"⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! ⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." -- Philippians 2:5-11

Everybody likes being successful. Success at work, success with money, and even success with power are all things the world craves. As Christians, we too, should long to be successful. However, we should long to be successful for the Lord. We are to "store up for treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:20a), rather than treasures here on earth. In order to be successful for the Lord, we need Lordly qualities. We get those by submitting ourselves to Him and obeying Him. If we make Jesus our focus, and strive to be like Him, than these Lordly, Christlike qualities will be developed in us. Our Father wants us to be like His Son; His plan is to make us like Christ. Paul tells us in Romans, " ²⁸And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers" (Romans 8:28-29).

Noted Christian author, Michael Phillips wrote a book entitled, MAKE ME LIKE JESUS: The Courage to Pray Dangerously. The premise of the book is giving up our will and placing it in the hands of our Father. It involves, consists of, really, following the example of Jesus Christ. Such a sacrifice, that of giving up our own will, is extremely difficult, but I believe it is extremely important. I also believe that being like Jesus applies to every aspect of our lives. Everything we do, everything we think, should be like Jesus. In all we do, think and say, we should be emulating Christ Himself. Our desire should be the same as that of our Father in Heaven: to be conformed to the image of His Son, to be like Jesus. In order for this to happen, we need to follow Jesus' example, and do what Jesus did. In order to be made like Jesus, we need to act like Jesus. First, we need to look at how Jesus acted. Then, we need to strive to follow His example.

The most important example of Christ we can learn about is that of His great love. The Bible tells us that "God is Love" (1 John 4:8), and that the only reason we can love, is "because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). God loved us so much that He became man and died for us. Those of you who have seen THE PASSION, can see not only did He die for us, but he was whipped, beaten, scourged, spit on. He endured all that out of His great love for us. That alone is an example worth following, however there is so much more. There are so many more wonderful examples of the great love Christ has for us:

³³When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴"Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.
³⁵Jesus wept.
³⁶Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" -- John 11:33-36

" ¹It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. ²The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. ³Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." -- John 13:1-5

First, John shows us that Jesus loved. He loved Lazurus and cried over His death. Jesus was God, He knew Lazurus was dead, and He knew Lazurus would be brought back to life, but Jesus loved him so much that He cried when He saw Lazurus laid in the tomb. He was so full of love and compassion, that even though He was God, the death of one of His friends literally brought tears to His eyes. When I was a kid, we used to joke that John 11:35 was our favorite verse to memorize because it was the shortest verse in the entire Bible. While that is the case, I believe it is one of the most profound as well. From those two words, we get an insight to the depth of God's love for us. He is so full of love for us, that He grieves, and I personally believe that He cries for us now, even though He is in Heaven. The Bible shows that He loves us so much that he grieves when hard times befall us. That one verse, those two words, show that God loves us, and they show just how deeply that love goes.

Some time later, at Passover, John not only shows us that Jesus loves us, but he shows us an example of that love. Look how he starts chapter 13: "Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love." John reiterates that Jesus loves us, and then shows us an example of how Jesus expressed that love. Jesus Christ washed the feet of His disciples. He was their teacher and master, more than that, He is God, and He took off His outer garment, got down on His knees and washed each and every one of His disciples' feet. Right there, Jesus shows us the first and example of loving others: serving them.

Jesus Christ gives us the perfect example of how to love other, serve them. Does this mean we all need to get down and wash each others' feet? While some people believe this to be the case, I do not think that is what Jesus is showing us. It is bigger than that. There was much more in what Jesus did, than washing His disciples feet, and there is much more we can learn. Namely, serving others in humility. Jesus did not let the fact that He was God stop Him from washing the feel of His disciples, so we should not let anything stop us from serving our brothers and sisters in Christ, or anyone for that matter. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul tells us, "as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal 6:10). In washing His disciples feet, Jesus did just that! To be made like Jesus, we should follow His example and do what He did, namely, "doing good to all people", serving them humbly when the Lord presents us with the opportunity to do so. Jesus Christ served His disciples, and if we want to be like Jesus, we need to follow His example. That means that we need to serve others in humility, to serve others in love.

Jesus did not just love His disciples and His friends, but He also loved His enemies. The very people who whipped, beat, scourged, and spit on Him, Jesus loved. Jesus taught us to, "love [our] enemies, bless those who curse [us], do good to those who hate [us] and pray for those who spitefully [us] and persecute [us]" (Matthew 5:44, NKJV), and, like He did in serving others, Jesus sets the example for us in doing just that. While He was hanging on the cross, He prayed for the very people who were killing Him. The Jews and Romans alike were interceded for by Jesus, as they were killing Him:

³³When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals--one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. ³⁵The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." -- Luke 23:33-35

Look at how the people there treated Him. They divided up His clothes, His clothes!, they sneered at Him, they taunted Him...They had "won", the man who caused them so much trouble was now before them on the cross, and they were rubbing it in. What did Jesus do? He prayed for them!!! Jesus prayed that all those people would be forgiven for what they were doing! Not only did Jesus die to save them, but He prayed from them as they were crucifying Him. Talk about Love! The Newsboys sing a song entitled, "Amazing Love". The lyrics start out: I'm forgiven because you were forsaken/I'm accepted, you were condemned. Jesus Christ was forsaken, condemned and rejected, but He accepted and forgave.

