September 13, 2026
Jesus is Humble
Sermon: Jesus is Humble
Text: Matthew 21:1-11
Supporting Scripture: Philippians 2:3–11; Zechariah 9:9
Series: Knowing Jesus: Discovering Him in the Gospels
Speaker: Dr. Terry Kirby
Text: Matthew 21:1-11
Supporting Scripture: Philippians 2:3–11; Zechariah 9:9
Series: Knowing Jesus: Discovering Him in the Gospels
Speaker: Dr. Terry Kirby
CONTENTS
Click the links to go directly to a section in this post:
Sermon Talking Points
Main Takeaway
Sermon Summary
Blog Post
Living It Out
Small Group Discussion
Family Conversation
Prayer
Sermon Talking Points
Main Takeaway
Sermon Summary
Blog Post
Living It Out
Small Group Discussion
Family Conversation
Prayer
Jesus Is God—Yet Jesus Is Humble
Philippians 2:3–11
Jesus Lived Humbly
Jesus Entered Jerusalem Humbly
Matthew 21:1–5
Jesus Received Worship
Matthew 21:6–9
Jesus Stayed Focused on His Mission
Matthew 21:10–11
Jesus' Actions Spoke Louder Than His Words
Jesus didn't need to promote Himself.
His life demonstrated who He was.
And nowhere was that clearer than at the cross, where He humbled Himself to the point of death because of His love for us.
Philippians 2:3–11
- Jesus is fully God.
- Jesus became fully human.
- He willingly humbled Himself.
- He took the form of a servant.
- He was obedient to the Father.
- His obedience led Him to the cross.
- His humility was grounded in love and obedience.
Jesus Lived Humbly
- Jesus' birth was humble.
- His early life was largely lived in obscurity.
- His ministry wasn't centered on self-promotion.
- He often told those He helped not to publicize what He had done.
- Jesus followed God's timing rather than seeking personal recognition.
Jesus Entered Jerusalem Humbly
Matthew 21:1–5
- Jesus intentionally fulfilled Zechariah 9:9.
- He entered as the promised King and Messiah.
- He came gently, riding on a donkey.
- His coronation was unlike the world's idea of royal power.
Jesus Received Worship
Matthew 21:6–9
- The crowds laid coats on the road.
- Palm branches represented hopes for victory and freedom.
- The crowd shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
- They recognized Jesus as Messiah, but many misunderstood His mission.
Jesus Stayed Focused on His Mission
Matthew 21:10–11
- Jesus didn't come to impress the crowd.
- He didn't come to seize political power.
- He didn't come to defeat Rome.
- He came to reconcile people to God.
- His mission ultimately led to the cross.
Jesus' Actions Spoke Louder Than His Words
Jesus didn't need to promote Himself.
His life demonstrated who He was.
And nowhere was that clearer than at the cross, where He humbled Himself to the point of death because of His love for us.
BIG IDEA: The King of Kings humbled Himself to obey the Father, serve humanity, and go to the cross.
Jesus is God, yet He willingly humbled Himself by becoming human, living a sinless life, obeying the Father, and ultimately dying on the cross for our sins.
Matthew 21 gives us a picture of that humility as Jesus enters Jerusalem as the promised Messiah—not on a war horse or surrounded by political power, but by gently riding on a colt in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9.
Jesus received worship from the crowds, but He wasn't seeking applause, political power, or personal recognition.
He remained focused on His mission.
And His mission was not primarily to overthrow Rome.
It was to make peace between people and God.
Key Verse
"Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus."
~Philippians 2:5
Jesus is God, yet He willingly humbled Himself by becoming human, living a sinless life, obeying the Father, and ultimately dying on the cross for our sins.
Matthew 21 gives us a picture of that humility as Jesus enters Jerusalem as the promised Messiah—not on a war horse or surrounded by political power, but by gently riding on a colt in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9.
