The Nativity Story

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending an advance screening of The Nativity Story. I found this film to be very enjoyable and highly recommend it because it delivers just what it promises. What’s in a name? Since this movie is meant for everyone I began by looking up the word “nativity” in the dictionary to be sure it meant what I thought it did. No surprises: 1. the birth of Jesus Christ, which is celebrated by Christians at Christmas. 2. an artistic representation of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. That about covers it. I like this film because it seems to give an accurate portrayal of the events surrounding the birth of Christ, which is the original Christmas story, in a fairly unbiased way. The basic plot follows the text of the New Testament accurately, while tastefully adding the personal drama and character development which were necessary in order to make the story in to a feature length movie. This is the area where many religious movies fall flat, but in The Nativity Story it works flawlessly. That is because the producers let the main characters remain the simple and humble people that they actually were and refrained from adding social or denominational commentary. The Passion of the Christ, for example, contained a great deal of Catholic imagery which was not in the New Testament text and which I believe detracted from the story for others. You won’t find any of that here. Rather, the addition of the personal drama adds to the story and draws the audience into the emotions which were most likely experienced at the time.

Some evangelicals who are eager for a hard-hitting gospel message will be a little disappointed by The Nativity Story. However, that will be the result of their own expectations rather than the actual movie. This isn’t a movie about a controversial Jesus, his message or his death. It’s a movie about his historical birth and the events surrounding that time, as recorded in the gospels. The story is told from several personal perspectives. The wise men, who actually play too large a role, lay the scientific and prophetic foundation. Herod gives us a glimpse of the Roman occupation and what the threat a new Jewish king and messiah would pose to that empire. Against these two backdrops, along with painstakingly created sets and locations, weaves the personal story of Mary and Joseph, beautifully portrayed by Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Isaac. They are simple and ordinary people drawn by God into the extraordinary miracle of the Hebrew messiah’s long foretold birth. I personally feel that throughout the story their personal interaction with God, one another, and their society stays true to the heart of the gospel text and message, even though many of the details are necessarily fictional.

In the final analysis, I highly recommend The Nativity Story. It retells the true Christmas story in a tasteful and sensitive manner, taking care to deliver the whole message without tainting it with any kind of agenda. This isn’t just a show to see with church groups and Sunday school classes because it’s meant to be enjoyed by everyone. In a world of video and special effects, The Nativity Story offers a valid way to retell this beloved story to our children and truly bring it to life for them. Yet, it also offers the opportunity for all of us adults to fall in love again with the message and the miracle of Christmas. So I encourage you to start the season off right by seeing The Nativity Story. Sharing it together is, perhaps, the best early gift you can give to your friends and loved ones.

“But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

More info at http://www.thenativitystory.com/ and in the Gospel of Luke, chapters 1-2