Philippians 2:5-7
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Christ’s sacrificial love is a picture that brings even the strongest man to his knees. His hands were pierced by nails, His back and sides ripped apart by the whips, and His naked figured was hung high above the crowds. The crown of thorns placed upon His head was no more than a prop for the soldiers who mocked Him. They provided a sign that read “This is the king of the Jews.” But little did they know…
Little did they know from where this man had come. He who was being mocked now, once reigned in heaven with His Father. He was the only begotten Son, the creator of the world, and yet, He willingly gave it all up. He humbled Himself, taking the very nature of a servant; it was the only way humanity could be restored with their maker.
While the Lord’s cross, and the blood He sacrificed there, will forever mark the defeat of Satan and death, one must not overlook the importance of His humble birth.
Unconditional sacrifice may very well be measured by thorns, blood, and a cross, but one cannot dismiss the equal importance of an unwed mother, a Bethlehem inn, and a crying baby. It was here that the cross became possible, for it was here that Christ made His greatest sacrifice. By leaving the side of His Father and placing Himself in the hands of a teenage mother, He submitted Himself to the inevitable and essential death for mankind.
Christ’s birth was just as much of a sacrifice as His death.
Just as one must stand in awe of the Savior’s sacrificial birth, so must he also become an imitation of that sacrifice. This is the will of God and the duty of the Christian. It is of no concern to the Lord what age, race, or past you have, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”
This Christmas Day I urge you to become fixated in the sacrifice Christ made for you. Beyond your amazement and awe, I hope that you experience a sense of conviction and purpose. Your life must be lived with the same spirit of selflessness that Christ demonstrated in both His birth and in His death.