Miracles in Bethlehem: The Supernatural Aspects of Christ's Birth
Have you ever witnessed something that made you stop and say, This has to be a miracle? Maybe it was an answered prayer or a moment you couldn’t explain. Miracles are those moments when God breaks into the ordinary, turning the impossible into reality. And that’s exactly what happened at Christmas. Miracles are all over the Christmas story! As we continue our series, Reason for the Season, today we’re focusing on the Miracles in Bethlehem: The Supernatural Aspects of Christ’s Birth.
Maybe you’ve heard someone say that miracles just don’t happen. We’ve heard people say that we should be skeptical of anything that sounds supernatural. But here’s the thing—if we really believe in God, the Creator of everything, shouldn’t we expect Him to do things beyond our understanding? And that’s what the miracles surrounding Jesus’ birth show us. They are signs that God is actively involved in the world, even today. But first, let’s talk about why some people doubt miracles.
Have you ever been told that miracles can’t happen? That they defy reason? Well, David Hume, a famous philosopher, said that miracles go against the laws of nature and are too rare to believe in. He famously argued that we should never trust someone’s testimony if they say something supernatural happened, because it’s just too improbable. But here’s the thing—Hume’s argument assumes that everything has to fit inside the box of what we already know. What if the Creator of the universe doesn’t fit inside that box? What if He’s bigger than our rules and laws of nature? If He created those laws of nature, as our Bible states and as common-sense philosophy shows us that something cannot come from nothing, then the supernatural is possible. Miracles are possible.
Miracles point to something beyond nature.
Miracles don’t break the laws of nature. They point to something beyond nature, something supernatural that we can’t always explain. While miracles may break the usual order of things, that doesn’t mean they’re impossible. C.S. Lewis talked about this in his book Miracles. Lewis argued that the supernatural doesn’t break the natural order, but interrupts it—a divine interruption to show us something deeper. Arguing against Hume’s take on miracles and giving the example of the virgin birth he said,
“It is therefore inaccurate to define a miracle as something that breaks the laws of Nature. It doesn't. ... If God creates a miraculous spermatozoon in the body of a virgin, it does not proceed to break any laws. The laws at once take it over. Nature is ready. Pregnancy follows, according to all the normal laws, and nine months later a child is born. ... The divine art of miracle is not an art of suspending the pattern. ...”[1]
If we accept that God exists, the virgin birth makes perfect sense. It’s God stepping into the world—with the natural order in place and even functioning within that natural order—but in a way that is beyond our ability to explain. If we believe in God, the virgin birth isn’t a big leap. It’s just God working in a way that’s higher than our natural understanding.
I heard this quote just this week from Glen Scrivener and knew it was exactly for us today. This helps us think of the contrast. "Christians believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. Materialists [who believe the material world is all there is] believe in the virgin birth of the cosmos. Choose your miracle." I choose the miracle of Christmas!
Everyone believes in the supernatural whether they admit it or not. You either believe the universe came into existence out of nothing (which is supernatural) or you believe God created everything and works amidst His creation in supernatural ways. You either believe in the miracle of everything coming from nothing or the miracles that the God who created everything works amidst His creation.
Think about some of the miracles of the Christmas story. God sent an angel to a young virgin, announcing that she would give birth to the Son of God. A unique star guided wise men from the East, leading them directly to Jesus. Angels appeared to shepherds, proclaiming the arrival of peace on earth. Each of these miracles points to one greatest of miracles. The grand miracle of Christmas—the incarnation—God taking on flesh.
The incarnation is the greatest miracle of Christmas.
In the case of the Gospels, C.S. Lewis understood that the miracles recorded in them are for the purpose of shining a spotlight on the person and work of Jesus Christ. He wrote that the miracles found in the Bible, “prepare for, exhibit, or result from the Incarnation,” which he refers to as “The Grand Miracle.”[2]
We talk a lot about miracles during Christmas—the star, the angels, the virgin birth. But the greatest miracle of all isn’t the signs and wonders that surrounded Jesus’ birth. It’s the incarnation itself. John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” That one verse captures the most astounding reality in history: God became man. The Creator of the universe entered into His own creation.
Think about that for a moment. The God who spoke the galaxies into existence, who formed the mountains and filled the oceans, became a human. Not as a powerful king descending from the clouds, but as a helpless baby. The incarnation shows us that God isn’t distant. He’s not removed from our lives, watching us struggle from afar. He chose to enter into our world, to take on human flesh, and to experience life as we do—hunger, pain, joy, and sorrow.
