I have a love-hate relationship with Nativity sets.

I love that Nativity sets help us remember the first Christmas, adding a Biblical touchpoint to our Christmas decor. And yet, I struggle with how traditional Nativity Sets paint an idealized, pristine picture of the first Christmas.

Let’s take a moment to peel back the layers and explore the messy reality that commercial Nativity sets overlook before I move to my main point.

The Unvarnished Nativity Scene: Contrary to the clean and polished depiction, the original Nativity scene was likely very messy. Consider the probable filth of animals, worn-out Joseph and Mary after a long journey, the fact that Mary just gave birth and that Jesus is placed in an actual feeding trough.

The Unexpected Visitors: Shepherds, far from the sanitized figures in Nativity sets, were likely unkempt, carrying the evidence and scent of their flocks. Are we starting to catch the messiness of that first Christmas? The place where Jesus entered this world feels like a big metaphor for who He came for and why God sent Him.

Life is messy and we’re messy.

We try our best to tidy up our lives, but the mess in our hearts and minds constantly gets in the way. Thankfully, Jesus came to save us from the mess within our hearts—the mess called sin.

The Hard Truth of Christmas: Jesus, both fully human and fully God, lived a sinless life. His birth wasn’t a cleanup mission; it was a sacrifice. His death on the cross paid for our sins, emphasizing the sacrificial nature of Christmas that our culture often misses or chooses not to acknowledge.

The Miracle of Christmas: We often think of the virgin birth, which is truly a miracle. And yet, the greatest miracle followed Jesus’ death; His resurrection! God raised Him from the dead, conquering death and sin, offering a way for us to approach a Holy God, clean, and mess-free. Eternal life is available through Jesus.

Nobody is too messy for Jesus.

In his book, “Messy Spirituality,” pastor and author Mike Yaconelli talks at length about Jesus’ desire to get close to messy people just like you and me. Jesus isn’t waiting for us to have our mess cleaned up. Quite the opposite. He wants to meet us in the middle of our mess.

“Jesus wants people just like you and me to get close to Him. Jesus loves people just like you who live in a city and have a wife or a husband, three kids, two cats, and a washing machine that has stopped working. Jesus loves people who are single, work sixty to seventy hours a week, have parents who wonder why we’re not married, and have friends who make much more money than we do. Jesus loves people who are divorced, still trying to heal from the scars of rejection, trying to cope with the single-parenting of children who don’t understand why this happened to them. Jesus wants all of us who do not necessarily live life in a monastery, who don’t have it all together, and probably never will feel welcome in His presence. He welcomes you in the midst of your messy life.”

Mike Yaconelli, “Messy Spirituality”

If that doesn’t convince you, consider Jesus’ own words, recorded in the Gospel of Luke.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 5:31-32

Jesus entered the mess for messy people.

The messy place where Jesus entered our world becomes an important reminder of the redemptive love that extends to all, regardless of the messiness of our lives. Jesus came to save messy people.

This Christmas, why not let Jesus clean up your mess by placing your trust in Him, seeking forgiveness, and receiving His love and grace?

Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts

• What’s your take on the contrast between the idealized Nativity scene and the messy reality presented in the post?
• How does the metaphor of the messy Nativity scene align with the idea that Jesus came for messy people?
• Considering Jesus’ embrace of messy lives, how might this perspective shape our approach to Christmas and the redemptive love He offers?