By Dr. Robert C Crowder
Today is Christmas Day. Before you read this devotion, take time to celebrate with family, worship with your church, and rest in the joy of the season. This reflection will be here when you’re ready.
Reading:
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Matthew 1:18-25 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Luke 2:15-20 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Reflection:
Christmas Day. The day we celebrate the most profound event in human history: the incarnation of God. Seven centuries before the angels appeared to shepherds, the prophet Micah identified the exact location where the Messiah would be born: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.” What Micah prophesied, Luke recorded as history. The eternal Son, through whom all things were made, entered the world He had created. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. This is no myth, legend, or religious metaphor. This is historical reality. At a specific time, in a specific place, under the reign of Caesar Augustus, in the town of Bethlehem, the infinite God took on finite humanity. The Word became flesh not in Jerusalem, the royal city, not in Rome, the center of power, but in Bethlehem; a village so small it barely registered on any map. God’s ways are not our ways. The world searches for power in palaces; God reveals power in a stable. And the reason He did so is love: love so deep, so sacrificial, so relentless that it compelled the Creator to become a creature, the King to become a servant, and the immortal God to take on mortal flesh. On this Christmas Day, we celebrate the fulfillment of ancient prophecy: the eternal God, whose goings forth have been from everlasting, stepped into time and was born in Bethlehem. Immanuel: God with us, has come.
Matthew’s account focuses on Joseph, a righteous man who found himself in an impossible situation. His betrothed wife was pregnant, and he knew the child was not his. In that culture, betrothal was legally binding, and Mary’s pregnancy could be seen as adultery, punishable by stoning. Joseph, being just but also merciful, decided not to divorce her to spare her public disgrace. But God intervened. An angel appeared to him in a dream with a message that would change everything: “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”
The angel’s words reveal the mechanics of the incarnation. This child was not conceived by human means but by the direct work of the Holy Spirit. The virgin birth is not a peripheral doctrine that we can take or leave; it is theologically essential. If Jesus had a human father and was conceived naturally, He would have inherited the sin nature that passed from Adam to all his descendants. Romans 5:12 tells us that “by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” The transmission of the sin nature comes through the male line. But Jesus, conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary, possessed full humanity through His mother while remaining free from the corruption of sin. He was born without a sin nature, lived without committing sin, and thus became the qualified substitute to bear the sins of others.
The angel continued: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua or Joshua, meaning “Yahweh saves” or “the Lord is salvation.” This is not just a name; it is a mission statement. He came to save; not primarily from physical oppression, political tyranny, or economic hardship, though the gospel addresses all of life. He came to save His people from their sins, the root problem, the deepest bondage, the ultimate enemy. Sin separates us from God, enslaves us to darkness, condemns us to death, and destines us for hell. Jesus came to break that power, pay that penalty, and deliver us from that bondage.
Matthew then quotes Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” The incarnation was not Plan B, hastily arranged after humanity’s failure. It was prophesied centuries in advance. God promised through Isaiah that a virgin would conceive and bear a son, and His name would be Immanuel: God with us. This is more than just a pleasant feeling or thought. It is a reality rooted in the very nature and being of God. In the person of Jesus Christ, God Himself is with us. Not God sending a representative. Not God inspiring a prophet. But God in the flesh, dwelling among us, sharing our nature, experiencing our weakness, and identifying with our humanity in every way except sin[1]
Luke’s account shifts to the shepherds, the first human witnesses of the incarnate Word. After the angels departed, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” Their response was immediate and obedient. They didn’t debate, hesitate, or delay. They went with haste. And when they arrived, they found what the angel had said: “Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” The Creator of the universe, wrapped in ordinary clothes, lying in a feeding trough. Infinite glory veiled in helpless infancy. The Word who spoke the stars into existence, now too young to speak a word. This is the humility of the Incarnation.
The shepherds’ response was to proclaim: “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.” They could not keep silent. They had encountered the Christ, and the natural overflow of that encounter was witness. They told everyone what they had seen and heard. And Luke notes, “All they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” The message created wonder, amazement, astonishment, awe. This is the proper response to the Incarnation. Not casual familiarity, not sentimental nostalgia, but wonder that God would do such a thing.
Mary’s response was different but equally important: “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” The word “pondered” means to bring together, to compare, to meditate deeply. Mary was treasuring these events, holding them in her heart, reflecting on their meaning. She understood that something monumental had happened, even if she couldn’t yet grasp the full scope. The incarnation is a mystery we will never fully comprehend. How can the infinite become finite? How can deity take on humanity? How can the eternal enter time? These are mysteries beyond our ability to explain, but they are realities we are called to believe, worship, and proclaim.
The shepherds returned to their fields, but they were not the same. They went “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” Encountering Christ changes everything. It transforms worship, perspective, priorities, and purpose. Those who have seen the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ cannot help but give Him glory in return.
The Incarnation is love made visible. John writes, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.”[2] But the laying down of His life began not at the cross but at the manger. The Incarnation was the first step in a journey that would lead to Gethsemane, Golgotha, and the empty tomb. When God became man, He committed Himself to the path of suffering, rejection, and death. He could have remained in heaven, removed from our pain and untouched by our sin. But love compelled Him to come down, to take on flesh, to be born in poverty, to grow in obscurity, to live as we live, and to die the death we deserved.
This is the love we celebrate at Christmas, not the sentimental love of Hallmark cards, not the shallow affection of popular songs, but the self-giving, sacrificial, incarnational love of God. The baby in the manger is the Savior on the cross is the King on the throne. He is Immanuel; God with us, yesterday, today, and forever.
Prayer:
- Thank Immanuel for stepping into our world to redeem it and for taking on flesh to enter our brokenness.
- Ask Him to dwell richly in your heart this season and every season, letting the wonder of the incarnation never grow old and your life reflect the love that brought Him from heaven to earth.
Consider:
Read the Christmas story aloud today; either Matthew 1:18–25 or Luke 2:1–20, or both, with your family, friends, or even by yourself. Don’t rush through it. Pause after each verse and reflect on what God has done. Thank Him specifically for the incarnation, for the virgin birth, for the name Jesus, for Immanuel. Let the reading be an act of worship and let the wonder of God becoming man fill your heart afresh.
[1] Hebrews 4:15
[2] 1 John 3:16
Robert C. Crowder Ministries 
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