The nativity is more than a quiet scene on a mantel—it’s the moment Hope took on flesh. Drawing from Luke 2:7, this devotional reflects on the tender, intimate way God chose to enter the world: humble, small, and wrapped in cloth. Like Mary, the shepherds, and the wise men who followed a star into the unknown, we’re invited to pursue Hope with trust, curiosity, and courage. Hope doesn’t shout; it waits to be sought. And when we find it—when we find Him—fear loses its grip and light floods the dark corners of our lives.

Highlights


A personal window into the author’s first night of motherhood and the nearness of God


Parallels between Mary’s quiet moment with Jesus and our own encounters with divine presence


The power of hope to silence fear—echoed in Scripture and even unexpected cultural references


Why hope often appears humble and easy to overlook


The shepherds’ and wise men’s radical pursuit of a Savior they barely understood


A reminder that true hope isn’t about earthly rewards but eternal transformation


The invitation to seek, embrace, and live out the hope found in Christ

Gift Inspiration: Crosswalk's Holiday Gift Guide

Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the season? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide—from beautifully illustrated Bibles and devotionals to novels, greeting cards, and picture books, there’s something for everyone on your list. Wrap up stories for loved ones, tuck a book into your own nightstand, and join us in celebrating the wonder of giving this Christmas!

Full Transcript Below:

Hope Wrapped in Swaddling Clothes

By Peyton Garland

Bible Reading:

“...and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” Luke 2:27 (NIV)

Outside experiencing Christ’s salvation, I haven’t felt God’s presence so loudly, so beautifully, as the night after I had my first son. My little guy didn’t have to stay in the hospital nursery, so he spent his first night with me. Exhausted from the previous night’s midnight contractions coupled with a five-in-the-morning birth, I welcomed the quiet, dark hush that finally fell over the hospital floors. 

I recall the sole soft yellow light the nurses left on in my room through that night, and it shone directly over my baby. Despite the new mysteries and fears naturally coupled with motherhood, like Hagar, I felt seen, known, and embraced (Genesis 16). The presence of the Almighty was undeniable. 

I imagine that Mary felt much the same as the Star of Bethlehem pierced through a world filled with darkness and cast its beautiful warmth over her, and Hope wrapped in swaddling clothes. She had little choice but to accept the kindness and favor God had placed on her through such a tiny, splendid creature. Hope for Mary’s people was now tangible. 

If you have ever read the best-selling sci-fi series, The Hunger Games, or watched its film adaptations, you recall one of the trilogy’s most famous quotes: “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” Though quoted by the villainous President Snow, I agree with his assessment. Hope has this unearthly ability to squelch our greatest fears, yet hope rarely screams to be seen. Hope is often humble, just like Katniss Everdeen, a poor young girl from an outcast district, who was willing to sacrifice her life to become hope for a nation of oppressed people. 

Hope wants you to seek it out to affirm the worth you’ve placed upon it. It’s not that hope is dictatorial. Rather, hope recognizes that without your willingness to seek it and embrace it, it will never truly live inside you. You won’t experience its fullness without placing personal faith in its power. 

Is that not what the nativity scene reminds us? Humble beginnings? Faith that seems scientifically impossible and socially fatal? The shepherds were greeted by a host of angels and told to meet a newborn baby who would save their souls. The wise men (likely sorcerers) felt the holy calling of a God they weren’t intimate with, yet they spent months, likely years, pursuing a star (most scholars believe the wise men didn’t reach Christ until he was two years old). 

This great pursuit didn’t lead the shepherds or wise men to a king in royal garb. They didn’t discover troves of treasure. There wasn’t any earthly reward they gained from this blind trust. Instead, they met a young boy born to lowly Jews, but they were radically bettered forever. In fact, Scripture confirms that the wise men pledged their souls to Christ, worshipping him, and protecting Him from King Herod: 

“[Herod] sent [the wise men] to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”

We are granted the same opportunity to pursue Hope, even if we aren’t promised worldly possessions or fame. Hope doesn’t need a bonus package or special add-ons to fill our hearts with love and light that brings us joy, no matter our lot in life. Hope only needs a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, a baby committed to experiencing sacrificial death, then shedding grave clothes for mankind to know eternal peace. 

What a beautiful reason to celebrate the true meaning and hope of this Christmas season! 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As Christmas approaches, take a few moments as a family to discuss the importance of the nativity scene and consider age-appropriate crafts and devotionals centered on its significance. 

