Nativity Icon

You might wonder, why an article on the Nativity icon in October? It seems to me that the element of joy is mightily endangered these days with all the news of climate change disasters, war, etc.  And joy is one of the strongest defenses we have against the spiritual forces of this dark world.  “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”  Nehemiah 8:10  Also, The Nativity icon is a marvelous example of the way icons make Holy Scripture visible in iconographic form.

The Feast of the Nativity of Jesus is one of the most joyful days of the Orthodox Church. It ranks right next to the greatest holiday, the Resurrection of Jesus. The Feast of the Birth of Jesus is also known as the “Incarnation of Christ”, God taking on human form out of His immeasurable love for us. We also call this joyous feast Christmas, so, in preparation, here is the Nativity Icon explained:

“And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12

Icon of the Nativity

The icon of the Nativity tells the story of Christ’s birth as relayed through the Holy Scriptures. It also shows that all creation is taking part in Christ’s birth. As God gave His only Son to us, the angels give thanks with their song; the heavens give the star; the Wise Men give their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh,the poor, humble shepherds give their praise and amazement, the earth gives the cave, and humanity gives the Virgin.

“In its content the icon of Christ’s nativity has two fundamental aspects: first of all, it discloses the very essence of the event, the immutable fact of the incarnation of God; it places us before a visible testimony of the fundamental dogma of the Christian faith, underlining by it’s details both the Divinity and the human nature of the Word made flesh. Secondly, the icon of the nativity shows us the effect of this event on the natural life of this world.”   L. Ouspensky, “The Meaning of Icons”

The Story of Birth of Christ Made Visible

The Holy Icon of the Nativity reminds one to praise and glorify the Birth of Christ. The celebration of Christmas each year serves to remind each and everyone of us of the joyful news that Christ came for you and me.

“The traditional Orthodox icon of the Nativity tells us what the Bible tells us, and does so in a very clear, vivid, effective manner, by means of forms and colors. “Ouspensky

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. No matter how often the Birth of Jesus is told, we can experience the wonder of it anew through the responses of the angels, shepherds, and wise men in this icon.

A Timeless Story

Mary and Joseph, who were expecting a baby, travelled to Bethlehem to register for the census. Since there was no room at the inn, Joseph found a cave-like place where they could rest. This place was used by shepherds to protect their sheep in stormy weather. It was here that Mary gave birth to Jesus. The baby was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in the straw in the manger.

Opposite the Wise Men is the scene are the humble shepherds with whom heaven enters into direct communication, amid their everyday working life.  An angel proclaims the glad tidings. A young shepherd plays a reed instrument. This scene reveals that the music of the humans was added to the hymn of the angels. Above the shepherds is the heavenly choir of angels. They are giving glory to God. The angels serve two purposes in the Nativity of Christ. They give glory to God and announce the good news to all mankind.

Birth of Christ, 18th Century, Russian Icon

That night the shepherds were out in the fields guarding their sheep. Suddenly, there was a bright light which startled the shepherds. The light was so bright that it turned the night into daylight. An angel appeared and said:

“Fear not for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior; which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12).

Angels Praising This Wondrous Event

Then a larger group of angels appeared praising and glorifying God in their songs, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). The angels came to glorify God and also to bring glad tidings to men. The shepherds were awed. They didn’t know what to do, but they listened to the angels’ message. They decided to leave their flocks of sheep and go to Bethlehem to see for themselves what the angels had told them. When they got to Bethlehem, they found Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus. They fell to their knees and adored Jesus.

“Kings of Distant Lands Will Come”~ Psalm 72:10

On the other side, the Wise Men came from the East for they knew of the coming of Jesus. They had seen a star that told them that a new king had been born to the Jews.  A long ray from this star symbolizes heaven and points directly to the cave and the child they were looking for. The Star led them to Jesus and Mary where they fell down on their knees and worshipped Him. They gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

“A virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Russian Postage Stamp, 1995

This Holy Icon is an icon with many scenes. First, it stresses the importance of the Theotokos, the Mother of Jesus, who is placed in the center of the icon, and is the largest figure in the icon. In this icon, she is reclining with crossed arms. The Christ Child, just above her in the center of the icon, is in swaddling clothes and is lying in the manger. In the background is the dark cave where He was born. In the cave are an ox and a donkey guarding the newborn Babe. Even though the Gospels say nothing of the cave, this information is from Holy Tradition. Neither do the Gospels speak of the ox and the donkey, but all icons of the Nativity include these animals. Including the animals in the icon fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 1:3, “The ox knows his master, and the donkey his master’s crib; but Israel does not know me, and the people have not regarded me.” The long ray of light from the star points directly to the cave. This ray comes from the star and travels to all parts of the world. It teaches that this bright star was not only an astronomical happening, it was a messenger from heaven announcing the birth of Jesus.

Icon Details

On the upper left hand side of the icon are the angels. The Wise Men, just below them, who were led by the star, bring their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus. These Wise Men, men of learning, have to accomplish a long journey to see the miracle from heaven, and they are of various ages.

One is without a beard. In those days, young men did not wear beards. The other Wise Man has long hair and a long beard, which indicates that he is much older. These details teach that regardless of age and appearance, the Good News was given to each and everyone.

In the lower part of the icon are two more scenes. In the right hand corner are the two women Joseph brought to take care of the Christ child. They are bathing Him just as any baby is bathed. The humanity of Jesus is clearly shown in this setting.

Opposite the bathing of Jesus scene sits a sad and worried Joseph. He is not part of the central group of the Christ Child and the Theotokos, and is not the natural father, but the betrothed of Mary. As Joseph sits troubled by doubts, the devil, disguised as an old man, is tempting Joseph to doubt the virgin birth. Satan is telling Joseph that virgin birth is impossible. He’s telling Joseph that he’s a fool if he believes this. This story comes to us from Holy Tradition. The sad Joseph shows us not only his personal predicament but the dilemma of all mankind the difficulty of accepting that which is “beyond words or reason.”

The tree, which is in the middle of the lower part of the icon, is a symbol of the Tree of Jesse. This tree refers to Isaiah 11:1-2, “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him.” King David was often mentioned as the son of Jesse and Jesus was from the House of David.

The Holy Icon of the Nativity reminds one to praise and glorify the Birth of Christ. The celebration of Christmas each year serves to remind each and every one of us that Christ came for you and me. And that’s the Good News!

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My hear leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”  Psalm 28:7

Online Advent Icon Writing Class, Egg Tempera and Gold Leaf

I’ll be teaching an Advent Online Icon Writing Class, December 5-8, 2023 on Zoom https://online.iconwritingclasses.com/courses/nativity-icon-Dec-5-8-2023-on-zoom   It will be a wonderful opportunity to pray and write icons to honor Christmas. Hope you can join us.

Blessings and prayers,

Christine Simoneau Hales. New Christian Icons