Wonder Of Wonders | Northstar Church

“Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.” – C.S. Lewis

No other time of the year captures our imagination as much as Christmas: God coming into the world on a dark winter’s night; a baby that would change the course of human history; the heavens bursting into song; the certain hope that God will have the last word over our sin and brokenness. This season fills our hearts with the wonder that anything is possible. The Christmas story is the story of stories.

There are mysteries that will never truly be solved. Christmas is one of those mysteries because it causes us to reflect and ponder the idea of Immanuel: God with Us. God entered the world as a baby. God entered our little corner of the universe. How do we make sense of that?

But does the Christmas story still create wonder, or has familiarity with the story dampened our sense of wonder. It is human nature to quit examining things when we become familiar with them. We quit noticing them. We don’t get excited as we once did. The story does not create an emotional response as it once did. Our wonder starts to dissipate.

Try something different this year. Take a time out, and intentionally spend time reflecting in reverence and wonder at the miracle of the real Christmas story. In the midst of the hustle and bustle, set aside a half-hour to slowly and intentionally read through one of the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth. Do your best to clear your mind and read it like you would for the first time. Flip over to Luke 2 and imagine the scene where there were too many angels to count, filling the sky singing praise to God. Or think about the Magi from the East following a star — to kneel down to a baby.

These events only happened once in human history, and they will never happen again. The love of God for humanity is painted all over Christmas. Why would God do this for us? God loves the unlovable, extends mercy to the undeserved, and gives the gift of grace to the unworthy. This is truly the wonder of Christmas. How can we not be taken back by the stunningly magnificent events and truths of the birth of Jesus? How can we not be moved by the wonder of the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus? How can we not be humbled by the love God has lavished on each of us?

This Christmas season is as good a time as ever to renew our sense of awe and astonishment at the miracle of the incarnation.

Discussion Questions:

What aspects of Christmas brings wonder, awe and worship to your heart?
In what ways has Christmas lost some of its awe and wonder for you? What things distract you from the powerful, true story of Christmas?
What can you do this week to restore the awe and wonder of God coming to earth?