If you would, I want to turn
back to Philippians chapter two. I'm just going to read that one
verse, verse eight, and go from there. Philippians chapter two, verse
eight. And being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled himself. Became obedient to death even
the death of the cross So this is he humbled himself part two
If this doesn't work out I'm gonna blame Walter, you know
that Well Walter texted me, you know, we talked about it just
a little bit back and forth and Walter texted me and what he
texted me. I wrote it down here Christ condescension of the first
glory of the mystery of godliness And he's right Great Is that mystery God was manifest
in the flesh and his being manifest in the flesh is Humbling himself
he humbled himself those three words are The Eternal One took
on the form of a mortal. He took it on. Willingly. Lovingly. He took on the likeness
of sinful flesh. You know, Paul writes that this
mortal is going to put on immortality. That immortality put on the form
of a mortal. That's the definition of condescension. And that's the definition of
he humbled himself. He came down here. And I wrote
these down. First, he humbled himself physically. He became man. He became man. He humbled himself visually.
He had no beauty. No comeliness that we should
desire him. I just said it. He took on the appearance, the
likeness of sinful flesh. Now, he did not take on the appearance
of a man. This is not an appearance. He
took upon the form, being found in fashion as a man. But he did
take on the appearance. He didn't come as unfallen perfect
Adam, made by his own hands. upright No, he came in the likeness
of sinful flesh He humbled himself visually he humbled himself in
his dealings with his creation He humbled himself in his dealings
with men He was tested by men abused by men And when his hour
had come he was slain by men And of course, fourthly, he humbled
himself unto death, even the death of the cross. The first example I want to look
at this is in Luke 1 and verse 59. It's a very simple statement,
I think. Luke 1 and verse 59, and it came
to pass on the eighth day They came to circumcise the child. And they called him, whoop, I'm
at the wrong one, Zacharias. I'm at the wrong one, that's
my fault, sorry about that. And I wrote it down, the wrong
one. Yes, and I've lost the verse. I know me too, because I was
going to go to Luke 2 next. There, okay, verse 21. Sorry
about that, folks. We never make mistakes around
here. That was all the plan, you know that, just to get your
attention. Luke 2 and verse 21, and when
eight days were accomplished, For the circumcising of the child,
his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before
he was conceived in the womb. That's what the angel told Joseph
to name this child. Call his name Jesus, why? For
he shall save his people from their sins. He came down as an infant, and
eight days later, they took him to be circumcised. He humbled himself physically.
The God of all glory came into this world as an infant. Yes, he was born king. Yes, he
is king. But he humbled himself to be
born. In the form of an infant, the one who created man was born
unto a woman. He humbled himself to be dependent
physically on his earthly parents. And Jesus was brought to be circumcised
on the eighth day. He that was born king was brought
to be circumcised. Now when you think about this,
circumcision is a sign, a type. Yes, it was a real physical circumcision. But yes, circumcision is a real
type of a spiritual separation. Paul wrote in Romans 4.11, I'm
not going to turn there, he said that circumcision was a seal
of righteousness to Abraham of the righteousness Abraham by
faith. He believed God of the faith
Abraham had while he was still what? Uncircumcised. Abraham's called the father of
all them that believe even though they be not circumcised. Paul
said Abraham's our father. Those that be not circumcised.
Who's that? That's Gentiles. But our Lord came down and was
circumcised on the eighth day. He didn't need to be separated.
He didn't need a sign that he was separated. He didn't need
a seal that he was separated because he was separate. He was
made of a woman made under the law, but yes, that child was
born, but it was that son that was given. He humbled himself
to be circumcised. Why? That the law would be fulfilled. The law had to be perfectly fulfilled
by this son, and his parents saw to it. He humbled himself
physically. Then Luke 2 and 51, I'm hoping
that one's right. This is the account of when His
parents went up to Jerusalem when he was 12 years old. That's
in verse 42. When they'd fulfilled the days,
they returned, but the child Jesus stayed. He tarried in Jerusalem, and
Joseph and his mother didn't know anything about it. But they
thought he'd been in the company, and he wasn't. They found out
a day later he wasn't there, and they went back to Jerusalem
and took them three days to find him. And it came to pass, as
verse 46, that after three days, they found him in the temple
sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking
them questions. And all that heard him were astonished
at his understanding and answers at 12 years old. And when they saw him, they were
amazed. That's just parents. And his mother said unto him,
son, why hast thou dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I
have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, how is
it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about
my father's business? And they understood not the saying
which he spake unto them. Welcome to the world of parenthood. And he went down with them and
came to Nazareth, here it is, and was subject unto them. But
his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And here's another,
and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with
God and man. But he subjected himself to his
parents. the one who created the whole
world. He humbled himself to obey his mother and father, stepfather. The king of kings and the Lord
of lords obeyed. And he obeyed them. He obeyed
them. What does the law say? Honor
thy father and thy mother. He humbled himself. He was made
of a woman, but he was made under the law. Why? To redeem them that were under
the law. Because if he didn't honor his
mother and his father, he didn't keep the law. That's just as
simple as I can put it. It's not that he couldn't have
been about his father's business. He had business. This was doing
his father's business. Honoring his mother and his father
was doing God's business. The one who knew his own father's
business humbled himself. The eternal son came to the temple
visually as a 12-year-old boy. He humbled himself. And he went
away submitting himself to his parents. I just find that amazing. Now, Matthew chapter three. I hope. That's going to bother
me for days. You know that. Paul will fix
that. If you can, please do. Matthew chapter 3 and verse 15,
if he does fix it, they're going to wonder what that was about.
