A Christmas Reflection by Krish Dhanam
Seven centuries before shepherds heard the angels sing and before wise men set out on a star-led journey from the east, prophecy spoke of a love that would descend. Long before a stable in Bethlehem became hallowed ground, the prophet Isaiah wrote about a sovereign sign:
“The Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” —Isaiah 7:14
In times of great political fear and national uncertainty, God spoke a word that stretched across empires, centuries, and covenants. A young maiden—unknown and unheralded in that moment—would one day conceive a child by divine intervention. And she would give that child a name that the world still whispers with awe: Immanuel—“God with us.” That was the promise. Christmas is the fulfillment of that promise. And the pulse of this fulfillment can be felt and experienced through four moods of love.
Declared as a Prophecy
The first love is declared as a prophecy – The birth of the babe in the manger did not begin in Bethlehem; it started in the heart of God. Long before Mary felt the movement of life within her womb, heaven had already set the plan of rescue and redemption into motion. Isaiah’s prophecy is only one thread in a quilt of divinity woven by the grand weaver. In the very beginning in Eden, God promised that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. Through Abraham, He made a vow that all nations of the earth would be blessed. Through David, He promised a King whose kingdom would never end. Through the prophets, He spoke of a child to be born, a Son to be given, a Prince of Peace who would shoulder the government and heal the nations.
This love was not an accidental love or a coincidental love; it was an intentional love. It was spoken before we knew we needed it. This love was declared before we could react to it. Christmas is a reminder that God does not wait for perfect conditions to showcase his design. Israel was terrified and spiritually divided when Isaiah spoke to them. God entered into that situation with clarity. He declared His plan—not because humanity was ready, but because His love was relentless. Before the angels sang, before Joseph selected, before Mary believed, God had already declared His love for the world.
Delivered at a Place
The second love is delivered at a place – Then came that holy night- a night that changed all nights and ushered in a new day of hope. Bethlehem, a little town overshadowed by Jerusalem’s reputation, instantly found itself holding the greatest treasure ever placed amidst humanity. The sign Isaiah foretold took on bone and breath. A virgin conceived and a Son was born, and promise found a place. In Bethlehem, Love was delivered—not sconced in regality but swaddled in normalcy. Not placed on an amazing throne, but in an animal’s tough skin. This magnificence is the majesty of Christmas. God’s love doesn’t arrive through artificial statutes or strength, but quietly, humbly, and clearly visible for everyone.
The angels declared “good news of great joy for all people.” Not for the wealthy and powerful or for the elite and egalitarian, but for a coalition of contradictions at the same time. Shepherds and scholars, wanderers and wonderers, the beautiful and the beleagured, and the weary and worthy. God with us—not above us. God with us—not distant from us. God with us—not against us. Bethlehem announces that divine love is not an idea; it is an intentional incarnation. It is not simply mentioned; it is meticulously delivered. And this cradle of Christ in a manger whispers the same triumphant truth every Christmas that this came close so that no one would be left far.
Defined as a Person
The third Love is defined as a person. Famed apologist C.S. Lewis offered four definitions of love, including a relational love, a physical love, and a brotherly love, but states that none could capture the depth of what Immanuel reveals in His agape, the unconditional love. In the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, love took on limbs that touched lepers, eyes that conquered envy, feet that walked towards the forlorn, and a voice that validated victory for saints and sinners alike. He defined love not as an emotion, but as an action that fed the hungry, healed the hurting, forgave the faults, lifted the lagging, and rescued the ruined. His love was not defined by norm or nature but by grace and mercy. When Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” He wasn’t offering a metaphor. He was offering Himself. In every parable He gave, in every miracle He performed, in every moment of mercy He provided, the Lord Jesus carved the shape of love into the world. This Christmas, look for love in every package wrapped, every tree decorated, and every light that illuminates, for the light of the world is wrapped in simple cloth, decorated with the hope for all.
Destined as a Promise
The fourth love is destined as a promise. The light was suddenly obscured by darkness on a fateful Friday at Calvary, casting a shadow of a cross. The joy of Christmas is now on a collision course with the journey to Easter. This crucifixion did not fall across the Lord Jesus’ life by accident. It was his mission from the beginning. The manager where love breathed its first breath points to the cross where love gives up its last breath. The One named Immanuel—God with us—came not just to walk on our road but to carry our load. Not just to live but die and be raised again. Calvary was not a tragedy but a triumph. A fulfillment of divinity now adorning a rescuer’s garb. Isaiah, who spoke of the child, also spoke of the crucified savior. “He was wounded for our transgressions…and by His stripes we are healed.”
The Love of God
At Christmas, we celebrate the cradle, but are also cognizant of the cross. For Bethlehem reveals God’s newness, but Calvary reveals God’s nearness. The wood of the manger and the wood of the cross are both sanctified by love. The prophecy of Isaiah echoes every Christmas season, not as a distant memory but as a present reality. Immanuel is not simply a name from ancient Scripture; it is the promise of God’s presence today. Christmas reminds us that divine love is not abstract; it is tangible. It is personal, intentional, sacrificial, and eternal. May this season draw you once again to the God who declared His love before time began, delivered it in Bethlehem, defined it through the life of Jesus, and destined it for Calvary so that you and I could be called His own. Merry Christmas!
Born in India, Krish Dhanam migrated to the U.S. with his bride Anila in 1984. In 1991, he joined the Ziglar Corporation and eventually became their Vice President of Global Operations. Since then, Krish has facilitated and taught countless seminars around the world and continues to convey a message of hope, humor, and wisdom wherever he goes. Two years ago, Krish joined Patriot Academy as the Dean of the Patriot Institute, a nine-month program designed to train young adults in Biblical worldview, public speaking, philosophy, personal development, entrepreneurship, and more.
