“Away in my mansion – HD TV on the wall next to my bed.”
“Oh come all mall shoppers – I know where the best deals are”
“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire--aren’t you glad I made them, I’m a good cook.”
“Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas…you get to spend time with me.”
“Oh come all mall shoppers – I know where the best deals are”
“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire--aren’t you glad I made them, I’m a good cook.”
“Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas…you get to spend time with me.”
That’s not exactly how those holiday classics go, is it?
Yet it is so easy for that to be our mindset over Christmas. For Christmas, to be all about me. Today God’s Word teaches us to do something to combat that. It’s our second must do this Christmas. Today God’s Word tells us to “Be Humble.”
Before we head into God’s Word, let’s discuss six Pride Pitfalls to watch out for this Christmas:
1) Best Decorator. Ornaments, lights, those glass house sets that you put on your counter with cotton balls spread throughout the village to create the perfect Christmas scene are all nice. It’s fine to decorate to remember Jesus and have fun. But when your Christmas decorating becomes all about “I can’t wait to hear people compliment how good my house looks,” and "I can’t wait to hear my next door neighbors complain that my house looks so much better than theirs." There’s a problem. Your head might explode like a broken Christmas light. Watch out for the pride pitfall.
2) Top Chef. Gingerbread man. Pfeffernuts. The little pretzels dipped in white chocolate that have green and red M&Ms attached to them to look like wreaths. If you make them because you like them, fine. If you make them because your kids like them, fine. If you make them because you like the way that people say they like them, there’s a problem. Watch out for the pride pitfall!
3) Maximum Deal Getter. Clippin Coupons, getting up early in the morning, beating the crowds to the door is hard work. And that work should not go unappreciated, right? So, if this is you, you “forget” to take the final price tag off of that cashmere sweater. More exciting than watching someone open your gift is getting to tell them, “I got it ½ off and barely spent any money on you.” Watch out for the pride pitfall.
4) Top Family Member. It’s kind of a combo of all the rest. This kind of pride wants to be the best gift giver in the family. It’s his goal that everyone wishes that "She had my name for Christmas.” They’re the life of the party and bring the best cookies. This pride doesn’t just want to hang out with family; it wants family to hang out with them! Watch out for the pride pitfall!
5) Grinchiest. Sounds strange. But don’t kid yourself. This is a thing. If you aren’t good at any of the other Christmas activities, you might take pride in the fact that you don’t participate in secular Christmas. You say things like “I don’t shop for Christmas that’s too commercial.” “I don’t make cookies, it’s too gluttonous.” “I don’t worry about presents, it’s too greedy.” But you say these things, not because you believe, but because you like to see people look at you with that “Wow, I’m impressed with how well you have Christmas figured out” look on their face. Watch out for the pride pitfall!
6) Most Religious. This doesn’t sound bad does it? You always have Jesus on your Christmas cards. You make other parents know that you don’t do Santa Claus. You make sure you are in attendance for every single church Christmas event. But…if you do these things, not to focus on your Savior, but to focus on how awesome you are at focusing on your Savior - you’re in danger. Watch out for the pride pitfall!
As Christmas approaches, pride pitfalls are everywhere. This was true even as the first Christmas approached. There is no better example of this than Mary, the mother of Jesus. Here’s her story:
*********************************************************************************************************
Mary was a young girl. 16-17 years old. She was engaged. I imagine she was doing what many other brides do when they are engaged, constantly thinking about he wedding day. Considering what kind of flowers to get, what style of music to play, and whether to serve Chicken Cordon Bleu or Prime Rib.
Then, Scripture tells us that her plans were totally changed. An angel came to her. The same angel that we met last week named Gabriel. He said to her, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
30 The angel “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Mary asked, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God…For no word from God will ever fail.”
Think about what the angel is telling her. This is amazing news. Incredible. It’s news that have caused many to have a false perception of Mary. It’s news that could have easily led Mary herself into a false perception of herself—a pride pitfall. Think about three big things the angel was telling her:
1) “You are highly favored.”
