CHRISTMAS: THE SELF-HUMILIATION OF GOD

 Salvation begins with the self-humiliation of God.

Salvation does not begin with the Cross or the Resurrection.  The Cross is God’s ultimate act of redemption and atonement once and for all.  The Resurrection – Jesus, the first-fruit of the promised resurrection of the dead -- is the confirmation of the inauguration a new age of the Kingdom of God, of victory over sin and death, of life in the Spirit.  However, the Incarnation is the actual inauguration of that new era of the Kingdom of God.  And, it starts with God’s self-humiliation.

God's self-humiliation is this: The Creator of the cosmos condescends to offer a relationship with the lowly creatures of humanity.  In the beginning, God offered to “walk” and “talk” in the Garden of Eden with the Man and the Woman.  God offered Godself in relationship to Abraham as a way to create a people who would bless the world.  God offered Godself to the Hebrew slaves of Egypt to become God’s people.  Through multiple acts of merciful forgiveness and new starts, the Creator condescended to offer humanity a relationship with Life.  That is where salvation begins.

God's ultimate self-humiliation was to become Immanuel, “with-us-God,” in the flesh, in low esteem and lowly status, to live a life beneath other humans in order to lift them up toward that very salvation.  Christmas, the Incarnation, is when God’s rule and Kingdom was inaugurated in a new way, coming to us in utter weakness and humility.  Christmas is the ultimate Holy Day.

“Here am I, O God, of little power and of mean estate, yet lifting up heart and voice to Thee before whom all created things are as dust and a vapour. Thou art hidden behind the curtain of sense, incomprehensible power; yet here I speak with Thee familiarly as child to parent, as friend to friend. If I could not thus speak to Thee, then were I indeed without hope in the world….  But because Thou art my Father, I am not afraid. Because it is Thine own Spirit that stirs within my spirit's inmost room, I know that all is well.”*

Thank you, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

John Baillie, A Dairy of Private Prayer, Day 9, morning.