I am hopeful you will see this as a little more than just another “Reason for the Season” post. Those posts usually (and correctly) point out that Jesus is the reason for the season, and we must not get so caught up into the consumerism and entitlement of our society and take a moment to pause and thank God for his Ultimate Gift. Again, all of that is due this time of year. But I want to share a further reflection.
Jesus is more than just Christmas, right?
Jesus is more than just pause-worthy before our big feast, right?
Jesus’ birth is more than just one in a few billion, right?
He must be more, but what does it all mean?
I want to focus on a thought from Philippians 2 where I believe that Paul expresses beautifully what it meant and still means for God to become flesh.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even the death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. -Phil. 2:5-11, ESV.
I think Paul is reflecting on the first coming of Christ in order to draw out a way of life for those who are following Jesus. It’s truly beautiful. Let’s look at what Christmas was before we look at what it means. Christmas was the event in which God became man.
There have been many well written books, articles, and posts out there about the theological and practical implications of the Incarnation. If the Incarnation is false, we lose the rest of what we stand for. You can read more on this here. Yet, I want to focus on just one aspect: The Son of God “empties” himself to humility (even shameful humility on a cross) out of obedience.
The importance of Christmas is what occurred when God literally and truly became man, sacrificing dignity while maintaining perfect deity. He emptied himself of all privilege and prestige that comes with being God. Other places, we see that God did this out of love for us (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). Here Paul tells us that Jesus’ humiliation -becoming man and dying on the cross- is the reason the Father has highly exalted him and given him the name above every name.
Christmas begins the earthly “humiliation” of God that leads to his glory renown (v. 11). God is always worthy of all glory, but it is fully displayed to the world in Jesus Christ. The Incarnation assumes that we have no hope outside of God’s intervention. The Incarnation proves that it pleased God for this to be the way of salvation. The Incarnation sets the tone for how Christians are to think and then act.
This Christmas, let me ask you something: When we were all headed for hell because of our sin, did Jesus ask, “Why should I die for those liars, thieves, adulterers, and murderers?” No. The plan was to save sinners. That’s just not fair though! God should never have to suffer just because we messed up and chose to sin! But yes, yes he did. He did not have to suffer and die because of any external obligation. Jesus chose to suffer, because it was decided before the foundations of the world that we would be chosen in him to be holy and blameless, adopted as his sons for full inheritance (Eph. 1:3ff).
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” As people of Christ, the incarnate God, we have no choice but to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. That means as a believer I don’t get the luxury of fighting for what I have earned. It means I am willing to lay down what is “due” me for the sake of others as obedience to Christ. Jesus said that if we wish to follow him, we must take up our cross and follow him. First and foremost our witness to Christ’s example is to display the gospel in word and deed. In our culture, we sometimes interpret “cross” as “soapbox,” “rights,” or “privilege.” But Jesus, the only one with the right to take up any of those three, denied that path for cross-shaped humiliation and beckons us to follow.
You are not God. I am not God. We cannot be anyone’s incarnate Savior. But we can be what God calls us to be as a voice for the voiceless. First and foremost our witness to Christ’s example is to display the gospel in word and deed. We should also be advocates for those who are being oppressed in his name. And we do not do it because we have to. We do not do it because we are the ones oppressing them (though I am far from blameless here). We do it because, Jesus was born as a vulnerable babe, wrapped in cloths, and placed in an animal feeding trough as a foreshadow for his ministry and death. We do it because Jesus said we were to follow his lead and bear witness to what we have seen in him.
If you want to send a shoe box to a kid on the other side of the world, awesome! If you want to donate to a shelter, do it! But I want to encourage believers this Christmas season to be open to potentially messy relationships with those who are oppressed or needy. Let’s empty ourselves of any privilege we think we “deserve” this season. We do not deserve it, but even if we did; Jesus gives us a higher example to follow.
Please share your thoughts or even some tangible opportunities for other readers to take and run with to follow Christ in emptying ourselves for others this Christmas.
Raised to Walk 