Jesus received worship from the crowds, but He wasn't seeking applause, political power, or personal recognition.
He remained focused on His mission.
And His mission was not primarily to overthrow Rome.
It was to make peace between people and God.
Key Verse
"Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus."
~Philippians 2:5
Rewatch the sermon here beginning at 00:28:01.
This Sunday continued our six-week series, Knowing Jesus: Discovering Him in the Gospels, discussing Jesus and his humility.
Sunday's message connected this week's theme of Jesus' humility with last week's teaching that Jesus is God.
Philippians 2 bridges those two truths. Jesus is God, yet He humbled Himself, took the form of a servant, became human, and obeyed the Father—even to the point of death on a cross.
Jesus' humility wasn't merely something He demonstrated occasionally.
Humility characterized His life.
His birth was humble. He spent His early years largely in obscurity. During His earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly avoided personal promotion and often instructed people He had helped or healed not to publicize what had happened.
Even when people wanted to elevate Him politically, Jesus remained focused on God's timing and God's plan.
Then, when the time came, Jesus entered Jerusalem.
He fulfilled Zechariah's prophecy by entering on a colt. The crowd spread coats and branches and shouted:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
They recognized Jesus as Messiah, but many misunderstood what kind of Messiah He was.
Some were looking for a political ruler who would defeat Rome.
Jesus came to accomplish something far greater.
He came to make peace between people and God.
Jesus did not use the occasion to promote Himself. He did not give the crowd a speech about how important He was.
He remained focused on His mission.
And that mission would lead Him to the cross.
The ultimate demonstration of Jesus' humility was not the donkey.
It was the cross.
Jesus willingly gave His life because He loves us and chose to obey the Father.
This Sunday continued our six-week series, Knowing Jesus: Discovering Him in the Gospels, discussing Jesus and his humility.
Sunday's message connected this week's theme of Jesus' humility with last week's teaching that Jesus is God.
Philippians 2 bridges those two truths. Jesus is God, yet He humbled Himself, took the form of a servant, became human, and obeyed the Father—even to the point of death on a cross.
Jesus' humility wasn't merely something He demonstrated occasionally.
Humility characterized His life.
His birth was humble. He spent His early years largely in obscurity. During His earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly avoided personal promotion and often instructed people He had helped or healed not to publicize what had happened.
Even when people wanted to elevate Him politically, Jesus remained focused on God's timing and God's plan.
Then, when the time came, Jesus entered Jerusalem.
He fulfilled Zechariah's prophecy by entering on a colt. The crowd spread coats and branches and shouted:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
They recognized Jesus as Messiah, but many misunderstood what kind of Messiah He was.
Some were looking for a political ruler who would defeat Rome.
Jesus came to accomplish something far greater.
He came to make peace between people and God.
Jesus did not use the occasion to promote Himself. He did not give the crowd a speech about how important He was.
He remained focused on His mission.
And that mission would lead Him to the cross.
The ultimate demonstration of Jesus' humility was not the donkey.
It was the cross.
Jesus willingly gave His life because He loves us and chose to obey the Father.
Memory Verse:
"Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead, he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient."
~~Philippians 2:5-8
~~Philippians 2:5-8
Blog Post:
JESUS IS HUMBLE
We live in a world that tells us to promote ourselves.
Build your platform.
Make sure people know what you've accomplished.
Get noticed.
Get ahead.
Tell people what you're doing.
But Jesus shows us a completely different way.
Jesus is humble.
And the remarkable thing about Jesus' humility is that He didn't have to be humble.
He is God.
Yet He willingly humbled Himself for us.
THE HUMILITY OF JESUS
Last week, we looked at the truth that Jesus is God.
This week, we see something that might seem surprising at first:
God humbled Himself.
Philippians 2 gives us the clearest picture.
Jesus existed in the form of God, yet He willingly took the form of a servant. He became human. He lived in obedience to the Father.
And His obedience ultimately took Him to the cross.
