The Humility of Christ ~ Passion Week
Pastor Leslie Chua
“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. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Jesus’ incarnation and His crucifixion on the cross two thousand years ago must be the most remarkable demonstration of humility.
The apostle, Paul, described Christ’s humility beautifully in this passage in Philippians chapter 2. Jesus, God the Son, emptied Himself of His majestic glory, took on flesh, and came to dwell among humanity.
The Heavenly Father did not place His Son in the home of royalty or nobility. Instead, he was born into the home of an ordinary couple, Mary and Joseph. They were poor as evidenced by their offering of a pair of doves during the presentation of baby Jesus in the temple (Luke 2:22-24).
In the same breath, Paul also spoke about Jesus humbling Himself “by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Crucifixion was the most shameful way to die. This form of punishment was reserved only for the worst kind of criminals. Though without sin, Jesus was falsely accused and unjustly sentenced to die by crucifixion. Besides, He was hung naked, or at best covered only with a piece of loincloth. Imagine the crude treatment received by the Son of God.
The Passion Week
The Passion Week began on Palm Sunday and it reached the climax with the resurrection of Christ on the following Sunday.
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Christ’s humility was on full display despite the intense pressure He was under, the horrendous treatment He received, and the death sentence awaiting Him.
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Many significant events occurred during this Holy Week. It was a rollercoaster week for Jesus and His disciples. But one thing remained consistent throughout this eventful week. It had to do with His humble posture. Christ’s humility was on full display despite the intense pressure He was under, the horrendous treatment He received, and the death sentence awaiting Him.
During the Passion Week, Jesus demonstrated humility in 3 ways.
Humility in Majesty
First, humility in majesty.
During the Passion Week, Jesus stayed in the house of Mary and Martha in Bethany. In Hebrew, Bethany is known as Beit Anya. Beit means house and Anya means poor.
Throughout the week, Jesus shuttled between Bethany, the house of the poor, and Jerusalem, the city of the great King (Psalm 48:2). This is a beautiful imagery of King Jesus’ lowliness and humility. The Passover week was peak season in the holy city. Jesus could not afford the accommodation inside the city where the wealthy pilgrims were staying.
Here is another picture of the Messiah-King’s meekness and humility. On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to offer Himself as the king of His people. The event was highly anticipated for several hundred years ever since the prophet, Zechariah, prophesied – “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).
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Though He was King, He humbled himself even unto death.
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It was a momentous event. Thousands of people turned up to welcome their Messiah-King. Spreading their cloaks and laying palm fronds on the dusty road, they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9)
The event is commonly known as the triumphal entry of Christ. Strangely, instead of riding on a majestic horse as was the custom of kings, the Messiah-King rode on a donkey.
Jesus was signalling that He would be a different kind of king. Not the high and mighty and pompous kind but one who is lowly and humble.
It was also a prophetic statement of His mission in His First Coming. He came as a suffering servant and Messiah. He would be laying down His life to redeem a people for God’s kingdom. The cross would be His destination and death His portion.
Though He was King, He humbled himself even unto death.
Humility in Submission
Second, humility in submission.
Jesus was fully submitted to God the Father. One of the most remarkable statements made by Jesus is this – “I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me… for I always do the things that are pleasing to him…” (John 8:28-29). That was how Jesus conducted Himself during His time on earth.
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In humility, Jesus chose to obey and submit to His Father in heaven. He would complete His mission to be the sacrificial Lamb of God no matter what it took. He would not let His own fear and struggle get in the way. He would submit to the Father’s will. That is humility in submission.
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Jesus’ humility in submission is also seen in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion. He could endure the rejection and verbal abuse of the Jews. But He agonised at the prospect of the scourging and crucifixion the following day.
The bodies of the victims of scourging were usually a bloody mess of shredded muscles and flesh. Some would be killed even before their crucifixion. As for crucifixion, it is perhaps one of the cruellest ways to kill a person. The person would die slowly from intense pain and asphyxiation.
In His struggle, Jesus fell on His face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…” but he continued in the same breath, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).
In humility, Jesus chose to obey and submit to His Father in heaven. He would complete His mission to be the sacrificial Lamb of God no matter what it took. He would not let His own fear and struggle get in the way. He would submit to the Father’s will. That is humility in submission.
Humility in Passion
Third, humility in passion.
The last week of Jesus that culminated with His crucifixion, death, and resurrection is commonly known as the Passion Week for 2 reasons.
Jesus certainly felt strongly about His anticipated death by crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. These 2 events would result in the salvation of sinners. So, His passion is understandable.
Another reason has to do with language. In old English, the word, passion, which is derived from Latin, means “suffering” or “enduring.” So, the Passion Week speaks of Jesus’ passion concerning His sufferings. This verse in the book of Hebrews encapsulates Jesus’ passion – “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
When it was time for Him to be crucified, Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). In other words, Jesus was resolute in His resolve to go to Jerusalem despite the prospect of suffering and death on the cross. Jesus was intensely passionate about His mission and He would not let anything obstruct His way.
Sometimes when we read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ suffering, we do not feel its intensity and barbarity. Maybe, we cannot imagine what really happened. Or, perhaps our familiarity with the accounts has somehow numbed us.
The Passion of the Christ, which is a film produced by Mel Gibson in 2004, changes all that. The explicit visuals bring out the rawness of the horrifying suffering that Jesus experienced. It is heart-wrenching. It is impossible not to cry watching what our Lord went through for us.
I vividly remember one of these scenes. Jesus’ hands were fastened to a stone block and a soldier was whipping Him methodically and repeatedly. His back and rib cage were soon a bloody mess. Shreds of flesh and tissues that had been ripped apart hung loosely to His body. Every time Jesus slumped over and collapsed on His knees due to the pain, He would muster all His strength to get back on His feet. He did that repeatedly.
Initially, I wondered why. Then, it occurred to me that Jesus had to be afflicted for the punishment of our sins. So, He rendered Himself to be fully afflicted. That is the passion of Christ.
That the Son of God would humble Himself to such an extent for our sakes is something to be grasped.
During this Passion Week, let us reflect on Christ’s humility in majesty, submission, and passion. What a Saviour we have in Jesus Christ!