Promises Fulfilled: A Men's Devotional on Christmasಮಾದರಿ

Unto Us a Child is Born

Not every man is a father, but every man was a baby.

Even Jesus.

It is one of the most stunning aspects of what we celebrate at Advent—not just that God became a man, but that God became a kid.

Scripture portrays the LORD in Heaven as glorious, majestic, holy, powerful, unapproachable, and even terrifying to mere mortals in His glory.

The fact that God would ever want to become a man to save us would already be amazing, but He could have just floated down, fully formed, ready to go, and if anything, it would be even more impressive.

But the all-powerful, all-glorious, all-majestic, all-eternal God came in the most unlikely way imaginable:

The normal way, developing in the womb and birthed as a completely helpless and vulnerable baby boy.

Isaiah foretold the promise:

“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. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

The Mighty God and Everlasting Father of the endless great and glorious Kingdom reign was coming to us—as a son, born a child, just like everybody else.

The stunning humility of our God in doing so boggles the mind!

Surely one of the best parts about being God is that you don’t need to be humble, you don’t need to be vulnerable, you don’t need to do anything you don’t want to do. You don’t. You’re God.

And yet our God does exactly that, entering fully into our humanity, experiencing everything we experience, and suffering everything we suffer.

And as God lives a perfect life through Jesus, Christ succeeds where Adam failed, walking in perfect obedience and communion with the Father and redeeming what a man’s life was always supposed to look like.

Men who follow the One born in Bethlehem do well when we remember His incredible humility—seeking not power, or fame, or glory, or anything for Himself, but living a lowly and vulnerable life serving God and serving others.

Being a Christ-following man means following Christ in these ways.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are amazed at Your humility and grateful for Your vulnerability in Jesus. Thank You for coming the way You did and showing us who You are in this way. Help me to imitate Your humility and service for others. Amen.

Reflection: Where is humility most challenging in your life? What about vulnerability? What would it take for you to be a man more like Jesus in those areas?