Harmony Devotional | sunday
Yesterday, we thought about how Jesus’ immense power and goodness shows that he is trustworthy to be obeyed. Even as this is true—and even if we know it’s true!—we are still sinfully rebellious and turn away from our good relationship with him. Today we will look at Jesus’ immense love for us—his willingness to give up that power and status for us to be saved.
Find a quiet space and prayerfully read through the passage below, reflecting on the accompanying questions. If you want, feel free to write out answers to the questions, your own reflections about the passage, and/or prayers. Draw near to Jesus our Savior!
Read Philippians 2:1-11:
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 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. 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. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Paul starts this section of his letter to the Philippians with an implied “Yes.” Yes, there is encouragement in Christ! Yes, there is comfort from love! Yes, there is participation in the Spirit! And so on. Look through this passage again: how can Jesus’ work in these verses encourage you? Comfort you? Etc.
Yesterday’s reading was about how Jesus is so magnificent and transcendent. He did not deserve to be “emptied” or to “take the form of a servant” (v. 7), or to “humble himself”—especially not “to the point of death” (v. 8)! How does Jesus’ greatness before coming to earth affect how we view the fact that he became a human anyway?
Like yesterday, again we see the theme that all these things happen for God’s glory (v. 11)! How does that affect the way you view
Paul’s grand motivation to us is that Jesus has already succeeded where we will inevitably fail. We are sinful, but Jesus is perfect, and his death on the cross has already atoned for our sin and allowed us to have relationship with him! From this, he also urges that we associate with Jesus and follow his example. This is not to earn our righteousness, but because we have been made righteous by God’s work! (See Ephesians 2:8-10.)
After this, think and pray about this passage’s implications for your life, personally:
Reread verses 2-4. All these things are what we should do in response to what Jesus has already done for us. Which of these qualities do I most need to grow in? How does my relationship with Jesus help me become more like him in that way?
Jesus is holy and perfect and eternal, and yet he himself chose to take “the form of a servant” (v. 7) for us! He stooped so low out of love for us! How can I respond in gratefulness to him by “stooping low” to serve others?
Likewise, Jesus submitted to God’s authority even to the point of dying on a cross, because it was part of God’s will and character to love us sacrificially. How should I submit to the authorities in my life, out of sacrificial love for Jesus?