The Wonder of Christmas
Where Has Your Wonder Gone? Rediscovering the Miracle of Christmas
Have you ever wondered where your wonder went?
It's a strange question to ask yourself, but perhaps you've found yourself thinking it during this Christmas season. Where has the amazement gone? Where is the curiosity about the little things? When did the Christmas story become just another routine?
We watch the same movies, buy gifts for the same people, listen to the same songs, and hear the same Nativity story every single year. If you grew up in church, you've heard it countless times. And somewhere along the way, the story that should leave us breathless becomes background noise to our holiday traditions.
The noises of our lives have increased to such a level that we can't possibly hear God—because God rarely shouts. He whispers.
The Impossible Made Possible
Let's look at the Christmas story with fresh eyes and consider the details we often overlook. In Luke chapter 2, we read about Joseph traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem because he belonged to the house and line of David. Mary, pregnant and pledged to be married to him, made this journey too. And there, in Bethlehem, Jesus was born and placed in a manger.
These details might seem small, but they're staggering when you realize what they represent. The birth of Jesus fulfilled eight major prophecies from the Old Testament, including that the Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham, from the house of David, born of a virgin, and born in Bethlehem.
A mathematics professor once calculated the probability of eight prophecies being fulfilled in one event. The odds? One in 10 to the power of 17.
To put that in perspective, imagine the entire province of Ontario covered in loonies—11.6 trillion coins deep. Now imagine being sent out, blindfolded, to find the one loonie with a red dot on it. That's the likelihood of these prophecies coming true by chance.
It's impossible. And that's exactly the point.
Without God orchestrating every detail, this story doesn't happen. This wasn't an accident or a coincidence. This was God's ordained plan, foretold long ago, coming together piece by piece like an impossible puzzle.
The King Who Came as a Baby
For 400 years, God's people waited in silence. No prophets. No kings. No judges. No word from God. The only thing keeping their faith alive was the promise of the Messiah—a triumphant king who would return to them.
And then God responded in the most unexpected way imaginable.
He sent His one and only Son to earth in the form of a baby.
Think about that for a moment. What could be more vulnerable than a baby? A baby can't do anything for itself. A baby can't speak, can't walk, can't defend itself. And yet this is how the King of Kings entered the world.
God was communicating something profound: He is with us in a completely new way. There's no intimidation, no pressure—only vulnerability. A God who could do anything chose to be vulnerable with His people.
As Philippians 2 tells us, Jesus "made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." The Word became flesh. More remarkably, the Word became something that couldn't even speak. The Word became a baby.
The most profound things often take place in the smallest of details.
And though Jesus came as a helpless infant, He exceeded every expectation. Isaiah 9:6 prophesied what this child would become: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
All of this—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace—was wrapped up and lying in a manger. What looked like failure in the eyes of the world was exactly what we needed: the greatest gift mankind could ever receive.
The Shepherds Who Weren't Afraid to Be Afraid
When the angels announced the Messiah's birth, they didn't go to priests or scribes. They went to shepherds—outcasts whose work made them ceremonially unclean and kept them away from the temple.
God selected hardworking shepherds to be the first witnesses of His Son's arrival. These were practical men who didn't dabble in fantasy. They faced wolves, lions, bandits, and harsh weather regularly. Yet when an angel appeared with a choir of heavenly hosts, their first response was terror.
"Do not be afraid," the angel told them.
Here's what's remarkable: even though they were terrified, they didn't run away. They pursued what was happening. They drew toward it because they knew this was the birth of the Messiah. Something that would have scared everyone else, they recognized as real and worth investigating.
The shepherds received by faith the message God sent them and responded with immediate obedience. Once they found Jesus, they reported the good news to others, glorifying and praising God. They had come to the realization that this was the gift the world had been waiting for.
The Gift That Satisfies Everyone
Imagine trying to buy one gift that would satisfy every person you know. It's impossible. Everyone has different personalities, hobbies, needs, and desires. There's no single present that would please everyone.
And yet when God sent His Son to earth, He didn't ask for a list of what we wanted. He sent the only thing we all truly needed.
God knew we had sin in our lives. He knew the only way for us to experience forgiveness and have a relationship with Him was through sending a Savior. God sent His Son who would one day be placed on a cross, taking our place as the ultimate sacrifice. He sent the gift of salvation.
This is the gift that satisfies our deepest longings. This truly is the best gift we could ever receive.
What Do We Do With This Gift?
But what do we do with it? If all we do is talk about the wonders of Christmas without actually engaging with them, it just becomes part of the routine.
Here are three ways to experience this gift anew:
Notice it. Pause and intentionally recognize the gift of Jesus. Ask yourself: How has Jesus changed my life recently? Keep your eyes open every day to see how God is continually at work.
Interact with it. We can interact with Jesus daily by reading Scripture, listening to worship music, spending time in prayer, and learning about all He has done for us. The more we interact with Jesus, the more we'll realize just how much there is to celebrate.
Share it. Jesus was given to us freely, and we can give this gift to others as well. Share the story of Jesus Christ, His birth, and the greatest gift we will ever receive.
God With Us
Christmas isn't just an event that happened long ago. It's an ongoing reality: God is with us.
The birth of Jesus led to the gift of salvation, hope, forgiveness, peace, and love. It's a gift that never changes, never gets old, and stays the same. It's the gift of Emmanuel—God with us.
Don't neglect this gift. Don't neglect the wonder and awe of Jesus and how His birth changed the world forever.
This Christmas, pause and reflect. Let the impossible odds remind you that God orchestrates the details. Let the vulnerability of a baby King soften your heart. Let the courage of terrified shepherds inspire you to pursue Jesus even when you're afraid.
