The Spirit of Christmas

PHIL. 2:5-8; 1 TIM. 3:16

SUBJECT: THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST

THEME: let Jesus Christ and the spirit of selfless service be the focus of our Christmas observance.  

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. (Php 2:5–8, KJV)

INTRODUCTION:

1.  This is Probably one of the More Uncommon Christmas Passages.

      A.  No shepherds and their Sheep. 

      B.  No wise men and their Gifts. 

      C.  Not even Mary and Joseph.

      D.  But, Christ is in It!  We see:

             1) What Jesus Was: “the form of God,”   “equal with God”

             2) What Jesus Became:   “Made in the Likeness of Men,” “found in fashion as a man”

             3) What Jesus Did:

                     a)  He Sacrifice His outward Glory as God.  “He made himself of nor reputation”

                     b)  He Sacrificed His Body as a Man.   “He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death”

             4) What Jesus Is:   “Confess the Jesus Christ is Lord”

      E.  Actually the Passage Makes a Beautiful Christmas Carol!

2.  The Birth of Christ Is One of the Fundamentals of the Christian Faith. 

This is not something about Christ that is nice to know; instead it is a truth that is absolutely essential to our faith.  Christ's unique birth is one proof of His deity, eternity, pre-existence, and His sufficient blood Sacrifice for our Sins.

QUOTE:   Kenneth Kantzer:

         “Many Christians only pay lip service to the truth of Christmas.

         To accept the idea that the Bethlehem babe really is the

            incarnate God is to alter every truth with which we comfortably live.

         To say that Jesus Christ really is the incarnation of the

            living God is to say that his testimony is unalterably true.

         When I go against his teachings, I am not merely

             asserting my own judgment, but that I am fundamentally in error.”

                                                                    

3.  The Christmas Season Should Mark the Time of Annual Reflection on the Truth That God’s Son Left Heaven and Was Birthed into a Literal Sinless Human Experience. We call it the incarnation.  Simply stated, “Christ Jesus . . . was made in the likeness of men,” and was “found in the fashion as a man” (Phil. 2:5, 7, 8). Jesus’ actions define forever what it means to be humble, selfless, and sacrificial. They leave us utterly stripped of any reasons for living in pride and selfishness.

4.  Please Allow Me to Provide Some Familiar Verses as Food for Thought During this Holiday Season.  With our minds, hearts, and attitudes, let us celebrate one of times grandest events ever, the Birth of Jesus Christ.

Lesson:

I.  Why Is The Birth Of Christ Important?

Many people around the world celebrate Christmas for different reasons. What should a Believer's focus be? Why should we regard the birth of our Lord as important?

A.  BECAUSE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST IS A CLEAR STATEMENT OF SCRIPTURE!

1 Tim 3:16, And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

John 1:14, And the Word was made 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.

Col 2:9, For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

If the Scripture exalt the life and birth of Christ then certainly we should! While there is no explicit command to celebrate Christmas and Christ’s birth, He is always worthy of our worship, praise, adoration, and celebration. In fact, He is worthy of our worship and adoration all year long!

B.  BECAUSE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST CLARIFIES THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS!

Unfortunately Christmas has traditionally become a time of getting instead of giving. 

The spirit of Christmas has become more selfish then selfless. The spirit and attitude of our Lord at His coming is quite different and remarkable (Phil. 2:4-5).

When we get back to Jesus Christ we see that the attitude we must have is one of Service, Sacrifice, Selflessness—an “Others first” spirit!  This is the theme of Philippians chapter two in the Word of God.

What Did the Incarnation of God the Son Involve? 

    

    1.  It Involved a Humble Attitude.

What Exactly Happened When God Was Made In the Likeness of Men? 

Phil 2:5-6, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6, Who, being in the form of God (His eternal existence and true essence as God), thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (He did not hold on to nor consider the outer manifestation of His deity and heavenly position as a treasure to be grasped and retained for Himself at all costs.  In Christ’s incarnation He was not concerned with retaining all His privileges and honors for Himself.  He willingly set aside some prerogatives and privileges of heavenly existence without losing even one divine quality–He sacrificed his divine rights for us!)

Jesus Christ Humbled Himself for the benefit of others; He considered you and me before He considered Himself!

    2.  It Involved a Selfless Attitude.

Phil 2:7,  But made himself of no reputation, (He emptied Himself of His positional equality with the Father and veiled his glory in a body of human flesh) and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (He never ceased to be fully God, but He willingly took on a fully human nature, even the status of a lowly slave) 8, And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  (He died the cruelest and most shameful death of the cross; executed like a vile and murderous criminal, but willingly that He might provide full payment for our sin!)

Jesus Christ expressed an unequivocally unselfish attitude for others!

    3.  It Involved a Sacrificial Attitude.

Did the Son of God Cease to Be God When He Took on a Human Nature? 

          A.  No, Jesus Did Not Give Up His Divine Nature or Abilities.

We understand the answer to this question by looking at the context of the phrase and especially the words that follow— “the form of a servant,” “was made in the likeness of men.” Obviously, the Lord Jesus did not cease to be holy God!

