Mitchell Swaback Charities

Volume 84 • August 1, 2011

Subscribe | Archives | Donations | Media

Jesus' Selflessness

⁵Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. —philippians 2:5-8

This passage is so rich; we only have space to examine one jewel. It’s the phrase, He “made himself nothing” (v.7a). Notice, Jesus “made Himself.” He didn’t get a memo. He wasn’t pushed out of heaven. He was fully engaged in God’s whole plan!

That phrase there, “made himself nothing,” is actually the basis for a lot of false teaching. Some translations rightly put it, “He emptied Himself.” Then the question becomes, emptied Himself of what? Some falsely suggest that Jesus emptied Himself of Deity and that He literally became a first-century Jewish man; that there was no God, just Jesus, the man. But the Bible teaches the Incarnation of Jesus, 100 percent God; 100 percent man, undiminished Deity dwelling in humanity.

You ask, “Well, what did He empty Himself of then?”

Answer, at least five things:

He emptied Himself of glory. In John 17:5, Jesus prayed, “Glorify me...with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” He gave up the adoration of the saints and angels when He came into this world.
He emptied Himself of independent authority. In John 5:30, Jesus said, “I can do nothing on My own.” He brought Himself into a different relationship with the Father, where ALL of His activities and actions had to be cleared in that unusual way. Though equal with the Father, now uniquely submissive to Him.
He released the voluntary exercise of His divine attributes. Compare John 1:43–51 with Matthew 24:36 to see how Jesus sometimes was omniscient and sometimes not.
He gave up eternal riches. I just want you to try to imagine for a moment the treatment that the Son of God, the King of the universe, gets in heaven. Yet 2 Corinthians 8:9 says, “...though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”
He gave up His intimate relationship with the Father. Who can describe the fellowship that exists between the first and second Person of the Trinity? And to hear Jesus on the cross in Matthew 27:46 shouting, “My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He made Himself nothing—for you and me.

—James MacDonald

For more from James MacDonald and the "Walk in the Word" Bible teaching ministry, visit WalkInTheWord.com

Mitch's Journal

Saturday 3/6/2004

I was lazy today, did laundry and cleaned my place a little. I'm going to dinner with my buddy Dusty tonight. We always get a little crazy but it's always fun.

Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. I Corinthians 10:31 We always have to give glory to Him in the easy times and in the hard times. We always have to glorify Him and if we do we will always come out blessed in some way.

News Highlights
Year End Update On: By The Hand Club for Kids July 28, 2011 By The Hand Club just took 276 children who live in the Altgeld Gardens, Austin, Cabrini-Green and Englewood areas to Great America as an award for making all A’s, B’s and C’s on their final report card. Attached is their year-end picture of 767 kids ALL whose lives are being transformed … Continue Reading >
	2011 Torch Award Recipients July 28, 2011 MSC Announces Torch Award Scholarship Winners for the 2011-2012 School Year After interviewing 7 finalists for the MSC Torch Award Scholarship for students attending Harvest Christian Academy, Luke Agase and Laurel Clarkson are this year’s winners of the full tuition scholarship for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year! MSC had the highest … Continue Reading >
	Living Water Update: Check Out These Numbers! July 29, 2011 Last month we reported on MSC’s second sponsored water well in Liberia in partnership with Living Water International. Since then we’ve received the complete project report and wanted to pass it along to you to better inform you of the dire situation the majority Liberians live in. It’s estimated that 80% … Continue Reading > Download Project Report (.pdf) >

Jesus' Selflessness

Mitch's Journal

Saturday 3/6/2004

News Highlights

Year End Update On: By The Hand Club for Kids

2011 Torch Award Recipients

Living Water Update: Check Out These Numbers!