Away in a Manger

In Matthew chapter 1, we read about a special angelic visit to the husband of Mary, who would be giving birth to the Christ Child. The angel spoke these words:
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

This was significant, a fulfillment of what God had spoken through the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before:
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

We know that following angelic visitations to Joseph and Mary, together, they made the journey to Bethlehem, which would be the birthplace of the Messiah, according to the book of Micah.  The picture of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus in humble surroundings can communicate to the world that Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth, born as a child, who grew into a man, who suffered, was killed and rose from the dead - He did this so that He could pay the penalty for sin and restore us to God.

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A group of shepherds tending flocks in the fields outside Bethlehem had quite a season - they were visited by a host of angels declaring the coming of the Messiah. And, they were told what they would find if they were to visit the city. Luke chapter 2 states:
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Less than a week ago, the ministry of Turning Point, featuring David Jeremiah, issued a press release about its feature film that told the story of the birth of our Lord.  It said: "Why the Nativity? is Turning Point's first feature length docudrama film that premiered on Thanksgiving night. In the three weeks since it premiered, it has garnered more than 10 million views on YouTube alone."  But, it was featured on a number of media platforms, including the Turning Point website and app, the regular Turning Point television broadcast, Fox Nation, and the Lifetime cable network.  The press release reported:

Over 4,000 churches signed up to host a watch night and gain access to additional resources created by the Turning Point digital marketing team. In addition, Turning Point's social media team created an Outreach Team campaign and had 2,452 individuals sign up to help promote Why the Nativity? in their communities.

The release quotes from David Jeremiah, addressing why this docudrama had become popular; he said: "Because the birth of Christ changes everything. It changed the world…He can bring joy in a world void of joy, hope in hopeless times, and peace in an uncertain world."  The release states:

Why the Nativity? explores questions, facts, and history seldom seen in traditional Nativity stories—from the influence of Roman rule, to the identities of the Wise Men, to the back story of Mary and Joseph as children.

And, the good news is that the film can still be seen through WhyTheNativity.org.  And, the significance of the event can still resonate in our hearts, even after the nativity scenes in our homes have been packed away.  Because the message is enduring and impactful.

CBNNews.com recently brought this to light last week:

Celebrations of Jesus Christ's birth are scheduled at nativity scenes placed at 43 state capitols across the country this Christmas.

The Thomas More Society, a not-for-profit national public interest law firm, and the American Nativity Scene, a group dedicated to the display of nativity scenes at every state capitol throughout the U.S. during the Christmas season, are helping a growing number of private citizen groups across the nation to display Biblical manger scenes on government property this Christmas.

And, even though there are certain caveats to the display of the manger scenes on government property, still the message of the display can be communicated. The article quotes Thomas More Society Vice President and Senior Counsel Thomas Olp: "The law is clear. Government entities may erect and maintain celebrations of the Christmas holiday – or allow citizens to do so on government property, including nativity scenes, as long as a crèche's sole purpose is not to promote its religious content, and it is placed in context with other symbols of the season as part of an effort to celebrate the public Christmas holiday through traditional symbols."

We have to be careful not to "box up" the Nativity scene and reserve the meaning of certain concepts or displays for a six-week period of time.  The birth of Jesus into the world is a key component of the salvation message, for the coming of Jesus to earth in the form of a child reminds us that He gave His life for all humanity. 

Mary and Joseph embraced the message of the significance of the baby - and we can be careful to hear and receive that message, and respond to God's direction in our lives - He brought people together into one significant location so that His message might be spread throughout the world.  Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men - all of these central characters remind us of God's sovereign hand for His clear purpose.  And, the Christmas story, as we call it, is an essential chapter of God's redemptive work.

So, we can rejoice in the Lord for His precious gift of redemption, of reconciliation between us and our Heavenly Father.  Through Jesus, the baby born in a manger, we can recognize that our Creator made it possible for each of us to be new creations in Him.  We can consider how we can respond to His love.