Orthodox
Christians do not celebrate the birth of baby Jesus, we celebrate the
Incarnation. What?, you say. What is the Incarnation? This is an
important word as it means God becomes Man. This is what we celebrate.
The birth of Jesus was that moment in history when God sent His only
begotten Son to become like us, taking on human flesh for our healing.
This miracle of miracles took place though the ascent of Mary whom we
call the Theotokos, Birth-giver of God. God with His divine will became
man, taking on a human will in human flesh so Man could unite his human
will with God’s divine will. From the time of Adam and Eve, man was
separated from God ,unable to follow God’s law. The Incarnation is the
beginning of the transformation of mankind so we can be reunited with
God.
Nativity Icon
Above you can see the icon of the Nativity. Let’s look at each element of this icon to learn what it communicates to us.
The Star
In
the top center you see a blueish light, which represents the star which
guided people to witness the Incarnation. Was this a real star?
Probably not. It was most likely a spiritual sign not seen by everyone.
You can see that it points to the Christ Child who is lying in a
manger.
The birth place
Christ
was born in a cave, which is shown as a dark place. This was a reality
as well as symbolic. Christ came to bring the light of knowledge to
overcome the darkness of our ignorance. The star symbolizes this as
well. It brings bright light to the dark cave, showing us the way to
Christ. It is a light pointing us to the Truth. In the area where Christ
was born, it was common to have a stable in caves carved in the hills
of that region.
But
why did he choose a stable? Stables are where animals are kept and you
can see the animals looking at the Christ child in the icon. Where
animals are it is also smelly and not the normal place anyone would
choose to bear a child. This shows us the great humility of Christ. He
could have chosen to be born in a palace if he wanted to, but he chose
the most humble of places, a stable. This is a message for us, to be
humble like Him.
Christ’s clothing
What
kind of clothes is Christ wearing? He is wrapped in linen. This is
how a person was wrapped in those day for burial after his death. This
is showing us that He is destined to the same fate after His
Crucifixion where He was able to claim victory over death in His
Resurrection.
Mary, The Theotokos.
She
is shown in the center of the icon to show her importance in this
event. She was the instrument of God to bring about His incarnation. She
gave her ascent to bear the Son of God. Surely an awesome
responsibility. She is looking away to show her humility and wonder at
this wondrous event.
Joseph and the devil
In
the lower left corner of the icon you will see two men. An old man and
one with a cane. The old man with the halo is Joseph. He was old because
he was appointed as a mature man to protect Mary so she could remain a
virgin. Some say he was 70 - 80 years old. Since he was not the father
of the baby, he is being tempted by the man with the cane who is Satan.
He is trying to raise Joseph’s doubts about the possibility of a virgin
birth. This shows how difficult it is for all of us to accept things
that are beyond our reason.
Angles
Near
the top you can see angles. Angels are from heaven and they glorify
God. You see them here to glorify the Christ Child and herald the good
news to all the world, because it is not just a child that has been
born, but God himself who has become man.
Shepherds
On
the upper right you can see two shepherds with their sheep below. An
angel is telling them about this miraculous birth calling them to come
and glorify Him. Why shepherds? Would you go to college to become a
shepherd? Of course not. Shepherds are among the simplest of people.
This indicates that God did not become Man for those who are privileged,
but for the simplest of people. He calls all to follow Him so all
people can be united with God in eternal life.
One shepherd is playing a reed flute, which shows that human music is also appropriate for the glorification of God.
The wise men or Magi
To
the left you will find three men on horses. These were men who came all
the way from Persia following the star. They were probably astronomers,
scientists of their day. They saw the star which was a symbol for them
of a great cosmic event. They followed it to find the Incarnation of
God. Knowing how important this was they brought gifts of the highest
value in appreciation of what God had done. They came some time after
the birth, so you can see that in an icon we can have many events that
happen even at different times being shown to tell the complete story.
Midwives
In
the lower right we have the women who are preparing the font for the
cleansing of the baby after it was born. This shows the humanity of
Jesus. This too is symbolic of the baptism we are to undergo, to be
united with Christ, cleansing us of our sins and receiving a
transformation in our heart with the Holy Spirit, which is sealed with
our Chrismation.
Biblical Story
The
story of the Nativity of Christ is beautifully told in the Holy
Scriptures. The story is found in Matthew 1:18-25 and in Luke 2:1-20.
Apolytikion: (Fourth Tone)
Your
birth, O Christ our God, dawned the light of knowledge upon the earth.
For by Your birth those who adored stars, were taught by a star, to
worship You, the Sun of Justice and to know You, Orient from on High. O
Lord, glory to You.
Kontakion: (Third Tone)
Today,
the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the
cave to Him who is beyond reach. Angels, along with shepherds glorify
Him. The Magi make their way to Him by a star. For a new child has been
born for us, the God before all ages.
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