Mary could have easily made that all about her. She could have turned into a teenage Mean Girl. “I earned it! I earned it! I am better than all those girls who couldn’t wait until marriage to have sex. And I’m even better than all those girls who waited just like me. I must have earned God’s favor with my lifestyle.”
She may have even taken the Catholic church’s approach to her and assumed, “I must be holy. I must be the only holy, sinless human being on the face of the earth! God must be thankful for me!”
2) “The power of the Most high will overshadow you.”
This is something that not just anyone gets promised. Mary could have thought, "There's something innate in me to be able to handle this. I must be The One. I must be a special level of godly to be given such a job. And with God's power on my side, I’ll yield it like a magic wand. I’ll get all of my wedding preparations done just how I want. I’ll get the perfect iced swan at the entrance to the reception. I’ll go ahead and use God’s power to wish myself a million dollar dream home on the Galilean Seaside!”
3) “The Holy One to be born will be the Son of God.”
Remember Mary's a teenager. Perhaps the teenage girl gossip was giggly and excited when "I heard that rich tax collector was looking for a wife. And I think the Rabbi's dreamy son was trying to get my attention the other day. How wonderful it would be to get selected by one of these finer men in society."
Mary? She was chosen by God. To have the special privilege to bear his one and only Son.
Wouldn’t it be easy to get a big head from that news?
But Mary’s reaction is much different.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”
********************************************************************************************************
How? How do you think Mary kept such a humble approach to these incredible words? Listen again to God’s Word. Because the truths that kept Mary humble are what will keep you humble too:
1. Favor Came from God.
Rather than focusing on the fact that she had received favor and making it into something that she earned, Mary must have focused on where that favor came from in the first place. It came from God.
Take a look at how she reacts when she first sees the angel. She’s troubled. “What could he—a messenger of God – have to say to her—a young girl? Was he here to bring news against her? Did the angel know her lust for Joseph before they were married? Did the angel know her greedy desire for a bigger home? Did the angel know her fear that maybe God wouldn’t be able to provide for her through this lowly carpenter?”
Throughout her reaction, you can see her humility. She’s frightened at the sign of the angel. She knows she is nothing compared to God. She’s knows she is a sinner.
This is why she’s so thankful for this favor from God.
It’s like opening up a present, finding a nice charm bracelet and saying, “Thank you. You didn’t have to.” That’s how it should be because whoever gave it to you, didn’t have to. You didn’t earn a gift. You can’t earn a gift. That’s what makes it a gift! If you said, “You should have done this long ago, I earned it,” you’ve got the wrong attitude about the gift.
God didn’t have to grant Mary favor and he didn’t have to grant us favor either. He didn’t have to send his Son. He didn’t have to make his Son the Savior. He didn’t have to live a perfect life amidst the sadness of this world. He didn’t have to suffer terrible physical pain at the hands of men. He didn’t have to die!
But God did it anyway. He bestowed his favor on you. He bestowed his son. He grants you forgiveness, peace, and love because of his forgiveness, peace, and love!
2. Jesus = He Saves!
The second truth is in the name of our own Son. His name was to be Jesus. Jesus literally means “He saves.” As Mary realizes just what this angel was saying to her, she would have realized just who this Jesus was. Her own Savior. Jesus doesn’t mean “Savior of everyone else besides Mary,” it means “Savior.” Savior of all who believe in him.
Don’t let Christmas pride fall in the way of trusting this Savior. Ignore the urge to think, “I don’t need a Savior. I’m pretty good at celebrating Christmas. I’m giving away lots of presents. God will be proud of me for all my good deeds and he’ll let me into heaven based on those too.”
If you believe that, you’re falling into the pit of pride! A pit that eventually turns into an eternal pit.
