By Rachel Riquelme
Each year, the Christmas story is usually familiar long before Christmas Day arrives. We have heard the Christmas story in movies, in Christmas carols, and in books since almost October. We have visited stores stocked with Christmas decor for months, and we have been waiting and waiting for Christmas to come. The true story of Christmas is about a long journey to Bethlehem. Angels filling the sky. Shepherds watching. A baby placed a manger. Prophecies fulfilled and a long-awaited promise kept. It’s a story we’ve heard, sung, and seen retold countless times—and yet, familiarity can often turn wonder into routine.
Knowing the Christmas story, however, isn’t the same as knowing God.
It’s possible to carry every detail of the manger scene in our minds while missing the deeper invitation of the season. Christmas isn’t just about remembering what happened long ago; it’s about recognizing who God is and how He still comes near today, desiring for us to know Him.
The Christmas story points beyond itself to a relationship with God, not just information to remember as facts. At Christmas, God chose nearness. Instead of remaining distant and out of reach, God stepped into humanity in the most unexpected way. He sent His Son, Jesus, to be born as a baby. Jesus came without a throne, riches, or armor. He came with vulnerability and a purpose. Jesus revealed that God wants us to know Him, not just admire Him from afar and know things about Him. God wants us to encounter Him personally.
The pace of the season can pull us in the opposite direction. Between packed calendars, gift lists, and busyness, we often engage in the Christmas season on autopilot. We revisit the Christmas story without slowing down long enough to let it shape us. We remember facts without creating space for transformation.
Knowing God requires intention. It means pausing to listen instead of rushing to the next thing. It means reading the Christmas story not just to recall what happened but to ask what it reveals about God’s heart. Christmas invites us to shift from spectators to participants.
This season, what if the goal isn’t simply to retell the story well but to know the Savior more deeply? It might mean saying no to something good, so we can say yes to Someone better. What if we measure Christmas not by how much we accomplish but by how present we become? Knowing God doesn’t require polished faith; instead, it requires openness and a willingness to draw near to God who has already drawn near to us.
Jesus came as a fulfilled prophecy and a long-awaited promise so we can be forgiven and have a relationship with God. The same God revealed in Bethlehem still meets people in ordinary moments, quiet prayers, and honest questions. God is close, and He invites us to know Him.
This December, may we move beyond familiarity and let the Christmas story lead us to truly know God, refreshing our hearts and minds as we remember the wonderful story of the birth of Jesus. Not just the details. Not just the tradition. May we truly experience the God who chose to come close so we can know Him and have a relationship with Him.
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