Nativity Scenes

The Nativity scene, also referred to as the creche, or crib, is the symbol of Christmas. It illustrates the night of Jesus' birth and the beginning of His-story. But we know that God wrote this story long before the first Christmas Eve.

From the moment when Adam and Eve sinned, mankind was seperated from God. This broke the Father's heart, and so immediately He set the plan in motion to send His Son, the Messiah, to restore the Father's relationship with His children - because this relationship is the reason He created us in the first place.
Like and father who has an extra-special present already wrapped and ready to give to his children, God could hardly wait to give the gift of His Son to the world. But just like the dreaded sticker reads, "Do not open 'til Christmas," God chose to wait until the fulfillment of time. That didn't mean He couldn't drop a few hints along the way. Throughout Scripture we see that God revealed bits and pieces of the big surprise to His children. Even not knowing all the details, they knew enough to get excited. Because of this, the children of Isreal knew that God was going to send the Messiah to redeem His people. The Scriptures revealed that the child would be born of a virgin, in Bethlehem, and would be a decendant of their beloved King David. Some believed that other Old Testament passages may have pointed to the star of Bethlehem and the gifts of the Magi.
Can you see how many of the pieces in the nativity scene illustrates a fulfillment of prophecy? The stable in Bethlehem, Mary the virgin mother, Joseph the direct descendant of David, the star, the wise men bearing gifts from the East, and, of course , the baby Jesus.
The the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:10-12, NKJV).