You know that. And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be
so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.
Then he suffered him. What are we talking about here?
We're talking about the Lord of glory coming forth to be baptized
by John unto the baptism of repentance. What in the world did Jesus Christ
have to be repentant of? Absolutely nothing. And he told
John though, John told, I need to be baptized by you. And John
was right. but Jesus told him, no, suffer
it so. Suffer it so. Suffer it now. Right here, right now, it is
needful to me to be baptized, the baptism of repentance. This man, this God man, this
king, suffered himself to be baptized in the water, just like
a regular sinner. just like our, he identified. He humbled himself, he identified
himself with his people. The Pharisees wouldn't do it.
Some of them came by, John said bring forth some meat fit for
repentance. Pharisees weren't doing it, scribes
weren't doing it, no. But our Lord Jesus Christ did. He identified himself. He came
in the likeness of sinful flesh. He did not come in sinful flesh. He did not sin. He could not
sin. If you got a problem with that,
you got a problem with the book. And I got nothing for you. But
he identified himself. He humbled himself so far to
be baptized by this fellow with long hair and a camel's hair
shirt. Eating grasshoppers and honeycombs. The honeycomb part
don't sound so bad. But now the grasshoppers, I don't
know. I know there are places where they eat chocolate covered
grasshoppers to this day, but I'm just not one of those people.
And I like chocolate. Our Lord humbled himself. He identified with us. He perfectly willing Perfectly
fulfilling the will the purpose and the plan of the father It
was needful for him to be baptized under the baptism of repentance
to identify himself with his people Every step he took and every
word he said and everything he did A, humbled himself, and B,
he was fulfilling the will of the Father. Suffer it to be so now. Why? For thus is becometh us
to fulfill all righteousness. He humbled himself. Chapter 4,
right after this, he went off into the wilderness. What? to be tested, to be tempted of
the devil. This man, the incarnate Word,
in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God, and that Word is Jesus Christ. The Word went
into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, to be tested. And
what did he answer every single time? Scripture. Scripture. It's it's written Man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word that cometh from the mouth
of God you understand Our Lord didn't bring railing accusation
against the devil Any more than that fella did in Jude talking
about the body of Moses That angel He answered the devil with
Scripture he didn't even humbled himself and Had subjected
himself to the Word of God And his answer to every man come
from the Word of God Yes, they're his words But yes, he was quoting
scripture These accusations the devil Wanted
him to do some stuff. What do you hear around you today?
Come on. I mean, there are people who
say they wrestle with the devil. Have you never heard that? I'm
serious. And they're trying to be serious
about it. I told that devil to get away from me! Christ's quote of scripture.
Amen. Christ's quote of scripture.
The only offensive weapon we have Our whole armor of God is
the Word of God We're to put it all on but that's the only
offensive weapon we have everything else is defensive He quoted the scriptures to the
devil And here's the thing in full truth and in full understanding
of those scriptures But he humbled himself to be tested, to be tempted. Luke chapter 9. And I hope it's verse 58. Luke chapter 9. And Jesus said unto him, foxes
have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the son of
man hath not where to lay his head. During his whole ministry, now,
during his youth, he was subject unto his parents. He lived with
his parents, and was subject unto them. But during his ministry,
He wandered. Now to us, it might seem aimlessly. But to him, it wasn't. He wandered
wherever he was wont to go. The old saying is this. He had
places to go and people to see. I must need to go through Samaria.
