Easter - Hickory Grove Baptist Church

Unit 3
Easter
Philippians 2
Memory Verses
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to
the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
–Philippians 2:8-9
Writer
Steven Smith is the vice president for Student Services and Communications and
professor of preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
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Special Session
Jesus Triumphs
THEOLOGICAL THEME: Death’s inability to hold Jesus demonstrates the
totality of His victory over God’s enemies.
When a rocket takes off to the moon, there is a lot to consider. Those who put fuel into
the rocket must consider the rotation of the earth on its axis, the density of the air when
the rocket travels through its various atmospheres, the weight of the vehicle with all its
contents, and thousands of other variables. The reason these considerations are so critical
can be summed up in one word: trajectory.
While there is no single passage that summarizes
the entire Bible, the story of Philippians 2
contains the trajectory of the Bible in synopsis.
This passage is poetic and fascinating, but it is
also practical. The “trajectory” of humiliation
to exaltation we see described of Christ in this
passage is to be the trajectory of our lives too.
Getting this trajectory wrong, even if we are just
slightly off in one area of our lives, can cause us to
miss the destination by miles.
Voices from
Church History
“The other gods were strong,
but Thou wast weak; They
rode, but Thou didst stumble
to a throne; But to our
wounds only God’s wounds
can speak, And not a god has
wounds, but Thou alone.” 1
–Edward Shillito (1872-1948)
What are some other stories in Scripture
that move from humiliation and defeat to exaltation and victory?
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Date of My Bible Study:
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What are some stories in culture that move from humble beginnings to
triumphant finales?
In this session we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ triumph over
death came through His giving up His heavenly status, His humbling Himself to death
on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead. As the One who humbled Himself for
our salvation, Jesus is worthy of all praise and glory. In response, we are called to have the
same attitude as Jesus and willingly give up our privileges and humbly obey Him.
1. Jesus triumphs by giving up His status (Phil. 2:5-7).
In a world where we usually measure status by what we can gain, God shows us how
the ultimate triumph of Christ came through what He gave. In order for the plan of
salvation to be accomplished, the Son of God had to step down into the world.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he
was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but
emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
5
There is a remarkable theological challenge in verse 6. What exactly does it mean that
Christ “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped”? This question has
been much debated, but the answer lies in the practical application of the passage from
verse 4—we are to think of others higher than ourselves. Christ was God before He
came to earth; He remained God on earth, and still He is God. Yet for the time that He
was on earth, He did not take a hold of nor utilize certain aspects of His divinity that
were always His.
What’s more, He only used His divine abilities to accomplish the good will of the
Father. He did this every hour, every moment of His life. Every second that Christ lived
was part of His willing submission to the will of the Father.
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What are some privileges you have given up for the good of someone
else? What was the result of your sacrifice?
To help explain the concept of the incarnation,
God taking on flesh, William Barclay used the
illustration of a human baby. While she always
remains a human, she changes from an infant to a
child to a teenager and then an adult. The essence
of humanity remains the same while the form
changes. 2 In a similar way, Jesus Christ continued
to be equal with God even while He took on
humanity, incarnated in human form.
God became man.
Voices from
the Church
“And there was no illusion
or deception in this: the
babyhood of the Son of
God was a reality. The more
you think about it, the more
staggering it gets. Nothing in
fiction is so fantastic as is this
truth of the Incarnation.” 3
–J. I. Packer
Here we see the apostle Paul encouraging us to
make our attitudes like that of Christ. Though the Son of God had all the privileges
that came from being one with God, He set those privileges aside in order to become
human and rescue us. We shouldn’t think that He emptied Himself of deity; we should
instead see Him as taking on our humanity, submitting to a lowly status and position.
God the Son came to serve us, and His service is our salvation.
What does it look like when a church is filled with people who have the
“mind of Christ”?
What does it look like when a church is filled with people who are
unwilling to give up their status in order to serve?
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2. Jesus triumphs by humbling Himself on the cross
(Phil. 2:8).
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the
point of death, even death on a cross.
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The purpose of crucifixion was not merely execution but humiliation. The person being
crucified was stripped naked. Nails were driven through hands and feet. No discretion.
No respect for the dead. This was a public spectacle meant to horrify passersby and
humiliate the victims.
