THE ELEMENTS OF THE NATIVITY
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Christ Child and Manger
The visual focus of a Nativity scene is the Christ Child, with Mary, Joseph, animals, shepherds, and wise men all playing secondary roles. The most detailed biblical account of the birth of Jesus is found in Luke (2:7), which records that Mary “gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” A manger is a trough for feeding animals. In biblical times mangers were essentially boxes, either carved from stone or built from masonry. The manger is often made of wood, filled with hay, and placed on the ground in a stable.
Mary
The biblical accounts in Matthew and Luke make it clear that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was miraculously born of a virgin, and “the virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:27). Luke records that Mary was present with the babe during the visit from the shepherds (2:16), and Matthew says that when the wise men came they “saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him” (2:11).
Joseph
In the biblical account Joseph, the husband of Mary, is described as being a descendant of King David (Luke 2:4) and “a just man” (Matthew 1:19). Joseph could have divorced Mary or even have her put away privily. But, an Angel appeared to Joseph and told him not to leave Mary, that she was carrying the Messiah.
Shepherds
The Gospel of Matthew makes no mention of shepherds, but Luke’s description of their role in the Nativity runs to twelve verses (2:8-20). The Annunciation to the Shepherds occurred at night while they were in the field watching their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and “the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear” (Luke 2:9). However, the angel gave them the good news that Christ the Savior was born, and revealed to them that in Bethlehem they would find “a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (2:12).
Animals
Most representations of Jesus’ birth show donkeys, cows, and sheep watching over the family and a camel or two arriving with the Three Kings. The donkey is the animal most commonly seen in the Nativity. Donkeys were a common mode of transportation for the poor in biblical times. Sources for the presence of these animals go back to the Old Testament Book of Isaiah (“The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider” – Isaiah 1:3).