Self-Portraits of God

Studies in the Life and Work of Jesus

Lesson 4: Historical Portraits; Jesus the Person in the New Testament

The Person of Jesus

Philippians, chapter 2, verses 5-8.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form (morphe) of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form (morphe) of a bondservant (doulos), and coming in the likeness (homoioma) of men.

And being found in appearance (schama) as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

The person described in these verses is fascinating! Yes, you will have to learn four Greek words. But notice the story they tell!

Word 1. Morphe. This word, translated “form”, speaks of the essential nature of a thing.(See Romans 12:2, and 2 Corinthians 3: 18, for examples.) A formal dining room table and a card table may be very different in their appearances; that which makes them both “table” is their essential nature. Their essential nature is their “morphe”.

Word 2. Doulos. This word, bondservant or slave or servant, in English, is used in contrast to the word master. It also appears as the contrasting term to the concept “freeman”. It describes a house servant in contrast to the son. When the Apostles are designated douloi, or servants, the significance is that they are unconditionally obligated to serve.

Word 3. Homoioma. This word is of things compared; things that are alike, or similar. He looks like him; similar in appearance to jasper. It can also mean that something is equally great, important, as powerful as, or, equal.

Word 4. Schama. This word is used regarding the outward appearance, form or shape. It is often translated by the word change. It refers to an appearance change, as compared to a change in the essential nature. In 2 Corinthians 11:14 Paul talks of Satan transforming himself into an angel of light.

With this information what a description of the person of Jesus we find in Philippians chapter 2.

The second person of the Godhead (Jesus), while being in the essential nature of God, equal with God (morphe), took on the essential nature (morphe) of a servant (doulos)—unconditionally obligating Himself to serve—while becoming similar to other men in nature (homoioma), though not exactly like them, in outward appearance form or shape (schama), as a man, and not retaining the appearance of God that He had had.

Jesus, while walking this earth, in general looked like the people of His nationality. However some of the reactions to Him, that we read about in the Bible in connection to some of the events in His life, seem to indicate that the fact He was not only Man but God, showed. Probably no one ever saw Him and mistook Him for someone else. He was God and that element of His life, at special times and in connection with certain special events, showed very dramatically.

But He was also a man, and His necessities were those of a man. He got hungry, and tired; He became thirsty, and He had to pray. When He was at Jacob’s well and the well was deep He had to wait for some one to come to the well to draw water for Him, for Him to be able to get a drink. But He could also stop the approach of the very wild and violent demon—possessed men by simply raising His hand. By a word He could banish disease, and still a storm.

Great opposites are seen in Jesus life!

The Self-portrait here is of a human being emitting the Glory of the Divine.