We live in a world where appearances are everything to many people. We’re all familiar with the idea of “keeping up with the Jones’s”, and perhaps you’ve found yourself falling into that attitude at times, without even realizing it at first. Of course, the technology of communication we have now has only dramatically increased what inclinations were already there. If something happened, it must be displayed, or did it really even happen? “Seeming” is as good as “Being.” But is that the case? Paul writes on “being” and “seeming” to the Philippians in the Epistle reading appointed for this Palm Sunday. The cultural context of those residing in Philippi had some parallels to us. Philippi had a large population of Roman veterans. These upper class Romans were occupied with the “Course of Honors”, a system by which they could demonstrate their value to the community and get respect from their peers by their outward deeds and service. Elevating yourself was the important thing to many of them. In their world of “Seeming”, Paul instructs us about our Savior Jesus, who held his “Being” in higher regard.

Paul writes, “5 Indeed, let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. 6 Though he was by nature God, he did not consider equality with God as a prize to be displayed,7 but he emptied himself by taking the nature of a servant. When he was born in human likeness, and his appearance was like that of any other man, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.”

Paul begins to go into a wonderful explanation and even a hymn of praise to Christ. He speaks about two states of our Savior, one of humility and one of exaltation. These two states are given as an example for us to follow but even more importantly taught to us to reveal our Salvation.

So verse 6, “Though he was by nature God, he did not consider equality with God as a prize to be displayed.” Perhaps a question you would not have asked is, What does Paul mean by He?” Of course the answer is obvious, Jesus Christ! But the question is, is Paul speaking of the Eternal Word of God before his Incarnation, or the God-Man. In other words, did the humiliation of Christ take place through Jesus taking on Human Flesh, or was it something that the Incarnate Christ willingly chose to do? Based on these passages and on other Scriptures, the Lutheran teaching is that the Incarnation is an amazing miracle, not humiliation itself, but Jesus chose to be born as a true man, and grow and ultimately die. The Word taking on the Human Nature is necessary for the plan of salvation, and rather than lowering the Divine Nature, the Human Nature is elevated by union in the Person of Christ.

Christ willingly chose to go without the use of his Divine Nature, which he truly possessed. He did not lose or empty himself of Divine Power and Glory and Majesty. Consider if Jesus viewed his appearance as God to the most important thing rather than being God. How could he take on the role of servant? How could he teach the crowds that gathered, and heal the sick, and most importantly, how could he suffer and die, unless his true nature was hidden for a little while. And it meant that Jesus put up with slander, mocking, schemes, hostility, though he was in fact the Eternal Word who brought this world into existence.

How shocking it would be for the Philippians, obsessed as their culture was with honor and displaying prizes, to hear that Jesus did not consider equality with God something to brag about and to cling to with all his might! Jesus had something more important in mind to accomplish than his own aggrandizement.

Jesus humbled himself to be obedient to death on a cross. Jesus’ willingness, his self-chosen humility is extremely important here as well. Jesus’ relationship with death itself is only on his terms. Because Jesus is true God, whatever it appeared to be to those who witnessed his death, death by nature has no authority over him. How unlike us fallen, sinful human beings! It is in our fallen nature to be subjects of death. Death is our lot in life, it is something we can’t escape because of sin. Jesus’ death is not a victory of death, but a victory over death because Jesus is truly God.

His death on a cross was the least honorable thing imaginable. This was the culmination of his appearance as a slave to the world. It was usually only done for the lowest of the low criminals. Even if a Roman noble, for example, did something worthy of death, or was executed for political reasons perhaps, it would never enter his opponent’s mind to have him crucified. Some other more honorable execution method would be used. But Jesus was not concerned with how his death appeared to people. In fact, Jesus had to die a dishonorable death, to redeem you and me, dishonorable sinners. No matter how good we appear to the world, the cross is no less than we deserve. This Jesus did in our place.

Palm Sunday, Jesus humble entrance, hailed as the one Coming in the name of the Lord, prepares us for the events of Holy Week, and for our Worship in Holy Week today as well. The events of Thursday and Friday are difficult to contemplate, because of our love for Jesus. Good Friday seems to leave little room for the joy that we expect through Faith in Christ. This humiliation of Christ was necessary, and it is necessary for us to spend some time in sorrow as well. We remember that it was due to our own fault and sin that Christ chose to be born into this world, and suffer all that he suffered.

Palm Sunday prepares us also for the events of Sunday. Paul goes on, “9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” As necessary for salvation as Christ’s humiliation is Christ’s exaltation. We know the ending of Christ’s suffering. We are able to go into the depths of sorrow because we know that Christ pulls himself and us out of it into Resurrection Joy.

Paul speaks of the situation we have today- Christ’s exaltation. Jesus, true God and true Man, now fully exercises his divine power and receives his due worship.

Paul’s teaching on Christ relates most importantly to the saving work of Christ. However, this truth about Christ, his humility despite his divine nature, is also relevant to your Christian life of service. Going back to verse 5, Paul says for us to have the same attitude of Christ. Christ was willing to serve us, while still sinners and unworthy of receiving everything. What does it mean for you, then, to share in that attitude? Verses 3 and 4 spell it out for us pretty clearly: “3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility consider one another better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look carefully not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Truly Be servants of one another, without being concerned with what Seems. The Being concerned about others, your family and your brothers in Christ, and the poor and needy in the world, and so on, is what matters. Our social status, our ambitions, really are of no importance. Seeming to be someone doesn’t matter much to Christians because it didn’t matter much to Christ. And we are very much un-like Christ in one respect- we are by nature only man- only servants in truth. While Jesus was fine with appearing lowly for his purpose, the truth was that he is far above us. We are servants in truth and ought to Be so for others.

Just as Christ was glorified after his humiliation, we too expect to see our own exaltation. When Christ returns no longer Seeming to be a servant, but Being the Lord of all, every knee will bow. And we receive glorification, new natures, cleansed totally of sin and no longer subject to death. This is true now as a truth that is in the future, but it will not always be far off. Christ will come with his reward for us his faithful servants in the end to give us his Glory. Amen.