What's This Nativity Scene About?

We’re quite often presented with the scene of the nativity – Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, the manger, donkey, sheep, shepherds, ‘kings’ – this can be a wonderful scene, breathing it’s essence of newness and hope. It’s great to see such a scene at the Sanctuary Lakes Shopping Centre, reminding people that there’s more to Christmas than Santa, presents, shopping and parties.

However there are many who perhaps don’t look any further than this quaint nativity scene, and others who may want to know more – but haven’t had the opportunity of discovering the depth of the significance of this child in the centre of the picture. Some may walk away from viewing this nativity scene indeed supposing that they’ll never really know what it means or what the difference is with this baby.

We are not just pondering a scene trapped in a historical past (some 2000 years ago), but an incident that has just as much relevance each and every year as it did when it first happened. It’s all tied up with the need each human being has for relationship with their creator God. It is born into each person that they are not fully complete without a relationship with the author of life.

For human beings of all times, many things get in the way and form barriers between us and God. We might innocently fall fowl of life’s circumstances, and find it very difficult to believe in a caring God. Or conversely, we might quite deliberately be making selfish decisions, showing a desire to control our own destiny, or a wish to dominate others. We may want to gain all of the treasures and pleasures that we see on offer in the world.

In so doing we neglect what matters most – what is happening and forming in the depths of our spirit. We might ask the question – when we get that new car, or gain that promotion, or receive that great academic result, or obtain some unexpected windfall – do we actually feel any happier, or do we have any greater sense of peace about the future?? Jesus said [yes, this same child in the nativity that grew up to be the greatest teacher in history]: "For what does it profit a person to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul?"

This same Jesus who was born into this world as a baby, grew to show himself as Son of God – God in the flesh, giving us serious insight into the mind and heart of God. Jesus did this through his remarkable teaching, and also through his compassionate ministry to the various people he encountered. Ultimately, when certain elements of the 1st century society could no longer handle the threat to the status quo that Jesus brought, they crucified him on a Roman cross.

Although this brought torture and agony to Jesus, he willingly suffered this, because through this sacrifice of the sinless Son of God, God was opening a path of grace and forgiveness toward reconciliation with God. Right at the very beginning of the gospel story we read: that Mary will bear a son, and this son is to be named Jesus, for this Jesus will save his people from their sins. This, the greatest Christmas gift of all, has been offered to each one of us.

Hopefully people would have thought kindly of you this Christmas, and bought you a gift that you’ll really enjoy. They will put out their arms and offer you this gift, and you’re response will likely be to take this gift and unwrap it and enjoy it for all that it’s worth. You are also being offered the gift of peace, hope and eternal life in the person of Jesus; a good response would be to open this gift and enjoy it for all that it is worth! This is the way to know what this nativity scene is all about!!