Christmas is a season of wonder, and at the heart of it is the most extraordinary truth: the incarnation of Jesus Christ. In John 1:14, we read these incredible words: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (NIV). This verse captures the awe of what we celebrate at Christmas—God Himself stepping into our world.
In a world where so many religions focus on humanity’s efforts to reach up to the divine, Christianity tells a different story. It isn’t about us striving to ascend to God, but about God coming down to us. This profound difference changes everything.
Think about it: the God who spoke the universe into existence became a vulnerable baby. He entered our broken, messy world, not as a distant observer but as one of us. He walked our roads, felt our pain, and bore our sin. He made Himself accessible to us in a way no human effort could ever achieve. This is what sets Christianity apart—the astounding love and grace of a God who comes to us.
Why would God do this? The answer is simple yet profound: love. The incarnation is a declaration of God’s love for humanity. As Romans 5:8 reminds us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The story of Christmas is the story of a God who loved us so much that He refused to leave us in our sin and brokenness.
Through Jesus, we see who God truly is. Hebrews 1:3 says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” In the Gospels, we see a God who is compassionate, merciful, just, and faithful. The incarnation is God’s way of saying, “This is who I am—come and know Me.”
But the wonder of the incarnation doesn’t stop with who God is; it extends to what He has done. Jesus didn’t just come to live among us. He came to redeem us. By becoming human, He sanctified humanity. By living a sinless life and dying a sacrificial death, He made a way for us to be reconciled to God. And because He rose again, we have the hope of eternal life.
This hope is what sustains us, especially during difficult seasons. The incarnation assures us that God understands our struggles. He knows what it is to feel hunger, pain, sorrow, and even death. As Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us, we can approach Him with confidence because He sympathizes with our weaknesses. What an incredible comfort that is!
As we celebrate Christmas, let’s not lose sight of the wonder of what we are celebrating. This is more than a story of a baby in a manger. It is the story of God’s love breaking into our world. It is the story of hope, redemption, and grace. It is the story of a God who came to us because we could never reach Him on our own.
So this Christmas, take time to reflect on the incarnation. Let its wonder fill your heart with gratitude and awe. Remember that Jesus didn’t just come to be near us; He came to save us. And in that, we find the greatest gift of all.