The Humility of Christ (Conference Call) — Brian Long

I have to say that I did not prepare a message today. I got in very late this evening, but I do believe my heart is prepared for the call. And what I believe the Lord is leading me to do is, He'd given me something to write several weeks ago, and I want to read this to you, and I pray that it'll speak to your heart as God has spoke to mine on the humility of Christ.

The Humility of Christ

That's the subject that Brother Edgar had asked me to speak about tonight. So much of what I'm sharing tonight, I'm just going to read to you of what the Lord has given me to write. Most everyone, I'm sure, on the line knows that wonderful hymn, How Great Thou Art.

And it says in that hymn, O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands hath made, I see the stars, I hear the roaring thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed.

That hymn is about the awesome wonder of God's almighty power. And I'm in awesome wonder of God's almighty power, but I'm also in awesome wonder of something else about God. I'm in awesome wonder at the humility of Jesus Christ.

I stand in awesome wonder at the humility of Christ. It says in Philippians chapter two, verse five, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Christ’s Descent from Heaven to Humanity

Just how far did Jesus humble himself? He humbled himself, first of all, by becoming man and by coming down. He said, heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. How far did Jesus Christ humble himself?

He came down all the way from above the highest heavens to the lowest earth. This Jesus, my Jesus, your Jesus is the very light of heaven. He's the king of glory. Heaven doesn't have enough praise for him.

The angels long to forever serve him. All of heaven wants to get closer to him. His throne is above the heavens and all of heaven worships him. This Jesus came to earth and he became a man, and he became a man in whom the world had no attraction, and I'm in awesome wonder about it.

I stand in awesome wonder that he came to his own and his own did not receive him. The wonder of it all, the wonder of the condescension of Christ from heaven to earth. But that's not the end of his humility.

Out of his love for you and his obedience to the glory, to the father and to the glory of God, Christ humbles himself even lower still. Verse seven says, he made himself of no reputation. It literally means he emptied himself.

Christ Empties Himself of Glory and Reputation

Consider the awesome wonder of the choice Jesus made to empty himself, to make himself of no reputation. Jesus Christ had to choose to make himself of no reputation. Why? Because he was of great reputation.

He is the king and creator of heaven and earth. Christ had to choose to empty himself. Why? Because he's full of glory, majesty, power, and beauty. Had he come to earth without emptying himself, the sun would have hit its light.

The mountains would have shook and split apart. The sky would have rolled back like a scroll. And humanity would have all dropped dead at the sight of his indescribable glory. But he emptied himself. Of what?

Not his deity, a thousand times no. Jesus Christ never stopped being God. He was 100 God and 100 man. Fully God, but he veiled his glory with human flesh that held no attraction by the world. He emptied himself of all his rights.

He emptied himself of independence and made himself dependent upon food and water and everything the human body needs. He even made himself dependent as a child upon the care of a mother. And he made himself of no reputation.

Who would ever chose to be born in a dirty slum? Yet Jesus chose to come from the glory of heaven to a sin-cursed earth. The world longs and even fights for fame, celebrity status, popularity, position, admiration, and honor.

These same desires have been in me. Perhaps they've been in all of us or are in all of us. But Christ Jesus made himself of no reputation. He would heal someone and then he would tell them not to tell anyone.

How different that is from so many today who want honor and reputation. He made himself of no reputation. How many are unapproachable by certain kinds of people because you have a certain reputation? You don't make yourself approachable by certain classes of people.

Not so with Jesus. He made himself of no reputation and therefore Nicodemus could come to him by night or the tax collector, the sinner, the prostitute, the woman at the well, the outcast of society, and even the little children would run to him.

They would all come near to him. He was approachable. Are you? Can people get near you? Have you emptied yourself of self? Have you rejected the honor and praise that comes from man? Or do you crave it?

Do you welcome such glory to yourself? Jesus said, I do not receive honor from men. John 5, 41. He rejected worldly fame and honor. John 6, verse 14 and 15. He humbled himself and made himself of no reputation.

The Homelessness and Approachability of Jesus

So much so that there's a scripture in the last verse of John chapter 7 that says, when every man went to his own house, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. I've stood in wonder of that. When everybody went to his own house and laid down in their own warm bed, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

He said, foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. Everyone went to his own house, but Jesus had nowhere to lay his head. And I wonder, I wonder if it was cold that night.

I wonder if it was raining. I stand in awesome wonder at the humility of Christ, who never complained, never murmured. And though he's the King of glory, he had nowhere to lay his head. He goes to the Mount of Olives and sleeps outside.

I marvel at the humility and the humiliation of Christ. But he bends lower. Our text says that he took the form of a bondservant. Don't you marvel at that? Don't you marvel? Don't you wonder that the King of glory became a humble servant?

The King of Glory Becomes a Servant

I'm in awesome wonder of it. Because the Son of God, who is to forever be worshipped and forever be served, became a servant. I mean, this is He who spoke from His heavenly throne and mighty angels rushed to obey His every command.

