Plot twists usually catch us off guard once. A clever turn in a novel or movie might leave us surprised, but eventually, we move on. Yet, there is one plot twist that never stops surprising us—the manger. The Christmas story is the ultimate twist, and its impact resonates every time we revisit it. No matter how well we think we know it, this twist keeps upending our expectations, reshaping our understanding, and changing everything.
Think about it: the Creator of the universe choosing to enter the world not in grandeur but in utter humility. A manger—a feeding trough for animals—became the cradle for a King. Every cultural assumption about power, importance, and status was flipped upside down. God’s plan didn’t involve royal palaces, parades, or military might. Instead, it featured a teenage girl, a carpenter, and a stable filled with the earthy smells of hay and animals. It was messy, unexpected, and perfect.
Every time we think we’ve got God figured out, the manger reminds us we don’t. It reminds us that power isn’t about dominance but about vulnerability. It’s about the willingness to enter into the messy realities of life, to stoop low so that others might be lifted high. The world looks for strength in big displays and loud proclamations. But God whispers His power through the cries of a newborn in a tiny town no one thought much of.
The manger also challenges our ideas about the story we think we’re living. We love narratives of triumph, where heroes emerge 
victorious and all loose ends are neatly tied. But the greatest story ever told starts in the humblest of places, with no fanfare and no audience. It unfolds quietly, through ordinary people in the middle of an extraordinary divine plan. It’s a story that doesn’t always look like winning—at least not by the world’s standards.
This Christmas, what if we stopped fighting the plot twist? What if we let it reshape the way we see the world and our place in it? The manger is an invitation to embrace the unexpected, to find beauty in humility, and to let go of our preconceived notions about how things should go. It’s a reminder that God’s ways are higher than ours, and His story is far greater than anything we could script.
So let’s lean into the wonder of it all. Let’s marvel at the God who chose to dwell among us in the simplest of ways. Let’s allow the twist of the manger to soften our hearts, challenge our assumptions, and transform our lives. Because this plot twist? It’s the one that truly changes everything.
Merry Christmas