Jesus is the reason for the season. The greatest gift ever given. He came to sacrifice himself for each and all of us and did so upon the cross. Jesus no longer sleeps in a modified manger, and He is certainly not still nailed to the cross. He arose from the grave and reigns today! Hardly an afterthought. I might have compromised the design of the background detail, but it is no coincidence that the painting conveys the importance of the empty manger and cross.