Introduction. In a remarkable passage, Jesus’ words as He entered this world are recorded. This was a prophesy (Ps. 40:6-8) that He quoted at the moment He came into the world. It revealed both His purpose in coming and His own feelings about it: “When He came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.’” ... “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come’ ... ‘to do Your will, O God.” As a result of His determination to do God’s will, “by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (See both passages at end of article). Thus as the Word was becoming flesh, His purpose and intent centered on one thing. He came to die for our sins and save as many as possible. He knew and intended from the moment He entered the world that He would live His entire life in service to God’s will by serving and sacrificing Himself for others.
The contrast between our own entrance into the world and His couldn’t be more stark! When we came into the world, we only thought of ourselves. We had no care or concern for the will of God or for the needs of others. But as we grew and learned, some made the decision to follow Jesus and begin the transition from selfishly using their time and effort on themselves and those they care about to unselfishly using them for God and His will. As we look back, we can still feel the sting of: “O the bitter pain and sorrow that a time could ever be when I proudly said to Jesus ‘all of self and none of thee.’” (Song 431: None of Self And All of Thee).
The purpose of this article is to carefully consider how far we have come in thinking like Jesus. We are actually commanded to have the same attitude He had when He quoted the prophesy when he came into the world: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” The attitude Jesus portrayed in Hebrews is now to become our attitude. We are to see and do things as exactly the same way He did.
The contrast between our own entrance into the world and His couldn’t be more stark! When we came into the world, we only thought of ourselves. We had no care or concern for the will of God or for the needs of others. But as we grew and learned, some made the decision to follow Jesus and begin the transition from selfishly using their time and effort on themselves and those they care about to unselfishly using them for God and His will. As we look back, we can still feel the sting of: “O the bitter pain and sorrow that a time could ever be when I proudly said to Jesus ‘all of self and none of thee.’” (Song 431: None of Self And All of Thee).
The purpose of this article is to carefully consider how far we have come in thinking like Jesus. We are actually commanded to have the same attitude He had when He quoted the prophesy when he came into the world: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” The attitude Jesus portrayed in Hebrews is now to become our attitude. We are to see and do things as exactly the same way He did.
Paul and John takes us back to a time even before the statement He made as He entered the world. All the way back to the moment while He still “existed in the form of God.” This existence is so amazing, we need to take a moment to comprehend its fulness. A careful look at John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:1-8; and Colossians 1:15-18 (quoted below) reveal that before He entered the world, Jesus was “the Word” who was “with God” and “was God.” Everything in existence in the world today was made by Him, and without Him nothing would exist. His equality with God was clearly seen in His complete understanding of everything God said on each day of creation along with the power necessary to perfectly accomplish it so that “all that was made was very good.” In His appearance, He was “the very image of His substance,” and when the Father spoke to Him, He called His Son, “God.” Not an angel, not a created being, He was “with God” “was God,” and “was dwelling on an equality with God.”
That Jesus did not grasp or cling to this in any manner is the entire purpose of the passage. If we miss it, we missed the entire point! “When the fullness of time came and God sent forth His Son” (Gal. 4:4), it was not a difficult decision. He did not feel robbed or lessened and thus felt no need to cling to, grasp, or hold on to it tightly. He “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself.” If He had regarded it as a thing to be grasped, He would have been just like us, selfish and self-centered. But He emptied Himself precisely because He did not consider it to be more important than His need to serve God and to serve us. This is the “attitude” we need to have in ourselves.
Everyone of us has something important enough that we too want to grasp it and not let it go. The rich young ruler is a clear example. He came to Jesus seeking eternal life and his possessions were the one thing in the way. Yet he could not let them go. His grasp of them led him to feel sorrow, but still he left Jesus clinging to his wealth. Everyone has things like this - things so important to us that we find it a strong temptation to cling to them even after we become a Christian. For example, if we can’t stop clinging to our pride of life and our own self-importance, we will never be able to turn the other cheek or go the second mile. Our own life will always be more important than the lives of others and we will never fully understand agape-love. It is not possible to empty ourselves and become servants as He did unless we understand what is holding us back from it and making the decision to let them go.
If we are ever to have “this attitude in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” we must identify the things we are grasping and let them go. When the apostles were arguing about who was to be considered the greatest, they were all clinging to something that made them feel superior to the others. Jesus warned them all: “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Only when we can serve without any hindrances do we have the mind of Christ.
Jesus’ apostles are a clear example for us. They had all decided to become His disciples just like we have, and when He called them, they all willingly forsook all that they had, again just like we have. Yet throughout His earthly ministry, they continued to struggle with the “attitude of service” that Jesus had when He entered into this world. They could not see service in the same way Jesus did. For them, service was something others did for you. They believed, as the Gentiles, that the more power and ability you had, the more you could subjugate others to do your will and force them to serve you. When James and John went to Jesus seeking to be on His right and left hand, the others were indignant. They were all clinging to the selfish ideas regarding service and power, thinking that the more power James and John possessed the more that they would be forced to serve them.
