Author: Kevin

I am a follower of Jesus, husband, pastor, author, and caffeine addict. Please follow me on Facebook or Twitter. You may also want to consider subscribing to the RSS feed.

Movie Review: The Nativity Story


I just got in from watching The Nativity Story. I think this is the perfect movie to watch during this holiday season.

Is it Scripturally accurate? Well, not 100%. The Magi, for example, are portrayed in the traditional manner (see my blog post on the Magi for more information about common Christmas myths). This inaccuracy and others did not ruin the movie for me–the “three wise men” were actually enjoyable characters.

I was struck by the humble (sometimes harsh) circumstances of Mary and Joseph. The movie gave a thought-provoking dramatization of their lives and of the ancient world in which they lived.

Before watching this movie I visited rottentomatoes.com, a website that I commonly visit in order to pre-scan movies. Most of the critics did not like this movie, and I can’t say that I am terribly surprised. Here’s the simple rule for this movie: if the story of Jesus inspires you, this movie will inspire you. Ignore the critics and go see it.

One final consideration: the movie opens with Matthew 2:16-18 (Herod’s order to kill the male children in Bethlehem). While the scene is not graphically violent, it may be a disturbing for young children. It may be a good idea to distract kids or have them wait until this scene is over before entering the theater.

Mary and Elizabeth: The Christmas Story and the Value of Human Life


Luke’s gospel records a fascinating interaction between Mary (mother of Jesus) and Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist):

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
-Luke 1:39-45

One of the most controversial topics in the world today is abortion. This passage of Scripture helps me to understand this issue better–it teaches us about the value and sacredness of life. Here we have a conversation between two expecting mothers. John the Baptist “jumped for joy” at the sound of Mary’s voice. I’m not sure exactly what this means. Perhaps in some mysterious way, John knew he was in the Savior’s presence (even though both he and Jesus were both still in the womb).

While I do not completely understand this passage, one thing is clear to me: life begins before birth. John the Baptist was not yet born, but he responded to Mary’s voice. He was not simply a “fetus” or an “invalid tissue blob.”

As we celebrate the Savior’s birth, let’s remember the value of human life—both born and unborn.