The Model of Humility - Philippians 2:5-11

Here in this morning’s passage we have one of the most profound theological texts in the entire New Testament. This passage contains some of the richest Christology in the entire Bible. There are a lot of things that we can learn from this particular Philippians 2:5-11. We can learn for example that the Apostle Paul taught and believed that Jesus Christ was fully God. That’s explicit in this text. We learn about Jesus before he came to earth. We learn why he came to earth.

But of course, you cannot divorce the text from the context in which it was written. The point that the Apostle Paul is pressing upon the church in Philippi is the importance of their humility. And so, in order to further drive his point home, he points to the ultimate example of humility: Jesus Christ.

What we learn from this passage is that the path to glory runs through humility. And we see this play out in our passage in two ways: First, we’re called to follow Christ’s example of humility (vv. 5-8) and trust God’s promise of exaltation (vv. 9-11).

It’s all very interesting because humility isn’t the thing that's going to get you a lot of attention. What typically grabs headlines are books on how to rise higher, earn more money, become more influential, build your own brand. Our world celebrates self-promotion and couldn’t care less about humility.

In the eyes of the world, there isn’t a strong return on investment for being humble.

And yet, Paul tells the church in Philippi to count others more significant than themselves and not to look to their own interest but the interest of others.

The Pattern of Christ’s Humility (vv. 5–8)

At one point several weeks ago, I actually considered preaching Philippians 2:1-11 and quickly realized that if I did that I would have bitten off way more than I could chew.

Because these verses are some of the richest Christology in the entire Bible. Many scholars believe that this may have been a creed or confessional statement of the early church. It is chiastic in structure, which means the ideas, words, or themes are presented and then repeated in reverse order, creating a mirror in the same way the letter X is a mirror of itself.

Verses 6-8 describe Christ’s humiliation which culminated in his death on the cross. And then in verses 9-11, we see Christ’s exaltation to the highest of heaven.

Remember, the early church didn’t have the New Testament – it was still being written, so they needed creedal statements in order to help them know, embrace, and recognize Biblical truths. And so the unique, poetic structure of these verses would have certainly helped the early church remember and reflect upon the glorious truths of Jesus Christ. It’s for that reason Philippians 2:5-11 is often referred to as the Hymn of Christ.

But of course there’s a reason Paul makes reference to this hymn of Christ. He didn’t want the Philippians to merely store this as information in their brains. He wanted it to be a pattern for their lives, which is why he began in verse 5 with, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”

Paul is telling the Philippians to be more Christlike, to share in the same mindset as their Savior. Which is always a little tricky isn’t it? If I was to stand up here and say, “y’all need to be more like Jesus,” that would sound like a very holy thing to say, but what exactly does that mean? It can only go so far, right?

None of us can live a sinless life, let alone sacrificially offer our lives as atonement for the sins of others! Only Jesus can do that! There are certain attributes that are exclusive to the Lord, but at the same time, there are certain attributes that Christians are called to emulate.

Obviously, Paul is pointing to a particular character trait of Jesus Christ that he wants the church in Philippi to emulate – the humility of Jesus Christ. If you were here last week, Paul told the Philippians to, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

And so he transitions from telling the Philippians to be humble to providing them with the ultimate example of humility: Jesus Christ.

Which is exactly what he’s talking about when he says, “Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped…”

Honestly, an entire sermon could be spent right here on verses 5-6. The way the ESV adds the word “though” to verse 6. I think the NASB translation captures a little bit better what Paul says in verse 6. It says, “...who, as He already existed in the form of God…”

Jesus has always existed. Paul is making reference to Christ’s preincarnate state. Jesus has always been God. Which is somewhat confusing because it says that he was the form of God. It sounds like Jesus had the appearance of God, but wasn’t fully God.

However, the Greek word there is morphē which means, “outward expression of an inner reality.” In other words, it’s a reference to Christ’s shared nature, one essence with the Godhead. Paul is affirming here what many of us already know to be true: Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity! Co-equal with God the Father and the Spirit!

And that’s the way it’s always been. Which makes what’s said next so significant. We’re told “as he already existed in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

As one commentator put it, Jesus, “did not count his existence-in-a-manner-equal-to-God something to cling to but emptied himself… He did not regard it as something that must not slip from his grasp.” In other words, Jesus never jealously guarded his rights as the Second person of the Trinity.