Trust in Jesus. He’s your Savior too. The Christmas drunkenness, the petty squabble with relatives, the selfishness, the greed for more presents, and lusts for coworkers of the opposite or same sex, these are all sins! You struggle to stop them. You can’t escape the guilt they bring. You can’t escape the eternal death it brings.
You need a Savior. And you have one. It’s Mary’s son. It’s God’s Son. It’s Jesus. It’s “He Saves.”
3. This Event was All God.
As Scripture says, “The power of the Most high will overshadow you and the Holy Spirit would come upon you.” Remember: Mary was a virgin. She hadn’t slept with anyone, ever. It was literally impossible for her to have a child – especially before the days of test tube science – which by the way, still involves two people.
Not Mary. She didn’t have to get married right then and there. She didn’t have to seduce Joseph. She didn’t have to do anything. God did it all! Jesus was her Son was all God.
4. Christmas and the Salvation that comes from it…Is All God too!
Jesus as your Savior is all God too!
Don’t think, “I’ve earned God’s love because I am better at Christmas than others or at least I don’t go overboard on the alcohol like Aunt Betty."
Forgiveness is all God! Christmas is all God! Eternal life is all God! Your stay in heaven is all God! Your peace right now is all God!
It’s all God and he did, just as God does, he accomplished your salvation for you perfectly! Just as he absolutely and completely accomplished Mary having a baby though she was a virgin – so God will completely and accomplished your salvation though you are a sinner!
May your Word to us be fulfilled O Lord!
********************************************************************************************************
And that’s it. The end of their conversation. After Mary says those final words, the angel leaves. Mary quietly reflects on the award God has just given to her—a poor, miserable sinner.
But she doesn’t leave sad. She leaves uplifted. Uplifted because when she humbled herself, God lifted her up. He promised her his blessing, a Savior, and his presence.
It’ll be the same with you. As soon as you stop chasing after Christmas superlatives and humble yourself before God, admitting that you too are a sinner in need of a Savior, God will lift you up. He’ll give you a new superlative – an award we all share -- Most Undeserving of God’s Grace, but Getting it Anyways.
May your Word to us be fulfilled O Lord! Amen. All God’s people say, “Amen!” AMEN!
Yet it is so easy for that to be our mindset over Christmas. For Christmas, to be all about me. Today God’s Word teaches us to do something to combat that. It’s our second must do this Christmas. Today God’s Word tells us to “Be Humble.”
Before we head into God’s Word, let’s discuss six Pride Pitfalls to watch out for this Christmas:
1) Best Decorator. Ornaments, lights, those glass house sets that you put on your counter with cotton balls spread throughout the village to create the perfect Christmas scene are all nice. It’s fine to decorate to remember Jesus and have fun. But when your Christmas decorating becomes all about “I can’t wait to hear people compliment how good my house looks,” and "I can’t wait to hear my next door neighbors complain that my house looks so much better than theirs." There’s a problem. Your head might explode like a broken Christmas light. Watch out for the pride pitfall.
2) Top Chef. Gingerbread man. Pfeffernuts. The little pretzels dipped in white chocolate that have green and red M&Ms attached to them to look like wreaths. If you make them because you like them, fine. If you make them because your kids like them, fine. If you make them because you like the way that people say they like them, there’s a problem. Watch out for the pride pitfall!
3) Maximum Deal Getter. Clippin Coupons, getting up early in the morning, beating the crowds to the door is hard work. And that work should not go unappreciated, right? So, if this is you, you “forget” to take the final price tag off of that cashmere sweater. More exciting than watching someone open your gift is getting to tell them, “I got it ½ off and barely spent any money on you.” Watch out for the pride pitfall.
4) Top Family Member. It’s kind of a combo of all the rest. This kind of pride wants to be the best gift giver in the family. It’s his goal that everyone wishes that "She had my name for Christmas.” They’re the life of the party and bring the best cookies. This pride doesn’t just want to hang out with family; it wants family to hang out with them! Watch out for the pride pitfall!
