Jesus’ Humility

I want to read a passage that might seem strange for Christmas time. Luke 14:7-11. Jesus is speaking to a group of very respected men who believe that they ought to be honored. He goes on to show how being humble will lead to honor while being prideful will lead to shame.

Like I said, you may be wondering what this has to do with Christmas. (Pick up Clara). Clara has some independence now but she is still completely dependent on us to take care of her. She still needs her diaper changed and to get dressed and fed. How humiliating it must have been for Jesus to come to Earth as a baby! The same God who spoke the world into existence and knows every grain of sand on the seashore came as a baby, needed parents and others to care for him. Lived a life of ridicule, shame, and hardship. Then He died one of the most humiliating deaths possible by crucifixion. Why did Jesus do this? For two reasons, to be obedient to the will of God the Father and for love that man might be reconciled to God. Only in and through Jesus is this possible. As the passage says though, “he who humbles Himself will be exalted”. The name of Jesus will be exalted above every other name forever and ever.

Let me read one more passage related to this that illustrates all of this very well:

Phl 2:1-11

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6Who, being in very nature a God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature b of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

This Christmas, let us remember Jesus’ humility in what He did in coming as a baby and in how He died to set us free from the burden of our sin. Be humble, “be like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

It is only through loving others with humility that we will become more like our Savior Jesus.