He Became Nothing for You – April 11, 2022

Christ Jesus . . . being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing.
Philippians 2:5-7

He Became Nothing for You

We live in a culture obsessed with me. From little on, children are taught to believe in themselves. Embrace who you are. Celebrate the things that make you unique and different. As a phrase growing in popularity puts it, “You do you!”

God made each of us unique. And blending in with the crowds, doing what everyone else is doing, isn’t always wise. But is self-pride really the answer? Tragically, in this world of self, more and more people come up empty when they seek worth and value in just being who they are.

Jesus, however, had every reason to “do you.” He was the perfect Son of God. He had no flaws to be ashamed of. But what did he do? He made himself nothing. Not because he wasn’t happy with who he was, but because he wasn’t happy with who we were and what the future held for us.

Without Jesus, our self-focused ways could only end in self-destruction. But Jesus came down from heaven to serve us in humility. He set aside his rights as the Son of God to give us the right to be children of God. He made himself nothing to make you something.

Jesus rode the road of humility and suffering to give you hope—hope that is not based on what anyone else thinks of you or what you think of yourself, but hope that is based on how Jesus sees you and what Jesus was willing to do for you.

Jesus saw every flaw and failure in you that no one should be proud of, and he humbled himself to endure its shame for you. Jesus was judged, not by self-righteous hypocrites, but by a holy God. Because Jesus took our place, the same God judges us worthy of love, worthy of life, worthy of heaven. What he thinks of us is worth more than what anyone else says.

Find your worth, meaning, and hope in him. And then “do you” as a redeemed and forgiven child of God.

Prayer:
Jesus, you became nothing for me. Help me find my hope and worth in you. Amen.