What is the meaning of Philippians 2:7? But Emptied Himself • “but emptied Himself” (Philippians 2:7a) signals a deliberate, voluntary act. • He did not cease to be God; He set aside the visible splendor and privileges of divine glory (John 17:5). • 2 Corinthians 8:9 illustrates the same movement: “though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.” • The self-emptying meant accepting limitations—hunger, weariness, grief—while retaining every divine attribute (Hebrews 2:14; John 10:17-18). Taking the Form of a Servant • “taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7b) shows that His servanthood was genuine, not a disguise. • Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” • Luke 22:27 places Him “among you as One who serves,” and John 13:4-5 pictures Him washing dusty feet. • His servant life included: – Teaching truth to the misguided. – Healing bodies and forgiving sins. – Bearing the cross as Isaiah 53 foretold, fulfilling Romans 5:8. • The call to us: “Have this mind among yourselves” (Philippians 2:5). Being Made in Human Likeness • “being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:7c) confirms full incarnation. • “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14), “born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4), “made like His brothers in every way” (Hebrews 2:17). • Romans 8:3 states He came “in the likeness of sinful flesh”—real flesh, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). • Sharing our frame, He felt exhaustion (John 4:6), thirst (John 19:28), and sorrow (Matthew 26:38), qualifying Him as sympathetic High Priest. summary Philippians 2:7 paints a single, breathtaking portrait: the eternal Son willingly set aside the outward splendor of deity, embraced true servanthood, and entered our world as fully human—so that He might serve, suffer, and save. In gazing at His humility we find both the ground of our salvation and the pattern for our own lives. |
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