The self-emptying of Christ for us to imitate

"Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of an enslaved person, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those 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." (Philippians 2:5–11)

This Christological hymn from the Letter to the Philippians is a towering statement of the mystery of the Incarnation, revealing the depths of Christ’s humility and the heights of His glorification. The Apostle Paul presents the self-emptying (kenosis) of Christ not merely as an abstract theological truth but as a pattern of life to be emulated by all the baptized. The exhortation to have the “same attitude” that was in Christ Jesus situates Christian ethics within a profoundly theological framework: the believer is called not to imitation alone, but to conformation to the cruciform love of the Son.

The hymn unfolds in two movements—descent and exaltation. The first emphasizes the voluntary abasement of the Son, who, though eternally divine, “did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.” This negation signals not a loss of divinity, but a refusal to cling to divine privilege. Instead, Christ “emptied himself,” a term rich with mystery. His self-emptying is not a subtraction of divinity but an expression of it. In becoming human, taking the form of an enslaved person, and accepting the most ignominious death, Christ reveals that true divine power is exercised in humility and self-giving.

The second movement reveals the Father’s response to the Son’s obedience: exaltation and universal lordship. “Because of this”—that is, Christ’s obedience unto death—God has “greatly exalted him” and given Him “the name that is above every name.” This name, “Lord” (Kyrios), which in the Greek Septuagint translates the divine name YHWH, is now definitively associated with Jesus. The hymn thus proclaims both Christ’s divinity and the fulfillment of Isaiah’s vision that every knee shall bend before the Lord (Isaiah 45:23). The cosmic scope of this homage—heaven, earth, and the underworld—confirms the universal reign of Christ, extending over all creation.

This passage offers a profound summons to humility, obedience, and sacrificial love. The Christian is called to a radically different ethos in a culture driven by self-assertion, status, and autonomy. To “empty oneself” is to live in service of others, renounce self-interest, and endure suffering for fidelity. This does not imply weakness, but true strength—the strength that trusts in divine vindication rather than human acclaim. Christ’s journey from humiliation to exaltation becomes the pattern for Christian discipleship and the Church’s communal life.

Philippians 2:5-11 is not only a hymn of Christ’s humility and glory, but a proclamation of the heart of the Gospel: that God’s power is revealed in love, that salvation comes through the Cross, and that glory follows sacrifice. This text is proclaimed in the liturgy, especially on Palm Sunday and during Holy Week, reminding the faithful that the path to resurrection passes through the Cross. The Christian life, modeled on Christ’s self-emptying, is not an ascent to greatness through domination, but a descent into love that opens the way to eternal glory. Every knee shall bend, not in fear, but in adoration of the One who reigns by serving and saves by dying.