I love Nativity scenes. They are the decoration that tells a story, the story of Jesus’ birth. They come in all shapes and sizes, and are made from materials found all over the world. Our son Timm traveled to Israel this summer and brought home a Nativity scene carved out of olive wood. It is quite impressive, with lots of pieces to be placed under its big stable. So it will be fun to set it up during Advent, and to play with the pieces a bit, moving them around and telling the story, before placing them in their Christmas morning positions.

When I tell the Christmas story at our Adopt-a-Family party, I like to spread all the characters out: the shepherds at one end of the table, the angels perched high on the piano, the wise men in the eastern corner of the room, and a lighted candle held high above the stable. That makes for good storytelling!

Caesar Augustus

So, this year, let’s make a manger scene in our Advent devotional, and let’s add some of the people and places that are included in the Bible but are not usually found in the scenes. Let’s start where Luke starts, with Caesar Augustus, sitting on a throne way far away in Rome. I’ve never seen Caesar in a manger scene before. Let’s put him in a prominent place several rooms removed from our stable!

From his distant throne, Caesar orders a census of the whole Roman world. Now he will find out just how many young men are available to serve in his armies, and how many people he can expect to be paying taxes!

So there he sits on his Royal Throne, all alone, ordering everybody to do his will. No one especially likes him. Most people keep a safe distance from him. But it is his grand decree that causes Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem, where the baby Jesus is born.  Mary wraps him in some cloths and then lays him in the manger, not exactly a royal throne! But one day every knee will bow before him, and every tongue confess that Christ is Lord.

So here is our first piece. Caesar sitting on a throne. Shall we go and worship him?

No, I think this Christmas I will go to the manger and worship Christ the Lord.