Nativity
The Nativity refers to the birth of Jesus.
This was the most important event in history and Christmas Day is celebrated all over the world to mark this event.
Silent Night
Meaning
The words ‘nature’, ‘native’ and ‘nation’ all come from the Latin word ‘natal’, meaning ‘birth’.
The word ‘Nativity’ comes from this and means ‘one’s birth’. THE Nativity has come to mean the birth of Christ in the Christian faith.
Did you know?
Nativity plays are often performed by children in schools in December.
The tradition of a displaying a nativity scene started in Germany in the 1600s. There is a record of a live nativity scene that dates all the way back to the 13th Century in Italy.
The world’s largest is a Swiss nativity production, the Diorama Bethlehem in Einsiedeln. This is a model of Bethlehem with hundreds of carved figures illustrating the birth of Jesus, the message of the angel to the shepherds, the journey by the three kings, and the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt.
The Nativity is different from other births because Jesus was the Son of God.
He was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, and suffered on a cross in our place so that we could have a relationship with God and be forgiven for all the wrong we have done.
The Bible says
Matthew 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” – which means, “God with us.”
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.