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The humble beginnings of our Lord and Savior is present in most minds this time of year. We look around and see the representations of Jesus in the manger everywhere we go. We see Jesus laying there wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger just as Luke described it and we begin to believe we have grasped some part of the humility needed for Jesus Christ to come to this earth and be born among us.
The truth is that Jesus could have been born in a palace surrounded by all the riches in all of the world and His Incarnation would still be the humblest action possible in the universe. Jesus Christ was present from the beginning of all creation. The Word of God tells us this in Philippians chapter 2:5-8 "5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. [a] 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death -- even to death on a cross."
These words from Philippians tell us that it was not being born in a manger that defines the humility of Jesus at His birth. Instead, it is the nature of becoming a man, assuming the form of a servant is exactly the point.
We should look to these words and to the birth of Jesus and consider how humbled we should be when looking at our Savior. He came to show us the Way, the Truth and the Life we can live in Him! When we look earnestly at the humility of Jesus Christ, we realize that we are meant to be servants in this world, servants of the One True King!
This Christmas season we will see many depictions of Jesus as an infant laying in the manger and each and every time that we look at this image of Jesus, I pray that we will be humbled. I pray that we see all the power and wonder of the cross as we look upon the manger.
He came to live the only blameless, completely humble life that has ever been lived, and then to die as the perfect and pure sacrifice for our sins. From the manger to the cross, Jesus shows us what the humble life of a servant looks like.
May we all see the humility on display everywhere we look this Christmas!
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Finding Faith is written by area pastors. This week's column comes from Pastor Matt Kinley of First Church of Christ, Lock Haven.