Read Philippians 2:1-11

“…taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:7)

In this verse, Paul employs the same Greek term morphē that he used just before, where he states that Jesus was “in the form of God.” Jesus did not merely appear as a bondservant, but took on the very essence and nature of a bondservant. His purpose and existence was to serve, for God's glory and for man's redemption.

“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

Jesus Christ was already in the morphē of God, but in the case of being in the morphē of a bondservant, He willingly took this upon Himself. Paul writes of Him as “taking the morphē of a bondservant.” The Son of God, who resided in the heavenly realms, willingly chose this! Jesus did not merely serve us; He became our servant. This distinction is profound.

In this act, God Himself wore our skin and bones. The doctrines of the incarnation and what theologians refer to as The Hypostatic Union are summed up in this remarkable truth: Jesus Christ, possesses the nature of the exalted God and the nature of a human servant. But Paul is not done yet He continues to unfold the depths of Christ’s humility through His servitude. Christ became obedient to the Father, even to the point of death, Paul says, on the cross for our sake.

“He humbled Himself.”

The term "humbled" conveys the idea of being brought low and rendered insignificant. Its origins in ancient Greek suggest flattening by crushing — a striking choice of words that mirrors the prophet Isaiah's description of Christ's sacrificial death:

“Yet it pleased the Lord to crush Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.” (Isaiah 53:10)

Christ’s entire life was marked by humility, from His birth to His death. Starting with how he was born, where he was born, and to whom he was born to. God wasn’t born in any condition we would consider glorious. Mary was about to deliver in the streets of Bethlehem. They end up in a dirty stable with animals as company, and minimal privacy for comfort. Jesus’ birth story, in human terms, was a complete disaster! Yes, in the midst of filth and obscurity, the Son of God was born to nameless Nazarenes, without a lick of wealth or fame. Yes, the exalted Son of God became the humble Child of Nazareth.

But this, Beloved, was no mere accident; it was the divine plan from the beginning. God intended for His Son to enter the world in a posture of humility. This fulfilled prophecy and set the stage for Christ’s mission: to be born in the lowest circumstances and to die in the same spirit of humility.

Jesus declared, "Lo, I have come to do Thy will, O God."

The allegiance that Jesus Christ had was to His Father in Heaven, and to Him alone He was obedient, even to perform the perfect work of redemption on the cross. There was not a man that moved Jesus. He fulfilled His mission with joy in obedience to the Father for our sakes. And the cross, once a symbol of Roman cruelty and disdain, has transformed into the wondrous emblem of our salvation, where our sins were atoned for and our redemption secured!

Oh, the richness of God’s grace! That He would become a man and serve us as a bondservant. Who am I, that the God of the universe would assume the nature of a bondservant for my sake and for my redemption!

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

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