Did you work out what is wrong with your nativity displays? Most of you I heard from got it mostly correct.
Let's see if we can shed some light on the truth
- Jesus was likely born in the late spring of the year. It would not have been possible for the shepherds to be in the fields with their sheep in the winter months...they would be safely in the warm sheepfolds.
- The Kings or magi or wise men from the East did not show up until Jesus was perhaps 2 years of age. Apparently Mary and Joseph stayed in Bethlehem until Jesus was old enough to travel.
- We do not know how many 'kings' there were, although it was more likely there were as many as a dozen of them, along with their entourage and protectors. They had traveled a long way through hostile territory to get to Bethlehem.
- We assume three kings since there were three different gifts...perhaps several of the kingly number brought similar gifts
- As an aside, it is likely that in God's provision for His Son, the gifts funded the flight to Egypt while the little family awaited the death of Herod.
Don't take down your Creche, but just know what Paul Harvey called The Rest of the Story
