Daily Applying Christmas (3rd Advent Sunday)

After crafting the above title to this post I do admit some possible ambiguities.

1. It could mean that we should be "christmas-y" every day of the year...leave the tree up, continually play that Bing Crosby/Andrews Sisters Christmas tape, etc.


2. Or possibly Loreal has come out with a new holly berry/christmas cookie scented underarm deodorant duly named "Christmas". And maybe the following post is telling you how all of you should go to the local mall buy a stick of this and "daily apply it".

While #1 would be the most probable interpretation of the two given above, it is definitely not the case (who would want to do that anyways?)

The original intended meaning (which you probably thought of when you first read it) is about how should we daily take the realities of Christmas...think about them...and see how those realities relate to how we live our daily lives in holiness before the Living God.
What is the main reality of Christmas? It is this, that the eternal God became human, born of a woman, fully-God and fully-man in order that He might save his people from their sins.

The main passage in the Bible that most people and churches (as well they should) read at Christmas time is the passage in Luke chapters 1-2. This is the narrative part of the Christmas story, that is, Luke 1-2 tells the story of the birth of the Saviour Jesus. If you want to know the story-line of Christmas, go there...that's where the facts are.

There are other passages that do not tell the story as much as they tell the theological part of Christmas story. That is, they do not relate the story as much as the overall significance of the birth of Jesus in God's plan of redemption. One example is Galatians 4:4-5.

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."

There is one more Christmas text that is very interesting. It is in Philippians 2:3-11, here is the text in full.

"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Here are some observations about this text.

1. The whole point of this text is to get Christians to be stop doing ministry with the motivation of rivalry. The first verse tells us this. "Do nothing from rivalry or deceit", and in the following verses Paul tells us how to this. This is very commonplace both in church work (and among missionaries too). There seems to be a powerful desire among people to be able to do (at least) one thing very well and to excel in it above all others in their context. [NOTE: the last sentence is worth a second read, no really, go ahead and do it]. However, given a little time you will run across someone who does it better than you. As my Dad always said, "There is always someone better in whatever thing you do well, it just takes time to find that person, but you will." Now here comes the problem...Christians often carry this worldly impulse into their work for the Lord. They may be a kind person, a thoughtful person, a person who reads and understands the Bible unusually well, a hospitable person. But soon they find someone kinder...more thoughtful...one who has more insight into Scripture...someone more hospitable. For missionaries it's often things like...I sacrifice more than them...I'm better language learner than them...more education...more spiritual, etc. What is worldly knee-jerk reaction to this? RIVALRY. That is, the great impulse to..."Do it better than them." Now, of course, this is rarely thought of, it is often barely noticed in the heart and some people can spend a great part of their lives only doing ministry in reaction to others.


2. What are the results of doing ministry with the motivation of rivalry? The first thing you do is either put that person down in some way (either outwardly but most of the time in your mind). Or you convince yourself that you truly better than them in some other area. Also, you cannot truly love the one to whom you are trying to "one-up". You probably feel slightly uncomfortable around them and if you do interact with them you are unusually aware of their faults and not their god-given strengths. Also, your work becomes unacceptable to God. How can you offer your life and ministry in faith to God when your underlying motivation is be better than "them"? This subtle behavior quietly kills relationships without a word said and guts the church of spiritual power in ministry.


3. How do we not do this? Paul gives us the answer in our text. "in humility count others better than yourself. Let each of you not look only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Because when you are loving people so much that you react with joy in that they are better then rivalry has already stopped in your heart. When you truly give yourself to the interests of others then you can not be their rival.


4. OK...but how do we get the ability to do #3? Very good question. Paul continues to tell us how we get the power to do this. First of all it is a new mindset... "have this mind in you."


5. What is this mindset and how do we get it? An even better question! Paul is getting us to think. He is not saying we look for some mystical power to be bestowed on us. We are reasoning. We are called to think on certain truths and live our lives in reaction to them.


6. What are these truths that create this mindset? Ahhh...finally we've reached the Christmas portion. Paul wants us to consider that Christ did not come with a proud, rivalry spirit to do the work that God gave him. But he came in humility for the benefit of others. Sure...sure there is a profound truth that Jesus did come for the glory of God. But in this text Paul with no qualification says that Christ came for others. We should be like this.


7. "made himself nothing...being born in the likeness of men." Do you understand what it means for the maker of universe to be made like us? Do you appreciate how low humans are and how great God is? Read the text! He was made like us= he made himself nothing. Do you consider that all of humanity combined is nothing before this God? What is a warm cozy bed compared to cold muddy field? What is day spent on a sunny beach to day spent in a small dark room with no windows? These are small comparisons for what Christ did when he was born a little baby who had to have his diapers changed for him. For Christ to be made like us is a demeaning thing to him. Oh, you must understand that the Creator is necessarily more valuable than the things that he created. He was made like you, Christian, so that you might be made in the likeness of Him. Praise Him for His choice of the manger.


8. "he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death...even death on a cross." What is death? Death is not just the deteriorating of cells. Death is not merely physical. We know from Genesis 3 that death is a punishment, death is a result of rebellion of the creatures to their creator. It is a physical punishment of a spiritual failure. Why wouldn't the president of the United States not wear a convict's uniform? Could you imagine the president decked out in some bright orange prison uniform to a press conference? Why not? Because a man in such a position would never identify himself with someone so defiled and guilty. Man would never do this, but Christ did. Although he knew no sin, he took the penalty of sin...death. And not just any death...the cruel torture of crucifixion. He did not do it for no reason either. God treated Christ like a sinner, although he had no sin, so that sinners, if they trust in Christ's work on the cross, might be treated as if they lived the perfect life of Jesus.

So here is Christmas applied. If Christ who is greater than you did His ministry humbly, and if He was called to do more humbling things than God has call you to do...then certainly you can be humble and not have a "one-upping" spirit with such an example from your Saviour.

So Lord, until next Sunday, let us see our little nativity sets with wonder. Let us see you "made nothing". Give us more tender hearts as we behold the tenderest of all hearts, Jesus Christ born a little baby to grow into a man to give his life a ransom for many. Let us show such love to other Christian brothers and sisters and to the surrounding world too. Amen.