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Philippians 2:7 - A Day of Great Joy

Philippians 2:7 (NLT) Instead, he gave up 
his divine privileges; he took the humble 
position of a slave and was born as a human being.  

COMMENTARY PEARL

   Its ironic that sometimes in all the 
busyness of Christmas, we can be ready for the season 
to be over. The theme of Christmas is joy. 
Thats certainly what we find in the pages of the 
Bible. 
   Part of the problem is that we try to 
find joy and happiness in Christmas when we 
really need to find joy and happiness in Christ. 
There is a big difference. 
   Many of us have read the Christmas story 
so many times that we might even have memorized 
it. Its very familiar. And because of that, 
we can easily skip over it and not think about 
what it means. 
   Luke, who penned the Gospel that bears 
his name, was very meticulous in his reporting. 
He was a stickler for detail. He wanted to give 
us facts so we could pinpoint this event in 
human time. Thus, he mentioned the fact that 
Caesar Augustus gave the decree for a census and 
that Quirinius was in power as well (see Luke 
2:1-2). 
   We know a little bit about these men from 
history. Caesar Augustus was the great nephew of 
Julius Caesar. He was a born fighter who had clawed 
his way into power by defeating Antony and 
Cleopatra. Then through considerable genius and force, 
he gave the Roman Empire a solidity that lasted 
for centuries. It was also this Caesar who was 
the first to take on the title of Augustus, 
which means of the gods or the holy and 
revered one. 
   Interestingly, an inscription was found 
dating to the time of Caesar Augustus that 
described him as the savior of the world. That is how 
Caesar saw himself. 
   Therefore, its especially interesting 
when we come to Luke 2:10-12, which says, I 
bring you good news that will bring great joy to 
all people. The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the 
Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city 
of David! And you will recognize him by this 
sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in 
strips of cloth, lying in a manger (NLT). 
   Essentially the angel, with this 
announcement to the shepherds, was saying, Dont 
look to the palace of Rome for the Savior of the 
world. Look to the manger in Bethlehem. Dont 
look at that self-proclaimed god in Rome. Look at 
that baby wrapped in swaddling cloths. There is 
the Savior of the world! 
When we look at the life of Jesus and the 
Incarnation, we see that it isnt a rags-to-riches 
story; its a riches-to-rags story. Jesus gave up 
everything for us. 
   The first sensation on the tender skin of 
the baby Jesus would have been the rough, torn 
cloth in which He was wrapped. The Son of God, 
with tiny human ears, would have heard the 
munching of hay by an ox or a donkey. What a rude 
awakening. 
   Yet this was the sacrifice that He made 
for us. It was the ultimate gift to humanity. 
And what we must not lose sight of is that 
Christmas is all about joy - because a Savior has been 
born. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Philippians 2:7 - God among Us.

https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20221218-1024.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

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