Think for a minute about this irony. Christ was being killed by His own creation. As He
looked into the eyes of the soldier driving nails into His hands, He knew his name. He
created this person. He knew that the soldier’s deepest need was forgiveness. So as He
was raised humiliatingly into the air, a suspended spectacle, naked, between God and
man, Jesus prayed for His executioners (Luke 23:34). Even though they were fulfilling
God’s plan while executing the Son (Acts 2:23), they had no idea what they were doing.
In this vivid scene, we see how the Creator of life, the One with all power, has not only
subjected Himself to the power of His creatures, but He has given them the power to
kill Him. Ultimate humiliation. How could anyone ever sink to a lower humiliation
than Jesus on the cross?
The apostle Paul later wrote about Jesus’ death on the cross as a
victory. In what ways does this humiliation bring victory to us?
Why was humiliation necessary for Jesus to bring salvation?
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If you’ve ever been humiliated, you know the horrible feeling that comes with it.
Perhaps it was a betrayal from someone you trusted. Someone you loved took advantage
of you. Some hurts are so deep that people never recover.
What makes Jesus’ humiliation stand out is that
He willingly accepted this debasement. He trusted
people, knowing they would betray Him. He loved
the people who would torture Him. Humiliation
is horrible, no matter how it happens, but it is
staggering to our imagination to consider God
willingly being humiliated in order to save us. What
more evidence is there of Christ’s love for us?
Voices from
Church History
“His humbling was not
undertaken as a slave
in relation to a master’s
command. Rather he willingly
undertook the saving work
on our behalf. He obeyed as a
son, not as a slave.” 4
–Theodoret of Cyr
When the Son of God left the perfection of
(circa 390-457)
heaven, He did not consider the use of His
privileges as more important than the plan of God
to save us through the ultimate act of humiliation on the cross. Again, no one has ever
faced such humiliation. And yet, this humiliation was part of His triumph.
How does Christ’s triumph through humiliation give us hope when we
have been wounded? Or when we have wounded others?
3. Jesus triumphs by rising again and receiving all praise
and glory (Phil. 2:9-11).
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above
every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on
earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.
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Notice the phrase “Therefore God has highly exalted him.” Paul wanted us to see that
God’s motivation for the exaltation was Christ’s humiliation. Christ went lower than
any other; therefore, God will make sure that He goes higher than any other. Ultimate
exaltation comes after ultimate humiliation.
The truth that God will exalt those who humble themselves comes up often in Scripture
(Matt. 23:12; Jas. 4:10; 1 Pet. 5:6). But the scene in Philippians 2 is not just any humiliation.
No, this is ultimate humiliation. This is not just any exaltation; it is ultimate exaltation. The
exaltation of Christ is a real event that will happen. Christ was literally humiliated, and He
will be literally exalted in a way that is even more public (see Rev. 5; 19).
How does knowing that exaltation comes after we humble ourselves
help us trust and obey God when it is difficult?
Let’s take a closer look at how God exalted Jesus. The passage begins with the
resurrection of Christ: “God has highly exalted him” (Phil. 2:9).
After His death, Christ was removed from the cross and laid in a borrowed tomb
(John 19:41). What followed His burial was simply nothing. The tomb was sealed and
He lay lifeless in the tomb. Neglect is always worse than contempt. His body lay there
as a nothing, a former something, a charismatic blip on the Roman radar of would-be
messiahs. In a matter of days, He went from projected majesty to the object of torture
and death, and now to nothingness.
But the end of Christ’s humiliation was glorious. On the third day, God the Father
initiated the first stage of His exaltation.
The resurrection is such a central part of the message of our faith that Paul considered it
to be central to the gospel itself (1 Cor. 15:4). And if this message is not true, then our
faith is loss (1 Cor. 15:1-19). And further, Jesus’ resurrection gives us the confidence that
we ourselves will one day be raised from the dead (1 Cor. 15:20-58). Paul would later
call Jesus the “firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18)—He was the first one resurrected of
all others who would rise.
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The reason so much hangs on the power of the
resurrection is because Christ’s resurrection was
the penultimate validation of all His other claims.
