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| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) Order of Christmas Day Gospel Service Welcome Song: TH 226 - As with Gladness Men of Old Opening Prayer Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:5-11 Song: TH 213 - What Child Is This? Message: “The Servant King” Song: TH 195 - Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come Closing Prayer |
The Servant King
Philippians 2:5-11
During this time of Christmas, there are many images. What do I mean? The business world display many commercial images - of gifts, Santa Claus, and flying reindeer. They sing songs like the 12 Days of Christmas, where my true love gives to me many things. They paint a picture of generosity and giving. Just go into any of the malls, or walk down the main shopping street in town - there are many such images. They say, “come, quickly buy and give generously.” Other businesses, that are more faithful to the religious theme of Christmas, offer us sentimental images - such as a silent night with a star, the small baby Jesus, and sheep and cows surrounding him. And they play songs like Silent Night, Holy Night. These songs and images paint a picture of peace and tranquility. They say, “during this time of the year, we must be thankful for peace, and remember the suffering of others.”
But the Bible, on the other hand, gives a different image - an image of generosity and peace, but also of majesty and humility. But it’s a theme that can never be portrayed by mere images. Why? It more than just a baby in a manger. It shoves an image before us that’s far more glorious and more demanding - that God was born as a man - the Lord Jesus Christ - in order that he would die as a servant to save sinners. That’s the message of Christianity. It gives us an image of salvation itself. And it demands something from us - that we must come to him in faith and submission, to worship this living and true God - this Servant King. Our passage, which is an ancient hymn, reveals an image of Christ, as God, taking a breathtaking journey from heaven’s glory to the depths of humiliation and death, and then returning to greater glory. And we’ll see this picture in 3 images: Firstly, he is very God himself. Secondly, he became a servant to die for sinners. Thirdly, he must be worshiped as the king.
Firstly, he is very God himself. Our passage does not start with the birth of Jesus Christ. It starts in eternity. In verse 6, the Bible says that Christ Jesus was in the form of God. The phrase “form of God” doesn’t talk about his appearance. After all, God is a spirit - he has no body like man. But the word “form” speaks about his very essence or nature. Meaning, Christ has the very essence or nature of God. Whatever God is, that’s what he is. He’s very God himself. For example, a triangle is a polygon with 3 sides, 3 corners, whose interior angles always add up to 180°. That’s what a triangle is. So whatever has those properties is a triangle. So whatever has the properties of God is God. So Christ was in the form of God. That’s what the phrase “he’s very God” means. He has all the attributes of God. What is God? God is a spirit - infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
He’s eternal. Meaning, before he was born in time as a man, he already existed. As God, he’s unchangeable. Meaning, there was never a time that he wasn’t God. He didn’t become God, nor attain divinity one day. But Godhood was his starting point. But in fact, he didn’t have a starting point. He’s eternal. As God, he’s wise. This means that God knows all things and all possible things perfectly - that he directs and ordains all things. And he’s powerful. He doesn’t only know all things and what or how to do, he has the power to do it. He created all things and sustains all things. But God is not only characterized by knowledge and ability, but morality. He’s holy. He’s completely pure and free from all impurity. He’s without sin. And as God, he requires and delights in holiness. So this means that he hates sin and those who sin, and without perfect holiness on their part, he’ll never accept them. Even those with the slightest sin, are rejected by him - because to a holy God, what sin is small? All sins are an affront to him. And related to his holiness is his justice. He acts in complete accordance to what is holy and right. Because he’s not unjust, he must reward good and punish evil. And if he lets evil off, then he’s unjust. Now, in his wisdom, he does let evil off for a season - but not forever. No one ultimately escapes. And the delay of his judgment doesn’t mean a lack of power or wisdom, in fact, in his power, he can punish evil now. But we learn that God is also good. He has patience and forbearance to the wicked. He even lets the sun to rise on the wicked; he allows the rain to water their crops. And so related to his goodness, is his mercy. He’s able to forgive the wicked for their sins.
But herein lies the difficulty. Can God forgive just because he’s good? If he did, then what about his holiness and justice? How can goodness and justice both be fulfilled without one or the other being compromised. If a judge lets a murderer go free, what about the family of the murdered innocent? Where’s justice? We often watch the news and when we see injustice happening - we get angry - like when road accidents take away innocent lives, but perpetrators get light sentences. Now, if we’re all sinners, and if God would rightly condemn everyone for their sin, then where’s his goodness? What’s that thing to bring it all together? Well, it’s God’s truth. God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his truth. It’s not the truth of man. And God’s truth dictates that he is able to show mercy and goodness, as well as justice in punishing sin in his holiness. How?
By becoming a servant to die for sinners. That’s the second point. In verse 6, we learn that even though he was very God of very God, “he thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” What does this curious phrase mean? Yes, he was equal with God, but he didn’t grasp on to it or cling on to it. This is the message of Christmas. That in God’s great majesty and glory, he loved sinners. He saw that they had no way of escape from his holy justice, if he did not in mercy forgive them of their sins. But in his forgiveness of sinners, then how would their sins be justly punished. So he humbled himself to become a man to take their punishment. Who could save sinners? Only God.
This we see in verses 7-8 - “But [he] made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” This is the staggering paradox of Christmas. How can God - who’s all glorious - humble himself to be a man? Even to die for sinners? In his goodness, he didn’t cling to his majesty and glory, used it as a resource to be used to save sinners. God coming to die - the value of that death! So he made himself of no reputation. He emptied or humbled himself. Now, to be sure, because he’s God, he’s unchangeable. He can’t make himself not God. But he veiled his majesty by becoming a man. In the Ming Dynasty, the Zhèngdé emperor used to travel incognito, dressed as a commoner, to observe the lives and grievances of his people. Which was very different from other emperors, who remained secluded behind the high walls of the Forbidden Palace. But when he put aside his robes, he didn’t cease to be emperor; he only added the clothing of a commoner to him. So in similar fashion, Christ as God took on a human nature. He had a real body, flesh and blood; he had a human soul.