He says, go, and they go. He says, do, and they do. Yet wonder of wonders, this humble King comes to serve those He came to save. He came to serve even those who would deny Him, even one who would betray Him.

And I again am in awesome wonder at the humility of my Jesus. It was humility enough that Christ became a man, but now He becomes a servant. John 13 tells us about a night when He washed His disciples' feet.

He tells us that Jesus got up and He took a towel and a basin of water and began one by one to wash His disciples' feet. And I wonder if it didn't happen, because the Scripture gives reference to the disciples at that same time, at that same night, arguing among themselves who among themselves was the greatest.

I wonder if while they were arguing about who was the greatest among themselves, thinking each one of themselves that He was the greatest, was it at that time that Jesus, as they are arguing, knowing within 24 hours He would die for them on a cross, He gets up while they argue and He gets a towel and a basin of water and one by one He washes their dirty feet.

The awesome wonder of it all. The awesome wonder of the humility of Christ. He took the initiative. Humility always does. He served them one by one. Humility always serves. He did it out of pure love.

Humility is love in action. He did it without prejudice. He washed Peter who would deny Him, Judas who would betray Him. And I stand amazed at Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how He could love me, a sinner condemned unclean.

Christ’s Humiliation, Suffering, and the Cross

Well, He humbled Himself by coming from heaven to earth, but even more He became man. Still more He emptied Himself and made Himself of no reputation, but further still He became a servant. As if that were not enough for the depth He would go to save a wretch like me, Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Now it's not just humbling, but humiliation that our Savior chose in order to save us. And again, I'm in awesome wonder. Mark chapter 14 verse 60 says, the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus saying, Do you answer nothing?

What is it these men testify against you? But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him saying to Him, Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? Jesus said, I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming with clouds of heaven.

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think? And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Then some began to spit on Him and to blindfold Him and to beat Him and to say to Him, prophesy.

And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands. Mark chapter 15 verse 16,. Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. And they clothed Him with purple, and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him.

Hail, King of the Jews! Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him, and bowing the knee they worshipped Him. When they mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

He could have called upon His Father to send twelve legions of angels. They figure that's about seventy-two thousand angels. It would have only taken one. More yet, it would have only taken one word from the lips of Christ, and His accusers would have dissolved like wax before the sun.

The earth could have swallowed them up. Fire could have devoured them. But no, Jesus never opens His mouth. They strip Him naked. They clothe Him in purple to mock Him. They shove a crown of thorns upon His sacred brow.

They strike Him on the head with a rod. They slap Him, punch Him, hurl insults at Him, and they spit on Him. The face of the one who lights up all of heaven, the face that literally displays the glory of God, the face of God Himself yielded to humiliation and was spit upon by the wicked men of the world He came to save.

And I wonder, I am in awesome wonder, at how in the midst of it all Jesus never shed tears for His own grief, but sweat drops of blood for mine. Even when He was dying on the cross, He was not thinking of Himself.

The cross was the cruelest, harshest, most brutal, most humiliating form of death. It was a death reserved only for the worst of criminals. And that, brothers and sisters, in every sinner hearing the sound of my voice, is the humiliating death.

Jesus Christ died for you. Philippians 3 .8 says He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Let us forever be in awesome wonder of Christ crucified. Let us forever be in awesome wonder of the cross of Jesus Christ where He died for your sins and mine.

Let us stand amazed and bow in awesome wonder at the humility of our Lord Jesus Christ. But remember this and know this. The Lord would not only have us just to be in awesome wonder about it all, but He calls us very clearly to follow Him down the same path of humility.

Following Christ in Humility

Let this mind be in you. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who humbled Himself. Humility thinks, let this mind be in you. Humility thinks upon Christ first and thinks of others, but never of self.

Some mistakenly think humility is always thinking bad about yourself, beating yourself up, putting yourself down, making yourself look bad. But none of that is true humility because with all of them the focus is still self.

The humble do not think of themselves. Andrew Murray said the humble person is not one who thinks meanly of himself. He simply does not think of himself at all. And Jonathan Edwards said nothing sets a soul far out of the devil's reach as humility.

Humility is staying little in our own sight. It makes me think of the church of Philadelphia, a church for which Jesus had no rebuke, but only praise and commendation. And of that church He said, for you have little strength.

You have little strength. Now the Lord is not rebuking them for little strength, but He's commending them for it. Jesus never rebukes us for having little strength. Having little strength is not sin. Here is what is sin.

Having little humility. Having little faith. Having little love. For those things God will rebuke us, but not for little strength. Because God's strength is made perfect in our weakness. There is none too weak for God to use, but there are plenty who are too strong.

There is no one too small for God to use, but there are plenty who are too big in their own sight. Humility is staying small in our own sight. Remember, Jesus emptied Himself. He made Himself of no reputation.