He claimed to be the very Son of God, the
Messiah. Yet the humiliation of Christ was so
deep and profound that it is hard, in any
conceivable way, to justify this claim. Unless, of
course, there was a resurrection. If Christ has risen
from the dead, just as He claimed (John 2:19),
then all the other claims about Himself make
sense, and therefore, He is worthy of the honor of
every knee bowed and the glorious confession of
every tongue that “Jesus Christ is Lord”
(Phil. 2:10-11).
99 Essential
Christian Doctrines
54. Christ’s Exaltation
Whereas the death of
Christ was the ultimate
example of His humiliation,
the resurrection of Christ
from the dead is the first
and glorious example of
Christ’s exaltation. Christ
was exalted when God
raised Him from the dead,
and Christ was exalted when
He ascended to the Father’s
right hand. He will be exalted
by all creation when He
returns. All of these aspects
work together to magnify
the glory and worth of
Christ, resulting in the praise
of the glory of His grace in
rescuing sinners.
There is an actual date on God’s calendar in
which everyone who ever lived will praise the
exalted name of Christ. This is not just exaltation
but super-exaltation. When someone who is
dispassionate about Christ, or even hates Christ,
speaks against Him, don’t fear! The same voice that once mocked Christ will cry out in
confession of His lordship! The same people who fight against Christ will throw their
bodies prostrate before Him, flat on their faces in awe and wonder at His majesty. In
the end, those who do not follow Christ will still recognize His glory, even as they face
His judgment.
Consider the plight of Christians who are persecuted around the world.
What hope does this passage offer when facing humiliation and pain for
the cause of Christ?
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Sketch your understanding of the trajectory of Jesus Christ that we see displayed
in Philippians 2:5-11.
Conclusion
English speakers love superlatives: the greatest team of all time; the ultimate car; the most
extreme nacho chip ever packed in a cellophane bag. And with overuse comes loss of
meaning. If everything is the greatest, then nothing is.
However, this passage of Scripture is definitive: No one was ever lower than Christ at
the cross, and no one will be more ultimately exalted than Christ for all time. Ultimate
suffering leading to ultimate glory. Ultimate humiliation leading to ultimate exaltation.
No one ever went lower. No one will ever be higher.
The question we should ask in light of this is “Will I humble myself and serve others
and then trust God to exalt me later?” Taking hold of the goal of exaltation with Christ
begins with my humbling myself before others.
CHRIST CONNECTION: For us and for our salvation, the Son of God took
on humanity, humbled Himself by dying on the cross for our sins, and rose
again to receive all praise and glory.
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HIS MISSION, YOUR MISSION
MISSIONAL APPLICATION: God calls us to make our attitude the
same as Jesus’—to give up our earthly status and humbly obey
Him so that Jesus will receive all praise and glory.
1. List some of the privileges you find difficult to set aside for the sake of
another. How can you have the “mind of Christ” in these things?
2. W
hy is humility vital for our salvation in Christ Jesus? For our sanctification?
3. H
ow should the trajectory of humiliation and exaltation impact our mission
as Christ’s followers?
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About the Writers
The Gospel Project®
Adult Personal Study Guide ESV
Volume 4, Number 3 Spring 2016
Eric Geiger
Vice President, LifeWay Resources
Ed Stetzer
Unit 1:
Philip Nation (sessions 1-2) is the content development
director for LifeWay and the teaching pastor for
The Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee. His newest book
is Habits for Our Holiness: How the Spiritual Disciplines
Grow Us Up, Draw Us Together, and Send Us Out.
General Editor
Trevin Wax
Managing Editor
Daniel Davis
Content Editor
Josh Hayes
Content and Production Editor
Ken Braddy
Manager, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies
Michael Kelley
Director, Groups Ministry
Send questions/comments to:
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Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are
taken from the English Standard Version® (The Holy
Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright 2001
by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News
Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Robert Smith (sessions 3-6) is a professor of
Christian preaching at Beeson Divinity School in
Birmingham, Alabama. He is the author of Doctrine
That Dances. He is married to Dr. Wanda Taylor-Smith,
and they have four adult children with one in heaven.
Tanya McAvoy (assisted with unit 1 session plans)
serves in the areas of evangelism and education at Neptune
Baptist Church in Neptune Beach, Florida. She earned her
MDiv from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
She and her husband, Ryan, have three children.