But God did much more than that. Yes, when he became a man, he also set aside the independent use of his divine abilities. When he was born, the Lord Jesus was a baby - limited in function. As a human being, he was constrained physically by his body. And that’s incredible. The gap between the Zhèngdé emperor and commoner was far smaller than the infinite gap between God and man. As God, he was born in the likeness of men, entering the world like all of us - in weakness, dependence, and vulnerability. The One who held the universe by the word of His power now needed to be held, fed, and changed. But the humiliation didn’t stop there. He took on the nature of the lowest class of man. He wasn’t an emperor, nor a king, not even a prince. He was an ordinary man from a working class background.
Why did God do this? So that he could identify with mankind - to save mankind from their sins. That’s why the humiliation plunged even deeper - that in human form, he’d humble himself further in obedience to the point of death - even the death of the cross. He was born to suffer and die for sinners, even though he was without sin. As God he had no sin. And as the God-man, he was without sin. But he took on himself the sins of mankind. He’d satisfy the justice of God for those who’d believe on him. And thereby God can demonstrate his mercy to forgive these people. And what kind of death was it? It was a death of extreme suffering - he died on the cross.
This statement may not mean much to us today, but it meant something to those when the words were first written. The cross was a method of execution for the worst of criminals. It was an instrument of torture, where a criminal is placed on a beam of wood, and a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail is driven through each wrist deep into the wood. The arms are not pulled too tightly so that the body has some flexibility to sag down. And this was crucial in its function. The beam is lifted in place at the top of a center beam. The left foot is now pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each foot, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The cross is lifted up and dropped into a hole dug in the ground. As time passes, the criminal would sag down out of exhaustion. This places weight on the nails in his wrists, causing great pain. He pushes himself up and places weight on the nail through his feet. This also causes great pain. Through this cycle of pushing and sagging, great cramps come over the muscles until he has no more ability to push himself up. And hanging there, he can inhale, but his chest muscles are unable to contract, so there’s carbon dioxide build up, with death from asphyxiation being the common cause of this type of execution.
But why would God, lay aside his majesty, to be born as a common man, and die such a death? So that there’d be a swap. If he took God’s justice on sinners, the death he died had to be shameful. He was branded a criminal, even though he was guilty of no sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21 - “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” And when he died, it allowed for that swap. He fulfilled God’s justice, so that God could show mercy upon sinners and forgive them. God’s justice and goodness could both be demonstrated. At Christmas parties, gift swaps are common. But sometimes we don’t like our gifts. But the gift of God is eternal life through the Lord Jesus. And what did he get? He got our sins and judgment for them. And this all happened because the king of the universe became a servant. To do something no one else could - to satisfy his justice. And to do something else - to show generous mercy as a king to the wicked..
But what’s the result of his suffering and death? We see thirdly, he must be worshiped as the king. Verses 9-11 say, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Because of Christ’s work on the cross, God exalted him. This servant did not remain a servant, but was highly exalted. He’s given a name. When kings are crowned, they have their coronation name. He was given a name that was above every other name. And because of his work of salvation, every knee should bow to worship him. This is the heart of Christmas. Why Christ was born. It’s not merely pointing to God’s gift, not merely expressing the peace that sinners can have with God - but to show the obligation that we have toward this servant king. He must be worshiped for his work. The word “therefore” is crucial. Because He humbled Himself perfectly, God exalted Him supremely. Meaning, if any sinners want to be saved from God’s justice, they must come to Christ; in submission, and worship, accepting his mercy. No one can flee the justice of God’s holiness, if he doesn’t receive that gift from Christ. But to receive that gift, you must come humbly, as a subject, to receive a pardon.
Have you any sin today, before a holy God? And if you’re tempted to think that your sins are small, let me remind you of the gap that exists. God’s so infinitely holy, that sins are not small at all; they’re an affront to him. And imagine, dictating to God what God should consider a sin or not. He has said - all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And your sins have condemned you. You, a creature, are before a just and holy God, who hates you for your sin. And you will not stand before him. You cannot face the wrath of his anger. But you, as a creature, must know that you are also before a good God - who loves to show mercy. And he has given you this truth - God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Come and believe in Jesus. Know that God has determined to forgive sinners and to take on himself the punishment due unto you. And you shall have it when you come to him. Why would you not bow your knee and worship God? Receive mercy and give your allegiance to him.
You see, the image the Bible paints of Christmas is far more majestic, far more glorious, and far more demanding. No charity on your part in this season of giving is good enough for God. Your giving is as if you gave nothing. Your well-wishes of peace during this season of peace, can never accomplish anything. Since when has sending thoughts and prayers accomplished anything? Nothing from a sinful heart can ever touch the heart of God.
But the work of Christ, that servant-king, who was without sin, dying on the cross and taking the judgment of sinners purchased peace between God and sinners; his life and death are the ultimate gift to an undeserving people. So what must you do? You must come and believe. He’s king over all. To submit, bowing down to this king, and receiving this gift of salvation and forgiveness. And if you don’t, one day you will bow anyway, as his enemy receiving his judgment. But if you do, you’ll have the joy of forgiveness, as you receive your king. Let your tongue confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord, to the glory of God.
1. He Is Very God Himself
2. He Became a Servant to Die for Sinners
3. He Must Be Worshiped as the King
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mark Chen, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2025, Rev. Mark Chen
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