It didn't matter where he went. Galilee, Jerusalem, Bethany,
Samaria, Capernaum. Didn't matter where. He went
where he wanted to go and he spoke to whom he wanted to speak
and he healed whom he wanted to heal. What is all this? Our Lord humbled himself while
he was on this earth. He came to us. In baptism, he identified himself
with us. In his ministry, Came to them
He didn't sit up in Jerusalem in the temple and say all right
everybody come No No He humbled himself even
to the fact that he didn't have a place to lay his head a place
to call his own and He came to us Why would he do such a thing?
Well you read on later in John 6 he says I no man can come to
me except the father which sent me draws him. Then he also said
after that no man comes to me except to be given unto him of
my father. He came to us, he humbled himself
in his dealings with his creatures, with his creation, with his people
in specific. Paul quoted Isaiah in Romans.
I was found of those that sought me not. How do you find Christ? There's only one way to find
Christ. I can tell you this. I know there's a lot of people
looking, so say they're looking, say they're seeking, but here's
the only one way I know from the scriptures to find Christ.
He has to find you first. Look at that parable of the lost sheep,
the lost coin, and the lost son. Who does the finding? It ain't
you, but you will find him when he finds you. Just like you'll
love him when he first loves you. Ah, it's good stuff. You understand? He sought us
and found us. He's called the good shepherd.
We are never called the good sheep. There's two kinds of sheep. There's a lost sheep and a found
sheep. That's the two kinds. It ain't never the good sheep.
I like to think I'm good sometimes, Paul, but I'm usually wrong about
that sort of thing. We're never called the good sheep
in scripture. It's the good shepherd. And the good shepherd is not
sitting out on the corner of the fold saying, come here, sheep. He goes out and finds them. And
he picks them up and he brings them in. He calls, by name, and
they follow. Who found who? The good shepherd. Other sheep I have. What? Them I must bring. And they're going to hear my
voice, and there's going to be only one fold. Why? Because there's only one shepherd. He humbled himself. He came looking
for us. He came to find his people. I've come to what? To seek and
to save that which was lost. He humbled himself in his dealing
with men. Matthew 21 and verse 18, very
quickly. Now in the morning as he returned
into the city, two words, he hungered. He humbled himself
physically again. The one who created the garden
hungered. The one who made plants and animals
hungered. humbled himself physically The
one who brings the Sun and the rain to grow food and to feed
the beast hungered The one who invented food hungered He humbled himself he humbled
himself Then in John 18 We start heading
for his death John 18 and verse 12 They came for him they came for
him by night Then the band and the captain
and the officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound him He humbled
himself oh He humbled himself They bound God manifest in the
flesh. How in the world would that such
a thing be possible? He humbled himself. He humbled
himself. You know, I call 12 legions an
angel. This is one where Peter, verse 10, Peter took a sword
and smote the high priest's servant, cut off his ear. And Christ said,
put that thing back. It's not the time for it. The cup which my father hath
given me, shall I not drink it? He humbled himself. Then they
took him and they bound him. No man could bind him. He humbled
himself. I went into this a few weeks
ago. They couldn't bind a man with an unclean spirit. How you
gonna bind God manifest in the flesh? He humbled himself and
what? Suffered this to be so No man
could hold him no man could take him and no man could keep him
They bound him and it says they took him and they took him away
to the Jews He humbled himself in his dealing
with men a Little later in verse 22 And when he had thus spoken,
one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm
of his hand, saying, answer thou the high priest so. Jesus answered
him, if I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil. But if well,
why smitest thou me? He that is absolutely just suffered
humbled himself to injustice He humbled himself in his dealings
with his creation They smote him unjustly They
mocked him unjustly They scourged him beat him bloody unjustly Man condemned life. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. They condemned the life to death unjustly. The liars they brought in couldn't
agree. Their false witnesses they brought
against them couldn't agree on a good lie. Man condemned him to death. unjustly
and He humbled himself to that death Even the death of the cross
His sayings from the cross reveal this to us father first one father
Forgive them for they know not what they do They didn't know what they did One of them prophesied by mistake
It's expedient sometimes for one man to die for a nation.
That part was true, the rest of it was unjust. He humbled
himself. And he forgave them this. They
don't know what they're doing. Second saying from the cross.
