The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. [Isaiah 11:6-7 (ESV)]
And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” [Revelation 5:5 (ESV)]
For centuries, access to the written Word of God was limited to just a few. The printing press wasn’t invented until 1439 and, at the time, only about 20% of the population could read. As a result, churches were decorated with paintings, stained glass windows, statues, carvings, and mosaics depicting biblical stories or illustrating theological concepts. For people who couldn’t read the book, religious art told the story. Consider how the Stations of the Cross in Roman Catholic churches illustrate the events of Good Friday. Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words! While most nativity scenes are inaccurate, our depictions of the nativity don’t have to be historically exact to be meaningful.
At the Christmas market last week, an artist was painting a nativity scene. Having just written about the ox and ass found in depictions of Jesus’ birth, I was curious if he had them in his. Along with ox and ass, there was a lamb. The presence of this sacrificial animal is a vivid reminder that Jesus was the Lamb of God. It reminds us that His sacrifice on the cross is the reason for that baby in the manger.
But, front and center on the canvas, the artist painted a large lion looking down at the infant Jesus laying in a bed of hay. While not as common as the lamb, ass, and ox, the lion is no stranger to nativities. It points to Jacob’s promise to his son Judah that a conquering victorious king, the lion, would be from his line and suggests the words in Revelation 5:5 referring to Jesus as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.” The lion’s presence also illustrates Isaiah’s prophecies of a time when God’s fallen creation will be remade into a place of peace, harmony, and order—a time when Christ will reign over all the earth—when a lion will eat straw rather than babies in a manger!
Although they didn’t arrive until Jesus was a toddler, we also find the magi in most nativities. Rather than kings, the magi probably were scholars or priests knowledgeable in astronomy and astrology. It may have been the extravagance of their gifts that caused them to be portrayed as royalty. Moreover, kings presenting gifts to the Messiah echo the prophecies of Isaiah 60 and Psalm 72.
While three gifts were presented, Scripture doesn’t say how many magi there were. Nevertheless, we see three. One king usually is depicted as a Black African, another as Caucasian, and the third as Asian. In Jesus’ day, there were three known continents—Africa, Asia, and Europe. In the 700s, the Venerable Bede (theologian and historian) posited that each of the magi represented one of those parts. As inaccurate as their depictions may be, their different races beautifully illustrate that Jesus came for the people of all nations and races. Seeing the kings of the world bowing in humble worship to the King of Kings, we are reminded that earthly kingdoms may fall but God’s Kingdom will not be destroyed!
In sharp contrast to a nativity’s richly attired kings are the often-barefoot shepherds in their simple attire. While kings were at the top rung of the social ladder, shepherds (along with taxmen and lepers) were at the bottom. The presence of both groups around the manger reinforces the unity that all people (both rich and poor) have in Christ! One shepherd often stands out from the others—a tall shepherd carrying a lamb on his shoulders. His presence is a subtle reference to Jesus as the “good shepherd” who will go to great lengths to save His flock.
Take time this holiday season to look at the various renditions of the nativity around you. Instead of looking for historical accuracy, try to find the scriptural and theological themes hidden within the art. Indeed, sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words!
The earliest known portrayal of Jesus’ birth is a bas relief on a Roman sarcophagus from around 385. It depicts the swaddled Christ child in the manger flanked by an ox at His head and an ass at His feet. Why are they present instead of Joseph and Mary? In 1223, Francis of Assisi brought some hay and a manger to a cave and celebrated Mass there on Christmas Eve. Even though Mary and Joseph weren’t present, an ass and an ox were! In 1291, Pope Nicholas IV commissioned Arnolfo di Cambio to create a permanent nativity. While there are statues of Mary and Jesus, Joseph, and three Magi, the sixth statue shows the heads of an ox and an ass rather than shepherd or angel. Besides the baby Jesus, the ass and the ox are the most ancient and consistent elements in depictions of the nativity. Why do these two animals, neither of which is mentioned in the gospels, have such a prominent place in our nativity scenes, Christmas cards, and carols?
It was a web day at the park and I don’t mean the world-wide kind. It was one of those days when the morning dew, mist, and light cooperated in such a way that we saw beautiful intricate spider webs hanging everywhere. Looking as if they were made of strands of silver rather than proteinaceous silk extruded from a spider’s spinnerets, it seemed like the spiders had decorated all the trees in celebration of Christmas.
Unfortunately, much of our Advent season is not spent joyfully looking forward to celebrating the birth of the Christ child. In hope of finding the perfect gift for everyone on our list, we pore over catalogues and search for sales and coupons. Either we fight for parking spots at the mall and spend hours standing in line or spend those hours sitting at the computer while shopping on line! We then fret and fuss over wrapping those gifts, mailing packages and Christmas cards, hosting and attending parties, baking cookies, making travel arrangements, decorating the house, preparing holiday dinners, and paying the ever-mounting bills. When we say, “Merry Christmas!” we might find ourselves mumbling a Scrooge-like “Bah! Humbug” under our breath! Instead of looking forward to Christmas with anticipation, there are times we can’t wait until it’s all over and done.
Sometime near the end of the 3rd century, the Bishop of Myra died and a conclave was held to elect his replacement. Legend has it that the bishops kept praying and voting but could not come to an agreement. In a stalemate, they prayed all night for God’s guidance. That night, one bishop heard a voice telling him that, at the hour of matins, the man who walked into the church was the one God wanted to shepherd His flock.
Devotions of the Heart 