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2nd Week of Advent: The Word Became Flesh

Annie Pedersen

This study was written by my daughter, Meagan, and then modified by me to fit my youth group. I have permission from her to post my modified version here.


2nd Week of Advent: The Humility of Christ


A common scripture reading at Christmas time is John 1:14 which says, “The Word (referring to Jesus) became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” We’re going to dig deeper into this concept by studying Philippians 2 this evening.


Philippians 2 is structured strongly around the virtue of humility. Paul advises the church members in Philippi to imitate Christ’s humility in their relationships with one another. Jesus humbled Himself in the maximum capacity by taking on flesh, and bearing the cross for the sins of humanity, becoming a servant, and being exalted by God; therefore, humanity should become servants of Christ, humbling themselves before Him, so that they may share in His exaltation.  


Opening question: Who is someone that you consider to be humble? What qualities do they have that make them seem that way?  


Read Phil 2:1-8


Who does Paul say the Philippians are to imitate with their humility in Verses 5-8? 


Jesus Christ 


In his commentary on the book of Philippians, Albert Barnes remarks the following regarding Verses 6 and 7: “If he was truly divine, then his consenting to become a man was the most remarkable of all possible acts of humiliation.” In fact, the Greek word, κενοω, used in this verse literally means “to empty”. What did Jesus give up in becoming a man? I.e. What did he empty himself of? 


Jesus was both fully God and fully man, so He couldn’t have ceased being divine. He did, however, choose to live and walk among us, experiencing everything humans do, and not using the full Godly power He was capable of.


Read Phil 2:9-11


Death by crucifixion was probably the most brutal, cruel, horrible way you could die in the ancient world; according to the Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, crucifixion was reserved for the worst criminals, and involved being flogged, forced to carry the crossbar of your cross, being nailed through the arms and legs, and slowly suffocating until the soldiers broke your legs, and you lost your ability to breath. What does Christ allowing Himself to be killed in this way tell us about His humility? 


Jesus wasn’t just willing to die for our sins; He was willing to die in the worst possible way. He could not have gone any lower in status than He did, and put Himself below all other people, despite being God.  


There are 3 times Jesus in the Gospels that Jesus is quoted as saying, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12, Luke 14:11, Luke 18:14) How does Jesus live out his own teaching? 


Verses 6-11 describe Jesus’ humiliation at the cross followed by His exaltation.


Jesus was humbled the most He possibly could be and then exalted the most He possibly could be. The Philippians are called to mirror Jesus’ example of humility and will be able to boast on the day of Christ.  


Read Phil 2:12-18


For what reason does Paul say the Philippians are to do everything without grumbling or arguing in Verses 14-15? 


So that they may become blameless and pure.


Is it even possible for us to become blameless and pure? If not, then why does Paul say this?


Turn to Hebrews 10:24. We are not saved by good behavior. We’re only saved by trusting in Jesus. However, we are called to “spur each other on toward love and good deeds.” Likewise, Paul is acting as a parent who is correcting his spiritual children. This is why the church is even needed. 


What does Paul say is unique about Timothy in Verse 20? 


Timothy will show genuine concern for the Philippians. 



In Verse 17, Paul describes potentially being poured out as a “drink offering” that goes along with the “sacrifice and service” stemming from the Philippians’ faith. Drink offerings are described in the book of Numbers. Flip to Numbers 15:4-5. Why would Paul be the “drink offering” to the Philippians’ sacrifice?  


Just as the drink offering of wine would enrich the sacrifice burnt offering of a lamb, Paul’s potential martyrdom would enrich the sacrifice of the Philippians’ faith. 

 

Read Phil 2:19-25


In Verse 19 and 20, Paul expresses a desire to send Timothy to the Philippians and claims that no one else would share genuine care for their welfare? Barnes reasons that Timothy was with Paul in Philippi in Acts Chapter 16, as Timothy is introduced at the beginning of Chapter 16, and is mentioned again at the end of Chapter 18. Knowing this, why would Timothy care so much about the Philippians? 


Timothy was familiar with the Philippians, and would have known how to personally serve them. 


Application:


What are some specific ways you can put the people in your life above yourself?  


In what ways does knowing the depths of Jesus’ humility impact the way you live your life?


Do you have people in your life (friendships, family members, etc.) who are able to build you up spiritually the way Paul built up Timothy and the people of the church in Philippi?



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