The Humility of Christmas

I was just thinking about amazing it is that You decided to come to earth Lord, that You humbled Yourself to become man. It is so far outside our expectations of a true God. We have stories from Greek and Norse mythology of gods coming to earth in disguise. We have stories in scripture of the sons of god coming to earth and having children with human women - Gen 6, and I think those stories all seem plausible or reasonable, because at no point did they ever give up their divine powers or abilities, they just cloaked them for a time so the could appear like us humans.

In coming to earth and becoming fully human, is where the real miracle of Jesus birth comes from. In Paul's letter to the Philippians, he describes this emptying of divinity:

Philippians 2:6-8 NIV
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death---even death on a cross!

And John describes the miracle well in the opening verses of his Gospel:

John 1:1-5, 9-14 NIV
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. [3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. [4] In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
[9] The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. [10] He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. [11] He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. [12] Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--- [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. [14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

As I sit and meditate on this reality I am just overwhelmed by the complete humility it took to empty Yourself of all Your divinity, truly becoming a man, in the flesh, who was capable of dying, being wounded, and every other human condition. The idea that God became a human infant, fully dependent on his mother and father continues to be astounding.

Lord, help us to think of the reality of what Christmas is about this year. Help us to take time from out parties and gatherings and family events to think about the miracle and wonder of You becoming man, and becoming man, being humbler still and being a newborn baby.