December 6, 2023
Topic: THE BIRTH OF JESUS: LESSON IN HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE -Emmanuel God with us”
Text: Matthew 1: 18-25
Memory Verse: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (Matthew 1: 23 NIV)
When we imagine the significance and great importance of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and the “simple” way in which God brought this about in an undesirable environment of a cattle pen, in a manger devoid of any complex protocols, we can better understand what humility entails. In a place that had no guards, no security, open and accessible to everyone.
A definition of humility is giving up our own privileges to serve those who have less than us or may be lower in status. The birth of Jesus was in fulfillment of a prophesy hundreds of years before in Isaiah 7: 14 where it says “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”.
In 1 John 4: 7-11, the bible says “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God; Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another”.
Jesus out of His great love for us subjected himself to coming down to our level, devoid of any privileges and lived a simple open life teaching and exemplifying God amongst us. When we imagine that the one in whom all things consist (Col 1:15-17) came down to our level, we can all but simply empty ourselves of pride and live in obedience to him
Consider this:
Are we selective in carrying out the great commission and spreading the gospel? If Jesus left heaven to come and save me, how am I prepared to leave my comfort zone in spreading the gospel?
Prayer: Precious Lord, please strengthen my resolve to be ready to share your gospel with all men and consider less my personal comfort in doing so.