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 emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.—Philippians 2:5–7 

Introduction

Ethiopia, Evangelism, and the Mind of Christ

Travel update: Ethiopia

The first thing I want to do is thank those that spoke in my absence while I was in Ethiopia. A big thank you to Kenny Stokes (three-fold thanks!) at the Downtown campus, thanks to Daniel Sousa and Joe Rigney (double-thanks!) at the North campus, and thanks to David Livingston, Bruce Power, and Dave Zuleger at the South campus.

Pastor John and I had a wonderful time in Ethiopia with Marshall Segal and Paul Lim. There is so much I wish I could share. I will limit myself to three quick things:

1. First, Pastor John and I preached through 2 Corinthians 1-5 at a Bible conference for 600 Ethiopian leaders. We marveled at how one-hearted and one-minded we were in the way we approach the Scriptures. They were very responsive to the Word. The last day of the conference, one of the leaders prayed a moving prayer of repentance for the way that they have been handling the Word.
2. Second, perhaps the speaking highlight for us was preaching at a large public event at a Sovereign Grace church plant. There was well over a thousand in attendance. The presence of the Spirit, the enthusiasm of the people, and the unity of our message blew us away. I spoke on God is the gospel, and Pastor John spoke on Christian hedonism. He got up and said that this was one message in two parts. It was like I gave the exposition, and he gave the application. I love him, and we share a deeper love still for the truths that we both love.
3. Third, perhaps the funniest and wackiest thing that happened was when we took our two global partners in Ethiopia sight-seeing. We drove to a spot about two hours away that has a Portuguese Bridge built almost 700 years ago. It was made out of limestone and held together by ostrich eggs. It's still in use! We all walked over it—700 years held together by ostrich eggs. Amazing. At the top, there is a sight that looks like the Grand Canyon. We sat down to eat our lunch, and these Ethiopian eagles that were soaring above us began to swoop down on us to try and get our food. I didn’t know what to do—so I picked up a rock to scare them away. Pastor John kind of laughed and said, “I’ll give you a dollar, no, I will give you a hundred dollars if you can hit one.” First shot. Wham. I hit one hard. He kind of flapped to the side, and then eventually they all flew away. No, I never got the hundred dollars, but it doesn’t matter. The story is priceless. The fact that John Piper made a bet itself is worth more than a hundred dollars to me. I look forward to this being one of those family stories that is like a fish story that grows every year. "Yeah, remember the time when those giant eagles from The Hobbitstarted carrying away our global partners, and Pastor Jason reached down and picked up five smooth stones?" Well you get the idea. It was a great trip.

Travel appeal for advent: Evangelism

Second, some of you are used to travelling for Christmas. Let me make a different kind of appeal. You are going to be getting an advent letter that has the staff picture and three invitation cards to give to your unsaved friends and family. If this is out of your comfort zone, then the journey to take these cards to others can seem far—even if it is across the street to invite someone to an advent service. But there is good reason to dethrone your comfort zone at this point. All the studies show that of all the things that can get people to come to church, nothing is as powerful as a personal invitation. What will bring them here? More modern music? They have that on their iPods. Starbucks? They have that a short drive away. Why come to church? Most people respond positively in only one category: "I guess if a good friend invited me, then I would come." Let’s make this the most evangelistic advent we have ever had. 

The Greatest Journey in History: Majesty to Meekness; Meekness to Majesty

Third, this year our advent theme is meekness and majesty. We will be surveying the greatest journey in all of history. We will watch the Son of God go from majesty to meekness and then from meekness to majesty. Let me explain. The Son of God journeys from a high place of privilege in glory. He is infinitely deserving of eternal praise. Yet rather than having people wait upon him and be served, he makes the stunning decision to serve. He does not move up the corporate ladder to gain a position of prestige. He is already at the top. He willingly goes down, down, down from the majesty of heaven to the meekness of humanity. Next week, we will journey with him to the womb of a lowly virgin to the humiliation of a feeding trough. The third week of advent, we watch the Son of God go from the cradle to the cross. The last week we will watch the greatest ascent: from Christ's criminal’s death on the cross to the universal confession of Christ as Lord.

These first three weeks we see the lengths he was willing to go. That far (incarnation)? That far (a manger)? That far (the cross)? Today we look at the biggest step down: heaven to human—the majesty of heaven to the meekness of humanity. Don’t miss the miracle of inspiration here. Paul has commanded the Philippians to have the mind of Christ. "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus." How are they going to get that? The miracle of inspiration gives them the mind of Christ. The Bible tells us what Christ was thinking right before the decision to become incarnate. It tells us what the Son of God was thinking right before the first Christmas. Amazing. What do we see? Four things.

Majesty to Meekness

1. Who He Was: He existed in the Form of God (v. 6)
2. What He Did Not Do: Use Position for Self-Advantage (v. 6)
3. What He Did: Emptied Himself (v. 7)
4. How He Did It: Incarnation (v. 7)
5. The form of a servant
6. born in the likeness of men

1. Who He Was: Very God of Very God (v. 6)

Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. 

