Not Your Typical Christmas Passage

Philippians 2:3-8

(3)  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

(4)  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

(5)  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

(6)  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

(7)  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

(8)  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

When the world considers Christ at Christmas at all, they see Him as a babe in a manger. Why? Because babies are helpless, dependent, needy. A world that does not see a need for a Savior, wants a Savior that is helpless, dependent, and needy. A Savior like that can make no demands, cannot hold people to a moral standard, and cannot speak God’s truth to sin. A Savior like that can also not save.

But as believers, we know the Savior differently. The baby born in Bethlehem was born for a purpose. He was born to give hope to all humanity. But that hope came at a great cost to Himself.  When Jesus became human, He took on the form of a servant. He took on our form to live among us, to know us along with our sufferings and frailties, and to live in obedience to the Father’s will in the power of the Holy Spirit just like He expects us to do.

He did this by humbling Himself even unto death. In life, He was our example. On the cross, He was our sacrifice. In the resurrection, He was our justification (because His resurrection proved the Father’s satisfaction with Jesus’ work on our behalf).

The world needs (but does not have) a Savior that stays a babe in a manger so it can stay in its sin. Believers need (and have) a Savior Who grew up to be our salvation. When we celebrate Christmas, of course we should remember the birth of our Savior, but let’s be quick to point out that He came for a purpose. He came to die and to rise again for our salvation.