Beyond Kindness

Dear Friends,

It is such a blessing to enjoy “the most wonderful time of the year” with family and friends. The celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ brings such precious memories. At the time of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the angels praised and proclaimed:

Luke 2:14 NKJV
"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

Many hundreds of years ago, there was a king from the East, whose reign produced a golden age for his people. The king was known for his compassion, wisdom and justice; he loved his subjects and desired to walk among them to better know them and understand the true conditions in which they lived. Moreover, he sought to ensure that his officials were governing them justly.

In order not to be detected, he would have to replace his royal raiment and crown with the clothes of a commoner. The king, along with two of his assistants, would often disguise themselves – dressing in simple attire to blend in with the common folk. As they walked through the city, they overheard conversations and observed the daily lives of the king’s subjects.

During their walk one evening, they came across a poor man who was lamenting his fate. The man spoke of his struggles and the injustices he had faced. The king, moved by the man's plight, decided to help him. While still in his disguise, the king invited the man to the palace the next day and promised to address his grievances.

This act of kindness and justice reinforced the king’s reputation as a fair and compassionate ruler. Much was revealed about his character and care for his subjects: By walking among his subjects, the king gained a deeper understanding of their lives and burdens. This revealed to his people that they were ruled by a man who possessed empathy and understanding. The king’s actions also clearly demonstrated his commitment to justice and fairness, ensuring that his subjects were valued, respected and treated well. Despite his high status, the king modeled humility by disguising himself and mingling with ordinary citizens. The ancient king of the East brought empathy, understanding, justice, fairness and humility to his kingdom.

Unlike the kind king in our story, Jesus Christ came to earth to bring truth, righteousness, forgiveness, salvation and reconciliation with our heavenly Father. Jesus, the holy, perfect, righteous and true King of Kings and Lord of Lords, brings us eternal life. Our glorious King died in our stead and rose again from the dead!

Origen of Alexandria, one of the most prominent early church Fathers and defenders of the faith, said that, “Light came into the world, and was first seen in the cave at Bethlehem.” The glory of the Lord was revealed in a dark, stench-filled and fly-infested stable! The cave, symbolizing the darkness of sin and evil in the world, was now filled with the light and the aroma of Jesus Christ!

The birth of the Savior was the most momentous event in the universe. It served as a hinge upon which history turns. The One who would save us from sin, death and Satan had come to redeem us. He was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Through His perfect, atoning sacrifice on the cross, Jesus paid the full penalty for our sins – forgiving us, justifying us and sanctifying us. We who believe have been given eternal life and the precious, indwelling Holy Spirit to lead and to guide us in this life.

Philippians 2:5-11 AMP
Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him
be your example in humility:] who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God
[possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God
was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, but stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful
dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a
human being. And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still
further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross! Therefore
[because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name
that is above every name, That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and
on earth and under the earth, and every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus was manifested or, appeared in a body. However, this was not the Lord’s beginning. In His pre-existence He was, and is, God the Word – the second person of the Holy Trinity. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. As the Eternal God, He possesses all the attributes of God – glory, majesty, splendor, holiness and power! For the Lord to come to earth in the Incarnation, He had to change His form, for no man can see God and live! (Exodus 33:20) Isaiah glimpsed the glory of God and cried, “Woe is me, for I am undone!”

Jesus emptied Himself – that is, He temporarily set aside His divine privileges, prerogatives and attributes – while fully submitting to the will of his Father. He ministered through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord, however, did not empty Himself of His divinity – remaining fully God and fully man. Jesus came to earth, humbling himself by taking on the nature of a servant, while clothing himself in His creation – that is, in human form! Paul tells us in Philippians 2:8 that Jesus was found in “appearance” as a man. The word appearance in Greek is “schema,” also denoting outward form or fashion, nature, manner or character. Humility means to be lowly and to stoop to any measure required. Jesus stooped to the lowest point possible in Roman culture – the brutal and most humiliating experience of public crucifixion. How great is the love of Jesus!

John 15:13-15
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do
what I command.

Jesus, being clothed in human form, was not recognized. He came to His own (the Jewish people) who did not receive Him! Though the Old Testament prophecies clearly pointed to Jesus as the Messiah, His people did not know Him! Yet, creation knew Him and recognized his voice! Amid the storms on the Sea of Galilee, when Jesus spoke to the winds and the waves, they obeyed Him! When Jesus died on the cross, the earth responded with a violent quake! Even devils knew and recognized Jesus, though they shuddered! Sadly, Jesus was rejected by His own!

John 1:10-14
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to
those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of
natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the
One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

May you and your family enjoy the peace, presence and blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ as you celebrate His glorious appearing! Merry Christmas to all!

Pastor Paul