The first thing to see is what form means and what it does not mean. Let’s start with what it does not mean. Form does not mean “almost like God, but not quite.” The parallel phrase “equal with God” is crystal clear—Jesus is God. Form means having the essence of something so that internal essence is put on external display. The external brightness called “the form of God” came from the internal essence of the Son of God as God. The mode of existence matched who He was—the divine Son of God clothed in divine glory.

The second thing to notice is that it does not say that the Son of God merely was the form of God—it says that he was “in the form of God.” The point here stresses a mode of existence: one of majesty—one that matches who the Son of God is. It is a sphere in which he existed like a garment in which he was clothed. He was clothed with resplendent glory. It is much like Luke 7:25:

What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts.

See the Son of God clothed in garments of divine majesty—he wraps himself in light as with a garment. “In the form of God” corresponds to two texts.

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.—John 17:5

Hebrews 1:3 says “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” All of this makes his next move all the more stunning. Paul shows us what the Son of God did not do.

2. What He Did Not Do: Use Position for Selfish-Advantage (v. 6) 

Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped

The way that the ESV translates this verse might actually confuse the point. Notice that “form of God” is parallel to “equality with God.” The Son of God has equality with God. It is not something he is striving for—it is what he already has. So what does it mean that he did not count equality with God “a thing to be grasped”?

The fact that the Son of God had equality with God did not make him a kind of grasping, seizing, taking kind of being. This would be the kind of rulers the Philippians have always known—very common in our world: people who use a position of power to grab more and more.

The translation “did not count equality with God as a thing to be used for his own advantage” is far better. He had equality with God, but it did not make him sit back in a position of power and not lift a finger to help others. He did not use it for his own selfish advantage.

This helps the previous paragraph come alive. Paul just commanded them in Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Paul is showing them how Christ did not do anything from “selfish ambition.” He did not merely “look out for his own interests.” In humility, even as One equal with God, he counted the needs of others as so significant that he stepped down from heaven’s throne. This is the “mindset” (same word v. 2, v. 2, v. 5) that they must regard or “count” (same word v. 3, v. 6).

3. What He Did: Emptied Himself (v. 7)

But emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

We have reached an important juncture of this passage. There is one very big gate of misunderstanding that needs to be slammed shut here. Paul says that rather than taking selfish advantage of the fact that he was equal with God, he emptied himself. Notice that it does not say that he emptied himself of deity. He did not cease to be equal with God. Rather than grabbing and taking, he left his throne and gave of himself.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.—2 Corinthians 8:9

In fact, He gave of himself to the point of being a slave.

4. How He Did It: Incarnation (v. 7)

But emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Paul uses two participles now to further describe the mode of his emptying. How did he empty himself? Answer: by taking the form of a servant and by being born in the likeness of man. Now we see definitively that “emptied” does not mean subtraction. He did not subtract from his deity in the incarnation. It was not subtraction but addition—he took on flesh. He was always fully God, and now he took on full humanity as well. Christ emptied himself not by subtracting deity, but by adding humanity. But the humanity he took on had a definite shape or form.

The Form of a Servant

“Form” is the same word used in verse 6. Notice the stunning contrast. He went from the “form of God” to the “form of a servant.” This is the heart of the move from majesty to meekness. He took on the essential quality of what it means to be a slave—and he put it on display.

He pursued and served the interests of others to such a degree that we would call it the form of a slave. Slavery is the opposite of a selfish pursuit of grabbing. Slavery is marked by giving up of the pursuit of your own interests. You are completely serving the interests of another. Slavery could deny a person the right to anything—even his life. The Son of God was showing true greatness. He has first place because of his slavery. Remember our fighter verse this week?

It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.—Matthew 20:26–28

Born in the Likeness of Men

The word “born” is what Christmas is all about—this is the incarnation. The divine Son of God became a baby—born in a manger. Why does Paul use the word “likeness”? Does it mean that his birth was not quite like other births? Jesus, of course, was not conceived like other babies—it was a virgin conception. But Paul is talking about birth here, not conception. Jesus was in his mother’s womb and was born the same way all babies are born. But there is one exception that Paul highlights. In becoming human, he did not cease to be divine. The word “likeness” preserves the special truth of the incarnation. Yes, he is fully human like other humans. But, no, fully human does not mean that he became human in the sense that he became only human.

A search on this word “likeness” regarding Jesus shows an interesting parallel. 

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.—Romans 8:3

The Son of God took on flesh, but he did not take on the inherited corruption that we all have from Adam. One popular Christmas song, “Welcome to Our World” says, “so wrap our injured flesh around you.” Jesus did not take on injured flesh. He did not take on sinful flesh. He took on flesh like everyone else, but the word “likeness” highlights a distinction. He took on the likeness of sinful flesh without becoming sinful. In the same way, he became fully human and was born like other humans with one exception—he did not cease to be fully God. The word “likeness” is a safeguard—preserving the truth that he is fully God and fully man.