Jesus didn't become humble because He was weak.
He was humble because He loved us and chose to obey the Father.
That changes how we understand humility.
Humility isn't thinking less of yourself.
It's being willing to put God's will and the needs of others ahead of your own.
Jesus demonstrated that perfectly.
A HUMBLE LIFE
Jesus' humility wasn't limited to one moment.
His entire earthly life reflected it.
He was born in humble circumstances.
His early years were largely lived outside the spotlight.
Even during His ministry, Jesus repeatedly avoided self-promotion.
After healing or helping people, He sometimes instructed them not to tell others what had happened.
When people wanted to elevate Him or move His ministry in a direction that didn't fit God's plan, Jesus waited.
He followed the Father's timing.
Jesus wasn't interested in building His own platform.
He was interested in fulfilling God's mission.
A HUMBLE KING
Matthew 21 brings us to Jerusalem.
The time had come.
Jesus sent two disciples to find a donkey and its colt.
Why?
Because hundreds of years earlier, the prophet Zechariah had written:
“Behold, your king is coming to you... humble and mounted on a donkey.”
Jesus was declaring who He was.
He was the promised King.
He was the Messiah.
But notice how He entered.
Not on a war horse.
Not surrounded by soldiers.
Not with a grand speech.
Not demanding attention.
He came humbly.
The King of Kings entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey.
THE CROWD WANTED ONE THING
The crowd erupted.
They spread their coats on the road.
They cut branches and placed them before Him.
They shouted:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
They were looking for a Messiah.
But many of them had the wrong idea about what that Messiah would do.
They wanted freedom from Rome.
They wanted political victory.
They wanted a ruler who would defeat their enemies and restore Israel's political independence.
They wanted Jesus to save them from Rome.
But Jesus came to save them from something far more serious.
Sin.
Jesus didn't come to make peace between Israel and Rome.
He came to make peace between people and God.
JESUS DIDN'T NEED THE SPOTLIGHT
There's something fascinating about this scene.
Imagine standing in front of a massive crowd that is shouting your name.
What would you do?
Most of us would probably say something.
We'd take advantage of the moment.
We'd make a speech.
We'd tell everyone who we are and what we're going to accomplish.
Jesus didn't.
He remained focused on His mission.
He didn't need to convince people through self-promotion.
His actions would speak louder than any speech.
His mission wasn't to impress the crowd.
His mission was to obey the Father.
And obedience would lead Him to the cross.
THE CROSS IS THE ULTIMATE PICTURE OF HUMILITY
The donkey wasn't the greatest demonstration of Jesus' humility.
The cross was.
Jesus—the Son of God—willingly gave His life for sinful people.
He didn't have to.
He chose to.
Why?
Because He loves us.
He humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross.
That is the heart of the gospel.
We don't have a Savior who stands far away from us and tells us to fix ourselves.
We have a Savior who came to us.
He entered our world.
He lived among us.
He experienced suffering.
He took our sin upon Himself.
And He died in our place.
That's humility.
WHAT DOES JESUS' HUMILITY MEAN FOR US?
Philippians 2 doesn't simply tell us that Jesus was humble.
It tells us to have the same attitude.
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.”
Jesus' humility becomes our example.
So this week, ask yourself:
Am I more concerned about being noticed—or being faithful?
Am I trying to promote myself—or serve others?
Am I seeking my own interests—or considering the interests of others?
Am I following my timing—or trusting God's timing?
Humility doesn't mean pretending you're unimportant.
It means understanding that life isn't ultimately about you.
It's about Jesus.
THE KING WHO CAME TO SAVE
The people in Jerusalem wanted a king who would change their political circumstances.
Jesus came to change their eternal circumstances.
They wanted freedom from Rome.
Jesus offered freedom from sin.
They wanted an earthly kingdom.
Jesus came to reconcile people to God.
And He accomplished that mission through humility, obedience, love, and the cross.
