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• The Carmen Christi (Philippians 2:5-11) is one of many early hymns found in the New Testament.
  -Revelation 4:8; Ephesians 5:14; 1 Timothy 3:16; John 1:1-18
• The Carmen Christi is the hymn of all hymns because it highlights a decision, made by Jesus in his pre-earthly state, that is the driving force of salvation history.

• Verse 6, form: In his pre-earthly shape, Jesus possessed inwardly and displayed outwardly the nature of God.
• Verse 7, emptied: Jesus emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant, not by releasing his divine nature.
• Verse 7, form: Jesus inwardly and outwardly took on the form of a servant, or slave.
• Verse 8, likeness: Jesus truly became a human being, but was not merely a human being.
• Verse 8, Obedient: In contrast to the first human being, Adam, Jesus lived a life of full obedience to the Father.
• Verse 11, name: Because Jesus emptied himself, took on the form of a servant, and was obedient even to a death on the cross, he was given the name Yahweh, which is above every name.

• Jesus did not view his equality with God as something to take advantage of, or exploit.
• Jesus' primary motivation for emptying himself was not our need for a savior.
• Big Idea: Jesus made the decision to empty himself because self-emptying love is the proper expression of divine status.
  -Illustration: Several quotes from N.T. Wright reinforce Jesus' divine servanthood.

• The Roman soldier at the cross recognized Jesus' divinity because of his self-emptying love.
  -Mark 15:39
• John identifies the moments before Jesus' death as the hour of his glorification.
  -John 12: 23-25
• Jesus knowingly washed his disciples' feet as a manifestation of his divine status.
  -John 13:1-5

• Human beings were created in the image of God, which means our actions should reflect the nature and character of God.
• We are most fully human when we demonstrate Jesus' self-emptying love.
  -Illustration: Mother Theresa is an example of self-emptying love.
• We were created out of a servant love, for a servant love.