This is the talk I'm giving in church today. It really helped me get into the mood for Christmas and calm down my diva behavior! I hope you don't mind me sharing!
The Nativity
1. This is the season beloved of the year.
Sing a rhyme; Christmastime soon will be here.
Tell the true story of Jesus’ birth,
When, as a baby, he came to the earth.
2. This is the new star, shining so bright,
Lighting the world on that first Christmas night.
This is the angel proclaiming the birth,
Singing “Hosanna!” and “Peace on the earth!”
3. This is the stable, shelter so bare;
Cattle and oxen first welcomed him there.
This is the manger, sweet hay for a bed,
Waiting for Jesus to cradle his head.
4. These are the shepherds, humble and mild,
Hast’ning to worship the heavenly child.
These are the wise men who followed the star,
Frankincense, gold, and myrrh brought from afar.
5. See the sweet mother, Mary so fair,
Joseph, who guided the donkey with care.
See the dear baby of Bethlehem,
Little Lord Jesus, the Savior of men.
(“The Nativity Song,” Children’s Songbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 52–53)
I would like to share with you a few thoughts about the symbolism found in the traditional story of the Nativity and the “true gifts” that are represented there as well. Two Ensign articles helped me prepare for this talk, “Tasting the Bread of Life” by Sherrie Johnson and “A Christmas with No Presents” by President Faust.
Jesus, “The Bread of Life”, came to Earth and was born in Bethlehem or, “The House of Bread” as it is defined. Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger – a trough used for feeding animals. When animals eat and when we eat, we, after a while, are hungry again, but “He that eateth of this bread shall live for ever” (John 6:35, 58). “The heavenly fare offered in the manger was not only eternal but capable of lifting us to God. How fitting that Mary should cradle her son, the Bread of Life, in a manger.” (“Tasting the Bread of Life”) Jesus came down to Earth and offered Himself to us. He is the perfect example of all of our “true gifts”, but here He is the example of The Gift of Self.
Mary, the Mother of God. Oh, there is so much that can be said of Mary! A symbol of innocence and purity – two characteristics we need to have in order to accept Christ into our lives. How special she must have been to be chosen at such a young age, like Joseph Smith, to take on such responsibility. She must have been a rather sober and brave girl to hear the declarations of the angel and then, with faith, declare herself the “handmaid of the Lord” (Luke 2:38). Twice in Luke were read of her pondering events in her heart (Luke 2:19, 51). She bravely gave birth in a stable that was actually a cave, wrapped her baby in swaddling clothes and lovingly set him in the manger. I’m sure she marveled, like most of us, over her new child. She probably graciously welcomed the worshippers that came to visit her child and accepted the gifts, with gratitude, that were left for Him. Sherrie Johnson writes, “As Mary beheld Him in the manger, did her heart race with premonitions of a time when she would see Him wrapped in linen and laid in another cave, called a sepulchre? In a stable-cave Mary gave Jesus mortal life, and from a sepulchre-cave Jesus came forth to give Mary and all mankind immortal life. Both caves are mortal reminders of Jesus’ condescension, or of His descending ‘below all things’” (see 1 Ne. 11:16; D&C 88:6). Mary embodies The Gifts of Love and Faith.
I can imagine that Joseph would be the perfect adoptive father for Jesus on Earth. He, like Mary, must have been full of love. Upon discovering that his wife-to-be was expecting a child, he did not want to make a public example of her, and, after the angel appeared to him in a dream, he took Mary as his wife. He and Mary plainly are both examples of bravery and faith, though I can imagine that he must have been nervous and a little frustrated that he could not find a place for Mary to give birth. He must have relied on the Spirit heavily to guide his steps. He was a good man, a gentle man – standing back and watching over his little family, not calling attention to himself. He taught Jesus his trade as He grew into manhood. What lessons did he teach the Son of God as a child? Joseph, a teacher, teaches us of The Gifts of Gentleness and Goodness.
Jesus, being laid in a manger, was surrounded by animals or “beasts of burden” during His first moments of life. These animals were put on Earth to serve man. Jesus, the Greatest of All, also came down to Earth to serve us and to help us carry our burdens. President Hinkley stated that, “Because He was God—even the Son of God—He could carry the weight and burden of other men’s sins on Himself. Isaiah prophesied our Savior’s willingness to do this in these words: ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: … he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.’” (Isa. 53:4–5.) These animals represent The Gifts of Longsuffering and Service.
The new star, shining so bright. As I thought about the symbolism of the Star, I was struck by the thought of how dark it must have been in that time when Jesus was born. No street lights, flash lights or headlights to guide your way. At night the stars must have been a familiar and welcome sight to those shepherds and travelers. Can you imagine how brightly the new star must have shone? “Piercing the darkness, it stood above all nations, far above and untouched by anything worldly. Christ, the Life and Light of the World, is like that star. His light, the light of Christ, still guides wise men and wise women to their promised land, where they can behold for themselves the greatest star, the Son.” ("Tasting the Bread of Life") The star brought another gift to those waiting for the sign: The Gift of Hope.
There are so many symbols that could be associated with the shepherds and the sheep – some obvious and familiar to us. Jesus was born in the spring – many new lambs were being born at the same time. Those shepherds, though lowly in station, were everything to those sheep and their lambs. The angel Gabriel appeared in the fields to these humble men and brought them tidings of Joy. Were some of those shepherds who heard the declarations of the angel responsible for the Temple flock that offered the sacrificial lamb? ("Tasting the Bread of Life")They followed the new star and sought out their Savior and rejoiced in Who they found. The angel brings us The Gift of Joy and the Shepherds reveal The Gift of Meekness.
Lastly, the Wise Men. They saw the Star in the East and made the long journey to Judea. Are we wise? Do we recognize the signs given and follow them to our Savior even though our journey may be long? They sought out, they had patience, and they took the long journey in order to give their gifts to their King. Sherrie Johnson writes, “We don’t really know how many Wise Men came, but tradition claims three because there were three gifts: gold, the metal of kings and symbol of a celestial world because of its refined purity; frankincense, used in making incense that was burned on the temple altar as a symbol of prayers arising and connecting God and man; and myrrh, an aromatic gum used to make incense, perfume, and ointment for embalming. I remembered a picture of a myrrh plant and was startled anew by its spike-like thorns. Even at the Christ child’s tender age, the gifts given Him bore testimony of who He was and what He would do. Gold for the King of Kings, frankincense for the Mediator between God and man, myrrh for the body that would be buried for us.”
I imagine these wise men to not only be patient, but they must have been willing to refrain from many things in order to stay focused and reach their goal. To me, they represent The Gift of Temperance.
Regarding the gifts of the Spirit, the apostle Paul wrote that they are “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22–23). I hope that this Christmas we can focus on the “true gifts” and give of them freely to those around us and to our Savior. I hope we can seek out those “true gifts” that our Savior has bestowed upon each of us.
President Hinkley stated the following of Jesus, “We honor His birth. But without His death that birth would have been but one more birth. It was the redemption which He worked out in the Garden of Gethsemane and upon the cross of Calvary which made His gift immortal, universal, and everlasting. His was a great Atonement for the sins of all mankind. He was the resurrection and the life, “the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20). Because of Him all men will be raised from the grave.”
“Christmas is more than trees and twinkling lights, more than toys and gifts and baubles of a hundred varieties. It is love. It is the love of the Son of God for all mankind. It reaches out beyond our power to comprehend. It is magnificent and beautiful.”
Jesus’ birth symbolizes all “true gifts” and through our individual faith in Him, He presents us with the final gift: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
