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Love Is Not Arrogant

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 & 2 Corinthians 8:8-11

I. Jesus came down at Christmas and gave away His riches for you.

A. We see the Apostle Paul discuss how Jesus gave Himself away at Christmas in 2 Cor. 8:9. We know that Jesus is a giver because Paul speaks about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is an undeserved gift. And Paul begins to talk about the undeserved, generous gift that Jesus gave to us by speaking of Jesus’ riches. Jesus was rich. Before he was born in Bethlehem, Jesus was enjoying being rich in heaven.

B. Jesus was seated on a throne of glory ruling the world as God the Son. He was praised by millions of angels all the time. And Jesus was rich in love. He shared in a perfect loving relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. There was no one richer than Jesus in heaven. But Jesus surrendered all the signs of His royal majesty and glory as God in order to take on all of the weakness and frailty that comes with being a human being on earth. Why? Love.

II. Jesus came down at Christmas and became poor for you.

A. When Paul says that Jesus became poor, he is noy talking about money. Just like Paul was speaking about Jesus’ spiritual riches in heaven before Christ became a man, Paul was speaking about Jesus becoming spiritually poor after he came to earth. How did Jesus become spiritually poor? Jesus never had the limitations of a human body before coming to earth. And by leaving heaven Jesus had to come into a world that is broken by sin and injustice and evil.

B. And when Jesus came to earth, he had to leave his status as king and become a servant. We see this in Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus then became poor spiritually when he came to earth. Jesus chose to exchange his royal status as an eternal inhabitant of heaven for a slave’s status as a temporary resident on earth.

III. Jesus came down at Christmas and made you rich.

A. The riches Jesus gives you do not have to do with money and material goods. They are spiritual riches. Because of your faith in Christ, you are forgiven for all your sins. You owe no debt to God. And because you are a Christian, you have a right relationship with the God who rules the universe. And because you are a Christian, you are rich because you have the Holy Spirit living in you. Jesus made a trade with you. 2 Cor 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1) What is the connection between being a humble person and a giving person? And what is the connection between being arrogant and being a taker? In what ways was Jesus rich before He became a child in Mary’s womb?

2) How did Jesus become poor in coming to earth? How do we see His poverty especially in the crucifixion? What did He give up?

3) In what ways has Jesus made you spiritually rich? How are you going to be even richer as a Christian in the years to come?