I love our wooden Nativity scene we bought in
Israel. It is made of olive wood and we purchased it on Manger Street in
Bethlehem. The street name is kind of cheesy, but it is easy to remember. It is
a beautiful reminder of Jesus's miraculous birth.
Our Pastor says the wise men do not belong in
the Nativity scene because they arrived later, possibly two years later bringing
their gifts to the child. But most people, including us, keep the wise men in
the scene.
If we want to be factually accurate we wouldn’t
have the wooden barn or the wooden manger either. Many parades and Christmas
plays include Mary riding on a donkey, yet no donkey is mentioned in Luke 2 in
the Bible. We celebrate His birth on December 25, but history tells
us the Catholic church chose that date. December would have been too cold for
shepherds to be sleeping out in the fields. It would have been too cold for
Joseph and Mary, or anyone, to take a long journey. It is more likely Jesus was
born in late September, during the annual Feast of Tabernacles, when it was
more acceptable to travel such a long distance.
Our Nativity scene is wooden, yet traditionally
mangers, or troughs where animals were fed, were cut of stone. Archaeologists
have unearthed many stone troughs throughout Israel.
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| Stone manger in Israel. |
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| Our daughter away in a manger. |
Something new I learned recently is the Greek word for the term ‘inn’ (kataluma) is only used one other place in the Bible. The word means a “furnished, large upper story room inside a house.” On the last night of Jesus life, when He celebrated Passover with His disciples, He told them to find a kataluma, a large furnished upper room.
More than likely, Mary and Joseph traveled to
his hometown of Bethlehem and stayed with relatives. But, because of the
census, the house was crowded, and the kataluma was already filled with elderly
or more important relatives. (Why they didn’t make room for a girl about to deliver
a baby is still a mystery!) Mary and Joseph probably stayed underneath the kataluma,
on the bottom level, where the animals stayed and were fed from stone troughs.
Do these new things I learned about the
Christmas story ruin it for me? No, not at all. I love Christmas and
celebrating the birth of our Savior. I think it is important to read the story
from Luke 2, watch movies and plays to help us visualize that night, and
display Nativity scenes to commemorate Christ’s birth.
The facts of Jesus's birth are more marvelous than
the traditions we hold. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of a
virgin (Luke 1:31), just like it was predicted centuries before (Isaiah
7:14). He was born in Bethlehem and an angel announced his birth to shepherds.
They found Him wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger (Luke 2:12).
The truth is:
God so loved the world
that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost
but will have life that lasts forever. (John 3:16 NLV)
Wishing you a Christ-filled Christmas with peace
and joy!
