The general interpretation of Christian theologians on Philippians 2:7, specifically the word “emptied himself” — at least in this study — emphasizes the self-emptying of Jesus who still has two natures; Jesus as God and man; a characteristic of elite Western theology. This explains how Jesus, who was in the form of God, humbled himself to become a human being, leaving his glory, showing his extraordinary humility and infinite love for humanity. Jesus' death on the cross was the peak of his humility and obedience. He bore the sins of humanity and died in a humiliating way to save them. His death became a sacrifice of atonement that opened the way to forgiveness and reconciliation with God. In its implementation, a person is required to do only platonic things (as explained in the background); be humble, don't be arrogant, and be kind. For the author, this is what Zen can fill, which in terms of meaning and impact is embodied. In this case, the author wants to offer an alternative interpretation of Philippians 2:7 as seen or read through Zen, the concept of The Fullness of Emptiness by Thich Nhat Hanh. In addition to enriching the meaning of “emptying oneself” through cross-textual studies (cross-religion and even culture), this is done by the author to promote religious pluralism, especially with the awareness of plurality in Indonesia; contextualization of the Bible, in this study for those who are Christian and have Chinese descent. Through the reading of Jesus’ “emptying oneself” through Zen — using the seeing through method — the researcher finds that Jesus is not a person who has two natures (divine and human); Jesus, the Penetrant, is truly human and not God. Jesus does not have elements like God; eternal, does not experience suffering, and is permanent. Thus, Jesus is a Bodhisattva, namely a human who has succeeded in achieving enlightenment (Bodhi); so that Jesus opens up space for everyone to achieve enlightenment itself. Jesus in this case shows that self-emptying ultimately leads Him to enlightenment (Satori), namely “fullness” or perfection itself. This is what fills the meaning of self-emptying in Christianity; its implementation can be embodied (visible), not just platonic.
In the Indonesian context, one's cultural identity is often abandoned because of one's beliefs. The researcher uses the lens of Chinese culture (Zen), specifically the text of The Heart of Sutra to read the text of Philippians 2:7 in Christianity. Both texts focus on the meaning of emptying oneself. This study intends to see culture as a friend to religion. For this reason, this study uses cross-cultural hermeneutics, specifically the seeing through method, to read the word "emptying oneself" in Philippians through the lens of Buddhism. As a result, the researcher found that the meaning of Jesus' emptying himself was not limited to Him descending into a human being, but bodily making Himself an enlightened human being (experiencing satori).