CHRISTIAN MOVIE REVIEW – THE NATIVITY STORY by Pastor Adam Moline
Next in our series of movie reviews is a Christmas movie, The Nativity Story. Overall, it isn’t a bad movie, being basically a Christmas pageant acted out on the big screen. It doesn’t deviate from the scriptures terribly, and it matches very closely with other Christmas pageant depictions of the birth of our Lord. It is almost scene for scene the same as one that I saw in Branson, Missouri, at Thanksgiving time. But there are a few things to point out of which Christians should be aware.
First off, the name of the film assumes something that is an issue. The Nativity Story isn’t quite the right way to talk about it. The word “story” implies that what is being depicted is fiction. For example, we have all heard the story of Snow White, but no one believes the account is actually depicting real events. There has never been a woman, living with seven dwarves, who died from a poisoned apple and then was awakened by true love’s kiss. It is a story. In fact, one of the definitions of the word story is “a piece of fiction that narrates a chain of related events.” The nativity is not a story. It is a historic, fact-based event. It is non-fiction, not just a story.
But maybe the name is correct, because so much of our account of the nativity is story, not scripture. Many of the things that we depict as happening in our traditional nativities are story, not scripture. I’ll try and address some of them below, and as I do, consider what the scripture actually says (the historic account) rather than the story (what we have in our minds).
The film itself doesn’t do a bad job relating the traditional story. But it doesn’t perfectly match scripture. For example, in the scene depicting the angel appearing to Zecheriah, we see Elizabeth standing at the foot of the temple steps in the court of priests, not the court of women. We also see the temple’s altar having stairs, even though Exodus 20:26 makes that against God’s law. Ramps were used, not steps. Also, the depiction of the Romans and their taxes is a bit over the top. But overall, the account of Joseph and Mary’s life matches fairly closely to the historic events recorded for us in the scriptures.
Mary is depicted as a young teenage girl who is newly betrothed to Joseph. Gabriel the angel appears to her, informing her that she will bear the Son of God. She becomes pregnant without the aid of a man. To hide her pregnancy from Joseph, she leaves to visit Elizabeth and Zecheriah. When John is born, she returns, and Joseph discovers her expecting. He desires to divorce her quietly, and their relationship is strained. Gabriel appears to him in a dream, revealing that Mary’s account is true and that her child is from God. Joesph takes her as his wife, and they travel to Bethlehem for the census.
It is here that we get some non-biblical events as well. During the journey, Joseph and Mary have several conversations which repair their strained relationship and in which they ponder the philosophical implications of being the parents of God. Mary also falls off a donkey into a river, needing to be rescued by Joseph. These non-biblical events serve to help repair their relationship in the film, but they aren’t based on any biblical evidence. Furthermore, it is likely that Mary walked to Bethlehem, as they were likely too poor to own a donkey.
Upon arrival to Bethlehem, Mary has begun labor, and Joseph runs from house to house, trying to find a place to stay. This, also, is likely wrong. The truth is that Joseph and Mary probably traveled to Bethlehem much earlier in the pregnancy and were already staying there when the time for the birth of Christ came. Joseph’s extended family lived there, and they likely stayed with them, not needing to search for a hotel in the middle of the night. The urgency and birth pangs during the last stage of the trip serve to add excitement but aren’t biblical. What St. Luke actually writes is, “And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.”
What about “no room in the inn?” The word for inn doesn’t mean hotel. It means “Guest room.” Most houses had three rooms: the main room, the spare room, and the stable/garage. With the census occurring, it is likely that several other family members were staying with Joseph’s family, sharing the guest room. When the time came for Mary to give birth, rather than have the baby with all the family gathered and watching, Mary and Joseph were given the stable to have some privacy.
Additionally, we see in the film the three wisemen travelling. They are depicted as astronomers who are watching Jupiter and Rigel, which they believe is the “star.” While this makes for nice, modern science, the truth is something much more supernatural. The star was a miracle of God, not a natural event. The movie depicts them as coming from Babylon, which again matches the traditional story version rather than the scriptural version. It isn’t bad, just not necessarily the truth. We don’t know how many wise men there were, and we aren’t sure where they came from, besides “the east.”
The film ends with the slaughter of the innocents while Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt. This event will be discussed more in Bible Study on December 29 by the vicar.
Overall, the movie gives a traditional western account of the nativity, matching closely with the pageants so often produced across the United States. And while it is good to see the scripture depicted, I would encourage you to read Luke 1-2 and Matthew 1 as well to get the historic account. They give not the Nativity Story but the historic, fact-based account inspired by the Holy Spirit.
NEWS:
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve services at Good Shepherd will be at 4 pm & 7 pm. The service will close with a singing of “Silent Night” by candlelight. These two services will be identical. Please join in the commemoration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Christmas Day
On Christmas Day, Good Shepherd will have one service at 9 am. There will be no Wednesday evening service on Christmas Day and no midweek classes.
Upcoming Matins & Bible Study Schedule
There will be no Matins service or Bible Study on Thursday, Dec. 26th. We will resume these events on Thurs., Jan. 2nd. There will be a midweek service at the usual time on Wed., Jan. 1st but no midweek classes.