In the night sky of human history, few stars shine as brightly as the story of Christmas. It’s a narrative that challenges our perceptions, inverts our expectations, and invites us into a profound mystery. Today, let’s explore this divine paradox through the lens of Cecil Frances Alexander’s timeless hymn, “Once in Royal David’s City.”

Alexander, a prolific hymnwriter of the 19th century, penned nearly 400 hymns, many of which served as vehicles for theological education in Irish schools. Her words, simple yet profound, carry us into the heart of the Incarnation:

“Once in royal David’s city
stood a lowly cattle shed,
where a mother laid her baby
in a manger for His bed:”

Here, in the first stanza, we encounter the shocking juxtaposition that defines the Christmas story. The King of Kings, the Lord of all creation, enters His world not in a palace, but in a stable. The One who spoke galaxies into existence is wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a feeding trough. This is not merely a touching nativity scene; it’s a radical statement about the nature of God and His love for humanity.

The Apostle Paul captures this divine condescension beautifully in Philippians 2:6-7: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

Alexander continues:

“He came down to earth from heaven
who is God and Lord of all,
and His shelter was a stable,
and His cradle was a stall:”

The Infinite becomes finite. The Eternal steps into time. The Creator becomes part of His creation. This is the great mystery of the Incarnation, a truth so profound that it has captivated hearts and minds for two millennia.

But why? Why would God choose such a humble entrance? Alexander hints at the answer:

“with the poor, and meek, and lowly
lived on earth our Savior holy.”

Jesus identifies with the marginalized, the overlooked, the forgotten. His birth foreshadows His entire ministry – a life lived in solidarity with those society often ignores. As He would later say, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Yet, the story doesn’t end in the stable. Alexander’s hymn, like the gospel itself, points us to a glorious future:

“And our eyes at last shall see Him,
through His own redeeming love;
for that child so dear and gentle,
is our Lord in heav’n above,”

The babe in the manger is also the risen and ascended Lord. The One who humbled Himself is now exalted above every name (Philippians 2:9-11). And incredibly, He invites us to share in His glory:

“and He leads His children on
to the place where He is gone.”

This, dear friends, is the heart of the gospel – not just that God became man, but that through Christ, man might become like God. As Peter writes, we are “participants of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

As we reflect on the Christmas story this season, let us marvel at its paradoxes. Let us be humbled by the God who humbled Himself for us. Let us be inspired by the love that drove the King of Kings to a lowly manger. And let us be filled with hope, knowing that the story that began in Bethlehem culminates in our eternal union with Christ.

For as Alexander reminds us in her final stanza:

“Not in that poor lowly stable,
with the oxen standing by,
we shall see Him, but in heaven,
set at God’s right hand on high;”

May this profound truth fill our hearts with wonder and our lives with purpose as we celebrate the miracle of Christmas.

Christmas Devotions: Family

“So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.”

Christmas and family are almost synonymous. The God of all creation chose to become flesh and dwell among us by being born in a family. This year when you see a nativity remember Christmas is about the family of God.

In fact, family is so important to God that He reveals Himself as our Heavenly Father, and Jesus as His Son. And through the work of Jesus on the cross God invites us to become part of His family. Part of the message of Christmas is that you are not alone, you are part of a family that truly loves you, lead by a Father who moved heaven and earth to adopt you!

Our hope for you today is that you take every opportunity to do good to all people, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of God.