Gospel Lord
Opening Prayer
Jesus, the God willing to humble Yourself, even to death, I bow before You in worship.
Read PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11
[5] In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross! [9] Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How does this passage affect you?Here is the heartbeat of the letter, where Paul takes us from the beginning of all things to the end of all things, an account in which Jesus is central. Above all, it is this story of this One that shapes us–providing a pattern of thinking and living that is ours through being “in Christ.”At the center of the story stands the cross, Paul’s words here evoking the horror and shame associated with the public execution of criminals. Moreover, it is the cross that is central to understanding what it means to follow in Christ’s footsteps in serving others. His death not only brings about our redemption but provides a model for our lives. Even then, the cross is not the end of the story, for God raised Jesus to a place of highest status and assigned him a name that reflects his vindication, with the result that all will confess him “Lord.” Paul’s language here deliberately echoes Isaiah 45:22,23, with Christ receiving the glory God says is reserved for him alone. This is the One we serve, our Lord Jesus Christ!
Apply
How does this passage broaden our horizons on life, and what difference might it make to how we go about our days?
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