For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. Luke 2:11-12
One of the most astounding things about the Christian faith is the humility of God. Luke chapter 2 is the Christmas story. When we read the whole chapter, we can see the humbleness of our Lord Jesus.
Luke chapter 2, verse 21, tells us that, “At the end of eight days [this is after the birth of Jesus], when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”
The fact is that He is fully human. We see the deity of Christ, the fact that He is fully God. We can see in that verse the identity of Christ: who He is and why He was born. Now in this verse, we see the humility of Christ, the real fact that God humbled Himself. What is Christmas? It means..
God condescends to us:
One of the words that theologians use to talk of the humility of God or the humility of Christ is His condescension (descending from superior position). He condescended. He stooped to come to this earth.(bend one's head or body downward.)
For you know the condescending goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ--how for your sake He became poor, though He was rich, in order that you through His poverty might grow rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 (WNT)
Psalm 113 tells that, “The LORD is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, who dwells on high? Who humbles Himself.” The Lord who dwells on high “humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth” (Psalm 113: 4–6 NKJV)
Think about that for a moment. God humbles Himself. God condescends to look at, to behold the things that are in the heavens. God has to stoop down to look at what’s in heaven. We have to look up to see what’s in heaven. God has to look down to see the things that are in the heavens. (Hebrews 1:6) But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.
The angels—they are lower than God. God stoops down. He humbles Himself to look at the things in heaven. That’s amazing to me, but even more amazing is the fact that God humbles Himself not only to behold the things that are in the heavens, but He humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the earth.
How far did God stoop down to come to this earth as a baby? We can’t fathom it. Psalm 8:3–4 tells us that God doesn’t just humble Himself to look at us. He does more than that. He says, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you visit him?”
So God doesn’t just look at us, He gets involved with us. He humbles Himself. He condescends. He stoops down (bends down) to think of us. He is mindful of us. He stoops down to care for us. The fact that we matter to God at all is evidence of God’s condescension, God’s humility.
I want to tell you something even more amazing. The condescension of God goes even further than that. He doesn’t just look at us. He doesn’t just think of us. He doesn’t just care for us. At Christmas we celebrate the fact that God came down to earth and became one of us. He became a man. God Condescends to us and God incarnate for us.
God Incarnate for us:
Let me introduce you to another theological term. You’ve undoubtedly heard it. It’s the term the incarnation. The incarnation. The word comes from two Latin words that mean "in the flesh." It’s a theological term that means "the Word became flesh." God took on human form. Emmanuel: God with us. The incarnation. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. -John 1:14
You see, the Christmas story is not just a sweet story about a baby being born in Bethlehem. The Christmas story centers on a doctrine that is vital to the Christian faith, the doctrine of the incarnation.
One theologian defines the incarnation this way. He says, “It’s the act of the Son of God whereby He took to Himself a human nature.” Jesus was God in human flesh. That’s the incarnation. The fact that the Son of God was conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary, that God became a man. What an amazing act of humility and condescension.
He took on human flesh. The fact that the God of eternity entered the limits of time. The God of eternity entered time. The God of infinity entered the limits of space. He was conceived in a womb. The God of infinity reduces Himself to the space of a womb. When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law. - Galatians 4:4.
God who is Spirit took on human flesh. Heaven and earth cannot contain God, and yet God became confined to a human body. The Creator becomes one of His created beings. The Creator became a creature.
The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. - Psalm 29:4. The one whose voice is powerful and full of majesty, was reduced to a baby’s cry.
The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever.- Psalm (29:10) The One who sits enthroned as king over the flood forever exchanged His throne for a bed in an animal’s feeding place. Is that amazing to you?
God humbles Himself:
One of the most astounding things about the Christian faith is the humility of God. 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 bond-servant, and coming in the likeness of men. - Philippians 2: 6–7
God submits Himself in the person of Christ and becomes obedient. The Bible says, “He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel even before he was conceived in the womb.” Here we can see His submission, His condescension. Well, being named is itself an act of submission.
He was named Jesus. God is the One who chose the name for His Son, the name Jesus. It shows the Father’s authority over the Son and the Son’s submission to the Father. The Son came under the authority of the Father and took the name given by the Father. It’s evidence of his humility as He submitted himself.
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
The sovereign ruler of the universe, the One before whom angels bow became obedient. He obeyed the will of His Father. He became obedient to the will of His earthly parents. He became obedient to suffering. He became obedient to the law of Moses and the law of God. Galatians 4 tells us. As a Jewish boy and Jewish newborn, He fulfilled the law’s requirements.
That was a part of His submission, a part of His humility. So as we ponder the humility, the condescension of Christ, the fact that God took on a human body and became flesh; that He humbled Himself; He endured pain; He shed blood; He ultimately died, the great humility and condescension of Christ, how should we respond? Well, for sure, with gratitude. Thank Him. Thank Him for His humility, His willingness to lay aside His rights as God. His willingness to deny Himself. His willingness to be obedient to the point of shedding blood, even at eight days of age.
As we thank Him, should not our hearts be humbled? How can we ponder and consider the humility of Christ and then deal with others in ways that are not humble? How can we be proud? How can we cling to our rights? How can we be stubborn? How can we be disobedient when He humbled Himself and became obedient?
How can we be self-seeking when He left all of heaven’s splendor and glory, laid it aside and came here to seek our welfare, not His own? How can we be self-promoting when He stepped down from His throne and was born into an animal’s feeding trough? Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, Philippians 2:3.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30. Amen.
