Many people talk about Jesus today, but the Jesus they present can be significantly different from the biblical Jesus. Some think he is merely a man, or a good man. Others think he was a prophet. Some think the ‘idea’ of Jesus is what really matters. But Phil. 2:5-11 presents Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, not exploiting his divine position & status, but willingly becoming a human being in order to serve us. This Jesus was 100% God, 100% human! He came not to be served, but to serve mankind by humbling himself, and even going to the point of dying on a cross for us. Why does Paul place this beautiful, self-emptying poem before the Philippians in this letter? Not for them to try to outwardly imitate, but rather to see what God & Christ have done for them. By believing in Christ, they & we, can be empowered by him to live a life in community that is willing to let go of our rights, our privileges, our status so we can serve others well.