December 9
. . . being born in the likeness of men . . .
Philippians 2:7 (ESV)
Humility indicates lowliness in rank or status. Within God’s creation, humble creatures tend to be smaller and less powerful than others—think the ant vs. the elephant, the hummingbird vs. the golden eagle, or the infant child vs. the king. As we turn to the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the theme of humility runs through that central event in the Christmas story in at least three different ways.
First, the God who created all things took on human flesh. God the Son is the all-powerful and all-knowing God, and yet, in taking on human flesh, He agreed to experience the natural limitations of being human. Of course, God the Son never ceased to be that all-powerful and all-knowing God, but the mystery of the Incarnation says that God the Son took on human flesh, thereby like us in all respects, sin excepted. Jesus was the God-Man. The same man Jesus, who got tired and felt hunger, was Himself God.
Second, when God the Son took on human flesh in the Incarnation, He did so as a baby. Philippians 2:7 tells us that the Son was “born in the likeness of men.” There is no more humble human than an infant. Human babies have no ability to care for themselves, able only to cry out for help when they need to be fed, changed, or moved. Could the God over all creation have placed Himself in a more humble position?
Finally, Jesus lived His life in line with the bounds of humility. Paul tells us in Philippians 2 that Jesus took on the form of a servant or slave (2:7). This God-Man lived His life by considering Himself more lowly in rank or status than other people! He came not to be served, but to serve, even to the point of giving His life for rebellious and murderous human beings (Mark 10:45).
The mystery of the Incarnation points us to humility. Don’t miss the context of these truths in Philippians: humility was not just for Jesus. We Christians, the church, are to “have this mind among yourselves” (Philippians 2:5). May Christmas remind us of the centrality of humility. May we be humble, and may our churches be humble.