And he emptied himself, not of his divine nature, but by taking on human flesh and became a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Again, Paul uses the word morphē when he tells us that Jesus was “found in human form.” That is he had the nature and essence of humanity, which is where we get the doctrine that Jesus is both fully God and fully man.

And he experienced something far worse in this life than anyone has ever experienced: When Christ took on flesh he also “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Whereas Adam’s disobedience released sin into the world, Christ’s obedience opened the door to redemption for all people. That’s what Romans 5 tells us, “For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.” But Christ’s obedience was costly. It means that he accepted the punishment for all the sins of his people.

Not only is the cross the central point of this text, it’s the central point of all of human history. Jesus Christ willingly left the heavenly realm, gave up all those privileges, took on flesh and died a painful, shameful, accursed death for you and me.

That’s the ultimate picture of humility—someone who willingly lays down their privileges for the sake of others. That’s the sort of humility that you and I are called to emulate. When Paul writes to the Philippians, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,” he’s not calling us to admire Christ’s humility from a distance. He’s calling us to imitate it. The humility of Jesus isn’t just a theological concept to be studied; it’s a pattern for daily living that reshapes how we think, how we speak, and how we treat one another.

Think about what Jesus did. He possessed all the privileges of the Godhead. He shared in the glory, majesty, and worship of the Father from all eternity. Yet He did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, meaning He did not jealously protect His rights or use His divine status for His own advantage. Instead, He emptied Himself—not by giving up His divinity, but by adding human flesh. And he came to serve not to be served. He added to Himself the form of a servant. The infinite God took on flesh, weakness, and limitation. The Creator entered His creation, the Lord of all became the servant of all. That’s humility.

I’m always reminded of that song from the 90s by Joan Osbourne, “What if God was one of us?” The whole premise of the song is asking a hypothetical question: What if God was a human and experienced what we experience? And of course, the rich irony of the song is that he did! He did come to earth! He did take on human flesh! He knows exactly what it’s like to be one of us.

Jesus didn’t have to come to earth, much less die on a cross–the most degrading form of execution imaginable in the ancient world, reserved for the worst of criminals. Yet Jesus willingly walked that road. He obeyed His Father, not out of compulsion, but out of love—love for the Father and love for those the Father sent Him to save. The One who could command legions of angels chose instead to stretch out His hands and be nailed to a Roman cross. That’s humility in action.

And that’s the pattern for us. Christian humility means laying aside whatever privileges, comforts, or rights we think we have in order to serve others. It means being willing to put the needs of others ahead of our own. It’s the husband who leads not by demanding his way, but by sacrificing his desires for the good of his family. It’s the wife who supports, loves, and encourages even when it costs her patience or pride.

It’s the church member who sees a need in the body and steps in quietly to meet it without recognition or reward. It’s the believer who forgives an offense rather than clinging to bitterness. Humility isn’t a character trait that’s going to win you any rewards. Oftentimes, it will go completely unnoticed, because it’s carried out in the mundane, the day-to-day sort of way.

And it runs completely counter-cultural! Our world teaches us to assert ourselves, to seek recognition, to defend our rights. But the gospel calls us to something entirely different—to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow the One who humbled Himself for our salvation. The good news is that we don’t have to manufacture humility on our own. “Have this mind among yourselves,” Paul says, “which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Through faith, we are united to Christ, and His Spirit works in us to make us more like Him. True humility grows out of a heart transformed by gospel.

Humility is not weakness—it is Christlikeness. And as we learn to lay down our privileges for the sake of others, we will begin to reflect the very heart of our Savior, who humbled Himself for us.

The Promise of Christ’s Glory (vv. 9–11)

The cross is where we see the depth of Christ’s humility. But the cross isn’t where the story ends, it’s really where the story just begins.

We see an incredible reversal begin in verse 9: “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name…” He who had a crown of thorns placed on his head and the sin of the world laid upon his shoulders had it exchanged for a crown of glory.

He was obedient to the point of death, succeeding where Adam failed, and in doing so, conquered sin, Satan, and death itself. His resurrection on the third day marks the ultimate triumph of obedience and humility. What was once humiliation is now exaltation; what was once shame is now glory; what was once cursed is now crowned.

