Faith In The Ordinary

Bethlehem Is Not the Beginning, but the Arrival

“For unto us a Child is born,
unto us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder.
And His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
there shall be no end…”
— Isaiah 9:6–7

The Christmas story begins much earlier than a manger. It begins in a garden.

Long before the stable in Bethlehem, before shepherds or angels or songs in the night, the Christmas story was already in motion: It began in a garden.

When humanity fell in Eden, God did not retreat from His creation. Instead, He spoke a promise directly into the moment of brokenness. To the serpent He declared that the seed of the woman would one day crush evil, though He Himself would be wounded in the process (Genesis 3:15). This was not merely judgment—it was mercy. Embedded in that promise was not only the assurance of victory, but the necessity of arrival—for a seed must be born before He can suffer or triumph. Hope was embedded into the curse. Christmas, then, is not God’s response to failure. It is the unfolding of a plan spoken at the very first fall.

As generations passed, God refined that promise. He called Abraham and declared that through his seed all nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). This blessing was never meant to be small or exclusive—it was global, reaching far beyond one family or one people. Through Isaac, through Jacob, through Judah, the promise moved steadily forward, carried by covenant and faith.

Later, God spoke again—this time to David. He promised a king whose throne would be established forever (2 Samuel 7:12–13). Earthly logic struggled with such words. Kings die. Dynasties crumble. Yet God was speaking of a reign that would not be limited by time or mortality. He was pointing to a King whose authority would not depend on succession, but on eternity. Into this long line of promises, the prophet Isaiah spoke words that would echo through centuries:

“For unto us a Child is born,
unto us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder.
And His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah’s words are often read at Christmas, yet their depth reaches far beyond the season. Notice the tension he holds together. A Child is born—fully human, entering history through weakness and dependence. A Son is given—a gift from heaven, eternal in nature, not created at Bethlehem but revealed there. The manger holds a child, but heaven gives a Son.

Isaiah goes even further. He declares that the government will rest on this Child’s shoulders—not the fragile governance of human rulers, but divine authority itself. Justice, peace, and righteousness would be ordered through Him. And then Isaiah stretches our vision beyond Bethlehem altogether:

“Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end… from that time forward, even forever.” Here, Christmas opens outward into eternity. The baby born in Bethlehem is not only the fulfilment of ancient promises; He is the beginning of a kingdom that will never stop expanding. His reign does not end at the cross, nor conclude at the resurrection, nor pause at the ascension. It continues—growing, increasing, advancing—until every promise is complete.

This is why the manger is both gentle and profound. It is gentle because God comes near—small, accessible, wrapped in flesh. It is profound because this Child carries the weight of eternity. Micah reminds us that this ruler would come from Bethlehem—small, overlooked, seemingly insignificant—yet His origins were “from ancient days” (Micah 5:2). Eternity stepped quietly into time. Heaven entered history without fanfare, yet nothing would ever be the same.

So, when we say, “The manger in Bethlehem is not the beginning,” we are confessing something deeper than sentiment. We are acknowledging that Christmas is the visible arrival of a plan spoken long before stars guided wise men or angels filled the sky with song.

The Seed promised in Eden has come.
The Blessing promised to Abraham has arrived.
The King promised to David now stands revealed.
The Child foretold by Isaiah is ruling still—and will rule forever.

Christmas is not just about a birth we remember. It is about a kingdom we are still living in.