Philippians 2:5-11 (NIVUK)
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death –
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Last week we looked at the nativity stories in the Gospels. They’re not the only versions of the story in the Bible. There’s another here in Philippians – we used it for an action prayer on Christmas morning. Paul highlights how Christmas is a story of God’s humility, in Christ putting aside his glory and power to ‘become nothing’, the vulnerable child in the manger, and the growing child and adult of the Gospel stories, a human with all the limitations and struggles that we share. Why? Out of obedience to his Father, and out of love for him – and us.
How can we respond but to join the worship of the closing verses and acknowledge that Jesus is Lord!
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