So when you think about Jesus this week, don't just think about the King riding into Jerusalem.
Think about why He came.
He came for you.
He came because He loves you.
He came to offer forgiveness.
And He came to make peace between you and God.
Jesus is humble.
And because He humbled Himself for us, we can trust Him, follow Him, and learn to live with the same humble attitude.
Not seeking our own glory.
Not demanding our own way.
Not promoting ourselves.
But serving others, obeying God, and pointing people to Jesus.
Build your platform.
Make sure people know what you've accomplished.
Get noticed.
Get ahead.
Tell people what you're doing.
But Jesus shows us a completely different way.
Jesus is humble.
And the remarkable thing about Jesus' humility is that He didn't have to be humble.
He is God.
Yet He willingly humbled Himself for us.
THE HUMILITY OF JESUS
Last week, we looked at the truth that Jesus is God.
This week, we see something that might seem surprising at first:
God humbled Himself.
Philippians 2 gives us the clearest picture.
Jesus existed in the form of God, yet He willingly took the form of a servant. He became human. He lived in obedience to the Father.
And His obedience ultimately took Him to the cross.
Jesus didn't become humble because He was weak.
He was humble because He loved us and chose to obey the Father.
That changes how we understand humility.
Humility isn't thinking less of yourself.
It's being willing to put God's will and the needs of others ahead of your own.
Jesus demonstrated that perfectly.
A HUMBLE LIFE
Jesus' humility wasn't limited to one moment.
His entire earthly life reflected it.
He was born in humble circumstances.
His early years were largely lived outside the spotlight.
Even during His ministry, Jesus repeatedly avoided self-promotion.
After healing or helping people, He sometimes instructed them not to tell others what had happened.
When people wanted to elevate Him or move His ministry in a direction that didn't fit God's plan, Jesus waited.
He followed the Father's timing.
Jesus wasn't interested in building His own platform.
He was interested in fulfilling God's mission.
A HUMBLE KING
Matthew 21 brings us to Jerusalem.
The time had come.
Jesus sent two disciples to find a donkey and its colt.
Why?
Because hundreds of years earlier, the prophet Zechariah had written:
“Behold, your king is coming to you... humble and mounted on a donkey.”
Jesus was declaring who He was.
He was the promised King.
He was the Messiah.
But notice how He entered.
Not on a war horse.
Not surrounded by soldiers.
Not with a grand speech.
Not demanding attention.
He came humbly.
The King of Kings entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey.
THE CROWD WANTED ONE THING
The crowd erupted.
They spread their coats on the road.
They cut branches and placed them before Him.
They shouted:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
They were looking for a Messiah.
But many of them had the wrong idea about what that Messiah would do.
They wanted freedom from Rome.
They wanted political victory.
They wanted a ruler who would defeat their enemies and restore Israel's political independence.
They wanted Jesus to save them from Rome.
But Jesus came to save them from something far more serious.
Sin.
Jesus didn't come to make peace between Israel and Rome.
He came to make peace between people and God.
JESUS DIDN'T NEED THE SPOTLIGHT
There's something fascinating about this scene.
Imagine standing in front of a massive crowd that is shouting your name.
What would you do?
Most of us would probably say something.
We'd take advantage of the moment.
We'd make a speech.
We'd tell everyone who we are and what we're going to accomplish.
Jesus didn't.
He remained focused on His mission.
He didn't need to convince people through self-promotion.
His actions would speak louder than any speech.
His mission wasn't to impress the crowd.
His mission was to obey the Father.
And obedience would lead Him to the cross.
THE CROSS IS THE ULTIMATE PICTURE OF HUMILITY
The donkey wasn't the greatest demonstration of Jesus' humility.
The cross was.
Jesus—the Son of God—willingly gave His life for sinful people.
He didn't have to.
He chose to.
Why?
Because He loves us.
He humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross.
That is the heart of the gospel.
