The King of Humility (Christmas Thanksgiving Service)

Today's passage deals with the meaning of the incarnation, in which Jesus Christ laid aside the glory of heaven and came to the lowest place, a stable. It makes clear that this event, in which God humbled himself to deal with human sin and darkness, is more than a birthday celebration: it is a core step of salvation that leads on to the death of the cross and the resurrection.

The sermon emphasises that Jesus became a vessel able to embrace all humanity. It also points out that believers must not keep the light of life they have received shut up around themselves, but set it on a lampstand for the sake of weaker brothers and sisters. In contrast with the world's logic of power, it paints a picture of a church that follows Christ's humility and service, building up and protecting one another.

It helps us realise that Christmas is not simply a holiday but a day to follow the pattern of the kingdom God has brought about on this earth. Remembering Jesus' sacrificial love, what resolution must we make to live as mature believers who hold high the light of life in a dark world?