Dependence on God Through Prayer

Humility is also a life of absolute dependence upon God. Jesus made Himself dependent. Pride, on the other hand, seeks to live independent of God. Pride says, I can make it on my own. I don't need God.

I don't need others. But humility is a life of dependence upon God. And I know of no other area of our lives that so clearly reveals this than in our prayer life. The humble pray constantly. Not out of a religious sense of duty, but because they know they so desperately need God.

Humility is dependence upon God demonstrated through prayer. Pride is independence of God demonstrated through prayerlessness. And one of the things that I marvel about in the prayer life of Jesus was the fact that He asked His disciples to pray for Him.

He asked unspiritual men, Peter, James, and John, who fell asleep in the garden, to stay awake and pray. Do you ask people to pray for you? Are you humble enough to ask for help? To ask others to pray for you?

Jesus did. And remember that humility serves. Jesus washed the disciples' feet. He said the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. And to give His life as a ransom for many. Humility serves.

Servanthood Requires Getting Our Hands Dirty

And it makes me think of a story that I heard a long time ago that Carter Conlon had shared. And I don't remember all the details of it, but this I remember. He was sharing about how his dad wanted him to go into law school and become a lawyer.

But instead, Brother Carter Conlon went into the ministry. And when he did, his dad thought that he had gone insane. He couldn't understand it. And Carter Conlon would try and share the gospel with his dad, and his dad would get angry.

He would always resist and always shut him down. And that went on for a long time. But then one day his dad got cancer. And the cancer led to his father having to get a colostomy bag. And he said his dad was a very proud man, and he wouldn't take care of the colostomy.

And so it would fill up. And his mom was beside herself, and she didn't know what to do. And she asked her son, Carter, what are we going to do? And Carter went in the room, and he was supposed to wear a mask and put on gloves to help his dad with his colostomy bag.

But he said he couldn't make himself put on gloves or a mask. He wanted to serve his dad in humility and love. And with bare hands, he started taking care of the colostomy bag. He started emptying it and cleaning his dad up.

And he did this over and over again. And then one more time, as he laid his dad down in bed, he went to preach the gospel to him one more time. But this time was different. His father listened, and he received Christ.

And Carter said he listened, not because the message had changed, but because his waist had been on my hands. Are we willing, brothers and sisters, to become true servants of Christ? Are we willing to get our hands dirty?

Are we willing to become the very answer to our prayers? As we pray for revival, the scripture is clear. There's only one kind of heart that God revives, and that is the broken and the contrite, the humble.

Brokenness, Revival, and the Humble Heart

Are we willing to become the answer to our own prayers, for God to make us the answer to our own prayers? Let me close with this song, just the words of it. It's called Humble King. O kneel me down again here at your feet.

Show me how much you love humility. O spirit be the star that leads me to the humble heart of love I see in you. You are God of the broken, friend of the weak. You wash the feet of the weary, embrace the ones in need.

I want to be like you, Jesus, to have this heart in me. You are God of the humble. You are the humble king. And Father, I come to you tonight with my brothers and sisters in Christ. And we stand and we kneel, Lord, in awesome wonder at the humility of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

It's beyond comprehension. And we're gripped by it. Lord, I'm gripped by the fact that you became a man. And even lower, you became a servant. And even more, you became obedient to death. And even more, death on the cross.

Lord Jesus, make us humble. Break our hearts, O Lord. Please deliver us from all self-seeking. I ask you, Lord, to deal a death blow to all self-effort in all of our lives. That we would come to you tonight, Lord, as a people who are poor in spirit.

Who are broken in contract. Who see and recognize our desperate need for you. And we thank you, Father, for your promise. That you will meet with those. You always give grace to the humble. It's the proud that you resist.

It's the proud that you oppose. When your children come to you humbly, you always give grace. More grace. And Father, I ask you tonight to pour out grace upon us, Lord. As we humble ourselves before you.

As we call upon you tonight for revival. For an encounter with you, Lord. For a mighty move of you. We pray, God, that you would make us to become the answer to our own prayers. Make us to be your humble servants.

Obedient servants. Servants of you, the most high God. Servants that are willing to forsake all to follow you. Servants that are not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but it's in power.

And I'm asking you, Lord, to do a deep work in my own heart. And in each of our hearts tonight. And we pray, Father, for a special touch upon our brother Edgar. We ask you, Lord God, to revive his body.

To strengthen him, Lord God, and to bring healing to him. Through and through. We pray, God, you'd give him many years, more years, to glorify you on the earth. Thank you for giving him a passion, Lord, for you most of all.

And a burden and passion, Lord, to serve you. To preach the gospel. To preach your word. A passion for true revival. And we ask you, Lord, to open a door for our brother Edgar that no man can shut. And that you would anoint him and use him for your glory and honor.

Now, Father, come tonight in the power of your Holy Spirit. And help us to pray as our eyes are fixed upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Fixed upon you, Lord Jesus. Help us to pray in Jesus' name. Amen.