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Philippians presents the story of Jesus as a drama in three acts. It begins before recorded time and presents him with all the attributes and powers ... the "form" ... of the mighty God. We know little about that period except for sketchy references here and there in scripture, which make plain that the Jesus we came to know on the hills of Galilee had long before been involved in the creation of those hills.

But the drama continues and in Act Two, Christ gives up ... "empties" himself ... of many of the attributes of God, and assumes human form. How are we to understand that? How could Jesus empty himself of his divine powers and still be divine? Try an analogy. Think of how fathers and sons play baseball through the years. When the boy is just a tyke, the two could play catch, Dad throwing the ball underhanded, the lad catching it ... occasionally. The youngster then whips it back to Dad (or at least in his general direction) and Dad catches it or goes after it. There is no way the two could ever enjoy playing catch together had Dad thrown the ball with all the power at an adult's command. But for the sake of the boy, Dad "empties" himself of his full power. The power is still his; he just would not use it.

"He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness." This is the part of the story with which we are most familiar even though we know little about the details of Jesus' life. Jesus left no record. He kept no diary. He wrote no book. All that we know about him is crowded in a few pages at the opening of the New Testament. It can be read through in a few hours.

The story opens with the birth of a baby in an out-of-the-way town called Bethlehem with his first cradle a manger for the feeding of livestock. He grew up in the unsanitary mountain village of Nazareth known only for the fact that nothing "good" had ever come from that town. He learned the trade of a carpenter, but at about thirty years of age, he laid aside the tools of his trade and began to teach and preach and heal. People responded, some positively, some not. He had hardly begun his work when he was arrested on suspicion of leading a popular revolt and was condemned to an outlaw's execution. "... obedient to the point of death -- even death on a cross." The life that had begun in humble obscurity ended in public shame.

Of course, the story of Jesus did not end with his death and burial. The curtain on Act Three of the divine drama began on Easter morning ... resurrection. That Jesus did survive death seems to me convincingly proved. How else can we account for the fact that eleven men in hiding, terribly disappointed and disillusioned, frightened for their lives to the extent that they were afraid to meet without first locking doors, suddenly became fearless missionaries? Peter shouted to a crowd of thousands in Jerusalem just six or seven weeks after the crucifixion, "God raised him from the dead ... of that we are witnesses." Were it not true, someone in the crowd would have yelled back, "Don't be silly. I can take you to his body right now." Of course, no one did. But the resurrection was only the beginning of Act Three in this divine drama. God raised Christ, not only from the dead, but once more to the heights and gives him a name above every name. God gives him the name Lord!

Jesus Christ is Lord! That is where the whole faith came together for those early Christians. Through the years that followed, the church would debate how Jesus was both God and man at the same time, there would be discussions about how to understand the Trinity, and there would be arguments about methods of baptism and serving the Lord's Supper. To this day, the church finds things to fight about. But the one thing the church said at the beginning is still being said today: that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God and now is the mighty Lord of the universe. It is the simplest creed imaginable -- the creed before creeds. Jesus Christ is Lord!