Yesterday in small group, we practiced exegesis on Philippians 2:1-11, and we found that the main purpose of the text was to teach the Philippians to be unified and humble towards one another like Jesus was humble when he came down to die on the cross. Though that is the main idea, the details that are written by Paul are quite amazing once we stop to think about it and shows the sheer magnitude of the gift of Jesus:
…who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. – Phil. 2:6-8
We should remember to pause and reflect on what exactly we are proclaiming when we celebrate Christmas: We are preaching that the holy, transcendent, and perfect Second Person of the Trinity became flesh and dwelt among us, and the chasm he traversed is so great, so incomprehensible, that theologians and philosophers have struggled to describe the Incarnation for millennia. Furthermore, Jesus did not come as a powerful man but as a carpenter and a bond-servant, and from there, was obedient unto death, even in a humiliating way reserved for the worst criminals so that people may be saved from their sins. This is the spectacular example of humility given to us. If this is how Jesus was, obedient to the Father and thinking of the good of others, then we who claim to worship him should do our best to be that way towards one another. We can never come close to matching this supreme act of humility and glory, but we are obligated to do our best to imitate it in our own small ways. As we celebrate Christmas this year, let us take in the example of humility of Jesus and be likewise towards our brothers and sisters, thinking of them first and acting in a spirit of unity and grace. -Isak Lee
One Light Church 