Jesus not only taught love, He lived it and He died it. I believe that is the biggest example of Jesus' love for us, His willingness to lay down His life for us. On the way to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told His disciples, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Less than a day later, Jesus did just that. He died for His friends. Not only that, but He died for His enemies as well! Technically, we are all enemies of God while we are in sin, and that is when Jesus died for us, when the entire world was in sin:

⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -- Romans 5:6-8

Jesus Christ died for the ungodly and the sinners. Jesus did not just die for us and His disciples, He died for the very people who were killing Him! The soldiers who scourged Him, Jesus died for. The priests who beat and spit on Him, Jesus died for. The rulers who sentenced Him, Jesus died for. Jesus died for the entire world, and in doing so, gave the entire world the premier example of love. The chorus of "Amazing Love" starts, Amazing love, how can it be/that you my King would die for me/Amazing love, I know it's true. It is true, Jesus Christ, our God and our King, died for us. While we were ungodly sinners, God became man to die and bring us life.

That is the kind of love Christ has for and that is the example we should follow. We should be willing to lay down or lives, not only for our friends, but for the lost so that they may be saved. How many missionaries have done this? Not all missionaries have died, but all were willing. We should have that same willingness. We should the follow the example of our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ, in loving others. This is to be done not just with emotions but in practical applications, actions. We should serve one another in love. We could carry one another's burdens. We should be willing to lay down our lives for each other. Jesus tells us, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34). As I have loved you...that is an awful tall order, but to be like Christ, we must do just that.

Unfortunately, today many people try to act like they are God instead of acting like Him. In other words, they bind their beliefs on others and judge all who disagree. Is that the way Christ operates? Many of the legalists today operate the same as the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus' time did. They cast judgment and scorn on those who are not as "righteous" as they are. Look at what they did to a woman who was caught in adultery:

³The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" -- John 8:3-5

The Pharisees dragged this woman before Jesus, who was "caught in the act of adultery". Being caught in the act, they probably dragged her naked in the streets to shame her before the crowd. Legalists of today do the same thing. They shame not only "sinners" but all who disagree them before their "crowd". Is that really the church that Jesus wants us to be? How does that edify and encourage the body of believers? Most importantly, is that something Jesus would do in His great love for us? The Bible tells us how Jesus would act in that situation:

⁷But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." ⁸Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
⁹At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
¹¹"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:7-11

What love our Savior has! Jesus did not judge her. Jesus did not shame her. Jesus loved her! "Go now and leave your life of sin." Just like that, He forgave her. While the Bible does not explicitly say what happens with her, I feel confident in saying that she did leave that life of sin. Why? Because she was shamed by the Pharisees? No way. When people are judged and shamed, they get defensive and build walls around their sin. No, she left her life of sin because of the love that Jesus showed her. Jesus forgave her, Jesus acted out in love towards her, and I believe that she stopped sinning because of that.

Once again, that is an example worth following. If we can show others the love Jesus showed that woman, think about all the good we could do! Think about how much we could build up the Body of Believers; think about the souls we could win! Peter tells us, "love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). If we can follow Jesus' example and "love each other deeply" (ibid), it would be so much easier to work together. By exemplifying Jesus' love in serving others, we shine like stars in the universe among the darkness of this world. When we act out in love, we show the gospel instead of just teaching it. If we can encourage instead of judge, if we can edify instead of shame, we can make great strides in making Paul's joy, and the Joy of our Savior, complete, "by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose" (Philippians 2:2).

That Christ died for us is the greatest example of love He could have shown. His death also shows us another example that we should follow, that of His obedience to the Father's will. His example of obedience reached its climax in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was not looking forward to what He was going to face. He was man, and He was stressed; so much so that He sweat blood! Luke tells us he was in anguish. Matthew says his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death (Matt 26:38)! If Jesus wanted to, he could have called down twelve legions of angels and avoided all of what he as about to face (v 54). He even asked God "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" (v 39). He did not want to go through what He was about to face, but look at what He did: He obeyed. Yet not as I will, but as you will. Jesus was in anguish, He was overwhelmed with sorrow, He could have called down twelve legions of angels, but look at what He ultimately told our Father: "may your will be done" (v 42). May your will be done. In the face of everything He was to suffer, He submitted to God and obeyed His Father.

This obedience was not automatic, either. Jesus chose to obey God. Jesus chose to follow the will of the Father instead of His own will. Jesus voluntarily submitted Himself to His Father in spite of His aversion toward what He was to face. It is true that Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully human. In his afore mentioned book, Michael Phillips states the following:

IT becomes all to easy to gloss over the humanity of Jesus, thinking it was somehow easier for Him to lay down His will. But as Jesus grew and matured, His will developed fully as a human will. He wanted His own way, just as you and I do. And no sini exists in wanting one's own way--for that cannot be helped--but only in choosing our way over God's way. Laying down His will was anything but automatic for Jesus. His was no cheap death to self, no easy relinquishment, no automatic abandonment of self-rule. It involved no figurative "blood, sweat, and tears," but the real blood, the real sweat, and the real tears of genuine manhood.

