Palm Sunday/Monday sermon on Philippians 2:3-11 by Pastor Paul G. Eckert

April 1/2, 2012 Palm Sunday/Monday sermon by Pastor Paul G. Eckert.
Sermon text - Philippians 2:3-11
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became 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 confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
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Crowds came out to meet Jesus on the first Palm Sunday. Let us picture something here. Let’s picture Satan being in that crowd, going over to Jesus, and talking with Him. Imagine that going something like this. Satan says, "Hi, Jesus. Hey, it looks like you’re pretty popular today. Wow, they’re even spreading a carpet for You. Listen to the people. They’re saying some pretty nice things. I even noticed that they quoted something from an old prophet named Zechariah. That sounds impressive. But I’ve got news for you, Jesus. April Fool! It won’t stay that way. Why? I’m going to be busy this week. Wait until you see what happens. Right now everything might seem fine and dandy. But Friday is coming. And so, Jesus, ‘April Fool!’ to you."
You and I know who the real fool was. The devil was the fool. Jesus and Good Friday and the cross, that wasn’t foolishness. That was God’s wisdom and our salvation. Let’s consider that now as we travel with Jesus on a journey that takes us from glory, to the cross, and to glory.
FROM GLORY TO THE CROSS TO GLORY
I FROM GLORY - THE AWESOME TRUTH (3-7)
1. Let’s start out by looking at ourselves. (3-5)
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
a) Do we do this? Does our attitude come even close to the life
and example of Christ Jesus? Or is there selfishness in our
lives? Do we often look only or mainly to our own interests?
b) Let’s be honest. We have to confess that much in our attitude
comes from sin, and that what we need is a Savior from sin.
2. "From" reminds us there is a starting point.
a) We might think of expressions like "from rags to riches." Or
for Palm Sunday we might think of the starting point for Jesus’
journey being from Bethany and going to Jerusalem.
b) Those locations are correct for Palm Sunday. But the
expression "rags to riches" we will have to change. For Jesus
that becomes "from riches to rags."
3. So let’s now speak about the "from" for Jesus. (5-7)
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
a) Jesus from eternity was God with the Father and the Spirit.
He was in the beginning, and by Him all things were made.
Equality in the Godhead was His. It was not something He just
wrongfully grabbed or claimed.
b) But He came from that. He "made himself nothing" -
literally translated, He emptied Himself, set aside His eternal
glory. He, so to speak, went from riches to rags when He
appeared in Bethlehem as a weak and helpless baby, coming
from glory and "taking the very nature of a servant, being
made in human likeness."
4. What an awesome truth!
a) Yes, Palm Sunday showed some glory. It was clearly a
fulfillment of OT Scripture which foretold the praise the
promised Son of David would receive.
b) It also foretold and indicated the servant attitude of Christ
Jesus who chose to enter Jerusalem not on a magnificent steed
but on a donkey, as one ready to serve, one who looked to the
interests of others, a whole bunch of others, a world of sinners.
c) Yes, Jesus had come from glory to make Himself nothing so
that He could give us sinners what we all need. What an
awesome truth!
II TO THE CROSS - THE AMAZING REALITY (7-8)
1. What a change this week saw!
a) On Palm Sunday the crowds shouted their hosannas. They
paved the way for Jesus with palm branches and cloaks. This
looked like a triumphal procession fit for a king, not a servant.
b) But Sunday was followed by Monday to Friday, by opposition,
plotting, rejection, and finally with shouts of "Crucify Him!"
2. Jesus, come to be our servant, humbly accepted this. (7-8a)
[Jesus] made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself ---.
a) Jesus performed miracles, raised the dead to life, had walked
away unscathed from crowds that had tried to kill Him.
b) He had the power to do all of that and more again. But
instead He humbled Himself to be our and the world’s servant.
3. This was in obedience to God the Father’s will. (8)
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
a) Jesus became obedient to death not because of the church
leaders who condemned Him, the crowds who called for His
crucifixion, or Pontius Pilate who unjustly sentenced Him.
b) He did this in obedience to His Father who so loved the world
that He had sent His Son. That full compliance with God’s will
He showed in His praying in Gethsemane. "Your will be
done," Jesus said. He knew the wages of our sin was death.
An innocent death was needed. Jesus was ready to pay as our
Substitute.
4. What is our reaction to this amazing reality?
a) Palm Sunday showed one reaction, the next days another.
b) We are gathered here today to bring our hosannas to Jesus.
What will we bring Him the rest of the week - no time for His
Word or for prayer? Or think of your confirmation ceremony.
Then you made promises of faithfulness. That was then. How
many after that treat confirmation like a graduation and quickly
have no time or effort for their Savior?
c) Jesus emptied Himself for us to death on a cross to give us
forgiveness and life. What an amazing reality! Surely we know
what our reaction should be and what we want it to be.
III TO GLORY - THE VICTORIOUS FULFILLMENT (9-11)
1. Jesus’ exaltation was proof of His victory. (9)
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ---.
a) This became clear when Jesus’ body that had been dead on a
cross came out of the grave victorious on the first Easter, clear
when Jesus 40 days later ascended to heaven to reclaim the
glory He had left to come to this earth, clear when the Holy
Spirit 10 days after that on Pentecost gave the NT Church its
assignment to share the message of God’s love.
b) By thus exalting Him, God showed that His Son’s mission on
earth was a success, that He agreed with Jesus’ "It is finished"
on the cross: the work of salvation fulfilled.
2. Jesus is indeed God’s plan for the world. (9-10)
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the
name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ---.
a) Salvation does not come from Allah in some places, Buddha
elsewhere; from a supreme architect of the universe, a
generic god in whatever way you wish to conceive of him or it.
b) Jesus is the name above every name, the only one who carried
out God’s saving plan, the one to whom every knee without
exception should bow. There is no other source of forgiveness,
no other way to life.
3. Let us see our part in that plan. (10-11)
--- that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
a) First, recognize that God’s plan includes us. We are saved.
b) Then recognize that we are to bring Jesus’ victorious
fulfillment to others who need Jesus as much as we do, so that
other tongues can join ours in confessing "Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father."
4. Let us continue always to glorify God. (9-11)
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
a) We have now started Holy Week to celebrate God’s plan of
salvation reaching its climax.
b) May our thanks and praise to God not stop when we leave this
church building.
c) At home or wherever, let our hearts always be thankful, and
let our faith in our Savior be evident to all, faith in our Savior
who went FROM GLORY TO THE CROSS TO GLORY
so that we might go from life here to eternal glory with Him.