Here’s my newest Nativity. My sister sent it to me for my birthday/Christmas. And it’s a good thing too, because I only had 7 Nativities and they were lonely ;-). Actually, I’m very thankful. I’ve seen tons of beautiful Christmas items but haven’t purchased any because our finances call for only buying what we need, and if you’ve seen pictures of my house (in a previous post) you know I don’t NEED Christmas decorations. So God blessed me through my sister and gave me something that gives me much to be thankful for and much to think about.
As I began searching for a place for my new Nativity (it ended up in my dining room, the only spot in the house I could squeeze it into), I thought about the message Pastor Bob gave this Sunday, coincidentally about the Nativity scene. Many times we accept things because it’s what we’ve been told time and time again, therefore it must be true. But if we look closer we find discrepancies, which can ultimately take us away from the true meaning of what we’re looking for.
Take the Nativity, for instance. It’s beautiful, and looks so serene. Except that any woman who has given birth knows there’s nothing serene about it. I can’t imagine it being a “Silent Night” during labor and delivery. Another issue is where Jesus was born. Yes, we know He was born in Bethlehem, Joseph’s hometown. Joseph and Mary had gone to Bethlehem for the census. At that time Mary was 9 months pregnant, ready to burst. The Bible tells us in Luke 2:7 that “there was no room for them in the inn” and that’s why Jesus was placed in a manger at birth. The word here translated “inn” is the Greek word “kataluma”, which means guest room. Remember, Joseph was back in his hometown. He most likely had relatives living there. Yet he and Mary couldn’t find room in the “kataluma”, or guest rooms. His own family turned them away because Mary’s pregnancy was questionable. After all, she became pregnant before her marriage to Joseph. Bad, bad, bad. No one wanted to open their doors to this scandal, so off went Joseph and found them a “barn”. Hmm, was it really a barn? My new nativity looks more like a cathedral, with its gold leaf walls and mirrors. Other nativities include a stable. But the truth is that Jesus was born in a cave. That’s where the animals were kept in Israel – caves in mountainsides. Not the most glamorous setting. Our picture of Jesus’ birth begins to change.
Then there’s the whole three kings story. What does the Bible say concerning this story? Did it really happen?
Yes, it did. Sort of. Not the way we typically hear it told, though. Our story begins in Matthew chapter 2. Verse 1 says, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.” Note first off that there is no number of men. The Bible does not tell us there were 3 of them, nor are they named anywhere. This idea came about 700 years after Jesus’ birth. We know there were 2 or more men because it’s in the plural, but no exact number is mentioned. We also know from this verse that they weren’t “kings”. They were wise men, Magi, Persian priests most likely from Babylon who were astronomers, men who studied the stars (not to be confused with astrologers. This had nothing to do with horoscopes). Magi are spoken of in Daniel 4:8-9, when King Nebuchadnezzar was looking for someone to interpret his dream. Magi were known as magicians, interpreters of dreams and star gazers. These magi were seeking what Daniel had spoken to them about – scriptures that spoke of the coming Messiah. Numbers 24:17 says, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” The wise men were looking out for this star which would announce the birth of the Christ. When they saw it, they came from the East looking for the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). Herod, who wanted no competition, sent the wise men to find “the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” The word here for young child is "Paidion", which means toddler. Notice that in verse 11, “when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother.” Jesus was no longer in the manger; He was at home with His family. That’s because from the time the wise men saw the star, to when they were able to travel all the way to Jerusalem, till they actually found Jesus, He was probably about 18 months old. Once again, the picture of our nativity scene is changed.
Pastor Bob suggests that, to make it accurate, the nativity should be split up, with the wise men far off on their way to see Jesus. I don’t do this for 2 reasons: 1) I have no other place to put my wise men, since my house is already jam-packed with Christmas decorations, and 2) I want them there to remind me of something very important. See, the scribes, who were experts in the law, knew where the Messiah was to be born (Micah 5:2). They knew about the star and they should have been looking for Him. So why weren’t they? Because they’d become comfortable. They lived in a land where they were allowed to continue in their religious traditions and live a safe, comfortable life. They knew the law, they knew the prophesies, but they didn’t know God. The wise men were truly wise; they had a desire to know God. They traveled 600 miles through the desert to reach Jesus. They put their entire life on hold to find Him. They weren’t rich, but they were committed. They brought the very best gifts they could find, not leftovers but their very best. We live in a country not very different from what the Jews in Jesus’ time had: we are free to worship as we please, free to speak our minds, free to have the career we choose and live our lives in comfort. We consider this a blessing, and it is. But it can also be a curse, if we let these things take priority over our life instead of making Jesus Lord over all.
