"Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5).

In order that the mind of Christ
may be formed in us, the apostle Paul presents Christ before us as our perfect
Pattern. We have a touching presentation of the lowliness of mind that was
expressed in Him in His marvelous journey from Godhead glory to the cross of
shame. Let us note that the force of the passage is to present, not simply the
downward path He took, but the lowly mind that marked Him in taking the
path.

First, Christ is presented as
"being in the form of God." No man could pretend to describe the form
of One "whom no man has seen, nor can see" (1 Tim. 6:16);
nevertheless we are told what was the mind of Christ while yet in the form of
God. His mind was so set upon serving others in love that He thought not of
Himself and His reputation, but "made Himself of no reputation,"
and laid aside the outward form of God, though never ceasing to be God.

Second, He exhibits the lowly mind
by taking "the form of a servant." Not only does He serve, but
He assumes the form that is proper to a servant.

Third, still further does He
express the lowly mind by the particular "form of a servant" He
assumed. The angels are servants, but He passed the angels by. He was made a
little lower than the angels and took His place in "the likeness of men."
He passed by the higher form of servant to take the lower. He was made in the
likeness of men, a word that surely implies manhood in its full
constitution—spirit, soul, and body; however, let it be remembered that it was
not manhood in its fallen condition.

Fourth, still further is the lowly
mind expressed in Christ; for when found in fashion as a man, "He
humbled Himself." He did not take occasion by "being found in
fashion as a man" to exalt Himself among men according to the natural
thought of His brethren, who said, "If Thou do these things, show Thyself
to the world" (John 7:3,4). Rather, "He humbled Himself." He did
not claim His rights as man.

Fifth, yet further He expresses
the lowly mind by becoming "obedient." He might have become a
man and commanded, but He takes the place of obedience. This implies the laying
aside of individual will to do the will of another.

Sixth, the lowly mind is seen by
the measure of His obedience, for He was "obedient unto death."
This was more than obedience. In obedience He gave up His will; in death He
gave up His life.

Seventh, finally His lowly mind is
expressed in the death that He died. There are many forms of death, but of all
the deaths that man can die, He died the most ignominious of deaths—"the
death of the cross." This was more than an ordinary death, for while
in going to death a man gives up his life, in going to the death of the cross a
man gives up, not only his life, but his reputation before men. Thus it was
with the Lord. In going to the death of the cross such was His lowly mind—so
truly did He ignore self—that He gave up His reputation before men and was
"numbered with the transgressors" (Isa. 53:12).

(From Notes on the Epistle to
the Philippians.)