December 25
Incarnation
Philippians 2:5-7
[Christ Jesus], who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
We must at some time contemplate why the disciples, apostles, and all in the early church made no specific celebrations over the birthday of Jesus. They were close enough to the events to be able to establish a date with some certainty.
And it’s not as if birthday celebrations were unknown at the time. As early as Joseph’s time in Egypt there was a big celebration on Pharaoh’s birthday and Joseph’s cellmates, the butler and the baker, were pardoned, Genesis 40:20. Then there was the big party for Herod’s birthday, with the opposite effect, John-the-Baptist’s prison term was replaced with death, Matthew 14:6-8.
The pages of the New Testament give no direct answer, and so we have to search for various insights into this absence of a birthday celebration for Jesus. This is a very revealing exercise when we measure just how much is spent on Christmas celebrations each year these days compared to the New Testament times when there were none.
In Philippians 2:5-11 we have one of the most moving and all-encompassing passages of the New Testament, where the Apostle Paul captures the essence of what we call Christmas, as well as captures the essence of Easter, and finally it captures the essence of what the real future holds.
For the Apostles, what took place in that manger was pivotal to the redemption plan instituted in Genesis 3:15, and was a step to the central drama of Calvary that the focus for them was not Bethlehem but Calvary. However, the Apostles almost never talked about the baby. When Paul spoke of the Nativity, his focus was on the Incarnation. That big deal was that God became man for the sake of men.
The truth is, though, that we cannot easily dispense with the Baby. This Baby is God himself come down to dwell with man. This Baby we showed earlier had a very human ancestry, He was a fully human baby in every sense, but, he was fully God, Baby Jesus is God. Paul reiterates this in the context of a larger argument he was making in his letter to the Romans, “[The Israelites] of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. Romans 9:5.
The big deal of the manger is that Jesus emptied Himself of everything that was His, equality with God, being God Himself, for our sakes. This is no small thing; Jesus willingly gave up His glory for the manger and all that that implied and all that would follow. Jesus willingly gave up the privileges, the rights, the entitlements, of life in the Godhead for the human struggles of a newborn in a treacherous world. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9.
This, that Jesus did in that manger, was a sacrifice, called by William Barclay the “sacrifice of the Incarnation” Jesus of the Trinity, became fully man. He took on manhood with all of its weaknesses and vulnerabilities, just for us.
There is a practical difficulty of focusing on the Incarnation at Christmas even though Christmas is ostensibly about the Incarnation. The competing challenges to the Christmas story from the secular and the commercial world are overwhelming. Some might even argue that the battle was lost a long time ago.
Here are some quick samples from what usually usher in the “Christmas spirit” It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas / Toys in every store; or Chestnuts roasting on an open fire / Jack Frost nipping at your nose; or It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas / Everywhere you go / There’s a tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well; or And every mother’s child is gonna spy / To see if reindeer really know how to fly – Johnny Mathis and Nat King Cole at their very best. Music, my friends, has Christmas captive.
If that is not enough, Kevin, from the Home Alone, was the most popular kid at Christmas, no one had time for that other kid in a manger. Someone did actually tell me a few weeks ago that “Christmas is well and truly here”, when I asked, “how so?” I was told that “Kevin is on TV again.” We could go on with this but you get the idea.
In our societies, here in the west for the most part, and some other places, Christmas has also become a part of the culture. A year-end season when we take time out for family, friends, and some even remember the less fortunate. So have a very good Christmas, I pray for God’s grace and choicest blessings on you. But please, meditate on the “sacrifice of the Incarnation” for, without it, there was no pathway to Calvary and no hope of salvation for our lost souls.
My favourite ‘Christmas’ Hymn, Down from His glory, is dedicated to you today, find a version you like on YouTube and play it for your family and friends sometime during the day if you could.
Think on these things:
- Was Baby Jesus aware in the manger that He was God?
- What could you do in your Christmas celebrations to ensure that you and those who celebrate with you never forget the “sacrifice of the Incarnation”?
- Do you have an opportunity today, as you share the “joys of Christmas” to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone who doesn’t know Him?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would be conscious of the Sacrifice of the Incarnation, not just at Christmas time, but whenever we or others need to know or be reminded that God has already reached out to us, coming to live at our level for our liberation.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex