I love celebrating Christmas but it's even more fun when you have kids. Ryan and I have developed some traditions over the years but there are a few that are my FAVORITE. We go look at Christmas lights, bake cookies, stay in a cabin for a Christmas weekend with family, but my ultimate favorite is watching The Nativity Story
on our family movie night.This movie depicts Jesus' birth in such a beautiful way. Each year we deal with the shopping, exhausted kids, driving all over to see all of the family, and the stress of making EVERYONE happy but this one night we FOCUS on what it's all about THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOR!This year as I was watching I noticed something different. The part that stuck out to me was where Herod feels threatened that "the Messiah" is going to take over the throne so he calls for a census, every man has to go back where he was birthed. Herod thought he would be able to FIND the Messiah easily by monitoring who was entering Bethlehem because he knew the prophecy and he knew "the COMING KING" was birthed there.He told the guards it would be easy to spot him, to look for a "powerful man" that everyone would be surrounding. He was seeking the Messiah and his expectations of what he would look and act like. Herod had no idea that as Joseph and Mary entered Bethlehem they were bringing in the Savior of the World safely in Mary's womb.What Herod didn't realize is that Jesus wouldn't enter the town powerful and popular but as he was about to come into the world there wasn't even a safe place for him to be born. People already were rejecting the ONE who was coming to RESCUE them. Jesus came as a perfect, innocent, and humbled baby. Herod and the guards NEVER found the Messiah during the census because they were looking for the wrong image. He was not powerful, popular, or noticeable because Jesus came to this earth just like we all have.HE was born as a baby to SAVE us all from our sins. He cried, he was hungry, he grew up just like each of us. HE came to show us how to TRULY LIVE.
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11
As you gather around the table for food, the tree for presents, and the couch for conversation remember to SEEK Jesus. Jesus is ALIVE and does not want you to MISS HIM this Christmas season. HE is our HOPE, our LIGHT, our SAVIOR. HE is our GIFT.
Watch
The Nativity Story on Amazon.com tonight!
