- Matthew chapter 11:29 – the only way Jesus described himself was humble
- John 13:5- you won’t understand what I’m doing now, but you’ll get it later. We need to work hard to make sense of humility.
- You will be more glorious, and like me, and have more fellowship with me, if you grow in humility.
- God’s core identity is love and humility. Power is not his core identity. Power demonstrates his love, humility, and righteousness.
- Knelt before broken men, and washed their dirty feet. It’s not hard for God to kneel. Shocks our sensibilities.
- If He kneels to serve us, it doesn’t diminish His glory, it expresses his glory.
- Man’s humility is based on his weakness. God’s humility is based on his greatness.
- Peter was offended by God kneeling to wash his feet. Jesus did not become humble. He was always humble.
- Jesus invites us into that fellowship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which relates to each other in love, humility, wisdom and glory. This is for now.
- The more we understand His humility, the more we understand His heart. We’re never gonna figure it out completely now, but it’ll take eternity to do so.
- When you understand Jesus this way, you have more admiration, confidence, trust, gratitude and love for Him. You understand that He’s so easy to relate to, because He’s so kind, and humble. It should be the opposite. When you meet someone in this life, and he’s exceptional, you might feel intimidated. They would tend to be impatient with our lack of understanding. Because of Jesus’ humility, He even enjoys relating to us.
- Do you know the way you move God? You move Him, not because you’re so brilliant, but because He’s so humble, kind and loving. The more you know Him, the more bold you are drawing near to Him.
- Matthew 20:28 – Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14), explains His role, but also explains how He’s a servant
- Psalm 45- about the beauty of the Messiah. Psalm 45:4 – there will not be any pride in Him, but He will do it from humility, and for humility. He will fill the Earth with humility
- Luke 12:37 – about Jesus relating to His servants. When Jesus comes again, He will serve us. Rule of the kingdom: The greatest will be the servant. Jesus is the greatest. That’s why He is a servant.
- For billions of years we will be with this man. FOREVER! Even if we don’t get wealth, health, etc. in this life, we will have it forever. This life is a minute.
- God was always the same. We just gain new insight into Him now, through the Holy Spirit.
- The greatest expression of His humility was when He became human. Jesus could have decided anytime to stop living as a human, but He decided to keep living as a man under the anointing
- Philippians 2:6 – did not consider his godhood something to be grasped. 2:7- made himself of no reputation, laid aside his right to be understood and honored as He observed. He didn’t live free from rejection, humility, and pain. Why should Jesus ever be rejected, hungry, or humiliated? Every single person who ever met Jesus underestimated Him. In denying Himself, He did not deny His true identity. He was being true to Himself, because His core identity is humility. We don’t do this very well.
- 60 years after seeing Jesus, John sees Him again and falls down (Revelation 1). Jesus probably thought to Himself, “John, I’m the same. It’s not new. I’ve always been like this.”
- Jesus was content to be seen as ordinary. Lots of people want to be seen as special, but don’t know how special they are to Him already. Isaiah 53 – He had no status, special attractiveness, did not stick out.
- Only 120 followers after Jesus raised Himself. People would have told Him He did it wrong. What if we had a billion dollars, and what if you never spent any of it on yourself, and never told anyone about it? Jesus didn’t want people to treat Him differently. Jesus did this for thirty years before His ministry, and nobody understood.
- Jesus did not deny the truth about God by being a humble servant. He expressed the truth about God. He was as humble now in the resurrection, as He was before.
- His humility is seen in His relational style. Gracious, slow to anger, abounding in goodness…etc. Does not get annoyed with us, even though He knows so much, and we know so little.
- Jesus cares so much about us, because of His love and humility. Part of the joy set before Him at the cross was the thought of us being with Him forever. Revelation 3:21. He wants us to reign with Him.
- If Jesus’ core identity was power, incarnation as a human would have been a denial of Himself. Revelation 4:3- John saw the Son next to the Father. Hebrews 1: Whatever is true of the Father’s glory is true of the Son’s glory. Jesus has that same glory but He didn’t come to Earth to show us how powerful He was. His miracle ministry only displayed a minuscule amount of His power. Jesus had to say “Lazarus, come forth,” because if He said, “Come forth,” everyone would have come back.
- He wants us to walk in humility with Him forever. We want power, He wants us to have humility. With humility, you can interact with Him in a deep way forever. He had to walk in humility to have relationship with us.
- In Western culture, little and humble is negative. His plan is not to have robots with resurrected bodies. We will be free-will lovers of God who choose humility forever. He doesn’t want robotic obedience. He wants voluntary humility, people who will join with Him to rule the Earth in relationship.
- If Jesus only used power and miracles to transform nations. When He used power to deliver Israel from Egypt, they worshiped Him for a while, and then rebelled. Power is not strong enough to transform nations forever. Jesus has a master plan to change the nations through humility and love
- “Why doesn’t God speak more to me? Why doesn’t God show more power?” Part of the answer…God’s humility is part of the message. His restraint and His humility is part of the message. God listens more than He speaks. He waits to be invited by our love and obedience. This is the Man we love, this is the Man who loves us.
Thoughts: I appreciate this message a lot, because it unlocks more of who God is, and helps us connect to God more. When I think of IHOP (and maybe this is just me, because I don’t know IHOP very well), I think of the supernatural. I was reminded of the best man preparing the bride for the bridegroom’s coming as I heard this message.
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