The Humility of Jesus
Tim Keller | May 24, 1998
Overview
Today’s sermon comes from a series on the real character change that can happen in a person’s life. This is not just moral reformation that consists of merely obeying rules, but it begins with a deep change at the heart level. When we look at Jesus, the person and work of our savior, our hearts should melt and be transformed by him. This is real character change.
In Galatians 5, Paul says one of the fruits of the Spirit is meekness (or gentleness in newer translations). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Not only do we not have meekness in our lives, it’s challenging to understand it. We don’t even have a good definition of it. Let’s look at this passage from John 8 where we see Christ’s own humility: 1) how does Jesus define it; 2) how do we get it.
Outline
John 8:1–11
John 8 tells the story of Jesus and a woman who had made a big mistake. Jesus tells the crowd, who wanted to punish her, that the person who has never done anything wrong should be the first to judge her. This leads everyone to leave, and Jesus forgives the woman. This story isn’t just about people trying to be better, it’s about true change that comes from having a heart like Jesus. Jesus shows us that being humble and gentle isn’t a sign of weakness, but is about choosing to use your strength wisely. The story also reminds us how important it is to be humble and forgiving, just like Jesus was.
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