Bless us with the mind of Christ crucified.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ
Jesus (Philippians 2:5).
These are
some of the encouraging words Paul wrote to the Christians in Philippi. He told
them, “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” This was
an exhortation and an encouragement. Not just the scolding of the law, as if Paul
would tell you, “Why can’t you be more like Jesus?” Rather, He was inviting the
Philippians to consider how they would do well to have the mind of Christ.
We join with those Christians of that far away place, long
ago and we pray to the same Lord, saying, “Bless us with the mind of Christ
crucified.”
Let’s then consider having the mind of Christ in three ways: In prayer, in peace, in patience.
First, in prayer. Bless us with the mind of Christ crucified
in our worship and prayer. We are blessed to have the actual prayers of Jesus
that He spoke on the night He was betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. He
prayed, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless,
not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Three times he prayed this
prayer.
Learn the mind of Christ crucified from the way he prays. When
we pray with the mind of Christ, we are not only begging for what our hearts
desire. But we are willing to have our desires conformed to His. In Jesus’
prayers in the garden, we hear Him coming to terms with the cross and the
suffering that He is about to endure.
The cross is no accident. It was the Father’s will for Jesus
Christ to suffer and die, punished for your sins and my sins. Our Lord Jesus,
true man, prone to human suffering and death and so struggling with the built-in
desire to avoid suffering and pain and live, He struggles in prayer. Until He
says, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, (this bitter drink),
then so be it, your will be done.
Bless us with the mind of Christ crucified that we may pray
for our Lord’s will to be done and trust that His will is done. And after we
have brought our prayers to the Lord, three times even, let that be enough. Trust
His good and gracious will. Be at peace.
And that’s number 2: Peace. Bless us with the mind of Christ crucified
– a mind of peace. After this prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, our Lord is
at peace. He is resolute. He doesn’t hesitate again. He has no anxiety, no
anger. Unlike Peter who pulls out a sword and clumsily cuts off the ear of one
of the bad guys, Jesus has no violence within Himself. No rash reactions to the
suffering inflicted upon Him. He simply says to His Judas, “Do what you came to
do.”
In Christ crucified find peace. He obediently, willingly,
suffered and died for you. That your sins would be forgiven, and your guilt
atoned for. Let the mind of Christ crucified fill you with peace, trusting that
because He who died for you in such humiliation is now exalted to the highest
heavens to reign in glory forever and He calls you to His presence so you can
share in that exaltation and glory in eternal life.
In due time that is. Just as Christ was exalted after His time
of suffering, so you also will need to have some patience through suffering
before the glory is full. Let your prayer be, Bless us with the mind of Christ crucified.
Crucified. Think about what you’re asking for. You want to be like Jesus,
to pray like Jesus, to have peace like Jesus, that, of course will include
suffering in this life, like Jesus. Philippians 1:29 says this: “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of
Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,”
In this life, those who have the mind of Christ will expect
suffering. You will suffer because things aren’t like they should be, because of
sin and sin’s companion, death. You will suffer because your flesh will
constantly be drawn to sin and there will be the ongoing internal struggle
against. You will suffer because the devil hates you and all that is good. You
will suffer because the world has scorn for Christ and mocks you for following His
way. You will have to suffer, because the alternative is to just give up and not
care and just let evil happen and never let good happen. Because as soon as you
let the mind of Christ be at work in you, there will be suffering also. “Bless
us with the mind of Christ crucified that we may have His patience in suffering.”
Hear again Paul’s encouragement in Philippians 5: “Have this
mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). Did you catch what
he’s saying? that it is yours? Baptism’s reminder is that you are Baptized
into Christ. Into His death to sin and into His life of peace and eventual glory.
You have Christ. You have the mind of Christ. In prayer, in peace and in patience.
Amen.
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