Referencing Matthew 11:28-30, Johnston Oatman, Jr. wrote the lyrics, “There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus” in 1895. In such, he was referring to the humility of Jesus as He described Himself:
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt. 11:28-30)
Notice with me some instances of humility in the life of our Lord and some applications with which to conclude.
First, we note the humility of Christ in His Incarnation. The Hebrew writer wrote that He left heavenly glory to come to this world (Heb. 2:9), and Paul penned, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). Another lyricist, Henry Barraclough, quoted Psalm 45:8 with his lyrics in 1915, “Out of the ivory palaces; into a world of woe.” We see the humility of Christ in His Incarnation as He was born in a stable (Luke 2), clouded by a king’s threat of death (Matthew 2).
Second, we note the humility of Christ in His life and ministry. The Hebrew writer also wrote, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). He who had never been hungry now longed for food (Matt. 4:2). He who had never been thirsty now thirsted (John 19:28). He who had been served by a host of angels was betrayed by His closest companions (Mark 14:50). All throughout His life and ministry, we see glimpses of His humility, such as His triumphant entry into Jerusalem as Zechariah prophesied,
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zech. 9:9)
• He was humble with His regard—“…he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him” (Isa. 53:2).
• He was humble concerning His renown—“He is despised and rejected of men…” (Isa. 53:3).
• He was humble in His reputation—“He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matt. 2:23), demonstrated by Nathanael’s question, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).
• He was humble in His riches—“The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matt. 8:20).
• He was humble in His rank—“Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Matt. 13:55).
• He was humble In His royalty—“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).
Third, we note the humility of Christ in His teaching. He proclaimed, “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matt. 23:12). During His final night before death, which should have been all about Him, He made it all about His disciples by picking up the towel and washing their feet (John 13), and Peter struggled with learning this lesson of humility. In fact, humility quickly conquered Peter when he replied to the rebuke of His Lord, “Not only my feet, but also my hands and my head” (John 13:9). Jesus taught His disciples about humility.
Fourth, we note the humility of Christ at Calvary. Isaiah beautifully portrayed His humility in Isaiah 53, and Philip teaches the Ethiopian eunuch about this very thing (cf. Acts 8:32-34). Thus, the words of the apostle Paul ring true:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Phil. 2:6-8)
In conclusion, the humility demonstrated by Jesus in His Incarnation, His life and ministry, His teachings and His death at Calvary all prompt us to develop such in our lives.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (Phil. 2:3)
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think…. (Rom. 12:3)
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering…. (Col. 3:12)
James succinctly states, “… God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).
Have we learned humility? Shimei cursed David, throwing rocks at him; his soldiers wanted to kill him, but David replied, “Let him alone” (2 Sam. 16:5-11). The wife of Hosea became a harlot, but he bought her back on the public square (Hos. 3:1-2). Have you been hurt? Have you been mistreated? Have you been misunderstood? Have you been disappointed? Welcome to the club! You are not alone. Yet, in identifying these unfortunate circumstances in our lives, we can still face and overcome them with humility. Humility overcomes absenteeism, stinginess, lack of dedication, holding grudges and an unwillingness to forgive, speaking evil of others, talking when we should be listening, never considering the opinions of others, always wanting our way, being inconsiderate and expecting others to serve us rather than serving. May we all strive to learn from the humility of our Lord Jesus Christ!