Jesus again revealed His own attitude that He wanted them to imitate. He contrasted the attitude of the Gentiles with His own, revealing that true greatness can only come when we align ourselves with His attitude and not theirs. “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mk. 10:42-45). The authority and power that the Gentiles crave and grasp tightly had no value in Jesus’ eyes. He knew that serving God made Him far greater than the Gentiles could ever reach.
This is exactly what Jesus sought to teach us. We are greater in the kingdom of heaven when we learn to serve than we can ever be in this world as we compel others to serve us. True greatness in heaven is seen in Jesus words as He was coming into the world and pledged his life in service to God and to us.
Conclusion When Jesus came into the world, He came to serve. He set aside everything that would hinder that service. We are commanded to make His attitude our own. So when we entered the kingdom we entered to serve Jesus as Lord. If we are to serve God with the single mindedness that Jesus had while He was on earth, we are going to have to empty ourselves of whatever it is that is hindering full service. Paul summed it up for us: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4)
Referenced scriptures:
That Jesus did not grasp or cling to this in any manner is the entire purpose of the passage. If we miss it, we missed the entire point! “When the fullness of time came and God sent forth His Son” (Gal. 4:4), it was not a difficult decision. He did not feel robbed or lessened and thus felt no need to cling to, grasp, or hold on to it tightly. He “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself.” If He had regarded it as a thing to be grasped, He would have been just like us, selfish and self-centered. But He emptied Himself precisely because He did not consider it to be more important than His need to serve God and to serve us. This is the “attitude” we need to have in ourselves.
Everyone of us has something important enough that we too want to grasp it and not let it go. The rich young ruler is a clear example. He came to Jesus seeking eternal life and his possessions were the one thing in the way. Yet he could not let them go. His grasp of them led him to feel sorrow, but still he left Jesus clinging to his wealth. Everyone has things like this - things so important to us that we find it a strong temptation to cling to them even after we become a Christian. For example, if we can’t stop clinging to our pride of life and our own self-importance, we will never be able to turn the other cheek or go the second mile. Our own life will always be more important than the lives of others and we will never fully understand agape-love. It is not possible to empty ourselves and become servants as He did unless we understand what is holding us back from it and making the decision to let them go.
If we are ever to have “this attitude in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” we must identify the things we are grasping and let them go. When the apostles were arguing about who was to be considered the greatest, they were all clinging to something that made them feel superior to the others. Jesus warned them all: “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Only when we can serve without any hindrances do we have the mind of Christ.
Jesus’ apostles are a clear example for us. They had all decided to become His disciples just like we have, and when He called them, they all willingly forsook all that they had, again just like we have. Yet throughout His earthly ministry, they continued to struggle with the “attitude of service” that Jesus had when He entered into this world. They could not see service in the same way Jesus did. For them, service was something others did for you. They believed, as the Gentiles, that the more power and ability you had, the more you could subjugate others to do your will and force them to serve you. When James and John went to Jesus seeking to be on His right and left hand, the others were indignant. They were all clinging to the selfish ideas regarding service and power, thinking that the more power James and John possessed the more that they would be forced to serve them.
Jesus again revealed His own attitude that He wanted them to imitate. He contrasted the attitude of the Gentiles with His own, revealing that true greatness can only come when we align ourselves with His attitude and not theirs. “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mk. 10:42-45). The authority and power that the Gentiles crave and grasp tightly had no value in Jesus’ eyes. He knew that serving God made Him far greater than the Gentiles could ever reach.
This is exactly what Jesus sought to teach us. We are greater in the kingdom of heaven when we learn to serve than we can ever be in this world as we compel others to serve us. True greatness in heaven is seen in Jesus words as He was coming into the world and pledged his life in service to God and to us.
Conclusion When Jesus came into the world, He came to serve. He set aside everything that would hinder that service. We are commanded to make His attitude our own. So when we entered the kingdom we entered to serve Jesus as Lord. If we are to serve God with the single mindedness that Jesus had while He was on earth, we are going to have to empty ourselves of whatever it is that is hindering full service. Paul summed it up for us: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:3-4)
Referenced scriptures:
- “Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. 7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come — In the volume of the book it is written of Me — To do Your will, O God.'" Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them"(which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Heb. 10:5-10)
- “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. 7 Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart." (Ps. 40:6-8)
- “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,” (Phil. 2:5-10) (NASB)
- “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jn. 1:1-3; 14)
- “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Heb. 1:1-4)
- “But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions." 10 And: "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 11 They will perish, but You remain;” (Heb. 1:8-11)
- “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (Col. 1:15-18)
- “Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Mk. 10:21-22)
- “He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?" 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." (Mk. 9:33-37)
- “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mk. 10:42-45)