Christmas according to Paul (Part 3)

This is Part 3 of a 4-Part Advent sermon series titled “Christmas according to Paul” preached at Mt. Gilead UMC in Georgetown, KY. The whole worship service is in the link below titled “Sermon Video,” and the sermon begins at minute marker 14:53. For Part 2, click here. For Part 4, click here.

Sermon Video

When Paul talks about Jesus

1. Paul doesn’t say much about the historical Jesus.
   • No virgin birth, no shepherds, no manger, no magi, no miracles, no healings, no exorcisms, no arguments with the Pharisees and Sadducees; none of this in Paul.
   • Paul does not spend his time mulling over what Jesus did when he was alive on earth, save his cross, resurrection, and ascension – the things at the end of Jesus’ life; instead, Paul focused upon what Jesus was doing then in their present, how the Holy Spirit was working in their lives individually and as a community, and he especially focused upon the second advent of Jesus. There was no time to think about the first advent, because it had already happened, and its significance was cosmic—worldwide—and was shaping not only their present time, but it was also shaping their futures as well. And as such, there was a big piece of the story of Jesus yet untold, yet unfolded. And that is where Paul’s focus was upon. As he says in 1 Cor 15:19, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” Paul’s hope was not in this life, nor was it in Jesus’ first coming. Yes, he believed that Christ taking on flesh was important; yes, he believed that Christ dying for the sins of all of humanity was important; yes, he certainly believed that believing in the resurrection of Jesus was the linchpin for all of Christian faith; and yes, he believed that Christ ascended into heaven, was seated at God’s right hand, and was interceding for us. Paul mentions all of those things in his writings to his churches, but what he places the most emphasis upon is the final chapter of the story, how it all ends, where this ship is taking up, the final destination. Over and over again, Paul places the emphasis on the correct syllable, and that emphasis is upon awaiting the coming and return of the risen Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah. For Paul, Messiah had come once in humility; but Messiah was coming again in power, glory, and exaltation. And that future is where Paul places his hope and his heart, and where he lays the focus for himself and his churches.
2. But nevertheless every so often, Paul does make a slight mention of the historical Jesus, and Phil 2 is one of those somewhat rare occasions.
   • But Paul doesn’t simply give us the Christmas story like the Gospel writers, Matthew and Luke, do. In fact, they weren’t even written yet, because Paul wrote most of his letters at least a decade or two before Mark, Matthew, or Luke wrote their Gospels. So Phil 2 is a very early version of what Christmas is and means. And that’s my point about Paul here. He doesn’t just give an historical accounting of Jesus’ birth, instead he highlights the significance and meaning of Jesus’ birth—that Almighty God became a finite, limited, human being born in sinful flesh.
   • So this is one of those “Jesus is God” passages. Sometimes critics want to say that Jesus never claimed himself to be God. Well, that’s simply not true. He does it numerous times in the Gospels, and Paul, who wrote before the Gospels, affirms that as well.
   • But it’s more than just a “Jesus is God” passage. Here, Paul uses Jesus’ example of humility to teach the Philippians how they should treat one another and live better in community. Let’s take a closer look at Paul’s version of Christmas.

Paul on Christmas

1. Verse 3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” And then in verse 5, he says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…”
   • This is Paul’s aim here for the church in Philippi, that they lay down their lives for each other, that they think of others as better than themselves, that they not put their own needs and wants above what others in the community may need and want. They should not look to their own interests, but to the interests of others.
   • Now that’s a pretty difficult thing to accomplish. Part of being human is being self-centered. It’s part of our sinful nature. But Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow him. This isn’t a popular message today. Major corporations, mass media, and even social media make billions of dollars each year off of our own self-centeredness. We buy things that we don’t need. We post things on Facebook that make us look good with that secret little voice inside us that says, “Look at me.” We want the attention. We want followers. We think we’re so great and important. It’s all about me.
   • C. S. Lewis called pride “the great sin.” It is the root of being discontent. He said, “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man” (Mere Christianity, 104). And he says, “As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you” (Mere, 105).
   • And this is what drives so much business today. We humans have a constant need for more and even a “keeping up with the Jones’” mentality. Consumerism and hyper-individualism is the basis of big business today. But the message of Paul, the message of Christmas is a different message; it’s a message of humility and being humble. Jesus the Messiah, who being in very nature God…emptied himself and became a slave—a servant of all—and became a human. That’s not what we hear about other gods and goddesses in the ancient world. They wouldn’t dare condescend to actually become a lowly human. And that’s not what we hear from our celebrities and politicians today. They work hard to make it to the top of humanity, with the mansions and fancy cars and millions and billions of dollars, and while there are some who are generous with their wealth and fame, most aren’t or if they are it is about keeping their persona instead of done out of actual humility. But that is who Jesus is, and Jesus is who Paul calls us to imitate.
2. Jesus humbled himself and submitted to God so much that he “became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (v. 8)
   • And with that point, Paul shifts from Christmas to the cross in verse 8. And thus, he doesn’t dwell on Christmas all that long, nor does he focus on the cross all that long, because in verses 9-11, he focuses upon Jesus’ exaltation and second coming.
   • That’s what Christmas is pointing towards; the first advent points to the second advent. Yes, we remember the baby in the manger—absolutely—but if we are true to the Christmas story, then we must remember where the whole story ends. God didn’t become human and humble himself to die on a cross for the sake of doing those things, he did them as a means to an end, that all shall bend the knee, not just to Jesus at the last day, but to one another in the here and now as together we await the second advent.

III. Application

1. So let’s let Paul’s telling of Christmas impact us the same way that it did the church in Philippi. This week, I encourage you to think about yourself less, though don’t think less of yourself. There’s a fine line between humility and self-hate. But think about yourself less. Put other’s needs before your own.
2. How perhaps have you been selfish recently? Have you put your own needs above the needs of others? How can you be more humble and think of yourself less this week?
3. Christians often define “joy” using an acronym. Put Jesus first, then others, and then yourself. That’s the key to true joy.
   • J = Jesus
   • O = Others
   • Y = Yourself
4. So spread the joy of Christmas this week by having the same attitude as Jesus, who, although he was God, humbled himself to the point of death and self-sacrifice. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:8). May the Holy Spirit give us the grace this week to live as Jesus did with the joy of humility and serving others. Amen.