[Spirit100]

And [Mary] brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:7

Recommended Reading: Matthew 2:1-2

Travelers to Israel usually make a side trip to Bethlehem, just a few short miles south of Jerusalem. If you visit any of the many tourist shops to purchase souvenirs, hundreds of nativity scenes and figures of all the participants will be prominently displayed: the baby Jesus, His parents, the shepherds, the Wise Men, animals in the stable, and more. Beautifully carved from olive wood, these nativity sets and figurines often find their way into tourists’ luggage for the trip home.

And why not? Is there anything more symbolic of the Christmas season than a three-dimensional representation of the birth of Jesus? Even if some of the details need slight adjustments: the Wise Men didn’t arrive until sometime after the actual birth, and earliest Christian tradition suggests the “stable” was actually a cave, not a wooden structure as nativity scenes usually portray.

Never to worry—nativity sets are beloved traditions in many Christian families, often passed down through the years. What better way to illustrate our reading of the Christmas story?