Jesus Our Sacrifice

Finding True Peace Through Christ’s Sacrifice

Have you ever found yourself singing along to John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” and wondering, “If we all want peace so badly, why can’t we seem to achieve it?” The truth is, while we may long for harmony in our relationships and our world, we often struggle to create it on our own.

As we dive into Philippians 2:1-13, we discover a profound truth: lasting peace and unity are only possible through Jesus Christ and His sacrificial example.

The Problem of Self-Centeredness

Let’s be honest – most of us naturally focus on ourselves. As I shared in the sermon, “The reality is that in us, there isn’t peace. In ourselves, we don’t have peace.” We may not be fighting global wars, but we often engage in personal battles with our spouses, children, coworkers, or neighbors.

Why? Because “we are selfish people.” Our natural tendency is to prioritize our own interests and desires above others. We want to “win” in our relationships, even if it means others lose.

Christ’s Radical Example

This is where Jesus steps in and completely flips the script. Philippians 2:5-8 paints a stunning picture of Christ’s humility:

“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.”

Jesus, being fully God, had every right to cling to His divine privileges. Instead, He willingly laid them aside to become human and serve us. He didn’t just make minor sacrifices – He gave His very life on the cross.

Transformed by Christ’s Love

Here’s the amazing thing: when we truly grasp the depth of Christ’s love and sacrifice for us, it changes everything. As I mentioned in the sermon, “The closer we are with Jesus and the closer we understand how good he is in our lives, then we can reflect that to other people.”

Remember verse 1 of our passage: “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy…” When we experience these things from Christ, it enables us to extend them to others.

The world often tells us we need to love ourselves more to love others better. But Scripture points us in a different direction: “When you are struggling to love someone else… look at Christ more, see what true love looks like. And as you grow closer to that, and as you gaze on that and meditate on his love, then you’ll be able to love.”

Putting It Into Practice

So how do we live this out practically? Here are some key steps:

1. Cultivate humility: “Count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). This doesn’t mean having low self-esteem, but rather seeing ourselves rightly in comparison to Christ’s perfection.
2. Look to others’ interests: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). Make a conscious effort to consider others’ needs and perspectives.
3. Adopt Christ’s attitude: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). Regularly meditate on Christ’s example and ask God to shape your thoughts and actions accordingly.
4. Trust God’s process: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). Remember that God is actively working in you to transform your desires and empower you to live like Christ.

Trusting Our Heavenly Father

As we seek to live out these challenging commands, we can take comfort in knowing that our Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for us. Just as God exalted Christ after His humble sacrifice (Philippians 2:9-11), He will honor our obedience in His time and way.

When facing difficult relationships or circumstances, remember: “Our God is a king, and we can trust Him to give us big gifts.” We can confidently ask Him to do what seems impossible in our own strength.

As we close, let’s commit to “abide in Christ” (John 15:4) throughout this new year and beyond. As we stay connected to Him, we’ll bear the fruit of His love and peace in our lives and relationships.

May we reflect Christ’s glory to the world around us, drawing others to experience the transformative power of His sacrificial love.