Christmas 2025: UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN, UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN

“For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given…” (Isaiah 9:6)—in these few words the prophet opens a window into the gracious heart of God. He does not say a Child is born to Mary and Joseph, though that is true; nor does he say a Son is given to Israel alone, though that is also true. Instead, he speaks with a tenderness that stretches across the ages—unto us. The promise is personal; the gift is universal; the grace is meant to be received with trembling wonder. The Child comes not simply into the world but into the lives of all who will welcome Him.

“Unto us a Child is born”—and here the marvel begins. The eternal Word takes on flesh, stepping quietly into our dust and weakness. He does not descend as a mighty emperor, but as an infant wrapped in humble cloth—helpless to human sight, yet holding all things together by the power of His word. In that manger we see God’s love choosing vulnerability; we see the Almighty choosing to be touchable, approachable, and knowable. The incarnation is not merely a doctrine to confess; it is a miracle to adore.

“Unto us a Son is given”—and here the wonder deepens. This Son is not given as a temporary visitor but as God’s everlasting gift to humanity, the long-promised Redeemer whose coming was whispered through the centuries. He is the Son given for our salvation (John 3:16), the Son born in Bethlehem as promised (Micah 5:2), the Son announced by angels as Savior and Lord (Luke 2:11). He is given to bear our sins, to conquer our death, to bring us back to the Father. The Child is born, but the Son—eternal, divine, uncreated—is given with purpose and mission.

And notice the gentle insistence of the text: unto us. Not merely to the great and learned; not to the righteous who think they need no physician; not to the strong who feel no weakness. He is given to us—to the weary, the guilty, the broken, the longing, the ordinary. This is the gospel wrapped in swaddling clothes: God gives His Son to those who have nothing to offer in return. Grace comes small enough to hold, yet mighty enough to save.

So when Isaiah says, “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given,” he invites us to take our place alongside shepherds and sages, sinners and seekers. He calls us to receive the Christ who comes near—near enough to enter our world, near enough to shoulder our sorrows, near enough to redeem our souls. And as we whisper those ancient words, our hearts bow in gratitude: the Child born is our hope, and the Son given is our salvation.

BDD