Suffering Servant

Paul summoned believers to adopt the same mind that Jesus had when he poured out his life “unto death” for others – Philippians 2:5-11.

Jesus fulfilled the role of the ‘Suffering Servant’ described in the Book of Isaiah. Unlike Adam, he did not attempt to grasp the “likeness of God,” but he humbled himself and submitted to a shameful death on the Roman cross. Therefore, God exalted him and made him “Lord” over all things. His exaltation did not precede his death; his enthronement followed it, and he died utterly alone.

Christ’s example of self-denial becomes the pattern for his disciples. In the relevant passage in Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, the Apostle’s concern is not with metaphysical speculation about the nature of Jesus, but with how he “poured himself out” in death for others, and its practical implications for members of the Church.

[Crucifix - Photo by Stefano Zocca on Unsplash]

Rather than explain his Christology, Paul presents Jesus as the supreme example of how we must conduct ourselves. In “lowliness of mind,” Christ counted others “better than himself, not looking to his things, but to the things of others,” thus deferring his needs, “rights,” and desires to those of others:

• (Philippians 2:5-11) - “Be thinking this among you, that even in Christ Jesus. Who, commencing in the form of God, considered being like God something not to be seized, but he poured himself out, taking the form of a slave, having come to be in the likeness of men. Having been found in fashion as man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on the cross. Therefore also, God highly exalted him and granted him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of beings heavenly and earthly and under the earth, and every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father, even God.”

The Letter to the Hebrews expresses the same idea when describing Jesus as the Author of our faith who, “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” The passage from Hebrews echoes Isaiah’s description of the ‘Servant of Yahweh’ who was “put to grief” for others - (Hebrews 12:2):

• “Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. He has put him to grief. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his seed, he will prolong his days, and the pleasure of Yahweh will prosper in his hand” – (Isaiah 53:10).

In Philippians, Paul contrasts Jesus with Adam by using language from the latter’s disobedience described in the Book of Genesis and from the “Servant of Yahweh” of the Book of Isaiah.

Jesus did not attempt to seize or otherwise usurp God’s “likeness” as Adam did. Instead, he submitted to an unjust and shameful death. Adam was created in the image of God but grasped at the Divine “likeness” through his transgression. In contrast, the Nazarene embraced the will of God and suffered the consequences.

Christ “did not consider being like God something to be seized.” This evokes the story of the “Serpent” who beguiled Eve and overcame Adam:

• “For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil” - (Genesis 3:5).

The first Adam chose disobedience and self-will. The Greek noun translated as “seize” means “plunder, booty,” something taken by force. In contrast, Jesus chose not to seize God’s likeness, and instead, he willingly and with knowledge embraced the path that would lead inevitably to his death.

OBEDIENT DEATH

Instead of exalting and pleasing himself, Jesus became Yahweh’s “Servant” by “pouring himself out and taking the form of a slave <…> he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” The passage in Philippians includes several allusions to the ‘Servant Song’ in Isaiah. For example:

• (Isaiah 53:7) - “Hard-pressed, yet he humbled himself, nor opened his mouth, as a lamb to the slaughter is led.”

• (Isaiah 53:12) - “Therefore will I give him a portion in the great and the strong shall he apportion as plunder because he poured out to death his soul, and with transgressors let himself be numbered, Yea, he the sin of many bare, and for transgressors interceded. Behold, my Servant prospers, he rises and is lifted up and becomes very high.”

Jesus fulfilled his Messianic role by “pouring out his soul” for others, and we are called to adopt this same outlook - To seek nothing from self-interest or for “empty glory.”

We reflect the example of Jesus by not promoting ourselves, and by submitting to the will of God as he did. We must live in “humility” by serving others. To be Christ’s disciple means serving others, not lording it over them.

Self-denial does not mean losing individual identity. Jesus did not lose his personality, but he certainly did choose to forego his rights and privileges to meet the needs of others.

Like Jesus, we are called to defer to others instead of insisting on satisfying our wants and privileges. To “become great in the Kingdom of God” we must first become the servants and “slaves of others,” just as Jesus did when he “gave his life a ransom for many” and died on the Cross to reconcile men and women to their Creator. For our sake, he was “obedient unto death” – (Mark 10:43-45).

[PDF Copy]

SEE ALSO:

• Way of the Cross - (To follow Jesus wherever he goes requires a life of self-denial and mercy and sacrificial service to help others – Matthew 20:20-28)

• Rend the Heavens! - (Satan offered Jesus unlimited political power to achieve his messianic mission if only he acknowledged the Devil as his overlord)

• Revealed on the Cross - (Unrecognized as the Savior of the World and Messiah of Israel, Jesus was rejected by all but the unlikeliest of men)