The story of the birth of Jesus is told every Christmas and recreated in countless school assembly halls around the country. But how much of the traditional tale is actually written in the Bible? Why are the shepherds so important? Who are the Magi? And what was so frightening about the angels? This breakdown of the nativity aims to dispel all the myths surrounding the story of Jesus’ birth and searches for the message behind the manger

The Magi

The Gospel of Matthew tells how wise men, or Magi, from the east arrived in Jerusalem some time after the birth of Jesus, which runs contrary to the nativity scene where they are gathered around the manger at Bethlehem.

The Bible never specifies that there are three of them nor does it ever describe them as kings. The word Magi refers to a tribe in ancient Media who inhabited much of present-day Iran but we can only speculate on the exact identity of the wise men. What is certain is that they had travelled a long way for only one reason, to worship Jesus. Although barely a toddler, he was already drawing people to him from distant lands. The three gifts the wise men presented to Jesus, gold frankincense and myrrh, were no mere accessories to the story. They would prove to be invaluable to the young family as they set off for Egypt having been warned to flee the coming wrath of King Herod who wanted to kill Jesus. Gold was for currency, frankincense was for personal hygiene and the
medicinal properties of myrrh meant that the young Jesus would be well looked after.

Angels

On the night of Jesus’ birth, the angel of the Lord, Gabriel, appeared to the shepherds in Bethlehem and said “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord”.

The angel has appeared because something miraculous had happened, something that is from God and not from men. Suddenly a great company of heaven’s angels appear singing “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests”. The angels knew the full importance of the birth of Christ. They could see the whole picture. They already knew that the baby born in Bethlehem would set free countless of millions of people from the bondage of sin by dying on the Cross in our place.

This is news that cannot be contained, it must be sung out loud by all who know it. There was much celebration in heaven that night but the Bible also tells us that the angels rejoice for every single person who places their faith in Christ. The angels are singing not just for Christ but for every man, woman and child who is saved in his name.

Shepherds

Do you know what the shepherds’ first reaction was on seeing the angels and hearing the gospel? It was not elation or joy. It was fear. The gospel of Luke clearly says that they were terrified and overwhelmed by the presence of the angels. Shepherds in those times were known to be rough, unclean, uneducated men and how unworthy they must have felt when faced with the glory of heaven. It shone all around them and there was nowhere to hide. But the angels said to them “Do not be afraid”.

When we are made aware of the reality of God, it is a frightening thing. It exposes us for who we truly are and our unworthiness is too much to bear. But we should not be afraid. Jesus has arrived not to condemn us but to save us, for he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. The shepherds are told by the angels to go into Bethlehem where they will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. They find the child just as the angels have described. Once they have seen the truth with their own eyes, they spread the word about Jesus to all who would listen. The gospel was not first received by any king, or any priest or any man of high intellect. God chose the lowly shepherds as the first ever Christians, praising God for all they had seen and heard.

Mary and Joseph

Imagine being told that you would have to look after the most precious gift in the universe. That was the monumental task placed before Mary and Joseph. The Holy Spirit conceived in Mary a child. We often think that Jesus was unique to be born in this way, but in fact all Christians are born this way. The bible says that those who follow Jesus are children born not of natural descent nor of human decision or a husband’s will but born of God.

From the start, Mary and Joseph had to be prepared to bear public disgrace over the mysterious pregnancy, rejection at the inn at Bethlehem and persecution at the hands of Herod but their obedience to God never wavers. We never hear the voice of Joseph in the gospel accounts of the nativity but we do read that whenever he is commanded by God to do something, he does it without question and in complete faith. He did not need to be a man of words in order to honour God. He simply needed to obey.

The babe in the manger

Jesus was not born in a palace. There was no fine linen. There were no midwives or courtiers to attend to him. Instead, he was laid in a manger, a food trough. Why was the birth of Jesus so unspectacular, so humble, so humiliating?

God chose the manger precisely because it defies our human ideas of what power and glory should be. The nature of his birth is a sign that Jesus would never conform to human values of success and status in his life, for they are worth nothing. Jesus wants us to turn away from those earthly things we value so much and instead look to what is truly important to our souls, peace with God.

Also, the manger is a sign of what it meant for Jesus to descend from heaven. It meant leaving his throne to live among us, in an unclean world, full of the stench of sin. Never mind the manger, this entire world with all it had to offer was not worthy for a messiah such as Jesus. Yet he became flesh because he loved us and wanted to save us. In the same way as his birth, Jesus’ death would not be a glorious one in the eyes of men. He was left to die on a cross, beaten, humiliated and mocked. Yet in the eyes of God, he achieved that which no king, pharaoh, emperor or president could ever do. He paid for the sins of all mankind. Through his death on the cross he claimed the final victory over sin and death.

Jesus has promised that he will return. On that day we will have no doubt as to his power and majesty. He will arrive on the clouds of heaven, surrounded by angels. Every tongue will confess that he is God, every knee shall bow and there will be no condemnation for those who believe in his name.

Merry Christmas to all

and a happy New Year