Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
— Philippians 2:5–8
It’s tempting to read this passage in Philippians and simply marvel at Jesus’ humility, but the Bible doesn’t give us that luxury.
Our response to Jesus’ humanity must go beyond mere admiration to emulation: “Have this mind among yourselves…” While it may seem farfetched to think we could actually have the same mindset that Jesus did, this is exactly what the Bible teaches. In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul specifically tells us that we “have the mind of Christ” (v. 16) because of the Holy Spirit who lives in us (v. 10–13). Through Jesus, God gives us the example to follow, and through the Holy Spirit, God gives us the power to follow it. Were it not for the Spirit, we could only sit back and reflect on Jesus’ humility rather than put it into practice in our own lives.
Walking by the Spirit causes us to live in a way that is countercultural to the rest of society. And we should praise God for this! While modern society is often guided by fear, insecurity, jealousy, anger and rivalry, we get to experience “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).
When your life is filled with these things, it’s much easier to be humble. When your inner needs are being met by God through his Spirit, there is less urgency to strive to have your own way. When you recognize that God is providing for your deepest needs, it is much easier to trust and submit to him the way Jesus did.
At the end of the day, it’s impossible to talk about Jesus’ humanity without considering our own. If Jesus was the best version of humanity, then the Spirit of Jesus allows us to the best version of our own humanity. We shouldn’t take this lightly. We should praise God that he has provided a way for us to be like Christ, and we should see it as the culmination of all he came to fulfill in us.
So in considering Jesus’ humanity, let’s don’t just admire it. Let’s emulate it through the power of the Holy Spirit, and let’s look and act like Jesus to one another and to a world who so desperately needs him.
Will you be Jesus to someone today? If you are living a Spirit-filled life, yes, you will.