The advent season reminds us of what it means to be poured out on behalf of others. When the apostle Paul refers to Christ’s emptying himself, he pulls our gaze first to the baby in the manger (Philippians 2:7).

He awoke earlier than the rest of us. The night before had been filled with sleepy stumbles into the baby’s room, laying him next to me to nurse, changing diapers, and placing our swaddled newborn back in his crib. He had every reason to bury his face in his pillow and ignore daybreak. But we were completely dependent on him. All three of us.

Our two-year-old woke ready to eat and play. After filling his little tummy, my husband came to check on me. Like a mouse in a sticky trap, I was trying to get out of bed on my own but the pain was too excruciating. Tears of frustration had gathered in my ears. The birth of our second son had rendered me unable to walk, unable to run to my baby when he cried, and unable to do much of anything for myself.

Without hesitation, my husband pulled me up through the searing pain, reminding me I wasn’t alone in this. He rolled my walker over to the bed in front of me. I scooted myself to the couch and sat down. My husband brought me everything I needed—ibuprofen, water, food, burp cloths, and coffee. Finally, he placed our baby in the crook of my arms to nurse.

In those traumatic, yet somehow beautiful days, I watched my husband do everything for us. He folded laundry, made meals, changed diapers, played cars with our oldest, went grocery shopping, did the dishes, swept the floor, and gave baths. He did all of it! He wasn’t just the caretaker of our boys, but of me. And he never once complained. He had emptied himself on behalf of his wife and children and I have never seen a man act more like Jesus in my life.

The advent season reminds us of what it means to be poured out on behalf of others. When the apostle Paul refers to Christ’s emptying himself, he pulls our gaze first to the baby in the manger (Philippians 2:7). There, we not only see Jesus modeling this type of sacrifice, but we see it beautifully conveyed through the other characters in the story as well.

Mary, Mother of Jesus

You likely know the story of Mary, the young woman who would be the mother of Jesus. The one who said to the angel after he told her she would conceive by the power of the Most High, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). What Mary surrendered to in this moment was so much more than simply giving her body as a vessel. She was submitting to a lifetime of scrutiny and judgement. Other Israelites would question her virginity and purity, assuming she had slept with a man before marriage. She would be an outcast in many ways. According to the law, she could have been stoned to death. Her trust in the Lord is honorable. She willingly emptied herself and found it to be a wonderful gift:

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
(Luke 1:46–49)

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