I find this totally amazing. Today, you will be with me in
paradise. He humbled himself. He's on the
cross, and he's finding a sheep. He's on the cross, hanging there,
and he's bringing in a sheep. Today, today, he humbled himself
with the dealings with his creatures. In the midst of his unjust punishment,
he called his sheep. Then he said, behold your son
to his mother. And John, he said, behold your
mother. During this unjust punishment,
he provided for others. He provided for his people. Saved others himself he could
not say oh yeah, he could have But he humbled himself, and he
didn't yeah, but even while he was there. He was taking care
of the people of God He humbled himself ah My god my god, why
have you forsaken me? The question of all questions
He was abandoned by God. Why? Why? He humbled himself
to this death for this time and this purpose right here. God made him to be sin for us. And his being sin, not being
a sinner, I'm not saying Jesus Christ became a sinner. Don't
get mad. Read your Bible. God made him
to be seen you got a problem that you got a problem with the
scripture. That's not the word imputation That God made him
to be sinned. He was made a curse says that
too Why because cursed is everyone
that hangeth on a tree And the soul that sent it it
shall die He did not sin, but he was made to be sin for us
He humbled himself to a death of sin and shame Even the death of the cross it
says The next thing he said was I
thirst He humbled himself to weakness,
physical weakness. And the sixth thing, it is finished. It is finished. You know why
it's finished? He finished it. That's why. That's the only reason why. He
humbled himself and he finished it. He humbled himself and he
did it. He humbled himself, and it is
finished. I love that. The seventh thing,
it says, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. He completed this sacrifice for
sin. He completed it. And then he
said, my Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. Done all
that I came here that you wanted me to do And it's done Perfectly
done the law is fulfilled the prophets Have been vindicated
the prophecies had come true of the death of the Messiah was
coming true Isaiah Who's bearing transgressions? How many are saved? All those
whose transgressions he bared. Then it says, he gave up the
ghost. I'm going to do a little Greek
here, Walter. Aorus, tense, past tense, active. This is something he did. And it's indicative. It's a fact. It's not up for
speculation. He gave up the ghost. He humbled
himself and he gave up the ghost. Those are in exactly the same
tense. Aorus, active, indicative. It's
in the past tense. He did it. He was actively doing
it. No man taketh my life. I lay
it down. I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it back up again, even while he humbled
himself. Ah, man, the glory of that. He gave all, and he gave up the
ghost, because the soul that's in it shall surely die. I think I said it last week. God and the Father weren't pretending.
This is a real death. He gave all to the Father, and
he gave all for his people. He humbled himself physically,
he humbled himself visually, he humbled himself in his dealings
with his creation, and he humbled himself in death. You understand,
Melchizedek came and went. The captain of our salvation
appeared and then disappeared. You mentioned it this morning
on TV, Walter. Jacob's angel that he wrestled with went back
to heaven. That was Christ. What's the difference
between these theophanies and the incarnation of Jesus Christ?
The Christophanies were large and powerful and real and temporary. Temporary. Now Christ didn't
end, but these appearances did. Jesus, he humbled himself and
came down, became a man. And he humbled himself as a man. He humbled himself as the servant
of God. He humbled himself as a minister
unto us. He humbled himself through a
horrible scourging that he didn't deserve. And he humbled himself
to be struck, to be smitten, to be scourged by his own creation. He humbled himself to be forsaken
by his father. And he humbled himself under
the death of the cross, despising the shame. But he humbled himself and did
it. Humbled himself he rose from
the dead that he had to rise from the dead The undying eternal
God of all glory died and had to raise himself from the dead That's a mystery he humbled himself
and he He is still man to this day. Christ Jesus, the man, his name is going to be exalted
forever. God's given him a name above
every name. And here's the thing, he is humbled
no more. That part's over. That part's
over. You understand? Jesus Christ
did die. He humbled himself unto death, even the death of the
cross. But that death is over, my friends. He is raised from
the dead. He is exalted at the right hand
of God. He is expecting his enemies to
be made his footstool. He humbled himself and did it. But that part's over. He is humbled
no more. He'll be coming back, but he'll
be coming back with king of kings and lord of lords written on
his thigh He's gonna be coming back As God Almighty in human flesh
This Jesus whom you've seen go up he's coming back And he's
humbled no more What is he now he is exalted over all? And that's it He is humbled no
more He ever lives to make intercession for us The king of kings and the Lord
of Lords Intercedes on my behalf and on your behalf if you're
in him He's not humbled anymore. He
did humble himself. But that, like I said, that's
in the past tense. He is humble no more. He is exalted
and seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. Why? Because that is exactly where
he belongs. And he's coming back to be exalted
on this earth. And you can take that to the
bank too. This same Jesus you've seen go is gonna come back. And
he ain't coming back the way he came the first time. He's
not coming back to humble himself again. There's gonna be some
humbling, but it's not gonna be him. Because every knee's
gonna bow, every tongue's gonna confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord to the glory of God the Father. He is humbled no more. Heavenly Father we are thankful
for this That your son our Lord the one you sent the one who
humbled himself Is coming again in glory and honor and power
as is his just do Be with us Lord as we go forth be with Walter
as he comes to speak your word this morning in Christ's name
we pray