Unit 2:
Afshin Ziafat resides with his wife, Meredith, and
two daughters in Frisco, Texas, where he is the lead
pastor of Providence Church. He serves on the board of
various ministries, including the Leadership Council of
the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.
Matt Boswell is a graduate of Southern Seminary
and serves as the pastor of ministries and worship at
Providence Church in Frisco, Texas. Additionally, he is
the president of Doxology & Theology. He is married to
Jamie, and they have four small children.
Unit 3:
Steven Smith is the vice president for Student
Services and Communications and professor of preaching
at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the
author of Dying to Preach and Recapturing the Voice of God.
He is married to Ashley, and they have three children.
WRITERS
Notes
SESSION 1
SESSION 5
SESSION 9
1. J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
(New York: Ballantine Books, 1982), 336.
1. Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know
I Learned in Kindergarten, 15th ed. (New York:
Ballantine Books, 2003), 108.
1. Priscilla Shirer,
LifeWay, 2013), 9.
2. Dietrich
Discipleship
1995), 64.
Bonhoeffer, The Cost of
(New
York:
Touchstone,
3. John Wesley, quoted in Be Available, by
Warren Wiersbe (Colorado Springs: David C.
Cook, 2010), 76.
SESSION 2
1. Augustine, Sermon 6.7, quoted in
John 1–10, ed. Joel C. Elowsky, vol. IVa in
Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture:
New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP,
2006), 124.
2. Gregory of Nazianzus, Oration 45.22,
quoted in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy, ed. Joseph T. Lienhard, vol. III
in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture:
Old Testament (Downers Grove: IVP,
2001), 242.
3. Nancy Guthrie, The Lamb
(Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), 234.
of
God
SESSION 3
1. Anthony R. Mayne, “U.S. Army drill and
ceremony provides discipline, esprit de corps
for more than 238 years,” U.S. Army [online],
27 June 2013 [cited 17 June 2015]. Available
from the Internet: www.army.mil.
2. Corrie ten Boom, quoted in Do Hard
Things, by Alex and Brett Harris (Colorado
Springs: Multnomah, 2013) [eBook].
3. Michael Catt, The Power of Surrender
(Nashville: B&H, 2010), 27.
4. Robert J. Morgan, Then Sings My Soul
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 220-21.
2. Elisabeth Elliot, Quest for Love: True
Stories of Passion and Purity (Grand Rapids:
Revell, 2002), 145.
3. Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby,
Hearing God’s Voice (Nashville: B&H,
2002), 178.
4. John
Chrysostom,
“Homilies
of
Chrysostom,” Bible Hub [online], 2014 [cited
14 July 2015]. Available from the Internet:
biblehub.com.
SESSION 6
1. D. L. Moody, “The Way of Life,” in The
D. L. Moody Collection (Chicago: Moody,
1997), 313.
2. Martin H. Manser, “Dictionary of Biblical
Themes,” Bible Hub [online], 2009 [cited
16 July 2015]. Available from the Internet:
biblehub.com.
3. The Prairie Overcomer, quoted in The
Names and Character of God, by Charles R.
Wood (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1991), 53.
4. James MacDonald, Vertical Church
(Colorado Springs: David Cook, 2012) [eBook].
5. J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the
Gospels: Luke, vol. 2 (Robert Carter &
Brothers: Banner of Truth, 1875), 168.
SESSION 7
1. Andrew Robert Fausset, A Critical and
Expository Commentary on the Book of
Judges (London: James Nisbet & Company,
1885), 53.
5. Billy Graham, in Billy Graham in Quotes,
eds. Franklin Graham with Donna Lee Toney
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011), 136.
2. Oswald Chambers, in The Quotable
Oswald Chambers, comp. and ed. David
McCasland (Grand Rapids: Discovery House,
2008), 163.
6. Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His
Highest (Grand Rapids: Marshall Pickering,
1986), March 23.
3. Daniel
Montgomery
and
Michael
Cosper, Faithmapping (Wheaton: Crossway,
2013), 40.
SESSION 4
SESSION 8
1. Augustine, quoted in “Augustine of
Hippo,” Christianity in View [online], 24 May
2013 [cited 1 July 2015]. Available from the
Internet: www.christianityinview.com.