Think of the humility here. Philippians 2:5-7 tells us,
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
The miracle of the incarnation is central to the Christmas story, because every other miracle surrounding Christmas points back to this truth. The virgin birth? It’s miraculous because it shows that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, not through human means. The star in the sky? It’s a sign that the heavens themselves are testifying to the arrival of the Savior. The angels appearing to shepherds? They’re announcing the miracle of God coming near and salvation being offered to the world. All these miracles are amazing, but they exist to highlight the central truth that God became man. The incarnation is the miracle that gives meaning to all the others.
Some people might ask, “Why did God need to become a man? Couldn’t He have just sent another prophet or angel?” But the answer is no. God didn’t just send a messenger. He sent Himself. Humanity’s problem wasn’t something that could be fixed from a distance. It required God’s direct involvement. To save us, He needed to step into our world, take on flesh, and live a perfect life that we could never live. He needed to die as one of us to offer salvation to all of us. The miracle of the incarnation isn’t just that God became man. It’s that He became man to rescue us.
So what does this mean for us? It means that no matter what we’re facing, we have a God who understands. He knows what it’s like to walk in our shoes. And because of the incarnation, we know that we are not alone. God has come near, and He is with us. The miracle of Christmas isn’t found in the stars or the angels. It’s found in the fact that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. God is with us. That’s the heart of the Christmas message, and that’s why the incarnation remains the greatest miracle we celebrate. So, let’s look at some of those miracles that point to this “Grand Miracle.”
Heavenly realities became earthly heralds.
Heaven broke through to announce the arrival of Jesus. God didn’t just send His Son quietly. He made sure that the supernatural surrounded His birth, so everyone would know that this was no ordinary child. From the announcement to Mary to the shepherds in the field, heaven itself became the herald of the greatest news humanity would ever hear.
Let’s start with Mary. In Luke 1:26-31, the angel Gabriel appears to her and says, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!.” Now, we might read that and think, Of course, it’s an angel. That’s what happens in the Bible. But remember, this was an ordinary young woman living in an ordinary town. She wasn’t expecting an angel to show up in her life, let alone to tell her that she would bear the Son of God. And the angel Gabriel explains the miracle that is happening within her.
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”… 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
A lot was at stake for her with this virgin pregnancy. And that started with Joseph, where we see another angel appear.
Matthew 1:19-21 shows us Joseph’s account with the angel.
19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
We see the angel explain that this is truly a miracle that has happened. His betrothed is, indeed, a virgin and the baby inside her is miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit. We see not only an angel calm Joseph’s fears and align him with God’s plan, but we see the purpose of this baby that is to be born. He is being born to bring salvation. To save his people from their sins.
Then, in Luke 2:10-11, we see the angels appear to the shepherds. Again, this is not what anyone would have expected. Shepherds were considered lowly, the kind of people most would overlook. But God didn’t send His heavenly hosts to kings or priests. He sent them to shepherds. The angel declared, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
This wasn’t just an announcement. This was heaven breaking through to proclaim that God was taking on flesh and salvation was coming to all who would believe. These angelic appearances were God’s way of declaring that the events of Christmas had cosmic significance. The angels were saying, This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. The Savior has come! Heaven was bearing witness that God’s promise to send a Redeemer was now being fulfilled.
God could have chosen to bring Jesus into the world quietly, without any fanfare. But He didn’t. He sent angels to make sure that the significance of what was happening wouldn’t be missed. Heaven wasn’t silent. It was proclaiming the greatest news of all time. The message to Mary, the announcement to the shepherds—these were all part of God’s plan to reveal His glory and show that this was no ordinary birth. This was the moment when heaven touched earth, when the divine intersected with the human story.
So, when we celebrate Christmas, we’re not just remembering a historical event. We’re joining the angels in proclaiming, Glory to God in the highest. We’re celebrating the fact that heaven broke through, and God came near.
God supernaturally directs people to Jesus.
If there’s one thing the Christmas story shows us, it’s that God goes to incredible lengths to lead people to Jesus. The wise men—often called the Magi—are a perfect example of this. These men weren’t Jews. They were foreigners, probably astrologers or scholars from the East. And yet, God used a supernatural sign, a star, to draw them to Bethlehem and show them the way to the Savior.