We don't have a Savior who stands far away from us and tells us to fix ourselves.
We have a Savior who came to us.
He entered our world.
He lived among us.
He experienced suffering.
He took our sin upon Himself.
And He died in our place.
That's humility.
WHAT DOES JESUS' HUMILITY MEAN FOR US?
Philippians 2 doesn't simply tell us that Jesus was humble.
It tells us to have the same attitude.
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.”
Jesus' humility becomes our example.
So this week, ask yourself:
Am I more concerned about being noticed—or being faithful?
Am I trying to promote myself—or serve others?
Am I seeking my own interests—or considering the interests of others?
Am I following my timing—or trusting God's timing?
Humility doesn't mean pretending you're unimportant.
It means understanding that life isn't ultimately about you.
It's about Jesus.
THE KING WHO CAME TO SAVE
The people in Jerusalem wanted a king who would change their political circumstances.
Jesus came to change their eternal circumstances.
They wanted freedom from Rome.
Jesus offered freedom from sin.
They wanted an earthly kingdom.
Jesus came to reconcile people to God.
And He accomplished that mission through humility, obedience, love, and the cross.
So when you think about Jesus this week, don't just think about the King riding into Jerusalem.
Think about why He came.
He came for you.
He came because He loves you.
He came to offer forgiveness.
And He came to make peace between you and God.
Jesus is humble.
And because He humbled Himself for us, we can trust Him, follow Him, and learn to live with the same humble attitude.
Not seeking our own glory.
Not demanding our own way.
Not promoting ourselves.
But serving others, obeying God, and pointing people to Jesus.
Humility This Week
Jesus' humility wasn't passive. It was demonstrated through obedience, service, sacrifice, and love.
Here are some ways to live it out this week:
1. Put someone else's needs ahead of your own.
Look for an opportunity to serve someone without expecting recognition.
2. Resist the need to promote yourself.
Before telling people what you've accomplished, ask whether the opportunity would be better used to encourage or highlight someone else.
3. Trust God's timing.
When you're frustrated because something isn't happening when you want it to, remember Jesus' example. He repeatedly waited for the Father's timing.
4. Serve without needing credit.
Do something helpful this week that nobody may notice.
5. Point people toward Jesus.
When you receive praise, look for an opportunity to give God the glory rather than making yourself the center.
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE
Do one act of humble service that no one needs to know about.
Then thank God for the opportunity to serve as Jesus served.
Here are some ways to live it out this week:
1. Put someone else's needs ahead of your own.
Look for an opportunity to serve someone without expecting recognition.
2. Resist the need to promote yourself.
Before telling people what you've accomplished, ask whether the opportunity would be better used to encourage or highlight someone else.
3. Trust God's timing.
When you're frustrated because something isn't happening when you want it to, remember Jesus' example. He repeatedly waited for the Father's timing.
4. Serve without needing credit.
Do something helpful this week that nobody may notice.
5. Point people toward Jesus.
When you receive praise, look for an opportunity to give God the glory rather than making yourself the center.
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE
Do one act of humble service that no one needs to know about.
Then thank God for the opportunity to serve as Jesus served.
Small Group Discussion
Jesus' Humility
ICEBREAKER
What is the difference between confidence and pride?
READ TOGETHER
Matthew 21:1–11
Philippians 2:3–11
DISCUSS
GROUP CHALLENGE
Do one intentional act of service this week without receiving or seeking recognition.
Come prepared next week to share what you learned from the experience.
What is the difference between confidence and pride?
READ TOGETHER
Matthew 21:1–11
Philippians 2:3–11
DISCUSS
- Why might Jesus' deity and humility seem like contradictory ideas to us?
- What does Philippians 2 teach us about the connection between Jesus' identity and His humility?
- What stands out to you about Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem?
- Why do you think Jesus chose a donkey?
- What were the crowds expecting Jesus to do?
- How was Jesus' mission different from what the crowds expected?