Application

Imitation, Adoration, Celebration

1. You Cannot Be Christ-like Without Having the Mind of Christ.

Remember that I argued back in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that there is no sightless sanctification. We become more Christ-like as we see the beauty and glory of Christ. We look at what we love, and we are changed more and more to be more like what we love. See the beauty of Christ as giver rather than grabber and be set free from a greedy, grabbing spirit. We need the mindset of Christ—the mindset of serving—the mindset of the gospel.

Paul uses this term “think” ten times in Philippians (1:7; 2:2 [2x], 2:5; 3:15 [2x], 3:19; 4:2, 4:10 [2x]), while elsewhere in all of Paul's writings it occurs thirteen more times and only three other times in the entire New Testament (Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33; Acts 28:22). Whether or not the Philippians will become true disciples of Christ will depend largely upon whether or not they think like Christ. We will talk more about these ten uses in Philippians in two weeks. For now let me make one point and try to drive it home a little.

If you listen to sermons in the African-American community, you will hear about a history of struggle—indeed, a history of abuse at the hands of oppressors who used their power and position to enslave. You will hear a story of people using privilege to be served rather than to serve. In predominantly white churches, one hears almost no mention of these things.

Now the point we should draw from this is not that it is wrong for some people to have power. The solution is not to give all the power from the majority culture to the minority because history shows when that happens the oppressed simply become the oppressors. The solution is servanthood. The majority class is often very insensitive in the sense that they are not even aware of the power and privilege that they have. But Christ was very aware of his power and privilege and position. It was what he did with power that mattered—it was his mindset that mattered. Use whatever power and position God has given you to serve others. Be like Christ in giving rather than grabbing.

One more simple point of obedience concerning this mindset. Let us apply this mindset to our focus on evangelism this advent. Rather than sitting back and waiting for people to come to church, go to them. Invite them. Why wait for others to make the first move? Why put our interests in front of others?

2. Jesus Perfectly Reveals Who God Is.

What Jesus did not do and what he did perfectly reveal God’s true character and essence. In the incarnation we see an outlandish, over-the-top, lavish expression of love.

We come now to what I consider perhaps the most amazing part of the whole passage. It is found in a participle “being in the form of God.” That participle tells us something spectacular about the main verb “count.” The ESV has chosen to translate the participle with a concessive force “even though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” The translators focus on the contrast—despite who he was, he had a certain mindset. That is a possible translation. But here is something I regard as far better “because of who he was, he had a certain mindset.” That is a causal translation. It is the very nature of God to be giving, not grasping. God has no needs. He does not wait for people to wait on him hand and foot. It is like the proverbial question of what do you get the person who already has everything—another tie? God does not need another tie! Listen to Scripture exult over who God is and how utterly unlike any other being he is.

             From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.—Isaiah 64:4

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.—Acts 17:24–25

At its heart, advent is a call to worship: “O Come Let Us Adore Him.” The soul looks for things to grip it. The soul wants to be stunned. I remembered that point when I was in Ethiopia, and I saw what looked like the Grand Canyon there. I remembered Pastor John’s point that people don’t go to the Grand Canyon to improve their self-esteem. They go to be stunned by the bigness of the Canyon. Our soul longs for something "grand" to see. A Grand Canyon and a 700 year old bridge are nothing compared to the grandness of the nature of God as giver rather than grabber. You won’t live as a giver instead of a grabber unless your heart has been gripped by Christ as giver. Has the fact that Christ is the greatest giver laid hold of your heart and stunned your soul? You know what I mean—when you see something so beautiful that you just stand there and stare.

3. Christmas and Communion: Let Us Celebrate the Servanthood of Christ

For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”

Jesus’ servanthood is forever commemorated in our communion meal. The Son of God has given his body and his blood to serve you—to give his life as a ransom. We are the ransomed. We are the loved. We are part of the greatest love story ever told. Some of you struggle to feel loved. You are part of the greatest love story. Greater than any love story you have ever read. At Christmas time many people like to watch sappy Hallmark Christmas love stories. I don’t have anything against them as long as I don’t have to watch too many of them. I want you to finish watching a movie like that and have it not lead to a discontentment that says, “Oh, I wish I was loved like that.” I want you to finish one of those movies and say, “I am loved way more than that. Jesus travelled much further, gave up so much more than that. Love came down from heaven and rescued me. Beat that Hallmark.” No one ever went to such lengths. Look at the lengths he went to reach—look, look, and look again. Then die to the lie that you are not loved. Or if you have never received his love, receive it and be blown away with a perfect love that only heaven could script—not Hollywood. Hollywood has nothing on heaven. No one is loved like the bride of Christ is loved. Communion says, “I am my Beloveds, and He is mine. I am the loved. I am the ransomed.” He came not to be served but to serve. Let us celebrate his servanthood as Giver rather than grabber.

Discussion Questions

• Identify places in your life where you have a position of influence or power. What could you do in these areas if you adopted the mindset of Christ?
• Identify three people to whom you can give the Advent invitations cards. Pray for them and ask for accountability and prayer for yourself to hand them out.
• What impact does God’s nature of giving (rather than grabbing) have on your soul? Do you realize that you are the recipient of the greatest love story ever told? Does it impact your identity? Do you give yourself time to meditate on it and let your soul be stunned by the grandness of it?