In Matthew 2:1-2, the wise men arrive in Jerusalem and ask, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Think about that: God arranged the cosmos to guide people to Jesus. The star wasn’t just a random occurrence. It was a divine signal that something monumental had happened. God was orchestrating everything, even in the heavens, to reveal the birth of His Son.
Did you know that God designed the stars in the sky with you in mind? The universe is so finely tuned and in such perfect balance to allow human life on earth. If one tiny constant was slightly different, there would be no life on earth.[3] And there are over 300 of those constants. Astrophysisict Hugh Ross has calculated that “There is less than 1 chance in 10282(million trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion) exists that even one such life-support body would occur anywhere in the universe without invoking divine miracles.”[4]
Also, we are so positioned in our Milky Way galaxy to be able to observe the cosmos—the stars above.[5] Do you know what they Bible says about this? It says it’s to teach us about God.
Listen to Psalm 19:1-2:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
The stars in the sky exist to teach you about God. And not just the wise men see them. Everybody does. And because all you have to do is look up to know there is a God, you are without excuse for not seeking Him. Romans 1 makes that very clear for us.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
So, the stars above exist to show the glory of God and to lead people to knowledge of God. But the star in the Christmas story was unique, and it was specifically noticed by these wise men.
But why the wise men? Why foreigners who were outside of the Jewish faith? Because from the beginning, God’s plan has been to bring people from all nations to Jesus. The star was a signal not just for those in Israel but for the whole world. It’s as if God was saying, This isn’t just a local event. This is for everyone. God was using the star to guide the wise men, showing us that He wants all people, regardless of their background or origin, to come and worship Jesus. It goes along with what the angels were proclaiming, that this was good news of great joy for all people.
I find it interesting, also, that these are referred to as “wise men” and they are following a star, while those in Romans 1 who deny God though He is clearly pointing them toward Him are referred to as fools. It’s as Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
When the wise men arrived, they didn’t just show up out of curiosity. They came to worship. Matthew 2:10-11 says, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.” Their journey wasn’t just about following a star or gaining more information. It was about encountering the Savior. It was about worship. They responded to the supernatural guidance of God with worship and with gifts—gifts fit for a king.
God still directs people to Jesus today. It may not be through a star, but He uses circumstances, people, and events in our lives to draw us closer to Him. He is actively involved, orchestrating moments and encounters that lead us to see who Jesus truly is. And if He is directing us today, our response should be the same as the wise men’s—worship, joy, and surrender. The whole reason Jesus came was to save you. And that’s a miracles God still works today.
Regeneration is a miracle God still works for each person whose faith is in Christ.
Jesus didn’t come just to be born. He came so that through His life, death, and resurrection, we could experience new life. The birth of Jesus was the beginning of God’s plan to bring salvation to every person who believes.
Jesus was born so that you can be born again. In John 3:3, Jesus tells Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The miracle of Christmas extends beyond the nativity—it’s the miracle of regeneration, where God takes what is spiritually dead and brings it to life through faith in Christ. This new birth is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, just as miraculous as any of the signs surrounding Jesus’ birth.
The miracle isn’t only that God entered our world. It’s that He made a way for us to enter His.
So, when we celebrate Christmas, we’re not just remembering the past. We’re celebrating the ongoing miracle of new life in Jesus. The invitation to be “born again” is available to everyone who believes, and that’s the greatest miracle of all. When someone asks you, Why would you believe in miracles? If you are in Christ, you know what you can say? Well, just look at my life! Your life in Christ is a powerful apologetic to an unbelieving world.
God didn’t just do all of these Christmas miracles to show off. They were signs. Signs that He is at work in the world and that He’s at work in your life too. The question is—how will you respond? Just like the shepherds and the Magi responded by seeking Jesus, we are called to respond by trusting Him with our lives. God is still at work today, still performing miracles in the lives of ordinary people. He’s not far off—He’s right here, inviting us to trust in Him and be transformed by Him.
[1] C.S Lewis, Miracles, p. 63.
[2] C.S. Lewis, “The Grand Miracle,” in God in the Dock, in The Collected Works of C.S. Lewis (New York: Inspirational Press, 1996), 354.
[3] https://reasons.org/explore/publications/facts-for-faith/anthropic-principle-a-precise-plan-for-humanity; https://www.discovery.org/a/fine-tuning-parameters
[4] https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6m37bowef24cbpphd5sjq/Probability-For-Life-On-Earth.pdf?rlkey=m6vvg6ehitwujp3ukjw4qj3rm&dl=0
