“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” Muhammad Ali
“I’m not arrogant, I’m just better than you.” Conor McGregor
“The only time I’m not winning is when I’m not playing.” Tiger Woods
“I am the punishment of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan
“I don’t compare myself with anybody, but nobody is better.” Michael Jordan
“They say the sky’s the limit, but I think my potential is beyond it.” Jay-Z
“I won’t be happy until I’m as famous as God” Madonna
“I won’t be a rock star. I will be a legend.” Freddie Mercury
“We’re more popular than Jesus now.” John Lennon
We tend to expect that greatest among us are also some of the most arrogant. And why wouldn’t they be? For many who make it to the top of their field, we can see how that arrogance can be a driving force for their greatness.
The arrogance of the gods
The ancients expected the same from their gods. Look across the ancient world and we meet gods with massive egos, matched possibly only by their lust. Let’s take a little tour:
The Greek gods:
"Do you not see how my lightning cuts through the heavens? Defy me, and I shall show you what it means to anger the king of gods." Zeus
"I am the light of the world; without me, there would be no music, no healing, no prophecy. Mortals owe their very inspiration to me." Apollo
The Norse gods:
"I sacrificed an eye for wisdom and hung upon the tree of life. Who among gods or men can claim the knowledge I possess?" Odin
"None can lift Mjölnir but me! My strength is unmatched across the nine realms, and my enemies tremble at my name." Thor
The Hindu gods
"I am the king of the heavens and the lord of storms. None can rival my thunderbolt or challenge my reign over the cosmos." Indra
"I have conquered the gods themselves and taken their celestial realms. What can mere mortals or exiled princes do to me?" Ravana
The Egyptian gods
"I am the sun, the giver of life, and the ruler of all. Without my light, the world would descend into chaos and darkness." Ra
"I am the storm that tears through the desert, the chaos that challenges the weak. None can bind me, for I am untamed and unstoppable." Set
The Roman gods
"I hold the thunderbolt, the symbol of supreme authority. Mortals and gods alike bow to my will." Jupiter
"War is my domain, and victory is my gift to those who worship me. None can surpass my might on the battlefield." Mars
Other gods
"From me, the islands of Japan were born. My divine essence shapes the very land you walk upon." Izanagi (Japanese)
"I bring the rains that nourish your crops and the storms that drown your fields. Worship me, for your lives depend on my favor." Tlāloc (Aztec)
"I defeated the chaos monster Tiamat and shaped the world from her remains. I am the architect of creation, the supreme ruler of the universe." Marduk (Mesopotamian)
The humility of the Christ
Hear, then, the stark contrast of the Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Paul reflects on his humility in his incarnation,
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:5-8)
In the incarnation, God stoops down to our level, condescending to demonstrate his great love.
And unfathomably this Son of God comes not from a polytheistic tradition, but from the most ancient monotheistic religion in the world: Judaism. The theology of the incarnation dares to assert that in the incarnation God did not compromise his majesty, but revealed his humility and love by becoming one of us.
In the incarnation, the Son of God emptied himself of his divine attributes, constraining his divinity for our sake. And somehow, in so doing, revealed himself as even more glorious in his humility. John Calvin says, “Here is something marvelous: the Son of God descended from heaven in such a way that, without leaving heaven, He willed to be born in the virgin’s womb, to go about the earth, and to hang upon the cross; yet He continually filled the world even as He had done from the beginning” (Institutes of the Christian Religion, II.xiii.4).
There were breadcrumbs along the way in God’s revelation of himself to his people. He dines with Abraham, wrestles Jacob, calls Gideon, speaks in a whisper to Elijah, and walked in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedegno. And he promised one who would come and be suffering servant for his people.
Who has believed what he has heard from us?[a]
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected[b] by men,
a man of sorrows[c] and acquainted with[d] grief;[e]
and as one from whom men hide their faces[f]
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed. (Is 53:1-5)
Who could have imagined this suffering servant would be God himself? And yet, in retrospect, how could it have been anyone else? God lowered himself time and time again for the good of his people.
You probably don’t have an affinity for those who are arrogant in your life. I struggle to have mercy on those whose egos are outsized. Isn’t it amazing that the one true God isn’t like that? And doesn’t that make your affections for him grow even warmer?
The manger reminds us that our God is a humble God: approachable, compassionate, and merciful. He always has been and he will be into eternity.
You May Also Appreciate:
The Theology of Christmas
Part 1: The Theology of the Manger
Part 2: Just and the Justifier
Part 4: The Faithfulness of God of the Manger
Photo by Max Harlynking on Unsplash