I’m sure everyone has made their Christmas lists (or in the case of wives, hinted at our husbands). Have you ever wondered what God wants for Christmas? Thankfully, He has already told us:
“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
As I began searching for a place for my new Nativity (it ended up in my dining room, the only spot in the house I could squeeze it into), I thought about the message Pastor Bob gave this Sunday, coincidentally about the Nativity scene. Many times we accept things because it’s what we’ve been told time and time again, therefore it must be true. But if we look closer we find discrepancies, which can ultimately take us away from the true meaning of what we’re looking for.
Take the Nativity, for instance. It’s beautiful, and looks so serene. Except that any woman who has given birth knows there’s nothing serene about it. I can’t imagine it being a “Silent Night” during labor and delivery. Another issue is where Jesus was born. Yes, we know He was born in Bethlehem, Joseph’s hometown. Joseph and Mary had gone to Bethlehem for the census. At that time Mary was 9 months pregnant, ready to burst. The Bible tells us in Luke 2:7 that “there was no room for them in the inn” and that’s why Jesus was placed in a manger at birth. The word here translated “inn” is the Greek word “kataluma”, which means guest room. Remember, Joseph was back in his hometown. He most likely had relatives living there. Yet he and Mary couldn’t find room in the “kataluma”, or guest rooms. His own family turned them away because Mary’s pregnancy was questionable. After all, she became pregnant before her marriage to Joseph. Bad, bad, bad. No one wanted to open their doors to this scandal, so off went Joseph and found them a “barn”. Hmm, was it really a barn? My new nativity looks more like a cathedral, with its gold leaf walls and mirrors. Other nativities include a stable. But the truth is that Jesus was born in a cave. That’s where the animals were kept in Israel – caves in mountainsides. Not the most glamorous setting. Our picture of Jesus’ birth begins to change.
Then there’s the whole three kings story. What does the Bible say concerning this story? Did it really happen?
Yes, it did. Sort of. Not the way we typically hear it told, though. Our story begins in Matthew chapter 2. Verse 1 says, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.” Note first off that there is no number of men. The Bible does not tell us there were 3 of them, nor are they named anywhere. This idea came about 700 years after Jesus’ birth. We know there were 2 or more men because it’s in the plural, but no exact number is mentioned. We also know from this verse that they weren’t “kings”. They were wise men, Magi, Persian priests most likely from Babylon who were astronomers, men who studied the stars (not to be confused with astrologers. This had nothing to do with horoscopes). Magi are spoken of in Daniel 4:8-9, when King Nebuchadnezzar was looking for someone to interpret his dream. Magi were known as magicians, interpreters of dreams and star gazers. These magi were seeking what Daniel had spoken to them about – scriptures that spoke of the coming Messiah. Numbers 24:17 says, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” The wise men were looking out for this star which would announce the birth of the Christ. When they saw it, they came from the East looking for the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). Herod, who wanted no competition, sent the wise men to find “the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” The word here for young child is "Paidion", which means toddler. Notice that in verse 11, “when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother.” Jesus was no longer in the manger; He was at home with His family. That’s because from the time the wise men saw the star, to when they were able to travel all the way to Jerusalem, till they actually found Jesus, He was probably about 18 months old. Once again, the picture of our nativity scene is changed.
Pastor Bob suggests that, to make it accurate, the nativity should be split up, with the wise men far off on their way to see Jesus. I don’t do this for 2 reasons: 1) I have no other place to put my wise men, since my house is already jam-packed with Christmas decorations, and 2) I want them there to remind me of something very important. See, the scribes, who were experts in the law, knew where the Messiah was to be born (Micah 5:2). They knew about the star and they should have been looking for Him. So why weren’t they? Because they’d become comfortable. They lived in a land where they were allowed to continue in their religious traditions and live a safe, comfortable life. They knew the law, they knew the prophesies, but they didn’t know God. The wise men were truly wise; they had a desire to know God. They traveled 600 miles through the desert to reach Jesus. They put their entire life on hold to find Him. They weren’t rich, but they were committed. They brought the very best gifts they could find, not leftovers but their very best. We live in a country not very different from what the Jews in Jesus’ time had: we are free to worship as we please, free to speak our minds, free to have the career we choose and live our lives in comfort. We consider this a blessing, and it is. But it can also be a curse, if we let these things take priority over our life instead of making Jesus Lord over all.
I’m sure everyone has made their Christmas lists (or in the case of wives, hinted at our husbands). Have you ever wondered what God wants for Christmas? Thankfully, He has already told us:
“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
but to do justly,
to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God?”
– Micah 6:8.
Simply put: For Christmas, God wants to be First in our lives. Won’t you give God what He wants for Christmas?
PS – Thanks for all the gifts you sent, Sis. I’m hoping it will be cold Christmas morning so my feet won’t sweat when I wear my new penguin socks!
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