisfied. His resurrection
from the dead. Turn if you would to Romans chapter
1. And then put your finger in Hebrews chapter 1 also. And I'll
read the second point which will be in Acts 1.9. But three ways
in which we can know, and we're close. Three ways. I'm out of
time almost. Three ways in which we can know
this to be true. His resurrection from the dead.
We can know that God is satisfied. His resurrection from the dead.
Look at Romans 1. verses 1-4, Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,
called to be an apostle, separated him to the gospel of God, which
he had promised afore by his prophets and holy scriptures
concerning his son, Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the
seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the
Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by
the resurrection from the dead. God's pleased because He rose
from the dead. God's satisfied because Christ rose from the
dead. Number two, how can we know this to be true that God's
satisfied? His ascension. Acts 1 says this,
And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He
was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And the
third point, how can we know that God is satisfied? His enthronement.
Look at Hebrews 1. Hebrews 1, verse 3. His enthronement at God's right
hand, who being the brightness of His glory and the expressed
image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His
power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on
the right hand of the Majesty on high. And then for further
study, if you want to look at Hebrews 8.1 and Hebrews 10.12
and Hebrews 12.12, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured
the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God. We know that God is satisfied
because Christ has risen. Gracious Heavenly Father, we
pray that You would be with us this morning as we have our Sunday
morning service, that the Holy Spirit would keep our minds and
our thoughts upon Thee, Lord Jesus, that our hearts could
be set upon Thee, and that the cares of the world would just
fade away for this time that we're together. Oh, we pray that
You'd use the messages for Your glory and honor and praise. In
Jesus' name, Amen.