God's Word directs us in understanding the joy connected with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The angels declared to the shepherds a message of glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. The season where we remember the incarnation and coming of the Son of God is a time for joy and celebration. In this celebration, we must not ignore the humiliation that the Son of God endured.

Phil. 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

The Westminster Larger Catechism has five questions and answers related to our Lord's humiliation in his coming, life, and death. The first is a more general question; the second is focus on our Lord's conception and birth.

Q. 46. What was the estate of Christ’s humiliation?
A. The estate of Christ’s humiliation was that low condition, wherein he for our sakes, emptying himself of his glory, took upon him the form of a servant, in his conception and birth, life, death, and after his death, until his resurrection.

Q. 47. How did Christ humble himself in his conception and birth?
A. Christ humbled himself in his conception and birth, in that, being from all eternity the Son of God, in the bosom of the Father, he was pleased in the fullness of time to become the son of man, made of a woman of low estate, and to be born of her; with divers circumstances of more than ordinary abasement.

We sometimes turn Christmas into a "cute" celebration; for children it can be a very special time, but we must not lose sight of how our Lord humbled Himself in His coming and throughout His life. We must not forget to have the same mind as our Lord Jesus Christ.

May this be a blessed time of celebration for you and your family.