Rediscover your wonder. It's been waiting for you all along.
Have you ever wondered where your wonder went?
It's a strange question to ask yourself, but perhaps you've found yourself thinking it during this Christmas season. Where has the amazement gone? Where is the curiosity about the little things? When did the Christmas story become just another routine?
We watch the same movies, buy gifts for the same people, listen to the same songs, and hear the same Nativity story every single year. If you grew up in church, you've heard it countless times. And somewhere along the way, the story that should leave us breathless becomes background noise to our holiday traditions.
The noises of our lives have increased to such a level that we can't possibly hear God—because God rarely shouts. He whispers.
The Impossible Made Possible
Let's look at the Christmas story with fresh eyes and consider the details we often overlook. In Luke chapter 2, we read about Joseph traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem because he belonged to the house and line of David. Mary, pregnant and pledged to be married to him, made this journey too. And there, in Bethlehem, Jesus was born and placed in a manger.
These details might seem small, but they're staggering when you realize what they represent. The birth of Jesus fulfilled eight major prophecies from the Old Testament, including that the Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham, from the house of David, born of a virgin, and born in Bethlehem.
A mathematics professor once calculated the probability of eight prophecies being fulfilled in one event. The odds? One in 10 to the power of 17.
To put that in perspective, imagine the entire province of Ontario covered in loonies—11.6 trillion coins deep. Now imagine being sent out, blindfolded, to find the one loonie with a red dot on it. That's the likelihood of these prophecies coming true by chance.
It's impossible. And that's exactly the point.
Without God orchestrating every detail, this story doesn't happen. This wasn't an accident or a coincidence. This was God's ordained plan, foretold long ago, coming together piece by piece like an impossible puzzle.
The King Who Came as a Baby
For 400 years, God's people waited in silence. No prophets. No kings. No judges. No word from God. The only thing keeping their faith alive was the promise of the Messiah—a triumphant king who would return to them.
And then God responded in the most unexpected way imaginable.
He sent His one and only Son to earth in the form of a baby.
Think about that for a moment. What could be more vulnerable than a baby? A baby can't do anything for itself. A baby can't speak, can't walk, can't defend itself. And yet this is how the King of Kings entered the world.
God was communicating something profound: He is with us in a completely new way. There's no intimidation, no pressure—only vulnerability. A God who could do anything chose to be vulnerable with His people.
As Philippians 2 tells us, Jesus "made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." The Word became flesh. More remarkably, the Word became something that couldn't even speak. The Word became a baby.
The most profound things often take place in the smallest of details.
And though Jesus came as a helpless infant, He exceeded every expectation. Isaiah 9:6 prophesied what this child would become: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
All of this—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace—was wrapped up and lying in a manger. What looked like failure in the eyes of the world was exactly what we needed: the greatest gift mankind could ever receive.
The Shepherds Who Weren't Afraid to Be Afraid
When the angels announced the Messiah's birth, they didn't go to priests or scribes. They went to shepherds—outcasts whose work made them ceremonially unclean and kept them away from the temple.
God selected hardworking shepherds to be the first witnesses of His Son's arrival. These were practical men who didn't dabble in fantasy. They faced wolves, lions, bandits, and harsh weather regularly. Yet when an angel appeared with a choir of heavenly hosts, their first response was terror.
"Do not be afraid," the angel told them.
Here's what's remarkable: even though they were terrified, they didn't run away. They pursued what was happening. They drew toward it because they knew this was the birth of the Messiah. Something that would have scared everyone else, they recognized as real and worth investigating.
The shepherds received by faith the message God sent them and responded with immediate obedience. Once they found Jesus, they reported the good news to others, glorifying and praising God. They had come to the realization that this was the gift the world had been waiting for.
The Gift That Satisfies Everyone
Imagine trying to buy one gift that would satisfy every person you know. It's impossible. Everyone has different personalities, hobbies, needs, and desires. There's no single present that would please everyone.
And yet when God sent His Son to earth, He didn't ask for a list of what we wanted. He sent the only thing we all truly needed.
God knew we had sin in our lives. He knew the only way for us to experience forgiveness and have a relationship with Him was through sending a Savior. God sent His Son who would one day be placed on a cross, taking our place as the ultimate sacrifice. He sent the gift of salvation.
This is the gift that satisfies our deepest longings. This truly is the best gift we could ever receive.
What Do We Do With This Gift?
But what do we do with it? If all we do is talk about the wonders of Christmas without actually engaging with them, it just becomes part of the routine.
Here are three ways to experience this gift anew:
Notice it. Pause and intentionally recognize the gift of Jesus. Ask yourself: How has Jesus changed my life recently? Keep your eyes open every day to see how God is continually at work.
Interact with it. We can interact with Jesus daily by reading Scripture, listening to worship music, spending time in prayer, and learning about all He has done for us. The more we interact with Jesus, the more we'll realize just how much there is to celebrate.
Share it. Jesus was given to us freely, and we can give this gift to others as well. Share the story of Jesus Christ, His birth, and the greatest gift we will ever receive.
God With Us
Christmas isn't just an event that happened long ago. It's an ongoing reality: God is with us.
The birth of Jesus led to the gift of salvation, hope, forgiveness, peace, and love. It's a gift that never changes, never gets old, and stays the same. It's the gift of Emmanuel—God with us.
Don't neglect this gift. Don't neglect the wonder and awe of Jesus and how His birth changed the world forever.
This Christmas, pause and reflect. Let the impossible odds remind you that God orchestrates the details. Let the vulnerability of a baby King soften your heart. Let the courage of terrified shepherds inspire you to pursue Jesus even when you're afraid.
Rediscover your wonder. It's been waiting for you all along.
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