As Little Children
A Sermon on Luke 2:7
Originally preached Dec. 25, 1962
Scripture
7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Sermon Description
The Christmas message as found in Holy Scripture is full of mystery. As one meditates on the true meaning of Christmas, one wonders why the eternal Son of God came in the particular way He did. Why was He born of a virgin? Why was He not born in a palace? Why did the Son of God live such a humble existence on earth as a carpenter? In this sermon on Luke 2:7 titled “As Little Children,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explores these questions in this thought-provoking Christmas message. He reminds the listener that the manner in which the Son of God came to earth stands in direct opposition to the pride, pomp, and outward show of fallen humanity. Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that the coming of the Son of God condemns the world. It condemns the world in how it evaluates greatness, in its belief in wealth, and belief in itself. But, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the Son of God coming to the world offers hope to the world. Although Christ comes in an entirely different manner than the world might expect, He comes to point to the way of salvation. He shows the world the necessity of becoming humble, so that God will become powerful in His children’s lives.
Sermon Breakdown
- The significance of Christmas is that God became flesh through Jesus Christ. We must fight to preserve the true meaning of Christmas.
- The devil tries to distort the meaning of Christmas. We must remember we celebrate Jesus, the Word made flesh.
- Jesus' birth was the crucial moment in God's salvation plan. God sent Jesus to redeem us.
- Jesus' birth condemns humanity's hopeless and helpless state due to sin. His birth shows we need a savior.
- Jesus' humble birth condemns our pride in humanity and belief we can solve our own problems.
- Jesus' birth condemns our belief in outward appearances, splendor and materialism. True greatness is spiritual, not material.
- Jesus' birth condemns our belief in wealth and money as power. He was born into poverty.
- Jesus' birth condemns our belief in strength, might and power. He came as a helpless baby.
- Jesus' birth condemns our belief in human wisdom and philosophy. He was a carpenter, not an academic.
- Jesus' birth teaches us God's ways are not our ways. We must think spiritually, not materially.
- Jesus' birth teaches us outward appearances don't matter, the heart and spirit do.
- Jesus' birth teaches us material values don't matter, spiritual values do.
- Jesus' birth teaches us time doesn't matter, eternity does.
- Jesus' birth teaches us our weakness doesn't matter, God's power does. Salvation is through faith in Christ, not our own efforts.
- Jesus' birth teaches us our relationship with God is most important, not our circumstances. We must seek first God's kingdom.
- To enter God's kingdom, we must become as children, be born again, abandon pride in self and trust in God. We will then become God's heirs.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Christmas Sermon
Why did Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones believe Christians need to fight for the true meaning of Christmas?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christians need to fight for the true meaning of Christmas because "the world instigated by the devil tries to take hold of everything that we have and to pollute it, prostitute it, and to turn it to its own ends and objects and purposes." He emphasized that we must remember we are celebrating that "the word was made flesh and dwelt among us" and "the mystery of godliness," not merely a holiday spirit. He specifically rejects the concept of a "Christmas spirit," saying, "There is no such thing as the Christmas spirit. There is the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Christ, the spirit of God."
What did Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the significance of Christ being born in humble circumstances?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones taught that Christ's birth in humble circumstances (in a stable, to a poor family) was a deliberate divine condemnation of human pride and worldly values. He explained that Jesus could have been born in a palace with pomp and splendor, but instead came in poverty to condemn "our fatal belief in outward show and pump and splendor." The humble birth condemned the world's worship of wealth, power, and human wisdom. Lloyd-Jones stated, "The very way in which he came is a condemnation of the things that the world values most of all. The thing in which it takes pride, the things after which it lusts."
How did Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast the world's view of salvation with God's plan of salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrasted the world's belief in human progress and self-improvement with God's plan of salvation through Christ. He stated that the world believes "humanity since the fall of Adam and as the result of sin" can save itself through knowledge, learning, and time, thinking "he's got his salvation within himself." In contrast, God's plan demonstrates that "humanity is lost and damned" and "there's only one way of salvation. It is a new humanity." Christ came as "the second Adam" to start a new humanity, showing that salvation comes not through human effort but through God's power and grace.
What did Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the ultimate cause of human troubles?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identified pride as the ultimate cause of human troubles. He stated, "It is, I say, in order to deal with what is ultimately the greatest cause of all our troubles. And that is our pride. Pride was the cause of the original sin." He explained that the tempter appealed to pride, causing humanity's fall, and "pride has been the cause of our ills and troubles ever since." Christ's humble birth was a direct condemnation of this pride that has been at the root of humanity's problems.
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, what matters most in life?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, our relationship with God matters most in life. He stated, "The supreme thing in life and in this world is our relationship to God, nothing else." He emphasized that external circumstances—whether someone is "wealthy or poor, learned or ignorant, a great philosopher or an ignoramus"—are not what ultimately matter. Instead, he asks, "What is your relationship to God? What's your spiritual condition? What is the state of your soul?" He concludes that spiritual values are what truly count, not material ones.
How did Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the way to enter the kingdom of God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones taught that to enter the kingdom of God, we must "become as little children" and "be born again." This means we must "cease to have confidence in humanity, cease to have confidence in pump and show and power and wealth and brains and understanding and philosophy and human ability." We must become "utterly helpless" and "completely hopeless," abandoning ourselves to God and His power. He described it as a kind of "Bethlehem" that must happen to all of us, where we "say farewell to everything we've prided in and gloried in" and surrender to God, who will then "work in us this second birth."
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.