Post by Rob W. Case on Dec 4, 2006 14:57:30 GMT -6
Editor’s Note: This is an updated and expanded version of my December 4th, 2006 piece on the film, “The Nativity Story”.
Last night, a friend and I saw The Nativity Story, the 2006 depiction of the first Christmas, which chronicled the birth of God’s gift to the world.
Using the elements from the Old Testament prophecies looking towards the birth of Jesus, along with bringing back to life the pre-Messianic Jewish traditions, as well as reconstructing the political dynamics from which the tyrannical Roman Empire ruled, the birth of Jesus will never seem the same again.
We know the story of the birth of Jesus as God’s son, created in human flesh, and born in a stable. But what many do not realize today is that the birth of Christ, at the time it happened, wasn’t really noticed by many at all, except by King Herod, who was maniacally paranoid about losing his power, position, and prestige by this King prophesied by the prophets, and the family of Mary, whose cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah, a priest in the temple in Jerusalem, would give birth to the future John the Baptist to prepare the way for the Lord, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah chapter 40.
Mary:
In this film, we see Mary as practically an immature young girl who likes to do her own thing. Then one day, while sitting in the field, she is approached by an angel of the Lord, who tells her that she is favored by God to give birth to the coming Messiah. Accepting the request, she becomes pregnant, but her family is grieved deeply since her pregnancy, absent from Joseph, suggests adultery, which is a sin against God (Exodus 20:14) that would lead to an ultimate penalty (Leviticus 20:10) in their community.
Meanwhile, Caesar Augustus issues a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world, and this order calls for every man to return to the land of his ancestors to register for it (Luke 2:1-4). This requires Joseph to travel to Bethlehem to register for his. And so, Mary accompanies him, thus escaping the potential social fallout from her pregnancy situation, God intervening in Joseph’s life in handling the situation, and fulfilling the prophecy in Micah 5:2 (written between 750 to 700 B.C.) that specifically states that the future ruler over Israel, foretold in ancient times, would be born in Bethlehem.
Unique Dynamics that Cleverly Clicked:
I really enjoyed the way the events clicked. In extrabiblical historical sources, King Herod was so paranoid about losing his power, that he had one of his wives and three of his sons killed, because he feared that they were plotting against him. Herod dealt with uprisings (whether real or perceived) with incredible ferocity. The Bible says that Herod was disturbed by this coming Messiah. In the movie, Herod is expecting a grown man, full of power, and orders everyone to return to the land of their ancestors so that he can “capture” this grown, revolutionary man whom people will follow, to have him killed. But when he meets the wise men, who are journeying to find the star of the East (a prophecy foretold in Numbers 24:17), and stop by the city of Jerusalem to “re-tool” they, not realizing the threat, inform Herod that they are looking for a child, not a grown man. Gleaming with hope, Herod, thinking that he can prevent the prophecy from taking place, orders every child under the age of two to be killed. And so, the soldiers storm each house, until every child under the age of 2 is dead.
Cinematically, the movie is like a giant Christmas card. The sights are breathtaking and artistic, and the mood is historic and dramatic, yet comfortable. It is a movie that, once on DVD, you would like to play every Christmas and enjoy.
The film is rated PG and runs 1 hour and 41 minutes.
To view a trailer for this film, please click on the “Play” button below:
“The Nativity Story” is available on Blu-Ray, DVD, and available on various streaming services.
Last night, a friend and I saw The Nativity Story, the 2006 depiction of the first Christmas, which chronicled the birth of God’s gift to the world.
Using the elements from the Old Testament prophecies looking towards the birth of Jesus, along with bringing back to life the pre-Messianic Jewish traditions, as well as reconstructing the political dynamics from which the tyrannical Roman Empire ruled, the birth of Jesus will never seem the same again.
We know the story of the birth of Jesus as God’s son, created in human flesh, and born in a stable. But what many do not realize today is that the birth of Christ, at the time it happened, wasn’t really noticed by many at all, except by King Herod, who was maniacally paranoid about losing his power, position, and prestige by this King prophesied by the prophets, and the family of Mary, whose cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah, a priest in the temple in Jerusalem, would give birth to the future John the Baptist to prepare the way for the Lord, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah chapter 40.
Mary:
In this film, we see Mary as practically an immature young girl who likes to do her own thing. Then one day, while sitting in the field, she is approached by an angel of the Lord, who tells her that she is favored by God to give birth to the coming Messiah. Accepting the request, she becomes pregnant, but her family is grieved deeply since her pregnancy, absent from Joseph, suggests adultery, which is a sin against God (Exodus 20:14) that would lead to an ultimate penalty (Leviticus 20:10) in their community.
Meanwhile, Caesar Augustus issues a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world, and this order calls for every man to return to the land of his ancestors to register for it (Luke 2:1-4). This requires Joseph to travel to Bethlehem to register for his. And so, Mary accompanies him, thus escaping the potential social fallout from her pregnancy situation, God intervening in Joseph’s life in handling the situation, and fulfilling the prophecy in Micah 5:2 (written between 750 to 700 B.C.) that specifically states that the future ruler over Israel, foretold in ancient times, would be born in Bethlehem.
Unique Dynamics that Cleverly Clicked:
I really enjoyed the way the events clicked. In extrabiblical historical sources, King Herod was so paranoid about losing his power, that he had one of his wives and three of his sons killed, because he feared that they were plotting against him. Herod dealt with uprisings (whether real or perceived) with incredible ferocity. The Bible says that Herod was disturbed by this coming Messiah. In the movie, Herod is expecting a grown man, full of power, and orders everyone to return to the land of their ancestors so that he can “capture” this grown, revolutionary man whom people will follow, to have him killed. But when he meets the wise men, who are journeying to find the star of the East (a prophecy foretold in Numbers 24:17), and stop by the city of Jerusalem to “re-tool” they, not realizing the threat, inform Herod that they are looking for a child, not a grown man. Gleaming with hope, Herod, thinking that he can prevent the prophecy from taking place, orders every child under the age of two to be killed. And so, the soldiers storm each house, until every child under the age of 2 is dead.
Cinematically, the movie is like a giant Christmas card. The sights are breathtaking and artistic, and the mood is historic and dramatic, yet comfortable. It is a movie that, once on DVD, you would like to play every Christmas and enjoy.
The film is rated PG and runs 1 hour and 41 minutes.
To view a trailer for this film, please click on the “Play” button below:
“The Nativity Story” is available on Blu-Ray, DVD, and available on various streaming services.