Born from Above

The Gift of a New Beginning

 "Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" 

John 3:3

On this Christmas morning, the travel-worn road has finally reached its destination. The "urgent weight of the miracle" that Mary carried through the dust and the dark is now a crying infant, cradled in the quiet peace of a new dawn. Yet, as the sun rises over Bethlehem, we realize that the miracle of the manger was never meant to remain in a stable; it was meant to move into the human heart. The physical birth of the Son of God is the divine spark that ignites our own spiritual rebirth. Just as Christ was born into our world to bridge the gap between heaven and earth, He invites us to be "born from above" into His—transforming this day from a mere commemoration of history into a living, breathing reality within our own souls.

This new life is the ultimate fulfillment of the "surgical" grace we encountered yesterday. As we reflected on the Great Exchange, we saw that God does not simply patch up our old lives; He makes us entirely new. Following yesterday’s promise, we recognize that if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old ways of striving, the shadows of our past, and the heavy chains of the Law have passed away. In the manger, we see the beginning of a world where the old order is dying and a new, Spirit-filled humanity is being born. The King who was born in the night did not come to demand more labor from weary souls, but to breathe His own life into our lungs, inviting us to trade our exhaustion for His eternal vitality.

As the festivities of Christmas Day unfold, the invitation is to move beyond the sentiment of a child in a cradle and into the wonder of a Spirit-led life. We are called to be a people who are perpetually being made new, open to the Spirit’s renewing work in every moment. The same God who met us where we truly were in our brokenness now calls us to walk in the freedom of a new creation. Today, let us yield to the breath of God, allowing the miracle of Bethlehem to become the miracle of our own hearts—reborn, redeemed, and joyfully surrendered to the One who makes all things new.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we stand in wonder today at the gift of Your Son and the promise of new life. Spirit of God, breathe upon us today; blow through the closed doors of our hearts and recreate us from above. Amen.