Philippians 2:5-8 is one of the most important sections in the New Testament because it reveals in one short passage that Jesus is not a man and He is not God – He is both!
Jesus Is God. The first verse says that Jesus is God.
. . . who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped . . . (NASB) Philippians 2:6
Jesus did not look like God on the outside but was God on the inside. We would say that Jesus possessed the qualities of God. He did not cease to be God even when He came to earth. Jesus pre-existed as God before He was born of the virgin Mary. Jesus is not a created being, but rather is the second person of the triune God. As Jesus said to the Jews who challenged His claims, “Before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58). Jesus’ human nature was exactly like ours, except that it was joined to a divine and without sin, although His body was subject to weariness, aging, and death. When Paul says that Christ was “found in appearance as a man” (2:8), he means that if you had looked at Jesus, you would not have thought, “There is a superman or a god,” but rather, “There is a normal-looking man.” He was born into a family as a baby, grew to maturity as we all do, and in every other observable way was completely human.
Jesus Is Man. But if He is God, how can this be true? The answer is given in the next verse of Philippians 2:7.
. . . but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (NASB) Philippians 2:7
The word “emptied” means that Jesus gave up something when He became a man. We believe that Jesus decided to limit Himself in order to live as a human being. He limited the use of His knowledge and power, for example. Nor did He look like God on the outside. Clearly, God cannot cease to be God, and so Jesus did not give up any of His divine attributes, but he limited his use of his divine being while on this earth. His pre-incarnate glory was veiled (John 17:5), except for the brief time on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Jesus Humbled Himself.
And being found in appearance as a man, He emptied Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (NASB) Philippians 2:8
Paul says that Jesus “emptied Himself” ( “made Himself nothing”). Humility is submission. That is what Jesus did. Jesus submitted to God the Father and died for us. He lived a human life to understand our suffering. He voluntarily adopted the very nature of a servant. Paul is showing is that the Lord Jesus went from the highest place in the universe, as eternal God, to take on human existence, and that, not as a king or powerful warrior, but as a lowly servant. But, He went even lower:
Philippians 2:5-8 is one of the most important sections in the New Testament because it reveals in one short passage that Jesus is not a man and He is not God – He is both!
Jesus Is God. The first verse says that Jesus is God.
. . . who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped . . . (NASB) Philippians 2:6
Jesus did not look like God on the outside but was God on the inside. We would say that Jesus possessed the qualities of God. He did not cease to be God even when He came to earth. Jesus pre-existed as God before He was born of the virgin Mary. Jesus is not a created being, but rather is the second person of the triune God. As Jesus said to the Jews who challenged His claims, “Before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58). Jesus’ human nature was exactly like ours, except that it was joined to a divine and without sin, although His body was subject to weariness, aging, and death. When Paul says that Christ was “found in appearance as a man” (2:8), he means that if you had looked at Jesus, you would not have thought, “There is a superman or a god,” but rather, “There is a normal-looking man.” He was born into a family as a baby, grew to maturity as we all do, and in every other observable way was completely human.
Jesus Is Man. But if He is God, how can this be true? The answer is given in the next verse of Philippians 2:7.
. . . but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (NASB) Philippians 2:7
The word “emptied” means that Jesus gave up something when He became a man. We believe that Jesus decided to limit Himself in order to live as a human being. He limited the use of His knowledge and power, for example. Nor did He look like God on the outside. Clearly, God cannot cease to be God, and so Jesus did not give up any of His divine attributes, but he limited his use of his divine being while on this earth. His pre-incarnate glory was veiled (John 17:5), except for the brief time on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Jesus Humbled Himself.
And being found in appearance as a man, He emptied Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (NASB) Philippians 2:8
Paul says that Jesus “emptied Himself” ( “made Himself nothing”). Humility is submission. That is what Jesus did. Jesus submitted to God the Father and died for us. He lived a human life to understand our suffering. He voluntarily adopted the very nature of a servant. Paul is showing is that the Lord Jesus went from the highest place in the universe, as eternal God, to take on human existence, and that, not as a king or powerful warrior, but as a lowly servant. But, He went even lower: