He existed in the form of God, yet he gave no thought to seizing equality with God as his supreme prize. Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human! He humbled himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient. He was a perfect example, even in his death—a criminal’s death by crucifixion! Philippians 2:6–8 (TPT)
We may struggle to comprehend the sacrifice that Jesus made when he went to the cross, but that is not the whole story. For Christ to go to the cross, he first had to become a man born of a woman. We may give greater value to the cross than the cradle, but that may be because we fail to understand the sacrifice God made when Jesus condescended to earth; born as a human being.
We recall the most famous Scripture: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son…” Please understand that that God’s giving did not begin in the garden of Gethsemane or on the cross. The giving began when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, and the man Christ Jesus was conceived in her womb.
In Philippians, Paul tells us that Christ “emptied himself” and became a servant. He was not born in a palace, but in a stable. E. S. Eliott wrote the carol that begins: Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown when Thou camest to earth for me; but in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room for Thy holy nativity.
We are grateful for what Christ did for us on the cross but let us also be grateful that he came to the cradle.
He Completed the Mission
We must look ahead, to Jesus. He is the one who carved out the path for faith, and he’s the one who brought it to completion. He knew that there was joy spread out and waiting for him. That’s why he endured the cross, making light of its shame, and has now taken his seat at the right hand of God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2 (BFE)
Are there many people who would board an airplane if the possibility of crashing were 1 in 100? Or even 1 in 1000? Probably not unless there was a compelling reason. If someone we love needed to be rescued, but the conditions were precarious, would we go? Jesus said: No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 (CSB)
The cross did not catch Jesus by surprise. Dottie Rambo wrote a song “If That Isn’t Love” encapsulating the reality that Jesus came knowing what would happen to him, yet looking beyond the cross to the resulting joy of bringing many sons and daughters salvation:
He left the Splendor of Heaven
Knowing His destiny
Was the lonely hill of Golgotha
there to lay down His life for me.
Recently, I was teaching a class on the Life of Christ. A student asked the question, “What was more important; Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection?” My answer was, “Yes.” Jesus could not have been resurrected unless he had died. And he could not have died unless he had been born. In this season when we celebrate his birth, we must never forget that he was born so that he might die for us.
Compelling Love
For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised. 2 Corinthians 5:13–15 (CSB)
There was nothing comfortable about the life that Christ led. From the humility of being born in a barn, to the shameful death on the cross, Isaiah accurately foresaw: He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him. Isaiah 53:3 (CSB)
Christ loved us under the most difficult circumstances. The compelling love of Christ began before he was born in Bethlehem: The Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. Revelation 13:8 (NIV). Christ’s birth, death and resurrection are all part of God’s plan of redemption. Such love requires a response. It is compelling love.
It is a love that requires that we do not play it safe. Francis Chan wrote: “But God doesn’t call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn’t come through. [1] ”
Out Of the Comfort Zone
Jesus left the comfort and familiarity of his rightful place in heaven. He “emptied himself” of his rights and privileges in order to identify with us. We recognize the suffering of the cross, but it is important that we recognize the suffering of the cradle as well.
Through all things Christ was looking forward to “the joy that was set before him.” When we face life’s trials, we also must look forward to what God has in store for us. The song that began with the words, “Thou didst leave thy throne,” ends on this victorious note:
When the heav’ns shall ring and the angels sing at Thy coming to victory, let Thy voice call me home, saying, “Yet there is room—there is room at My side for thee,” My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus, when thou comest and callest for me!
He left his home and his throne. He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20 (NLT)
Steve Ekeroth