Thursday, December 07, 2006

The Nativity Story

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger." -Luke 2:10-12

With the release of the movie, The Nativity Story, Christianity is taking yet another "hit" from academia (see this month's issue of History Today- the article entitled The First Christmas) suggesting that...
  • Jesus want not born of a virgin
  • Jesus was not born of David's lineage
  • Jesus was not born in Bethlehem
  • there was no stable
  • no shepherds
  • no star
  • no Magi
  • no massacre of infants
  • no flight into Egypt
  • Etc... etc... etc...

C'mon, I grew up watching Linus recite Luke's nativity story each year at Christmas time! (Actually, it's on next week- and will watch once again with my kids!)

Now certainly I am no scholar on Biblical and archeological studies, and my humble opinion would serve as little credence to this on-going debate. But you know what...I don't care. Mathew and Luke's nativity stories have beautifully engendered the pivotal event in history, and have vividly brought to life the most amazing story of any child ever born. These narrative elements, which have been scrutinized Ad nauseam, are not the sole links that hold this story to be credible; but rather, I believe, they help us to simply try to visualize the setting of the awe-inspiring task that both Mary and Joseph were given when they were called out by God to parent His son on earth.

You know, I'm almost 40, and I'm going to continue to lay our manger each year by the tree, and retell the story to my kids of the Magi, the drummer boy, and the shepherds who came to the Bethlehem manger that night long ago...and cherish every minute of it.

1 comment:

Brian Megilligan said...

so some questions:
1) do you subscribe to history today online?
2) does each "etc" deserve it's own bullet point, or should there be only one "etc" for this bullet point?
3) where does the drummer boy fit in to all this?
4) and why the drum anyway?
5) wouldn't that just wake the baby? scare the animals?

I hear what you're saying about the nativity stories, but they're more than just quaint little stories. There's a lot to learn in there about humility, obedience, prophecy, protection, etc! Each word given to us in the scripture is inspired and give to us for a reason!