God Raises the Lowly (Philippians 2:5-11; Isaiah 45:18-23)
/GOD RAISES THE LOWLY
PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11
ISAIAH 45:18-23
Jesus’ humble life spurs us to lay aside our advantages for the sake of one another and the glory of God.
I. CHRIST’S HUMILIATION (2:5-8)
A. Our Mind in Christ Jesus (2:5; cf. Philippians 2:4)
B. Divine Emptying (2:6-7; cf. Deuteronomy 4:12-13; Mark 16:12-14; Philippians 1:1)
C. Human Obedience (2:8; cf. Luke 18:14; Proverbs 13:1; Mark 15:32; Philippians 1:20, 3:10)
II. CHRIST’S EXALTATION (2:9-11)
A. The Exalted Jesus (2:9-11; cf. Psalm 97:9, 138:2; John 8:28, 12:23; Isaiah 14:13-14)
B. Bended Knees and Confessing Tongues (2:10-11; cf. Isaiah 45:18-23)
C. Bread and Wine to Raise the Lowly (1 Corinthians 11:26; John 6:54)
DISCUSSION STARTERS
1. Monday—What’s the connection between Philippians 2:5-11 and Philippians 1-4? Who does Paul say had a humble mindset that we should emulate?
2. Tuesday—Is Jesus really God? Examine the passage and discuss how they testify of Christ’s divinity? What does it mean that Jesus ‘did not count equity with God a thing to be grasped’? Evaluate in yourself the things that tempt you to use for your own advantage.
3. Wednesday—Paul says that Jesus ‘emptied himself,’ does that mean that Jesus at some point ceased to be God? Discuss how Jesus humbled himself in his humanity. What kind of obedience did Jesus render? Why is the cross a stumbling block to people receiving Jesus?
4. Thursday— Discuss the significance of the cross to our own obedience to the Lord. How does God respond to Jesus bringing himself low for the sake of others?
5. Friday—What does Paul mean when he says that Jesus was given the name above every name? What name was given to him? For what purpose was Jesus exalted?