We see dozens of them each year.  Whether they are made of plastic and lights and stationed in someone’s front yard, or is a primary position in our friend’s home, or being sold at a collectibles store, the Nativity scene is a prominent feature during the Christmas season.  But when you strip away the ornateness, the tradition, the nostalgia and really look at the humanity of those events, you discover a powerful scene of what the season really is all about.  The Nativity is about God coming to earth in a very human way.

A tale of three kings

There were three “kings” in the Nativity story.  King Herod, who resented the gift God was giving.  The Magi, who were seeking the gift God was giving.  And there was Jesus who was the gift of God.  On Christmas Eve, we will look at each king and discover the true meaning and best response to this season.

jesus comes to a mother

While we tend to think fondly of Mary today, that is not was not the environment that this teenage girl, pregnant out of wedlock would have experienced.  Where did her remarkable faith come from, a faith that would forever change her life and our world?

jesus comes to a father

In many ways, Joseph had everything to lose.  He could have simply left Mary and exchanged a life of complications, flight, and misunderstanding for a life of normal stability.  What made him stay?

jesus comes to the forgotten

Shepherds were among the most common tasks of the first century.  Barely more than part of the landscape of day to day life.  Yet, they were the first to hear of the amazing birth of Jesus.  How does Christmas make the common extraordinary?