Series Details
Thinking deeply at Christmas can be difficult. Shopping for presents, decorating the tree with tinsel, family get-togethers, and holiday parties sometimes crowd out the real meaning behind Christmas.
Probing Deeper Into the Incarnation will remind you that before Mary placed baby Jesus in the manger, He existed in heaven with God the Father and God the Spirit. The Son of God became a man and eventually gave up His own life to prove His love for you—and to make it possible for you to love Him in return.
The hustle and bustle of Christmas—shopping, decorating, and parties—can easily crowd out the theological depth of the season. In this holiday message, Pastor Chuck Swindoll encourages us to look beyond the manger and the baby to the profound reality of the Incarnation. By exploring the eternal existence and voluntary humility of Jesus Christ, this message recenters our hearts on the sacrifice that made our reconciliation with God possible.
1. Probing Deeper Into the Incarnation (Philippians 2:6–11)
- Overview: Explores the “pre-existence” of Jesus, reminding us that He was with the Father and the Spirit long before His birth in Bethlehem. Chuck details the process of kenosis—the voluntary emptying of His divine prerogatives to take on the form of a servant.
- Key Fact: The Incarnation is the ultimate demonstration of God’s love; the Creator became a creature so that the creature could be reconciled to the Creator.
- Scripture: Philippians 2:7 – “…but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”
