Dec
11
2020
A Striking Nativity Scene
Posted in Christmas 4 Comments
Ask anyone how to set up a nativity scene and you will get various answers.
Some may put the figures around just as it was set it up when they were a child.
Some may set up the scene a bit differently each year.
Some may set it up according to the Gospel’s account.
Those that follow Scripture may choose to have the Wise Men across the room.
They move the Three Kings a little closer to the manger each day.
They justify that decision by saying that the Wise Men were traveling.
They are correct; yet we usually see the Three Kings included in most nativity scenes.
If one really followed the Gospel account, the Three Kings would not be at the manger at all.
If one really followed Matthew’s Gospel account, the Three Kings would arrive at a house.
The baby Jesus would be a toddler by the time of their visit.
Their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were gifts fit for a King.
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east 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 and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:9-12)
However, most manger scenes include the shepherds, the animals, and the Wise Men.
Seeing all the figures together tells the Story as told in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
It is not a matter of argument as to how a nativity scene should be set up.
Most important is the Story itself; the Story of the birth of the Lord Jesus.
I happened upon a nativity scene that was so striking, I am still pondering it.
We often make the mistake of putting Jesus in only one of two categories.
We focus on His Deity alone or we focus on His humanity alone.
To understand the Incarnation, we have to think of both at the same time.
Therefore 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)
Mary, Jesus’ mother, was a virgin.
When the angel announced what was to happen to her, she never once faltered in her belief.
She was a young girl of 13 or 14 years old.
The only question she asked was, “How can this be? I’m a virgin.” (Luke 1:34)
She never doubted that God could do something so magnificent.
She only questioned how it was to take place.
She knew the normal biological process through which a baby would be conceived.
Her innocent question was appropriate.
The Son of God came into the world as a human baby.
Jesus, the name given to Him before His birth, had a human mother.
He needed to be diapered.
He needed to be nursed.
The Son of God could only have one Father.
Jesus’ Father is God.
The conception of Jesus did not happen in the normal biological way.
The conception of Jesus was foretold, is miraculous, and is the cornerstone of our faith.
Sweet Joseph, who was engaged to Mary, did not want to do anything to dishonor her.
For all intents and purposes, everyone would think that Mary was unfaithful to Joseph.
In a dream, an angel told Joseph that the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
God was so gracious to give that information to Joseph; Joseph believed God in faith.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20,21)
When we think of the baby Jesus, we must think of Him as a real baby.
He spit up, He burped, He cried, and He slept.
We cannot imagine Him as walking six inches off the ground with a halo around His head.
He was human in every way, yet He was divine.
Fully God and fully man.
How can that be?
We, in our humanness, cannot explain it.
We have to take the Incarnation on faith and treasure that God loves us this much to send His Son.
When I happened on the striking nativity scene, all of these truths came to mind.
Mary was a real woman who labored and gave birth.
She was exhausted from traveling to Bethlehem on a donkey.
She was tired from her labor; and weary to have given birth in a stable.
Joseph, the protector, would do anything for his wife.
He did not sleep with her until after Jesus’ birth.
He loved this precious baby and raised Him as his own.
He taught Jesus carpentry and how to be a Jewish man.
Isn’t this scene so realistic?
Wouldn’t Joseph want to have time with his new adopted son?
Wouldn’t Joseph want to give his wife some rest before they traveled again?
Doesn’t this show the humanity of Jesus, while never denying His deity?
How I wish I could find this nativity scene for my home.
I would look at it and ponder all that God did for me and for you when He sent His Son.
A real baby, toddler, young man, and adult going through everything we go through each day.
Only Jesus, the God-man can understand our human condition.
Fully God.
Fully man.
Like us in all things, but sin.
That is the God we worship.
Thanks for sharing this. I hope it’s ok if I sent it to the women in my church to bless them in this advent season.
Absolutely, Paula.
I do hope they are blessed.
Gina
Beautiful! And Joseph must have assisted in the birth of Jesus, too. He was the only one mentioned in the Bible as being with Mary. What a special man, who we don’t talk much about. But he must have been a very godly man, to teach Jesus all the earthly things He needed to know.
Amen,Sue.
Pondering the nuances of the Christmas story is so important.
The Story is true!
Gina