1. Frances Ridley Havergal, “A Stewardship
Litany,” quoted in The Wideness of God’s
Mercy, by Jeffery W. Rowthorn (New York City:
Church Publishing, Inc., 2007), 125.
2. C. H. Spurgeon, According to Promise
(New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1887), 54.
2. Richard Sibbes, quoted in “Puritan
Quotes: Faith,” SermonIndex.net [online],
2002-2015 [cited 22 July 2015]. Available from
the Internet: www.sermonindex.net.
Gideon
(Nashville:
2. Timothy Keller, Judges for You (Purcellville,
VA: The Good Book Company, 2013), 77.
3. Martin Luther, quoted in Martin Luther’s
Basic Theological Writings, 2nd ed., ed.
Timothy F. Lull (Minneapolis: Augsburg
Fortress, 2005), 57.
SESSION 10
1. Michael Williams, How to Read the Bible
Through the Jesus Lens (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2012), 39.
2. Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of
Repentance [PDF], 76. Available from the
Internet: www.ntslibrary.com.
SESSION 11
1. Michael Williams, How to Read the Bible
Through the Jesus Lens, 44.
2. Jonathan Edwards, “Heaven, A World of
Charity, or Love,” in Jonathan Edwards in the
Pulpit (Minneapolis: Curiosmith, 2012), 113.
3. Marva Dawn, Talking the Walk (Grand
Rapids: Brazos Press, 2005), 170.
SESSION 12
1. Kevin DeYoung, Taking God at His Word
(Wheaton: Crossway, 2014), 122.
2. John R. W. Stott, Culture and the Bible
(Downers Grove: IVP, 1979), 12.
3. Anna Sophia of Hesse, “Speak, O Lord,
Thy Servant Heareth,” trans. George A.
T. Rygh, in Lutheran Hymnal (St. Louis:
Concordia, 1941). Available from the Internet:
www.ccel.org.
SPECIAL SESSION
1. Edward Shillito, quoted in The God Who Is
There, by D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: Baker,
2010), 162.
2. William Barclay, The Letters to the
Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians
(Louisville:
Westminster
John
Knox,
2003), 42.
3. J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove:
IVP, 1973), 53.
4. Theodoret of Cyrus, Epistle to the
Philippians, 2:8, quoted in Galatians,
Ephesians, Philippians, ed. Mark J. Edwards,
vol. VIII in Ancient Christian Commentary on
Scripture: New Testament (Downers Grove:
IVP, 1999), 237.
3. Timothy Keller, Judges for You (Purcellville,
VA: The Good Book Company, 2013), 65.
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THE GOSPEL PROJECT CHRONOLOGICAL
A Journey Through the Storyline of Scripture
Fall 2015
The Story Begins
God the Creator (Genesis 1–11)
God the Covenant-Maker (Genesis 12–50)
Winter 2015-16 God Delivers
God the Redeemer (Exodus)
God the Lawgiver (Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy)
Spring 2016 The Promised Land
God the Savior (Numbers, Joshua)
God the Judge (Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel)
Summer 2016
A Kingdom Established
Fall 2016
Prophets and Kings
6
God the King (1–2 Samuel)
God All Wise (1 Kings, Job, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Proverbs)
God the Revealer (1–2 Kings, Isaiah)
God the Pursuer (Prophets, 1–2 Chronicles)
Winter 2016-17 Exile and Return
God the Sustainer (Daniel, Ezra)
God the Provider (Esther, Nehemiah, Malachi)
Spring 2017
The Rescue Begins
God the Son (Gospels)
God Among Us (Gospels)
Summer 2017
Stories and Signs
Jesus the Storyteller (Synoptic Gospels)
Jesus the Miracle-Worker (Gospels)
Fall 2017
Jesus Saves
Jesus the Savior (Gospels)
Jesus the Risen King (Gospels, Acts)
Winter 2017-18 The Church on Mission
The Spirit Who Empowers (Acts)
The God Who Sends (Acts)
Spring 2018
Letters to God’s People
The God Who Directs His People (Epistles)
The God Who Changes Us (Epistles)
Summer 2018
Come, Lord Jesus
God’s Prisoner (Acts, Epistles)
The God Who Makes All Things New (Epistles, Revelation)

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