May 22 2026

Friday May 22

“He Humbled Himself”

Philippians 2:5-8

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 the point of death, even the death of the cross.

We have been looking at Philippians 2:5-11, speaking about the mind of Christ. We have seen that Jesus is our example of what that mind looks like through His acts of humility. Every verse thus far reveals another level of His humility. First, He was in the form of God. He laid aside His privileges. Next, He became a servant, and then He entered humanity. That is what we have looked at these past few days. Now in verse 8, we find this:

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself.”

That phrase is astonishing. Jesus humbled Himself voluntarily. Nobody forced Him. Nobody trapped Him. Nobody took His life from Him against His will. Remember Jesus said in John 10:18: “No man takes my life from me. I lay it down of myself.” You see, humility was not weakness in Jesus. It was deliberate surrender.

When people looked at Jesus, they simply saw a man. “Being found in appearance as a man,” most people saw Him and never realized who stood before them. They saw a carpenter from Nazareth, a Jewish teacher, a poor rabbi with no earthly power. Matthew 13:55 says they asked the question: “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” They missed the glory hidden behind His humanity. The Creator walked among His creation unnoticed. Imagine that. The One who spoke worlds into existence was mocked by sinners. The One who created human hands allowed those hands to nail Him to a cross.

Yet He humbled Himself. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus continually chose the low place. He touched lepers others avoided. He welcomed children others ignored. He ate with tax collectors and sinners others despised. He washed dirty feet others refused to touch. Remember John 13: Jesus wrapped Himself in a servant’s garment. Then He washed the disciples’ feet and said: “I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you.”

Humility is not simply admiring Jesus. It is learning from Him. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said: “Come to me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Then He says: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” It is getting in the yoke with Jesus in humility.

Humility is one of the clearest marks of genuine spirituality. Pride was the original sin. Lucifer fell through pride. Adam and Eve reached upward in pride. But Jesus willingly stepped downward in humility. He was never insecure. He never denied who He was. Yet He constantly placed others before Himself. Our world celebrates self-promotion, but Jesus modeled self-denial. The culture says, “Build your platform.” Jesus says, “Take up your cross.” The flesh says, “Be noticed.” But Jesus says, “Serve faithfully.”

One of the hardest things for us is hidden humility. We do not mind serving if someone notices us. We do not mind giving if someone appreciates us. We do not mind sacrifice if recognition follows. But Jesus often served quietly and anonymously. True humility is content with only God seeing. That is a powerful test of spiritual maturity. Can we serve when nobody applauds? Nobody posts about it? Nobody thanks us? Nobody even notices? Jesus did.

Philippians 2 is teaching us that humility is not optional for believers. It is the mindset of Jesus Christ. Remember James 4:6 says: “God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” Think about that. Pride puts us in opposition to God, but humility places us under the grace that we desperately need every day.

So how do we cultivate humility? First, by keeping our eyes on Jesus Christ. Pride grows when we compare ourselves to others. Humility grows when we compare ourselves to Jesus. Second, by serving others intentionally. Humility is developed through acts of service. And third, by remembering that everything we have is from God. 1 Corinthians 4:7 says: “What do you have that you did not receive?”

Today, ask God to reveal areas of hidden pride in your life. Maybe that pride is in: our knowledge, our accomplishments, our ministry, our possessions, or even our spiritual maturity. Independence itself can become a source of pride. Pride can even hide behind religious activity. But, my friend, the cross of Jesus Christ destroys pride because it reminds us that we are sinners completely dependent upon His grace. The closer we walk with Jesus, the humbler we will become.

Let’s pray together. “Lord Jesus, thank You for Your incredible humility. Forgive us for pride and self-centeredness. Teach us to take the low place joyfully and serve others with sincere hearts. Help us to think less about ourselves and more about You and others. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

God bless you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!