How The Nativity Story Breathes Life into the Petrified Dime-Store Crèche
by Dr. Marc T. Newman
December 11, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Every Christmas I take out the family nativity scene. The figurines are not consistent. They come from a number of sets -- and one piece from a garage sale. Everyone but the three kings (who did not actually show up until two years later according to Scripture) look strikingly European, particularly the shepherd boy (the only one made out of some kind of rubberized plastic), who looks like he just stepped out of a pastoral painting. The stable is remarkably clean, and all of the animals are quiet and well-behaved (because they are inanimate). We don't have an angel, probably because when my parents bought the set for my wife and me many years ago they did not want to spring for the deluxe set ("ANGEL INCLUDED!"). What does make our nativity scene unique is that ours has armadillos. My wife's family is from Texas, and somewhere along the way a small set of ceramic armadillos made its way to Bethlehem and has remained ever since.Nativity scenes are iconic. They are not really meant to show the reality of the birth of Jesus as much as suggest it, or remind us of it. But in the modern west, most of us have never remotely encountered anything like the kind of lives that Jews lived in the first century. I have never seen a nativity scene that included Roman soldiers, even though the land was occupied by Rome at the time of Jesus' birth. Providing a unique vantage point from which to examine an old story is why The Nativity Story is such an intriguing film, and particularly worthy of a look as we approach the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child.
In particular, The Nativity Story is notable for the way it reinvents the romantic, makes the main characters human (yet trying to reflect God's will), and reasserts the central message of Christmas -- that God sent His Son to save people from their sins.
Marc Newman's analysis of The Nativity Story continues below
MovieMinistry.com has a compelling, new downloadable Bible study based off of The Nativity Story: "What Would You Do With A Gift From God?" You can also find new FilmTalk Cards on a variety of favorite Christmas films.
Reinventing the Romantic
Most nativity scenes I have seen plant romantic figures in a pastoral setting. The key people are dressed in beautifully colored robes. Joseph, on one knee, holds a staff and gestures invitingly for all to view the Christ Child. Mary's garments flow beautifully for a woman who has just given birth, and Jesus glows (in some nativity sets, literally). It is easy to forget that these figurines represent real, historical people who lived in a real, historical place.
At first glance, it is jarring to see director Catherine Hardwicke's vision of first-century Nazareth: a dirty, poverty-stricken, backwater town laboring under the weight of Roman occupation and oppressive taxation from King Herod. Those who cannot pay their taxes forfeit their animals or their children. It's not for nothing that, when Nathanael was told of Jesus, he responded, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46).
Hardwicke strives for historical authenticity, and does not deviate far from the core biblical text. Mary is a young woman of 15 or so years. Joseph appears to be in his mid- to late-20s. Their marriage is arranged by Mary's father. In a bit of dramatic license, screenwriter Mike Rich makes Mary initially reluctant to wed Joseph. There is a tension between Mary's desire to be a child and her parents' need for her to be married and, therefore, safe from the Romans. Mary's resistance gives Joseph a chance to woo her, and the audience gets a glimpse into the character of the man who would be the earthly father to the Son of God. Looking at a nativity scene, many forget that Joseph and Mary had a life before and after Christ's birth. Hardwicke helps us to see these young people struggle with the fearful task before them, and grow closer as a result. Above all, The Nativity Story is a love story about two godly people who learn to care for each other as they journey to Bethlehem in obedience to God.
Reflecting God
Nativity scenes are static (at least, mine is). You can't discover too much by looking at one unless you already know the story. There is no insight available as to the inner lives of these figurines. And since the Bible passages that speak of the birth of Jesus are fairly sparse, it is hard to know much about what Mary and Joseph thought of their impending roles as the day-to-day parents of Jesus.
If you really want to get to know someone, take a trip with them. It is a long road from Nazareth to Bethlehem -- about 100 miles. On their way to take part in the census ordered by Caesar Augustus, Mike Rich gives voice to the concerns of the soon-to-be parents, and also grants viewers potential insights into what made these particular people God's choice. Over a campfire on a chilly evening, Mary and Joseph admit their fears to each other, including Joseph's understandable concern that he will have nothing to teach Jesus. While it is doubtful that the Messiah would need tutoring from any human in how to live a life pleasing to God, it is still interesting how Rich explores Mary and Joseph's interaction with each other, and with their world, in ways that prefigure the actions and teachings of Jesus' later ministry. As you watch the film, see how many you can discover. I never thought that the film was claiming that Jesus would later be conditioned to act the way He did by living with Mary and Joseph. Rather it seemed that the holiness He exhibited perfectly was reflected already in the lives of His God-fearing earthy parents. They were especially chosen for the task of welcoming the Savior into the world.
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Keisha Castle-Hughes, 16, as Mary -- the fearful yet obedient mother of the long-awaited Messiah |
Reasserting the Mission
In an article last week I lamented about how the Christkindlemarket festival in Chicago refused to take advertising from The Nativity Story because they felt that running ads about the birth of the Christ Child could be offensive to non-Christian patrons of the "Christ Child Market Festival." One particularly clever blog post I came across recently said that in addition to putting the CHRIST in CHRISTmas, we shouldn't forget to put the MASS in ChristMAS either. What I think the blogger was getting at was that the purpose of Christmas is to worship Christ, not get into culture war arguments about the "ownership of Christmas" that divide and alienate Christians from the very people they should be trying to reach.The Nativity Story is not an impotent, politically-correct mishmash. The film doesn't try to water down the message to make it inoffensive. It very clearly identifies the child in Mary's womb as being conceived by the Holy Spirit. He is called God in the flesh. The wise men don't come to have a summit meeting, they come to worship the Messiah King and to honor His impending sacrifice. But at the same time as the film accurately communicates the singular, miraculous, otherworldly nature of the Incarnation, it beautifully grounds the story in history by its realistic portrait of the most outcast of first-century culture. The shepherds in The Nativity Story are not charming country lads with adorable lambs cast about their shoulders. Instead they are shown as they probably were: lonely, poor, unwashed men working at a difficult job who were despised by their own countrymen. When the angel appears to them, they are afraid. But we also learn that, like the wise men, they have been eagerly waiting for the coming Messiah. So when they are told where He may be found, they rush to see Him. The arrival of the shepherds creates the most beautiful moment in the film. Jesus has come so that "whosoever" believes in Him will have eternal life. That message is the heart of outreach.
The Rest of the Story
If more Christians lived their lives in a God-honoring way, there might be little need for a war over Christmas (which strikes me as an interesting title for something that directly involves the Prince of Peace). In many circles, Christmas has become nothing more than a shopping season, as bereft of real spiritual impact as are many of the store-bought manger scenes that emerge annually in otherwise spiritually dead homes.
The Nativity Story may not provide everyone with the gooey feelings that some associate with Christmas. While it has its "Hallmark" moments, it is mostly a humanizing, often compelling film that illustrates for viewers the historical reality of the birth of Jesus. At the very least, The Nativity Story might cause us all to look at our nativity sets a little differently this Christmas. If people only would remember that Jesus is not a figurine of a baby, but Incarnate God, perhaps they would consider how He truly bled and died for their sins, how He really was buried, and how He actually rose from the dead. He did all of that so that we could be saved from a judgment that would rightfully fall upon us otherwise. Though it is a movie, The Nativity Story can help some people take their first steps in coming to grips with the reality of Jesus. It will be up to Christians to share the rest of the story.
Marc T. Newman, PhD (marc@movieministry.com) is the president of MovieMinistry.com -- an organization that provides sermon and teaching illustrations from popular film, and helps the Church use movies to reach out to others and connect with people.
