On a night
in lowly Bethlehem
Mary gave birth,
not in the ornate
nursery of a palace,
not in the home
of an influential family,
not in anywhere
you would want
your baby to be born.
This was not any
baby.
This was the promised
Messiah,
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace,
Son of Man,
Son of God,
Sacrificial Lamb,
the Way,
the Truth,
the Life,
the Redeemer,
the Hope of Humanity,
the Savior,
Jesus.
His humble birth
predicts the nature of
his life.
His humiliation
rescues us from our
self-exaltation.
His humiliation
is our salvation.
His humiliation
purchased our final
exaltation.
He left splendor
so we would live in
splendor forever.
Humble birth,
humble life,
humble death:
this is the story of
grace.
Christmas is a story of kingdoms at war—the kingdom of God and the kingdom of self. That battle still rages on the turf of your heart today, fighting for control of your soul. There will never be a truce, and no demilitarized zone exists in any area of life.
These two kingdoms cannot live in peace with one another. Each kingdom demands your loyalty and your worship. Both kingdoms promise you life, but only one can deliver. One leads you to the King of kings, while the other sets you up as king.
Jesus came to earth as a king to dethrone all other rulers and set up his grace-infused, life-giving reign in our hearts. He came to free us from our bondage to our self-serving kingdom purposes and invite us to an eternal kingdom.
Remind yourself this Christmas that there is a King, but it is not you. Tell yourself that there’s a kingdom that will protect and satisfy your heart, but it is not yours.
Remind yourself this Christmas that the kingdom of God is gorgeous from every perspective, but it doesn’t always look that way to our sin-glazed eyes. The little kingdom of self can be deceptive and dark and, at times, appears beautiful and life-giving.
Remind yourself this Christmas that you have been given the most amazing gift—a Kingdom. The price of that gift was the suffering and death of the King. By grace, he conquered death to establish his rule in your heart.
Today, he reigns on your behalf and will continue to do so until the last enemy of your soul and his kingdom has been defeated. Then he will invite you into the final kingdom, where peace and righteousness will reign forever and ever.
This is the narrative of Christmas. The story of the birth of the Savior King is now your biography.
Why would you ever want to return to the delusional deception of the kingdom of self?
May the words of this classic hymn, Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne, sink into your heart in a new way today. And may they help you to find rest, satisfaction, and joyful submission in King Jesus!
Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne
Lyrics by E.S. Elliot, 1864
Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,
And in great humility.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
In the shade of the forest tree;
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
Thou camest, O Lord, with the living word
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn, and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
When the heavens shall ring, and the angels sing,
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee.”
My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
When Thou comest and callest for me.
God bless,
Paul David Tripp
Reflection Questions
1. Why are the kingdom of God and the kingdom of self at war with one another all the time in your heart? How has the kingdom of self promised you life? What specific things has it promised you that have ultimately failed in bringing that life? Why is being the king of your own life a destructive thing, not a good thing?
2. Why might the kingdom of God be something that we find so difficult to cultivate in our lives? Why do you think we choose the kingdom of self over the kingdom of God so often in our daily lives? Why might seeing the truth of God’s kingdom for what it actually is be the key to rejecting the kingdom of self?
3. Why is the kingdom of God your true home? How did it become your home? Why is the story of the birth of the Savior King now your biography? Why is it delusional deception to pursue the kingdom of self when we know our true home is the kingdom of God?
4. Re-read or maybe even sing the hymn Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne, and reflect on the word “my” when it comes across the page. Remind yourself that Jesus left his throne for you in order that you might have a home with him in his kingdom for all eternity. Now pray that you would find rest, satisfaction, and joyful submission to King Jesus in any and every part of your life.
