Philippians 2:5-8. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Our ultimate model of obedience is our Lord Jesus Christ, who demonstrated that true submission: “becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8).
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane deeply distressed and troubled. In the shadow of the olive trees, He wrestled with the weight of the world’s sin, crying out, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Luke’s account reveals the sheer physical and spiritual intensity of this struggle: His agony was so profound that His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood (Luke 22:44).
Why did He choose to obey when the cost was so high? Scripture tells us it was “for the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2). That joy was not found in the suffering itself, but in the result: us! He looked across the horizon of time and saw those He had appointed for eternal life. He didn’t go to Calvary because He was trapped; He went because He dearly loved us.
Calvary was the only way to satisfy divine justice and make us right before a Holy God. Jesus voluntarily surrendered His life, declaring, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18). Even when His disciples deserted Him, and He faced the cross in total isolation, He pressed on to shatter the power of Satan, sin, and hell forever.
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus’ focus was never on His own comfort, but on the Father’s mission. Though He was “in very nature God,” He did not cling to His divine privileges for His own benefit (Philippians 2:6). This singular focus was the Father’s will, not His. After sharing the Gospel with the Samaritan woman, He was so invigorated by the harvest of souls that He forgot His physical hunger, telling His disciples, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). Because He knew His purpose—to find the lost sheep and rescue them from the enemy—His obedience was absolute.
This same devotion should define our lives. Jesus reminds us that the Father never leaves those who seek to please Him: “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him” (John 8:29). We must remember that to God, “to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). Obedience to the Word is not a burden; it is the greatest joy and the highest protection we have.
Today, let us actively resist the spirit of disobedience that works in the world (Ephesians 2:2). Instead, let us “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). When you feel discouraged or weary, look to Him—the one who endured the cross for you—so that you will not lose heart (Hebrews 12:3). As you follow Him in obedience, you are not just following a set of rules; you are following the True King into a life of victory.
Prayer. Father, give me the same mindset as Jesus. Transform my “want-to” so that doing Your will becomes my daily bread. Fill my heart with a spirit of obedience that honors You above all else. In Jesus’ name, Amen.