What is the most memorable Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
When I was 9 years old, my mom had me make my annual Christmas wish list for grandparents and extended family members. I included lots of different toys and games (no socks, please and thank you), but truth be told, the only one I really cared about was a Lego Castle. I would’ve happily given back all the other gifts if I could have just had that castle. I wanted it so much that I didn’t even ask for the largest one, for fear of everyone deciding that it was an outlandish, brazen request. No, I asked for the middle-sized castle: a perfectly reasonable, perfectly appropriate, perfectly sized ask. I was absolutely certain the adults in my family would be taken aback by such wisdom, and rush to reward it.
Christmas morning finally came, and after a half hour, I made it through every gift but one. There were socks, but no Legos… (sigh). The last wrapped present did not look promising. It wasn’t the right size or shape. It didn’t make that Lego sound when shaken. Full dejection had set in as I unwrapped it, while trying to figure out if my “thank you” would seem less sincere when offered through choked-back tears.
But then, something happened. As I pulled back the first corner of wrapping paper, there they were…the yellow letters! I pulled back a little further, and surely enough, a Lego castle set emerged in front of my eyes. Christmas…was…saved.
I’ve reflected quite a bit on that Christmas and that gift over the years. I’ve thought about learning to be thankful for gift-givers over and above gifts. I’ve weighed how to be grateful for what I have rather than resentful for what I do not. And I’ve wondered why that gift has stood out among so many others all these years later. I’ve come to the conclusion that it wasn’t what the gift was (I didn’t spend much time on Legos beyond the age of 9), but the complete reversal of fortune involved in receiving it. I had truly come to believe it was not a gift I was getting, only to have that perspective (and the feelings that came with it) changed with the pull of 2 inches of wrapping paper.
Every Advent, Christians have the opportunity to reflect on the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus, and all the gifts it brings into our lives. Among those gifts is the truth it reveals about the humility of God, and the possibility of humility in ourselves. That is a gift we may deeply want, but have come to believe we will not receive. The appearance of God in the flesh invites us to pull back the wrapping paper and see the great power of humility offered to us as we take on the likeness of our Lord.
This Advent, we’ll look at 3 ways the incarnation reveals the humility of Jesus and invites us to share it:
1.) The Humility of Sacrifice
In Philippians 2, we are told that Jesus had “a mind of humility” which is ours as well if we are in Him. This mind of humility led Jesus to not use the privileges of being divine for His own benefit, but for ours. Through the incarnation, we learn that humility involves using whatever privileges we have for the good of others, not just ourselves. The privilege of a strong mind, an able body, material resources, and a host of other unmerited gifts from God are at our disposal to help us grow in humility. The mind of Christ belongs to us, and every gift He places in our hands can be used for the benefit of others and our growth in humility.
2.) The Humility of Sympathy
Sympathy is not an act I immediately connect to humility. The author of Hebrews, however, draws a straight line between the two. After pointing to the incarnation of Jesus as our “great high priest,” he explains in chapter 4 how humility allows Jesus to sympathize with our weaknesses. As we struggle not to give in to all manners of temptation, Jesus feels tenderness towards us. We often make the mistake of looking down on others who give in to temptations that we don’t give in to. In Jesus, however, we learn that it is not necessary to have the same failures as someone in order to have sympathy for them. Through the incarnation, we inherit the gift of humility-born sympathy.
3.) The Humility of Gentleness
If Philippians 2 isn’t the most famous text about the humility of Jesus, then Matthew 11:29 would have to be. Here, Jesus describes Himself as “gentle and lowly in heart”. Part of what God wanted us to experience through the incarnation of the Son is His gentleness and lowliness. Hence the invitation that precedes the description… “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden…” But this invitation is not just so we will see something about God. No, He intends it to have a result. That is why Jesus follows the description of Himself as gentle and lowly with the conclusion, “and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus’ humility causes Him to be gentle with us, and that gentleness puts us at rest. No more striving for approval, no more unease in His presence, and no more being convinced that we must make our own way in this world. The incarnation invites us into a life with our souls at rest in God.
This Christmas, God is inviting us to unwrap a present that’s been waiting for us under the tree all along: the gift of humility. This humility – in all its varied expressions – is now able to find its home in us. May God grant us eyes to see and hearts to understand His humility this Advent.
Meet the Author
Trent Thompson serves as the senior pastor at WSFC. The most important thing to know about Trent is that he is loved by God because of Christ. Trent grew up in Dallas, Texas and went to school at Texas A&M University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He now resides in Dillsburg with his wife and three children, and loves following Christ with the people of West Shore Free Church.