Phil 2:7, But made himself of no reputation, (He sacrificed his positional equality with His Heavenly Father, but retained His personal divine nature) and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (He stooped so low as to veil his divine glory in a human body and circumstance.)

The self-emptying of the Son of God (vs 7) is one of the most complex and profound doctrines in Scripture. 

            B.  The Sacrifice Was the Addition of a Human Nature.

The self-emptying permitted the addition of humanity, and did not involve in any way the subtraction of deity or the use of the attributes of deity.

ILLUSTRATION: Can you imagine a mighty, magnificent, and powerful earthly King? Who for a while decided to lay aside his storehouse of wealth, and leave behind an adoring amazed court, and take upon himself the body of a lowly ant? Can you imagine being the princess who kissed the frog and becoming one yourself! What about yourself being lowered to the existence of a cockroach or a single grain of sand on a large beach? When God the Son took on a human nature, he condescended in colossal proportions!

            C.  Jesus Christ Is Now 100% God and 100% Human at the Same Time. 

He has a fully divine nature and a completely human nature, but yet he is one person. 

                     1)  He Exhibited Divine Qualities (all powerful, eternality, all knowing, and infinitude, everywhere present).

                     2)  He Exhibited Human Qualities (hunger, thirst, tiredness, limited, appearance, but sinless) through the same Person.  (Heb. 4:15)

                     3)  He Exhibited Two Natures (unmixed, unchanged, and undivided but yet one person).  My Friend the Scriptures says that “God was manifested in the flesh” and that Jesus “was made in the likeness of men”!  (Ex. 33:18, 20; 1 Tim. 6:16)

Jesus Sacrificed Himself for Others! He did all of this for me and you.  

                                  “Aside He threw His most divine array,

                                  And hid His Godhead in a veil of clay,

                                  And in that garb did wondrous love display,

                                  Restoring what He never took away.” –Source Unknown

APPLICATION: The spirit of Christmas should be this “attitude of Jesus Christ” filling and giving direction and meaning to our own lives as servants of God every day!

II. Why Was Christ Made In The Likeness Of Men?

But Why Did God Bother To Come Into The World, Take On a Perfect Human Nature and Live Among Men?  For What Purpose Was the Son of God Manifested? Why did He choose to be “made in the likeness of men”?

Once Again I want to first inform you of each purpose of our Lord in His Incarnation. Secondly, I want to encourage you to realize the benefit of His Accomplishments in your and my Christian walks.

Understanding the reasons that Christ came into the world, should motivate us to fully rest and rejoice in what the Lord has accomplished for us.  Jesus Christ is God’s provision for our Christian experience.

A.  CHRIST WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN TO REVEAL GOD TO US.   

John 1:18, No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared (Made God Known) him.

Will you worship Jesus Christ as God the Son this Christmas?

B.  CHRIST WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN TO BE THE CHRISTIAN’S EXAMPLE. 

Philip. 2:4-5, 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:

Phil. 2:8, And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

1 Pet 2:21, For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Matt 11:29, Take my yoke (His Work and Ministry Example) upon you, and learn (To learn by observation) of me ; for I am meek (gentle) and lowly (humble)  in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Will you determine in your heart to truly follow the humble example He gave us?

Will you conclude that your sufferings in the ministry make you more like Him?

                                                                                                                                     

C.  CHRIST WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN TO PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE SACRIFICE FOR SIN. 

Phil 2:7,  But made himself of no reputation,   (He emptied Himself of His positional equality with the Father and veiled His glory in a body of human flesh) and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (He never ceased to be fully God, but He willingly took on a fully human nature, even the status of a lowly slave)   8,  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  (He died the cruelest and most shameful death of the cross; executed like a vile and murderous criminal, but willingly that He might provide full payment for our sin!)

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

(Rom. 3:21-26, KJV)

Christ was literally born of a woman to die like a man!

Will you trust Christ the perfect sacrifice for your sin today?

CONCLUSION:

It was for these reasons the Son of God was manifested! He came into this world to make Christian salvation and experience possible! Not merely for a Christmas Day, but for a Christmas life!

Are you daily looking forward to his kingdom?  Is Christ the ruler of your heart, mind, body, and spirit?                                    

Will you appropriate daily the victory of Christ over Satan when you are tempted to sin?  Habitual sins can be broken and conquered!

Will you turn to your heavenly high priest to comfort, encourage, strengthen, and help you in times of trials, testing, and temptation?

Will you actually worship Christ Jesus the Savior this Christmas holiday season?

In the home Christ-likeness is kindness;

In business it is honesty;

Toward the weak it is burden bearing;

Toward the sinner it is evangelism;

Toward ourselves it is self-control;

Toward God it is reverence, love and worship. —Source Unknown

May the mind of Christ, my Savior, live in me from day to day, by His love and pow’r controlling all I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour, so that all may see I triumph only thru His pow’r.

May the peace of God, my Father, rule my life in ev’rything that I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me, as the waters fill the sea; Him exalting, self-abasing— this is victory.

May I run the race before me strong and brave to face the foe, looking only unto Jesus as I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me as I seek the lost to win, and may they forget the channel, seeing only Him.—Source Unknown