What’s your favorite part of the Christmas season? Maybe it’s putting up and decorating your tree, or driving around town looking at Christmas lights, or watching your favorite holiday movie as a family, or that big Christmas meal with the whole extended family present. There are so many different things that make Christmas special. For me what captures Christmas the best is the manger scene. There’s something beautiful, humble, serene, and pure about the collection of parents, animals, and of course the baby Jesus wrapped in cloth in a manger. In Jacksonville where I lived previously, I enjoyed walking our dog at night past a neighbor’s house who had a beautiful manger scene in their front yard. Although watching my dog growl gutturally at the baby Jesus was a little disappointing 🙂
I’ve been thinking about the Christmas manger scene in the context of our theme for this school year “We are the Body” based on I Corinthians 12:12-27. For this month of the year at least perhaps our theme slogan should be “We are the Baby!” The body of Christ does not exist without, well, Christ. The birth of Jesus that we celebrate at Christmas was the indispensable act that triggered the greatest truth of human history. Jesus’ love for us and His saving grace is what ultimately binds us together as brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. Without the birth of the baby Jesus, we would drown in the brokenness of our own sinful nature. But because of this amazing gift, we have a joyful life together in the body created by the baby. Let’s rejoice and celebrate this Christmas because “We are the Baby!”
“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11.