THE MIND OF CHRIST — FROM THE THRONE TO THE CROSS, AND FROM THE CROSS TO GLORY.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
There are moments when Scripture does not merely teach us something, it brings us face to face with the heart of God.
Philippians 2:5–11 reveals the heart of Christ: how the One who was above all chose to humble Himself, how the Lord of glory became a servant, how the sinless One embraced the cross, and how the Father exalted Him above every name.
And then Scripture gives us a command:
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
The deeper question is: Am I allowing the mind of Christ to shape my life?
The Apostle Paul tells us that Christ Jesus, “being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God” (Philippians 2:6).
The Lord Jesus did not begin His existence in Bethlehem, Bethlehem was not the beginning of Christ. He came from glory. The One who lay in a manger was the One through whom all things were created.
The Apostle John declares: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
And: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3).
The hands that created the heavens became the hands that were pierced by nails.
The One who spoke light into existence allowed Himself to enter the darkness of the cross.
The One before whom angels bow came among humanity as a servant.
This is the depth of Christ’s love.
Philippians 2:7 says: “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant.”
The world teaches us to seek recognition. Christ teaches us to seek obedience.
The world says: “Make yourself known.” Christ says: “Humble yourself.”
The world measures greatness by position, possessions, authority and recognition.
The Lord Jesus revealed a different kind of greatness. True greatness is found in humble service. He had every right to glory, yet He willingly descended. He had every right to be served, yet He came to serve. The Lord Jesus Himself said: “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
That is the mind of Christ.
Philippians 2:8 says: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself.” He humbled Himself. Nobody forced Him. Love led Him. He knew what awaited Him. He knew about rejection. He knew about betrayal. He knew about the scourging. He knew about the crown of thorns. He knew about the nails. He knew about Calvary. And yet He continued.
Why? Because He loved us.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
At the cross, we see the terrible seriousness of sin, but we also see the immeasurable greatness of God’s love. The cross says to the sinner: “Your sin is serious.” But the cross also says: “You are loved.”
Philippians 2:8 continues: “He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
The Lord Jesus’ humility was not merely an attitude. It became obedience. He did not simply speak about surrender. He lived it. He did not stop when obedience became painful. He continued all the way to the cross. This is something every follower of Christ must understand. While obedience can be easy, following God sometimes costs us everything by requiring the surrender of our plans, pride, desires, comfort, and reputation.
But the example of Christ stands before us: Obedience to God must be greater than our desire for comfort. The Lord Jesus Christ prayed in Gethsemane “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).
That is the cry of a surrendered heart.
The Cross was not the end. Human eyes could look at Calvary and see defeat. But heaven saw obedience. The grave appeared to be the end. But resurrection was coming. The cross looked like humiliation. But exaltation was coming.
Philippians 2:9 declares: “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.”
There is a divine principle here: Humility comes before exaltation. The Lord Jesus descended willingly and the Father exalted Him. The world may not recognize humble obedience. People may overlook the servant. Others may never see the sacrifices made in secret. But God sees. And what God sees, God remembers.
The Lord Jesus taught: “Whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).
Philippians 2:10–11 gives us one of the most majestic declarations in Scripture: “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.”
One day, every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. Kings will bow. Nations will bow. The powerful will bow. The forgotten will bow. The rich will bow. The poor will bow. Every human authority will bow. Every earthly kingdom will bow. Because there is only one eternal King.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
The world may reject Him today. Some may mock His name. Some may ignore Him. Some may deny Him. But His rejection by men cannot diminish His glory. Jesus is still Lord. His throne cannot be shaken. His kingdom cannot be destroyed. His name cannot be erased. His glory cannot be diminished.
The Apostle Paul begins this passage with: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
We are not merely being asked to admire the Lord Jesus. We are being called to follow Him. To have His mind. To walk in His humility. To serve as He served. To forgive as He forgave. To love as He loved. To obey as He obeyed. To surrender as He surrendered. To put God before self.
The Christian life is not simply saying: “Jesus is Lord.” It is allowing the Lord Jesus to become the pattern of our lives.
When you feel the need to be recognized, look at Christ. When you are tempted to repay an insult, look at Christ. When obedience becomes difficult, look at Christ. When serving others feels beneath you, look at Christ. When you want to exalt yourself, look at Christ. When you are suffering for doing what is right, look at Christ. When you feel forgotten, look at Christ.
He descended before He was exalted. He served before He was glorified. He suffered before He was crowned. He obeyed before the Father highly exalted Him.
The Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:5–11 takes us on a breathtaking journey: From deity to humanity. From glory to humility. From being served to serving. From obedience to suffering. From suffering to the cross. From the cross to resurrection. From resurrection to exaltation. From exaltation to everlasting Lordship.
And at the centre of it all stands one glorious name: JESUS.
He is not merely a teacher. He is not merely a prophet. He is not merely an example. He is Lord. The One who humbled Himself will reign forever. The One who wore the crown of thorns will wear the crown of glory. The One who was rejected by men will be confessed by every tongue. The One whose hands were pierced will rule with all authority.
Do others see the humble, loving, forgiving, compassionate, and obedient heart of Christ reflected in our lives, pointing to God’s glory rather than our own recognition? Because Christianity is not merely about carrying the name Christian. It is about carrying the character of Christ. We can possess outward religious practice and knowledge while remaining inwardly unchanged and disobedient to God.
But the Apostle Paul says: “Let this mind be in you.” Let Christ’s mind, heart, humility, obedience, and love shape your thoughts, desires, relationships, decisions, and actions.
Philippians chapter 2, begins with humility, but it ends with glory. And this gives hope to every faithful servant of God. Your obedience is not wasted. Your tears are not wasted. Your prayers are not wasted. Your sacrifices are not wasted. Your quiet service is not wasted. Your faithfulness when nobody notices is not wasted. God sees. Keep walking. Keep serving. Keep obeying. Keep your eyes upon Jesus. Because the Christ who humbled Himself is the Christ who has been highly exalted.
And the day is coming when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess:
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!
A PRAYER
The Lord Jesus,
Give us the mind that was in You. Remove pride from our hearts and teach us humility. Take away our desire for recognition and give us a servant’s heart. When obedience becomes difficult, strengthen us. When suffering comes, keep our eyes upon You. When we are tempted to exalt ourselves, remind us of Calvary. Teach us to love, forgive, serve and obey. Let our lives bring glory to Your holy name. And may everything within us ultimately declare what heaven itself declares: Jesus Christ is Lord.
To Him be the glory, the honour and the praise, forever and ever. Amen.