Jesus Christ had His own will, and His will was contrary to that of His Father's. Jesus wanted out! However, He relinquished that will in obedience to His Father. It was not easy, either. Remember, Jesus was sweating blood. Still, in spite of the blood, in spite of the fear, in spite of the sorrow, and in spite of His will, Jesus gave it all up to God, His Father, and obeyed. What an example! Jesus finished out His ended His earthly ministry, not only by becoming the door through which we all may enter to be saved (John 10:9), but he ended it with the perfect example of obedience: choosing the Father's Will over His own.

Jesus began His ministry the same way He ended it, in obedience to His Father. Just after His baptism, He went into the desert where he fasted for 40 days. At the end of that time, Satan tempted Jesus. They were not little temptations either, like telling "white lie" or running a stop sign at midnight when nobody is around. These were some pretty hefty temptations, and Satan knew exactly where to hit Jesus. Matthew gives the most detailed account, so let's look at that here:

¹Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. ²After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
⁴Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "
⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
   " 'He will command his angels concerning you,
       and they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' "
⁷Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
¹⁰Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' "
¹¹Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. -- Matthew 4:1-11

I like this example of Jesus obedience for a few reasons. First it not only gives us an example of what we should do, but how we can do it. Notice what Jesus' response to every temptation was: When Satan told him to turn the stones to bread, Jesus quoted Deut. 8:3; when Satan told him to jump, Jesus quoted Deut. 6:16; when Satan offered Jesus the world for bowing to him, Jesus quoted Deut. 6:13. In each and every case, Jesus used God's Word to counter Satan's temptation.

The second reason I like this is, it shows us how the devil operates. He is very sneaky and he plays very dirty. Look at the first thing he tempted Jesus with: "if you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Satan knew Jesus was hungry, that is where He was most vulnerable, and that is the first area the devil hit. Jesus had not eaten in 40 days. I get hungry after 40 minutes! I cannot imagine how hungry Jesus was, but Satan knew, and that is exactly where the devil hit Him first. Satan will try the same thing with us. Whatever area we are vulnerable in, Satan will take advantage of. Whatever our weakness is, the devil will exploit it. Paul says, "For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 10:12), we too must be strong when we are weak. We do that by giving our faults, hang-ups and weaknesses to God, then we will be strong, not with our strength, but with the strength of the Lord.

The other thing Satan will do is hit us when we are at our lowest, weakest point. He will kick us when we are already down. Again, Jesus had not eaten in 40 days. That makes a person very weak, physically, mentally and emotionally, and that is the point that Satan came at Him. Next to the crucifixion, this was most likely Jesus' weakest point, and that is where Satan came to tempt Him. Jesus was prepared though. How? He knew God's Word. We must study and know God's word as well. It is the sword of the spirit. Heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey had a favorite quote, "The best defense is a good offense." That applies very well to spiritual warfare. The sword of God's Word is an offensive weapon. Not for hacking at our brothers and sisters, as some are prone to do, but at hacking at the devil's lies. Satan knows scripture and will use it to attack us. We must know it as well, and use it not only to defend ourselves but to go on the offensive. Look at how Jesus got Satan to leave: Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Jesus went on the offensive. He turned the tables on Satan and used God's Word to do it! That caused Satan to flee.

Satan tried very hard to get Jesus to disobey God. He hit our Savior at His lowest point, kicking Him when He was down. He tempted our Lord with what His body needed most, food. However, Jesus, by relying on God's Word, remained obedient to our Father. Jesus, using God's Word, overcame the temptation of the evil one. Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of obedience. While praying in the Garden, He showed us the example of obedience to God. While being tempted in the desert, He showed us how to be obedient. He showed us how to overcome temptation and defeat the devil even when we are at our weakest point. Namely, by relying "on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Deut 8:3).

When Joshua assumed the mantle of leadership from Moses, God told him, "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful" (Joshua 1:8). God was talking about His Word, and approximately fourteen hundred years later, His Word became flesh. We have that same "book of Law" to read, but what is more, we have a living example to follow, that of Jesus Christ. If we follow the example of our Saviour, we will be successful. Not necessarily financially successful or prosperous, but we will be successful in the Lord. We will be better able to serve Him and we will grow closer to Him if we submit ourselves to Him like Jesus did. We will be more effective in our work for Him, if we love and obey like Jesus did. God's ultimate design for us is to be like His Son, however he cannot make us like Jesus, we need to become like Jesus. We do that by following His example, by living like He did, loving like He loved, obeying like He obeyed, by acting just like He did. Jesus Christ is an example worth following, and in order to be successful for the Lord, we need to follow that example.