Further Reading:
Matthew 2
Who Is Really Coming to Town

The nativity is more than a quiet scene on a mantel&mdash;it&rsquo;s the moment Hope took on flesh. Drawing from Luke 2:7, this devotional reflects on the tender, intimate way God chose to enter the world: humble, small, and wrapped in cloth. Like Mary, the shepherds, and the wise men who followed a star into the unknown, we&rsquo;re invited to pursue Hope with trust, curiosity, and courage. Hope doesn&rsquo;t shout; it waits to be sought. And when we find it&mdash;when we find Him&mdash;fear loses its grip and light floods the dark corners of our lives.
Highlights
<ul data-start="570" data-end="1154">
<li data-start="570" data-end="659">
A personal window into the author&rsquo;s first night of motherhood and the nearness of God
</li>
<li data-start="660" data-end="756">
Parallels between Mary&rsquo;s quiet moment with Jesus and our own encounters with divine presence
</li>
<li data-start="757" data-end="854">
The power of hope to silence fear&mdash;echoed in Scripture and even unexpected cultural references
</li>
<li data-start="855" data-end="909">
Why hope often appears humble and easy to overlook
</li>
<li data-start="910" data-end="994">
The shepherds&rsquo; and wise men&rsquo;s radical pursuit of a Savior they barely understood
</li>
<li data-start="995" data-end="1079">
A reminder that true hope isn&rsquo;t about earthly rewards but eternal transformation
</li>
<li data-start="1080" data-end="1154">
The invitation to seek, embrace, and live out the hope found in Christ
</li>
</ul>
<hr>
Gift Inspiration: Crosswalk's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/holiday-gift-guide-2025/">Holiday Gift Guide</a>
Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the season? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide&mdash;from beautifully illustrated Bibles and devotionals to novels, greeting cards, and picture books, there&rsquo;s something for everyone on your list. Wrap up stories for loved ones, tuck a book into your own nightstand, and join us in celebrating the wonder of giving this Christmas!
<hr>
Full Transcript Below:
Hope Wrapped in Swaddling Clothes
By Peyton Garland
Bible Reading:
&ldquo;...and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.&rdquo; Luke 2:27 (NIV)
Outside experiencing Christ&rsquo;s salvation, I haven&rsquo;t felt God&rsquo;s presence so loudly, so beautifully, as the night after I had my first son. My little guy didn&rsquo;t have to stay in the hospital nursery, so he spent his first night with me. Exhausted from the previous night&rsquo;s midnight contractions coupled with a five-in-the-morning birth, I welcomed the quiet, dark hush that finally fell over the hospital floors.&nbsp;
I recall the sole soft yellow light the nurses left on in my room through that night, and it shone directly over my baby. Despite the new mysteries and fears naturally coupled with motherhood, like Hagar, I felt seen, known, and embraced (Genesis 16). The presence of the Almighty was undeniable.&nbsp;
I imagine that Mary felt much the same as the Star of Bethlehem pierced through a world filled with darkness and cast its beautiful warmth over her, and Hope wrapped in swaddling clothes. She had little choice but to accept the kindness and favor God had placed on her through such a tiny, splendid creature. Hope for Mary&rsquo;s people was now tangible.&nbsp;
If you have ever read the best-selling sci-fi series, The Hunger Games, or watched its film adaptations, you recall one of the trilogy&rsquo;s most famous quotes: &ldquo;Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.&rdquo; Though quoted by the villainous President Snow, I agree with his assessment. Hope has this unearthly ability to squelch our greatest fears, yet hope rarely screams to be seen. Hope is often humble, just like Katniss Everdeen, a poor young girl from an outcast district, who was willing to sacrifice her life to become hope for a nation of oppressed people.&nbsp;
Hope wants you to seek it out to affirm the worth you&rsquo;ve placed upon it. It&rsquo;s not that hope is dictatorial. Rather, hope recognizes that without your willingness to seek it and embrace it, it will never truly live inside you. You won&rsquo;t experience its fullness without placing personal faith in its power.&nbsp;
Is that not what the nativity scene reminds us? Humble beginnings? Faith that seems scientifically impossible and socially fatal? The shepherds were greeted by a host of angels and told to meet a newborn baby who would save their souls. The wise men (likely sorcerers) felt the holy calling of a God they weren&rsquo;t intimate with, yet they spent months, likely years, pursuing a star (most scholars believe the wise men didn&rsquo;t reach Christ until he was two years old).&nbsp;
This great pursuit didn&rsquo;t lead the shepherds or wise men to a king in royal garb. They didn&rsquo;t discover troves of treasure. There wasn&rsquo;t any earthly reward they gained from this blind trust. Instead, they met a young boy born to lowly Jews, but they were radically bettered forever. In fact, Scripture confirms that the wise men pledged their souls to Christ, worshipping him, and protecting Him from King Herod:&nbsp;
&ldquo;[Herod] sent [the wise men] to Bethlehem and said, &lsquo;Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.&rsquo; After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.&rdquo;
We are granted the same opportunity to pursue Hope, even if we aren&rsquo;t promised worldly possessions or fame. Hope doesn&rsquo;t need a bonus package or special add-ons to fill our hearts with love and light that brings us joy, no matter our lot in life. Hope only needs a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, a baby committed to experiencing sacrificial death, then shedding grave clothes for mankind to know eternal peace.&nbsp;
What a beautiful reason to celebrate the true meaning and hope of this Christmas season!&nbsp;
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life:
As Christmas approaches, take a few moments as a family to discuss the importance of the nativity scene and consider age-appropriate crafts and devotionals centered on its significance.&nbsp;
Further Reading: Matthew 2 <a href="https://www.ibelieve.com/holidays/who-is-really-coming-to-town.html">Who Is Really Coming to Town</a>

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.

Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:

☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It)
☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment
☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life
☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life
☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church
☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer
☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation
☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year

If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.
Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:
☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It) ☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment ☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life ☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life ☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church ☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer ☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation ☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year
If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/">https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.</a>

7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life.

The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

The Crosswalk Devotional

Hope Wrapped in Swaddling Clothes

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/16b7b217-a174-4693-b7e8-b3b1014d79ed/transcript

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