The Star

So our daughter-in-law invites us to go to the movie with her and our grandsons. Since they’re 10 and 7, I know it’s going to be animated and probably have something to do with robots or Legos. After a sugar and soda overdose and a hundred previews, The Star rolled and, as expected, it was pixels and digits and animated animals voiced by movie stars like Zachary Levi, Kelly Clarkson, Christopher Plummer, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey. I won’t get into the details . . . the Christmas story bent a little different and told from the perspective of the donkey who helped carry Mary from Nazareth to her destiny in Bethlehem.

The story moves along quickly, at a perfect pace for younger kids and technology-addicted adults. King Herod is scary but not too much so. The angel of the Lord is awe-inspiring. Then comes the climactic scene. Jesus in the manger, surrounded by his mom, Joseph (whose character was wonderfully written and superbly voiced by Zachary Levi), and all the characters of the Christmas story told in the Gospel of Luke.

But then it happened. I don’t remember the precise moment or the words that set it up, but the wise men and shepherds along with the stars of the show . . . Bo the donkey, Rose the sheep, Dave the dove . . . everyone in the picture slowly and gently bowed down to baby Jesus. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place, including mine!

Why did this scene resonate so deeply? Three reasons . . .

1. Because it was all about Jesus. He was at the center. The new King. The King for all the ages. Come to earth in a supernatural way. There’s a gravitas about Jesus even when He’s a pixelated cartoon character on a movie screen.
2. Because everything in the timeline of humanity led up to this moment . . . the Messiah is here! The Savior of the world, promised and prophesied for centuries, is alive on the earth. Eventually, this moment would divide all of history into two parts, BC . . . ‘before Christ’ and AD . . . ‘anno Domini’ being everything after. That’s pretty significant.
3. Because it was a picture of the future. There will be a day when everyone and everything will know He is God. Jesus said that even if His disciples were silent, “the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40). There’ll be no more theological debate. All doubt will disappear. No alternative theories or rationalizations.

Just like in the movie, ‘every knee shall bow’ to Jesus.

Let’s do that now. Let’s give Jesus the same honor these cartoon characters gave him. Sometime today, find a private place and bow down to Jesus. Let your posture say that He is great and you are lowly. That He is God . . . and you are not. That He is worthy of praise and you are humbled before Him. That He is in control of this world and everything that is to come in the new year, and that you are totally surrendered to His love and His leadership.

May God bless you and your family during this special season.

Scripture:  It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’” (Romans 11:14)

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