Growing up as a little boy, I can still remember the first piece of Christmas decor that would take its place on top of our family piano in the house. Before the Christmas tree, before the lights in the yard, it all started here: the family nativity set. I can close my eyes and still see it. Every piece of that nativity set had a place. The manger sat at the center with Jesus perfectly placed in the middle with Mary and Joseph on either side. There were the shepherds, the wise men, and a couple of camels with some barnyard animals grazing. And above it all, a star that would light up the room at night.

My earliest memories of the nativity story were found in that little display my mother would put out each and every Christmas. It was calm, beautiful, peaceful, and incredibly serene. Yet, as I have grown with this story, I have found that the biblical narrative of that first Christmas morning was anything but calm, peaceful, and serene.

In this Advent daily devotional, we'll dig into the Christmas story found in Matthew and Luke's gospels and look at those in the nativity story. Where did this story meet them and where does it meet us today?

Let's recapture some wonder this holiday season.