5) Grinchiest. Sounds strange. But don’t kid yourself. This is a thing. If you aren’t good at any of the other Christmas activities, you might take pride in the fact that you don’t participate in secular Christmas. You say things like “I don’t shop for Christmas that’s too commercial.” “I don’t make cookies, it’s too gluttonous.” “I don’t worry about presents, it’s too greedy.” But you say these things, not because you believe, but because you like to see people look at you with that “Wow, I’m impressed with how well you have Christmas figured out” look on their face. Watch out for the pride pitfall!
6) Most Religious. This doesn’t sound bad does it? You always have Jesus on your Christmas cards. You make other parents know that you don’t do Santa Claus. You make sure you are in attendance for every single church Christmas event. But…if you do these things, not to focus on your Savior, but to focus on how awesome you are at focusing on your Savior - you’re in danger. Watch out for the pride pitfall!
As Christmas approaches, pride pitfalls are everywhere. This was true even as the first Christmas approached. There is no better example of this than Mary, the mother of Jesus. Here’s her story:
*********************************************************************************************************
Mary was a young girl. 16-17 years old. She was engaged. I imagine she was doing what many other brides do when they are engaged, constantly thinking about he wedding day. Considering what kind of flowers to get, what style of music to play, and whether to serve Chicken Cordon Bleu or Prime Rib.
Then, Scripture tells us that her plans were totally changed. An angel came to her. The same angel that we met last week named Gabriel. He said to her, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
30 The angel “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Mary asked, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God…For no word from God will ever fail.”
Think about what the angel is telling her. This is amazing news. Incredible. It’s news that have caused many to have a false perception of Mary. It’s news that could have easily led Mary herself into a false perception of herself—a pride pitfall. Think about three big things the angel was telling her:
1) “You are highly favored.”
Mary could have easily made that all about her. She could have turned into a teenage Mean Girl. “I earned it! I earned it! I am better than all those girls who couldn’t wait until marriage to have sex. And I’m even better than all those girls who waited just like me. I must have earned God’s favor with my lifestyle.”
She may have even taken the Catholic church’s approach to her and assumed, “I must be holy. I must be the only holy, sinless human being on the face of the earth! God must be thankful for me!”
2) “The power of the Most high will overshadow you.”
This is something that not just anyone gets promised. Mary could have thought, "There's something innate in me to be able to handle this. I must be The One. I must be a special level of godly to be given such a job. And with God's power on my side, I’ll yield it like a magic wand. I’ll get all of my wedding preparations done just how I want. I’ll get the perfect iced swan at the entrance to the reception. I’ll go ahead and use God’s power to wish myself a million dollar dream home on the Galilean Seaside!”
3) “The Holy One to be born will be the Son of God.”
Remember Mary's a teenager. Perhaps the teenage girl gossip was giggly and excited when "I heard that rich tax collector was looking for a wife. And I think the Rabbi's dreamy son was trying to get my attention the other day. How wonderful it would be to get selected by one of these finer men in society."
Mary? She was chosen by God. To have the special privilege to bear his one and only Son.
Wouldn’t it be easy to get a big head from that news?
But Mary’s reaction is much different.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”
********************************************************************************************************
How? How do you think Mary kept such a humble approach to these incredible words? Listen again to God’s Word. Because the truths that kept Mary humble are what will keep you humble too:
1. Favor Came from God.
Rather than focusing on the fact that she had received favor and making it into something that she earned, Mary must have focused on where that favor came from in the first place. It came from God.
Take a look at how she reacts when she first sees the angel. She’s troubled. “What could he—a messenger of God – have to say to her—a young girl? Was he here to bring news against her? Did the angel know her lust for Joseph before they were married? Did the angel know her greedy desire for a bigger home? Did the angel know her fear that maybe God wouldn’t be able to provide for her through this lowly carpenter?”
