Sixth Day of Christmas: Reviewing the Nativity Characters

Let’s zoom in on our nativity scene for a minute.

We have elite sages from some where in the East headed to Bethlehem.  They represent nobility and the highest levels of knowledge for their times.

Mary, probably 15 or 16 years old, descended from the great King David lives a humble peasant’s life in the small village of Nazareth.  A women described as favored by God.  A teenage women God trusted with His only begotten son.  Basically, you can say Mary is a small town teenager who loves God.

Joseph, we have no idea of his age, but we know he was also of the family of David.  We know he was an craftsman.  He worked with his hands to create the things needed by others.  Many believe he was a carpenter though the word can be used for any of the crafts.  This man knew he could have dealt harshly with Mary when he discovered she was pregnant, but he had compassion for her.  Then the angel came in his dream and told Joseph the baby was from God and to take Mary as his wife.  Joseph immediately did as God asked.

Shepherds leave their sheep in the fields after hearing from the angels.

Luke 2 ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

In this moment we have Angels, the highest of creation and who stand at the throne of God, announcing to Shepherds about the God of creation taking on flesh and being born a baby.  The shepherds represented a strange group of people.  These men live at the edges of society.  But shepherd’s in the Bethlehem area were probably raising sheep for the Passover sacrifice.  The feast of Passover required only perfect sheep be sacrificed; these shepherds raised the sheep and provided lambs with no blemish for the Passover.  They also would be among the first to see Jesus our Passover Lamb.

1 Corinthians 5: 7B For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us

Journel Exercise

Who do you relate to in this crowd?  Are you of the educated elite?  Or are you a hard working crafts person?  Do you work in an important profession that no one respects?  I am assuming you are not an angel.

The last people to be a part of Jesus birth are a man named Simeon and a women named Anna.  Simeon waits in the temple for the messiah.  God has told Simeon that before his death he will see the Messiah.  And he does.

Luke 2

²⁸ Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

²⁹ Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

³⁰ For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

³¹ Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

³² A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Are you waiting for the second coming of Jesus?  Really waiting in expectation?

Anna was an elderly woman who spent her days in the temple praying and fasting.  She received the honor of also beholding the infant.  Are you more like Anna?  Do you spend your days in prayer?

Last question

Of our crowd, who do you wish you were like?  Why?