Don’t Forget The Lyrics!

Philippians 2:6-11 is a premier Christological text of all Scripture that sets forth the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ in poetic form. Along with such texts as Eph 5:14; Col 1: 15 -20; 1 Tim 3:16, it is commonly held to be an early Christian hymn, a Carmen Christi, a hymn of Christ. Unlike many of today’s man- centered “hymns and praise songs”, these hymns focus on the character of God and on the work of redemption he accomplishes for condemned sinners through Jesus Christ whom he “put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. ..” Rom 3:25. They may have been set to music by the early church. The record of Christ’s Messianic, saving mission is our song. “The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation;” Ex 15: 2; Ps 118:14; cf. Isa 12:2; 26:1. Don’t forget the lyrics!

In Phi 2:6-11 we see the trajectory of our Lord’s saving mission: vv. 6-8 speak of his humiliation and vv. 9-11, of his exaltation. His humiliation consists of his Incarnation and his sinless life, suffering and death on Calvary’s cross. His exaltation denotes his resurrection from the dead, ascension into heaven and his return. Both his humiliation and his exaltation were executed on behalf of those the Father had given him in eternity past. In other words, in the context of the Covenant of Redemption, the Father and the Son agree that the Son would voluntarily partake of the humanity of those that he came to seek and save, Heb 2:14, by appending their humanity to the eternal form of his divinity. This was done in such a way that Jesus Christ remains one unique Person, fully God as well as fully man with two natures which exist without confusion, conversion, division, and separation. This truth was ratified at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 A.D., part of whose resolution reads: “[T]he same perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly man, of a rational soul and a body; consubstantial with the Father as regards his divinity, and the same consubstantial with us as regards his humanity; like us in all respects except for sin; begotten before the ages from the Father as regards his divinity, and in the last days the same for us and for our salvation from Mary, the virgin God-bearer as regards his humanity; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only-begotten, acknowledged in two natures which undergo no confusion, no change, no division, no separation; at no point was the difference between the natures taken away through the union, but rather the property of both natures is preserved and comes together into a single person and a single subsistent being; he is not parted or divided into two persons, but is one and the same only-begotten Son, God, Word, Lord Jesus Christ, just as the prophets taught …, and as the Lord Jesus Christ himself instructed us, and as the creed of the fathers handed it down to us. ” [Consubstantial means of the same essence or substance with. Con = with].

This Christ did not think his equality with God, so uniquely expressed in the manner of his pre–incarnate state, was something to be absolutely held on to but emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant. Of what does Jesus Christ empty himself? In his commentary, Dr. William Hendriksen submits the following:

of his ” favorable relation to the divine law” The pre-incarnate Christ knew no burden of guilt of sin. However, as the God-man, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor 5:21. Recall Jn 1:29.

of his eternal riches. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” 2 Cor 8:9. He divested himself of everything including his life, Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45;Jn 10:11.

of his heavenly glory Thus, on the night before he was crucified, he urgently prays to the Father, “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” Jn 17:4

of the independent exercise of his authority “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered..” Heb 5:8. To this we may add 2:10 Because the Lord was faithful in all aspects of his humiliation, the Father has resurrected him from the grave and has “highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name” that is superior to all others and in which all created beings everywhere will unreservedly confess that “Jesus is Lord.” This Christ now sits at the right hand of God the Majesty on high whence “he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.”

Don’t forget the lyrics. This is the song we will sing for eternity in heaven with the saints from every nation, people, tribe and language. “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, ” Rev 5:9. It’s the same old song with the ever-present, ever-potent lyrics. Let us sing the song of amazing grace, the song of Christ. We may change the tune but we must not forget the lyrics.