Holding the Weight of the Manger: On Why The Nativity Breaks My Heart Open


The Nativity has always held a special meaning for me—and I’m not going to lie, it’s the woman in the Bible who makes me cry every time. Mary.

It’s not only that God chose to enter the world as a vulnerable baby, fully human. It’s not just that the Savior came knowing He would one day be slain. It’s everything wrapped into that sacred moment.

  • The Son of God entered this world through the pain of birth— a pain that exists because of sin— yet He Himself was completely sinless.

  • I imagine Mary in that moment: exhausted, afraid, crying out to God for the pain to stop. The same God who sent His Spirit to her, who promised her that all would be well, was now asking her to endure unimaginable pain for the sake of redemption.

  • And then there is Joseph— faithful, steady— coming to terms with what this child meant. Together, they realized they were holding the promised Savior, the One who would one day die on a cross. The weight of that knowledge must have been overwhelming.

And still, God chose shepherds (the homeless, the overlooked) to be the first to hear the good news.

A star appeared.

Angels rejoiced.

And the Savior of the world was born not in a palace, but in a humble manger in Nazareth. God with us. Redeemer. King.

So, this Christmas, whether on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, let’s pause. Let’s live in the moment. Let’s fully embrace what it truly means that our Savior is born.

Hallelujah.