Christmas 2025: Savoring the Savior

“So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the Baby as He lay in the manger. And when they had seen this, they made known what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were astounded and wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.” (Luke 2: 16-20, AMP)

There is one thing I remember from the birth of my children; my firstborn especially. I remember the way that little hospital room became this warmly lit, peaceful, little bubble. The moments where it was just me, the baby, and her dad, felt the most safe and golden I have ever felt.We looked at her until our eyes started crossing and the lids felt heavy. We held her and marveled at her perfection. We kissed her and let her wrap her whole hand around our one finger. We sang to her and prayed with her and spoke softly about how beautiful she was. How we promised to be the kind of parents who taught her about Jesus and cherished her soul every day of her life.

I think out of my whole life, those hospital rooms will remain deep in my memory. I can see every last detail of it. 

I can imagine that for Mary and Joseph, it was the same. Yet not a hospital room, a stable. Not a maternity ward, but a barn, a manger, and the sounds of the animals bearing witness to this non-conventional night.

For Mary and Joseph, it was probably something they laughed at: Mary didn’t give birth at home or in some lodgings somewhere, but in a barn. Her midwife was her husband. Baby Jesus’ receiving blanket was swaddling clothes that we’re not sure came from the stable itself, or if they packed them for the journey knowing that Mary would give birth along the way.

But imagine how much more special those moments in the stable were, because it wasn’t just Mary and Joseph’s firstborn child; it was God’s Son they held and marveled at. This newborn’s face was the incarnate Lord. He was their Son, but that role was only bestowed on them by God. They were holding the Messiah in their hands. 

Those moments must have been equally surreal and arresting. What did Mary and Joseph promise Him? What did they pray over Him, and whisper to Him in the firelight of that night? 

A child will change the course of their parent’s lives, but how much more did Mary and Joseph feel that life-change taking hold? What plans did Mary have for herself that were completely re-routed when she agreed to be the mother to Christ? What ideas of his life did Joseph have to let go of when he agreed to be His father? But looking into Jesus’ little face, what joy did they feel in leaving behind their other dreams in order to be near Him?

And then a number of shepherds came bursting through the door, sharing the heavenly encounter they had in the fields over their flocks. They confirmed to Mary and Joseph the preciousness of their child; that He was the long-awaited Savior of the world– that angels sang and rejoiced at His birth, however humble and reserved it was. This baby was nothing short of a God-given miracle. 

Any parent of a newborn fawns over that baby the same way– they think that no baby ever could be as perfect as theirs. But this baby, Jesus, was not just the firstborn child of two unremarkable people. He was the Son of God. He was born for a cross and a sacrifice that would save us from our insurmountable sins. He was born to heal the sick, comfort the hurting, and pour out the grace of God on earth.

Christmas is here, friends. It will come and go in the blink of an eye, just like any other moment. Take time to sit before that manger in your heart. Hold Jesus in your hands and marvel at the wondrous thing He did by coming to earth, living amongst us, and dying to save us. It is important to savor the preciousness of that reality: that God sent His Son to earth. That He came as a child, and lived every day of His life among us. He didn’t come as a fully grown man to carry out the work of the cross and go back to the right hand of the Father.

He came as a baby and lived every day. He went through the motions of a whole life lived among His people and creation. He lived in His humanity and took His time with us. He sat with us, grew alongside us, and loved us. 

That’s no small act of love towards us. That’s a long-suffering passion for us. And because He was steadfast in His devotion to us, we should be able to draw near to Him and reflect. Think about what coming to live in the flesh with us really means and how faithful He is to do it. 

He didn’t have to do any of it, but He did. He was born to the lowest of stations and lived as a normal person. Do we treasure Him for it? Do we love Him for it?

Merry Christmas, friends. Christ has come– come to be with us, come to save us, and come to redeem us.