He ascended into the highest heavens and one day, he will return. Throughout the Bible we’re warned to be on guard and ready for the return of Jesus Christ! Because when he comes the second time, things are going to be very different.

He’s going to return as a conquering king!

And that’s exactly why Paul says at Jesus’ return “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth…” The angels, mankind, and even those in hell, will all render praise, honor, and glory to Jesus Christ. Every living creature is going to bow the knee to Jesus Christ.

Isn’t that such an incredible statement isn’t it? Because it doesn’t matter whether you trust in Jesus Christ or not, because one day your knee will bow before Christ. It’s not a matter of if it’s going to happen, it's simply a matter of when.

Not only will your knee bow, but your tongue will “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The name that Paul mentions in verse 9 is revealed in verse 11 – Lord. This is not just a polite title of respect, like calling someone “sir” or “master.” Paul is deliberately echoing the Old Testament’s covenant name for God Himself. In the Greek Old Testament, the divine name “Yahweh” is rendered as Kyrios—Lord.

By applying this name to Jesus, Paul is saying that the One who humbled Himself to the point of death is none other than the eternal God, now exalted and acknowledged as sovereign over all. This would have been a staggering claim to both Jews and Gentiles. For Jews, it equated Jesus with the God of Israel. For Gentiles, it declared that Caesar was not ultimate, but Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. To confess Jesus as Lord is therefore not a mere formality—it is the declaration that He alone rules our lives, demands our obedience, and secures our eternal hope.

There’s a real sense of urgency in this text. Christ’s exaltation isn’t just a nice set of facts, it demands a response. If He is Lord, then He is Lord of all. To bow now in humility is to find forgiveness, grace, and everlasting joy in Him. To delay, to harden your heart, is to face Him as Judge rather than Savior.

There is no neutral ground. Every person in this room, every person who has ever lived, will one day be brought face-to-face with the risen and exalted Christ. The call of the gospel is clear: do not wait until that day of judgment to bow—bow now, in repentance and faith, and you will know Him not in wrath but in love.

Spiritual strength and greatness doesn’t run through power and dominance but through servanthood. It looks like a Savior who died for sins that he never committed.

This is one of the great paradoxes of Christianity: the exaltation and glory that await those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ do not come through strength, status, or self-assertion. They come through repentance. The doorway to life is death — death to sin, death to pride, death to self. The path upward begins with bowing low before the cross of Christ. It is through acknowledging your sin and trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior that you find life, forgiveness, and everlasting glory. And, friends, that is humility!

St Augustine wrote, ‘If you ask me what is the most essential element in the teaching and morality of Jesus Christ, I would answer you: the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is humility.’”

This is what makes Christian humility so radically different from the world’s sense of humility. The world values humility only to the extent that it still serves self-interest — a kind of false modesty that says the right things but still seeks the spotlight. It’s the athlete who thanks his team but can’t stop talking about his own performance. It’s the celebrity who calls herself “just like everyone else” while surrounded by luxury. Even the world’s most “selfless” acts are often done for recognition, applause, or legacy. But Christian humility begins where worldly humility ends — at the foot of the cross, where you realize that apart from Christ, you bring nothing to the table but your sin and need.

There have been plenty of people throughout history who have been selfless or generous, even heroic, without ever bending the knee to Christ. But their humility is limited to human perspective. It cannot save. It cannot reconcile them to God. The humility that leads to glory is not merely outward behavior; it is inward transformation — a heart that submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and depends entirely upon His mercy.

When you see humility through that lens, you begin to understand why Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” That is the gospel pattern — humiliation followed by exaltation. It was true for Christ, and it is true for every believer united to Him. Christ descended into the depths of shame and suffering, obedient even to death on a cross. Yet, “Therefore, God has highly exalted Him.” The crown followed the cross.

And that same pattern shapes our lives as His followers. When we humble ourselves before God — confessing sin, trusting His grace, serving others — He lifts us up in His time and His way. Our exaltation will never come through grasping for it, but through surrendering to the One who already reigns. That’s the paradox: to find life, we must lose it; to gain glory, we must bow low.

So the call today is simple, yet profound: humble yourself before Christ. Stop striving to prove your worth, and instead rest in His finished work. Because those who bow before the cross now will one day share in the glory of the crown.

Amen. Let’s pray together.