- What does Jesus' silence and lack of self-promotion during the entrance into Jerusalem teach us?
- Why is the cross the ultimate demonstration of Jesus' humility?
- What does Philippians 2:3–4 mean when it tells us to consider others as more important than ourselves?
- Where does pride or self-promotion show up most easily in our lives?
- What would it look like for you to practice Jesus-like humility this week?
GROUP CHALLENGE
Do one intentional act of service this week without receiving or seeking recognition.
Come prepared next week to share what you learned from the experience.
Family
Conversation
The Humble King
Parents, use these questions around the dinner table this week.
Read Together: Matthew 21:1-11 andPhilippians 2:3–11
Talk about:
Family Challenge
As a family, secretly do something kind for another person this week.
Don't tell them you did it.
Talk afterward about how it felt to serve without receiving recognition.
Family Prayer
“Jesus, thank You for showing us what true humility looks like. Help us think about others instead of always thinking about ourselves. Help us serve without needing recognition and obey You even when it is difficult. Thank You for humbling Yourself and going to the cross for us. Amen.”
THIS WEEK'S FAMILY PHRASE
"Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus."
~~Philippians 2:5
Read Together: Matthew 21:1-11 andPhilippians 2:3–11
Talk about:
- What was unusual about the way Jesus entered Jerusalem?
- Why did the crowd welcome Jesus?
- What did many people expect the Messiah to do?
- How was Jesus' mission different from what the crowd expected?
- What does Philippians 2 tell us about Jesus' humility?
- Why is it difficult for us to be humble?
- What is one way our family can put someone else's needs ahead of our own this week?
Family Challenge
As a family, secretly do something kind for another person this week.
Don't tell them you did it.
Talk afterward about how it felt to serve without receiving recognition.
Family Prayer
“Jesus, thank You for showing us what true humility looks like. Help us think about others instead of always thinking about ourselves. Help us serve without needing recognition and obey You even when it is difficult. Thank You for humbling Yourself and going to the cross for us. Amen.”
THIS WEEK'S FAMILY PHRASE
"Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus."
~~Philippians 2:5
PRAYER: Teach Us the Humility of Jesus
Father,
Thank You for Jesus.
Thank You that the One who is fully God willingly humbled Himself and became human for us.
Thank You for His perfect obedience.
Thank You for His willingness to serve.
Thank You that He did not seek His own glory, but remained focused on Your will.
And thank You most of all for the cross.
Forgive us when pride takes over our lives.
Forgive us when we seek recognition, attention, or our own way.
Teach us to consider others more important than ourselves.
Help us serve without needing recognition.
Help us trust Your timing.
Help us put the interests of others ahead of our own.
And when we are tempted to make ourselves the center, remind us of Jesus.
The King who entered Jerusalem humbly.
The Savior who went willingly to the cross.
The Lord who gave His life because He loves us.
May our lives point people toward Him.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Father,
Thank You for Jesus.
Thank You that the One who is fully God willingly humbled Himself and became human for us.
Thank You for His perfect obedience.
Thank You for His willingness to serve.
Thank You that He did not seek His own glory, but remained focused on Your will.
And thank You most of all for the cross.
Forgive us when pride takes over our lives.
Forgive us when we seek recognition, attention, or our own way.
Teach us to consider others more important than ourselves.
Help us serve without needing recognition.
Help us trust Your timing.
Help us put the interests of others ahead of our own.
And when we are tempted to make ourselves the center, remind us of Jesus.
The King who entered Jerusalem humbly.
The Savior who went willingly to the cross.
The Lord who gave His life because He loves us.
May our lives point people toward Him.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Keep the conversation going! Please leave your comments below.
Posted in Discipleship Guide, Sermon Series
Posted in humility, Weekly Discipleship Guide, discipleship, Current Sermon Series
Posted in humility, Weekly Discipleship Guide, discipleship, Current Sermon Series
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