Philippians 2:5-11
 
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,  but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death -- even death on a cross.
 
Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
 
 
The Manual
 
Do you read the instructions before putting something new together? I can't wait to get the shiny new gadget out of the box and working. If it seems like something I've done before, I'll just start fitting parts together without looking at any instructions. The instructions seem so badly written anyway. They seem confusing and often aren't written in English to begin with. We just get the translation.
 
It seems easier to just give it a try and put the thing together as best we can. Sometimes we get it right, but sometimes we go astray.
 
In Paul's letter to the believers in Philippi, he overflows with praise for their faith and manifest grace. Paul uses the word "Joy" sixteen times in four short chapters. But Paul also wants to caution the Philippians. Paul wants to ensure they will continue as a unified community of believers. He wants them to have a manual.
 
The manual Paul sent includes the verse quoted above, sometimes called the Mind of Christ. The Philippians (and all God's people) should look to Jesus as their model. We should consider his example, not because we can do what he did, but because his perfect example leads us back home, back to God. The first part of Christ's mind is the Humiliation in verses 6-8 with verses 9-11 the Exaltation. 
 
In Christ's humiliation, we hear that he became a slave, a servant to all. He did not use his godly nature to avoid death, but offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for all of our sins. In his brutal death, flanked by two thieves, Jesus is at his low point as a human, but at the zenith of his ministry on earth. His body is broken, but Man's spirit is set free.
 
Through Christ's obedience God exalted him beyond all others and the last three verses declare that exaltation. Every tongue praises Christ, not because he was set up as a separate god, but to the glory of God the Father, whose plans are beyond our comprehension in scope and beauty.
 
Paul sent the manual to Philippi because he wanted to make sure they had the whole story, to make sure they had the instructions to read if they got into trouble.
 
And, this Palm Sunday, we get the same instructions. They are just a translation and a little hard to understand, but they are there for you and for me. They are there because our Father wants to welcome us home. They are there because we do not have to go astray. They are there because a man was raised high on a cross at a place called The Skull, just outside of Jerusalem, a few days after being greeted with palms as he rode into that city.
 
Read your instructions. You might need them. 
 
Dennis Blazak
joyjoywrld57@msn.com