The Divine Paradox of Christmas: The Mystery of God Revealed in Christ Jesus
By Emily Wood Hawley
Have you ever considered the Divine Paradox of our Savior’s first coming in Bethlehem? The King of Kings within the womb of a virgin. The Son of God in a feeding trough. Immanuel wrapped in swaddling clothes. The Creator of the galaxies in the body of a newborn. The Prince of Peace born under a regime that wanted Him killed. The divine power and humble submission of God in the flesh — the humility and glory of the Nativity and the mystery of Christ revealed.
Along with the Divine Paradox of Jesus’ birth, consider the details surrounding the Nativity: Heavenly angels proclaimed His arrival, yet poor and lowly shepherds were among the first to welcome Him to the world. A star marked His birth, yet He was born among animals. Wise men from the East came to worship Him, yet even His own people did not receive Him. The “owner of the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10), yet not a place for His family to lay their heads.
Jesus Christ was not born into splendor, but in a stable. The Savior of the world came to us not as a revolutionary or a ruler, but as a child. Fully God and fully human, the Creator of mankind became a man of sorrows.
His Name would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), but He was also “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not” (Isaiah 53:3).
Both aspects of our Savior’s life and birth on this Earth — its humility and glory — are significant. Yet we often forget that the tiny baby in the manger and the object of classic Christmas carols is God Incarnate and the conquering King who defeated death.
The King Has Come
My most prized Christmas decoration is a white porcelain Nativity scene that belonged to my Grandmother. As a little girl, I would marvel at the beautiful and intricately designed figurines, and now I display them in a prominent spot in my home. But what makes this manger scene so special is that, unlike most nativities, it includes a golden crown on a pedestal to represent the royalty of the baby in the manger. I position baby Jesus next to both the lamb and the crown as He is both our sacrificial Lamb and conquering King.
The Nativity marks the arrival of the long-awaited King, the pivotal moment that all history pointed toward and hinges upon, a reality even reflected in the transition from B.C. to A.D. The stark contrast of the world the Christ child was born into is both striking and awe-inspiring:
Light pierced the darkness.
“The Word” interrupted a four-century period of silence (John 1:1).
The great light dawned for a people dwelling in the shadow of death (Matthew 4:16).
The King had finally come — a “Thrill of Hope” to a weary world.
This timeless message of Christmas is as true today as it was over 2,000 years ago, extending to all Christians, whether we are celebrating in the opulence and overindulgence of an American holiday or amid persecution and oppression in war-torn Syria.
Mystery Revealed
Throughout the New Testament, the word “mystery” — what was once hidden and is now revealed by God to His people — is used to describe Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul used the word “mystery” about 21 times in his epistles. When writing to the church in Colossae, Paul says he hopes “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2, emphasis added).
In Ephesians 1:7-10, he writes, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth” (emphasis added).
Throughout all of history, God is bringing forth His eternal plan of redemption, fulfilling His purpose, and working all things for our good and His glory in ways beyond our comprehension and estimation.
Don’t let the revealed mystery of Christmas be lost on you this year — the God of all Creation left the splendor of Heaven to live among us and become the perfect sacrifice. The Savior born in Bethlehem would one day walk on water, cause the blind to see, heal the sick, raise the dead, and would, Himself, conquer the grave. He was born to die, and He died that we may live!
Marvel in the mystery and wonder and grandeur of the Messiah’s coming this Christmas.
Come and worship the Lion and the Lamb, the King and the Shepherd, the Son of God and the Son of Man. Don’t let the Divine Paradox of Christmas, the humble yet glorious, simple yet sacred arrival of our Savior, be lost this season.
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