Title: Christmas Revealed
Text: Philippians 2:5-11
Introduction
Illustration: It was around Christmas time a few years ago that I happened to come across the comic strip "For better or for worse" by Lynn Johnston. A mother and daughter are out Christmas shopping and the daughter says to the mother “If Christmas is more about God than Santa…How come people talk more about Santa than God? The mother responds: “God does less advertising”
Question: Is the mother right or wrong?
Transition: God does far more advertising at Christmas than people think- but it’s just not necessarily done in stores. Instead God’s favorite place to advertise for Christmas has always been in the Bible!
The title of my sermon for today is Christmas Revealed. I want to look at the subject “What does Christmas reveal to us about God?” Or another way to say it; “What can we know about God just from Christmas?
So to find out what Christmas reveals to us about God we are going to look today at
Philippians 2:5-11. I believe Philippians 2:5-11 happens to be a place where God does some of his greatest advertising for Christmas.
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 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.”
I find in Philippians 2:5-11 that there are 3 things that Christmas reveals to us about God.
I’m going to tell you what the 3 things are and then we will look at each of them one by one
1.Christmas reveals to us the grace of God (v5-7)
2.Christmas reveals to us the gifts of God (v8)
3.Christmas reveals to us the glory of God (v9-11)
Let’s look at each of these three things one by one. First of all Christmas reveals to us...
1. The Grace of God (v5-7)
Question: In what way does Christmas reveal to us the Grace of God?
Answer: Christmas reveals the grace of God in Christ’s attitude towards us
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus; Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Christmas is a huge help in revealing Christ’s attitude towards every one of us.I’m here to tell you
•Christ has more than a good attitude towards you
•Christ has more than a great attitude towards you
What can be better than someone having a great attitude towards you?
•Christ has a grace attitude towards you!
Though he was God Christ makes himself nothing and he did it just for you.Though he was God Christ took on the very nature of a servant and he did it just for you. Thought he was God Christ was born in human likeness and he did it just for you!
Jesus said; I’ll make myself nothing so you can become everything God wants you to be! Is that not the grace of God! Jesus said;I’ll make myself a servant so I can come and help you! Is that not also the grace of God! Jesus said; I’ll make myself a human so that you can come to know me! Is that not also the grace of God!
Does Christ really have an attitude of grace towards me?
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
Jesus came from the Father, full of grace…Where was Jesus full of the grace of God? One area where Jesus was full of grace was in his attitude towards you and me.
Jesus’ attitude towards you and me is described in Philippians 2:5-7 as an attitude
that is full of the grace of God.
Application?
Can you see that God used Christmas to reveal to us the grace of God?
Can you see that Christ’s attitude towards you is one that is full of the grace of God?
Secondly Christmas reveals to us
2.The Gifts of God (v8)
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!
When people think of the first 3 gifts ever given at Christmas what 3 gifts do they think about?
They think of the gifts given to Christ by the Wise Men.They think that the first 3 gifts ever given at Christmas were gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.That is not true!
Gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh were the second set of 3 gifts to be given at Christmas.
The first set of 3 gifts given at Christmas was 3 gifts that God gave.
So what are the 3 gifts of God that Christmas revealed?
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross! (v8)
Here they are!
First of all God gives to all of us
A.The gift of Christ’s humility
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
Christ’s humility is the first of 3 gifts God gave to you and me at Christmas.Jesus swapped his throne in heaven for a manger in Bethlehem – that’s a gift of Christ’s humility.Why did Christ swap his throne in heaven for a manger in Bethlehem? Since none of us could ever be humble enough to get into heaven Christ humbled himself instead and came to earth.We could never get to God so God came to us. God humbled himself in the person of Christ and came to earth..
If God did not humble himself and come to earth in the person of Christ then man could never find God. The gift of Christ’s humility is such a great gift because it makes it possible for us to know God.
“That which was from the beginning, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life.” (1 John 1:1)
We never find God. God finds us! Unless Christ humbled himself we can never ever find God.
I said there were 3 gifts of God revealed at Christmas
Here is the second gift
Secondly God has given us the gift of Christ’s obedience
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and…became obedient to death-
The gift of Christ’s obedience is such a great gift from God because it cancels out our disobedience. What I could never do in order to get right with God Christ did for me.God wants me to exchange everything I ever did wrong for everything that Christ did right.My disobedience for Christ’s obedience.Another name for disobedience is sin.
The third gift revealed at Christmas is
The gift of Christ’s death
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and…became obedient to death-even death on a cross!
Jesus came to earth for only one reason- to die on the cross for our sins.You shall name him Jesus – for he shall save his people from their sins. To have someone die on a cross for my sins has to be the greatest gift I could ever receive.What 3 greater gifts could there be at Christmas than …
The gift of Christ’s humility
The gift of Christ’s obedience
The gift of Christ’s death
Lastly
Christmas reveals the Glory of God (v9-11)
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 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.”
How does Christmas reveal the glory of God?
Because of Christ’s humility, obedience and death on the cross
A.Christ Jesus has being exalted to the highest place
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place”
B.Christ Jesus has been given the highest name
“and gave him the name that is above every name
What is that Name given to Jesus that is above every name? Jesus is Lord!
What does it mean to call Jesus Lord? Rick Warren points out that it means;
•I acknowledge that he really is God
•I believe that he has everything under control
•I commit all of my life to him
C. Christ Jesus will be given the highest praise
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.”
Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord!
I have shared with you what Christmas reveals about God.
Are you someone who needs to receive what Christmas reveals about God?
Do you need to receive the grace of God today?
Meaning: To accept that Christ’s attitude towards you is one full of the grace of God
Do you need to receive the gifts of God today?
Meaning: Do you need to receive the benefits from the humility of Christ?
Do you need to receive the benefits from the obedience of Christ?
Do you need to receive the benefits from the death of Christ?
Do you need to experience the glory of God today?
Meaning: Are you willing to make Christ #1 in your life
In your walk
In your work
In your worship
If you say yes to all 3 you will have the best Christmas ever?
Let us pray
Thank you God for revealing yourself at Christmas.Thank you for revealing your grace to us in the attitude of Christ We receive your grace today.Help our attitude towards you to be more and more like your attitude towards us.Thank you for revealing your gifts to us in the actions of Christ. Thank you for Christ’s humility, obedience and death.Thank you for revealing your glory to us in the achievements of Christ. Help us to make Jesus Lord of our lives this Christmas.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
