DECEMBER 22, 2024

Bible verse “Philippians2:5~11”

Sermon title "Jesus in the appear of a man“

Today is Christmas Sunday, commemorating the day Jesus came to earth as a man. There’s likely no one in the world who doesn’t know what Christmas is. While everyone may know what Christmas represents, knowing doesn’t equate to believing that Jesus is God. Knowing and believing are separate matters. People don’t disbelieve because they don’t know about Jesus; they know, but they find it hard to believe. That’s why 2 Thessalonians 3:1–2 says that faith is not everyone’s possession. Some people simply believe, while others do not.

Do you believe that Jesus, who is God, came to this world as a baby, or do you not? Celebrating Christmas with gifts, cards, trees, and parties doesn’t mean you truly believe in Christmas. Even within the church, many believers treat Christmas like the world does, thinking of it as just a time for decorations and carols. However, Christmas is a day set aside to commemorate the fact that Jesus, who created this world and the universe and governs them in perfect order, came to earth as a helpless baby.

The incarnation of Jesus Christ is the greatest miracle of all. While miracles like the blind seeing, the lame walking, or the dead being raised are extraordinary, the fact that Jesus, who is God, was born on this earth as a baby incapable of doing anything is an unbelievable miracle. That’s why many don’t believe it. While they exchange gifts, put up trees, and celebrate, they don’t believe that Jesus came into this world. That’s why the focus of Christmas has been shifted to Santa and carols, just as the focus of Easter was replaced with rabbits and eggs.

Why did Jesus become incarnate? It was to humble Himself, obey to the point of death, and die on the cross. Philippians 2:7 says, "Rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." The phrase “made Himself nothing” doesn’t refer to the kind of detachment or renunciation that other religions speak of. It means Jesus made a conscious decision about Himself—an active choice. This wasn’t due to external pressure, persuasion, advice, or obligation. It wasn’t something He realized after meditating for 40 years in isolation. It was a decision He made from the beginning, even before He was born.

What decision did Jesus make about Himself? He decided to take on human form and come into this world. This is what is meant by “made Himself nothing.”

There are four main theories regarding what Jesus emptied Himself of:

1. The theory that Jesus emptied Himself of His divine nature.

This theory suggests that Jesus completely relinquished His divine nature to become fully human. Groups such as the Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Bullingerites, and Elijahists support this view. However, Jesus could not fully exclude His divine nature and become solely human. Jesus was 100% human and 100% God,

a concept known as the “hypostatic union,” where divinity and humanity coexist perfectly. This explains why Jesus, during His earthly ministry, sometimes exhibited fully human experiences while also displaying divine powers, such as walking on water or raising the dead.

2, The theory that Jesus emptied Himself of divine attributes.

This view suggests that Jesus voluntarily refrained from using His divine powers and authority at all times. However, as the Gospels demonstrate, Jesus did reveal His divine attributes whenever necessary.

3, The theory that Jesus emptied Himself of the independent use of His divine powers.

This means that Jesus did not exercise His divine power independently but relied on the Holy Spirit to perform miracles and wonders. Biblical commentators like Henry Dixon and Strong support this view. However, Jesus didn’t always rely on the Holy Spirit for miracles; He often acted independently and instantly when performing signs and wonders.

4. The theory that Jesus emptied Himself of His pre-incarnate divine glory.

This suggests that Jesus temporarily set aside the glory He had before His incarnation to dwell among humanity as a servant.

John 17:1 records Jesus’ prayer: “Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” In our language, the word “glory” is translated as “splendor,” but the original word means “glory.” Glory is a concept that humans, with their limited and fallen nature, cannot fully comprehend or experience.

We often say, “Glory to God” or “Let’s give a round of applause to God for His glory,” but this is not the kind of glory being referred to here. As sinners, we cannot truly give glory to God. God does not accept, nor can He accept, the glory we try to offer while we are on this earth. Saying, “Glory to God,” is simply something we say among ourselves. It is only when a person departs from this world that God glorifies their body, enabling them to give true glory to God. This is called the resurrection body. Only with a resurrection body can we give glory to God, and only then can God receive glory from us.

In Exodus 33:18–23, we see Moses’ encounter with God. Moses saw God’s “back,” but this doesn’t mean he saw a human-like back. It was merely a faint glimpse of God’s aura. Yet even this caused Moses’ face to shine so brightly that the Israelites were terrified, and Moses had to cover his face with a veil. Moses didn’t see God directly but only a faint reflection of His presence. If Moses had seen God’s full glory, the Pentateuch wouldn’t exist because Moses would have perished like smoke in an instant.

Yet people still demand to see God because they are ignorant of who He is. They ask to see God because they do not know Him. Glory is the external manifestation of God’s divinity, something completely invisible to human eyes. For Jesus, who is God, to come to this world as a baby, He had to empty Himself of this divine glory. If Jesus had not emptied Himself of God’s glory, He could not have been conceived in

Mary’s womb or born into this world. If He had come with His full glory, the world itself would have been destroyed.

Jesus emptied Himself of God’s glory. What did He become after emptying Himself? Verse 8 says, “He appeared in human form.” This is passive. While the act of emptying Himself was active, how He appeared afterward was passive. God sent the emptied Jesus into the world as a helpless baby. After emptying Himself, Jesus entrusted the use of His emptied self entirely to God. What Jesus would become was under God’s sovereignty.

Philippians 2:5 says, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” What kind of mindset? The mindset of Christ Jesus, who emptied Himself. He emptied Himself of divine glory and took on the form of a servant, becoming like humans. To have the mindset of Jesus, we must also empty ourselves. The Bible calls this “self-denial.” What happens to the emptied self—how it is used and what it becomes—is up to Jesus. It is not something we decide.

The use of a vessel in a household depends on the master of the house. It can be used for noble purposes or common purposes. The key is not whether the vessel is used for noble or common purposes but whether it is being used at all. Many vessels remain unused, stored away in a cabinet, no matter how ornate or golden they may be. Such a vessel is not a vessel but a decoration. A vessel is only truly a vessel when it is being used.

Many desire to be stored away like golden vessels in a display case, but this is akin to being abandoned. No matter how esteemed or valuable a person may appear to others, if God does not use them, they amount to nothing. On the other hand, even if someone appears lowly, broken, or despised, if they are being used by God, that is a successful life.

Jesus was used in this way. He emptied Himself, became like humans, and appeared in human form. He humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross. He did not adorn Himself with gold and sit in a display case. Instead, He stripped Himself of His glory, became like humans, and ultimately obeyed to the point of dying on the cross.

To achieve this, Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem, a place no one cared about. He was laid in a feeding trough because there was no place for Him to rest. Could He have humbled Himself any more? Could He have emptied Himself any further?

“Have this mindset among you, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” If we can adopt the mindset of Christ Jesus, how could there be anyone we cannot forgive? How could there be anyone we cannot love?

May this Christmas be a holy one in which we embrace the mindset of Christ Jesus. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I bless you. Amen.