Throughout her reaction, you can see her humility. She’s frightened at the sign of the angel. She knows she is nothing compared to God. She’s knows she is a sinner.
This is why she’s so thankful for this favor from God.
It’s like opening up a present, finding a nice charm bracelet and saying, “Thank you. You didn’t have to.” That’s how it should be because whoever gave it to you, didn’t have to. You didn’t earn a gift. You can’t earn a gift. That’s what makes it a gift! If you said, “You should have done this long ago, I earned it,” you’ve got the wrong attitude about the gift.
God didn’t have to grant Mary favor and he didn’t have to grant us favor either. He didn’t have to send his Son. He didn’t have to make his Son the Savior. He didn’t have to live a perfect life amidst the sadness of this world. He didn’t have to suffer terrible physical pain at the hands of men. He didn’t have to die!
But God did it anyway. He bestowed his favor on you. He bestowed his son. He grants you forgiveness, peace, and love because of his forgiveness, peace, and love!
2. Jesus = He Saves!
The second truth is in the name of our own Son. His name was to be Jesus. Jesus literally means “He saves.” As Mary realizes just what this angel was saying to her, she would have realized just who this Jesus was. Her own Savior. Jesus doesn’t mean “Savior of everyone else besides Mary,” it means “Savior.” Savior of all who believe in him.
Don’t let Christmas pride fall in the way of trusting this Savior. Ignore the urge to think, “I don’t need a Savior. I’m pretty good at celebrating Christmas. I’m giving away lots of presents. God will be proud of me for all my good deeds and he’ll let me into heaven based on those too.”
If you believe that, you’re falling into the pit of pride! A pit that eventually turns into an eternal pit.
Trust in Jesus. He’s your Savior too. The Christmas drunkenness, the petty squabble with relatives, the selfishness, the greed for more presents, and lusts for coworkers of the opposite or same sex, these are all sins! You struggle to stop them. You can’t escape the guilt they bring. You can’t escape the eternal death it brings.
You need a Savior. And you have one. It’s Mary’s son. It’s God’s Son. It’s Jesus. It’s “He Saves.”
3. This Event was All God.
As Scripture says, “The power of the Most high will overshadow you and the Holy Spirit would come upon you.” Remember: Mary was a virgin. She hadn’t slept with anyone, ever. It was literally impossible for her to have a child – especially before the days of test tube science – which by the way, still involves two people.
Not Mary. She didn’t have to get married right then and there. She didn’t have to seduce Joseph. She didn’t have to do anything. God did it all! Jesus was her Son was all God.
4. Christmas and the Salvation that comes from it…Is All God too!
Jesus as your Savior is all God too!
Don’t think, “I’ve earned God’s love because I am better at Christmas than others or at least I don’t go overboard on the alcohol like Aunt Betty."
Forgiveness is all God! Christmas is all God! Eternal life is all God! Your stay in heaven is all God! Your peace right now is all God!
It’s all God and he did, just as God does, he accomplished your salvation for you perfectly! Just as he absolutely and completely accomplished Mary having a baby though she was a virgin – so God will completely and accomplished your salvation though you are a sinner!
May your Word to us be fulfilled O Lord!
********************************************************************************************************
And that’s it. The end of their conversation. After Mary says those final words, the angel leaves. Mary quietly reflects on the award God has just given to her—a poor, miserable sinner.
But she doesn’t leave sad. She leaves uplifted. Uplifted because when she humbled herself, God lifted her up. He promised her his blessing, a Savior, and his presence.
It’ll be the same with you. As soon as you stop chasing after Christmas superlatives and humble yourself before God, admitting that you too are a sinner in need of a Savior, God will lift you up. He’ll give you a new superlative – an award we all share -- Most Undeserving of God’s Grace, but Getting it Anyways.
May your Word to us be fulfilled O Lord! Amen. All God’s people say, “Amen!” AMEN!
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