The Birth of Jesus
The first Christmas
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Mary: A young woman from the town of Nazareth. She is engaged to Joseph. The Bible does not give her age.
- Joseph: Mary's husband-to-be. He is from the family of King David.
- Jesus: Mary's baby. The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God.
- The shepherds: Ordinary workers who watched sheep in the fields at night.
- The angel of the Lord: A messenger from God.
- Caesar Augustus: The emperor of Rome, the most powerful ruler in the world at that time.
Setting
- Bethlehem, a small town in Judea, about 6 miles from Jerusalem. Fields with sheep lie close by.
When
- About 2,000 years ago.
Before the Story
An angel visited Mary. He told her she would have a baby, God's own Son, and name him Jesus (Luke 1:30-33).
God had promised a king from David's family. The angel said Jesus would be that king (Luke 1:32).
A prophet named the town. Hundreds of years earlier, Micah said the promised ruler would come from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: The emperor's order is about to bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, the very town the prophet named.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. An order from Rome | 2:1-3 | The emperor orders everyone to be counted |
| 2. The trip to Bethlehem | 2:4-5 | Joseph and Mary travel to David's town |
| 3. No room | 2:6-7 | Jesus is born and laid in a manger |
| 4. Shepherds at night | 2:8-9 | An angel appears to shepherds |
| 5. Good news | 2:10-12 | The angel tells them about the baby |
| 6. The sky fills with angels | 2:13-14 | Many angels praise God |
| 7. The shepherds go | 2:15-18 | The shepherds find the baby and tell everyone |
| 8. Mary remembers | 2:19-21 | Mary thinks about it all. The baby is circumcised and named Jesus |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 8An Order from Rome
Caesar Augustus, the emperor of Rome, gave an order. Everyone in the empire had to be counted. This count is called a census.
It was the first census while a man named Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So everyone went to their family's hometown to sign up.
Scene 2 of 8The Trip to Bethlehem
Joseph lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. But his family came from King David. So Joseph had to go to David's town, Bethlehem.
David, the shepherd boy who fought Goliath, grew up in Bethlehem.
Joseph went with Mary. They were engaged to be married. Mary was going to have a baby soon.
The trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 90 miles.
Scene 3 of 8No Room
While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for the baby to be born.
Mary gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth. This kept a newborn warm and safe.
Then she laid him in a manger. A manger is a box that holds food for animals. There was no room for them in the inn.
Scene 4 of 8Shepherds at Night
Out in the fields near Bethlehem, shepherds were awake. They were watching their sheep through the night.
Shepherds were ordinary workers. They were not important people in town.
Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood in front of them. God's glory shone all around them. Glory means God's bright, shining greatness.
The shepherds were terrified.
Scene 5 of 8Good News
The angel said, "Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people" (2:10). Behold means look.
"Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!" (2:11).
A Savior is someone who rescues. Christ is the Greek word for Messiah, the king God promised to send.
The angel gave them a sign so they would know the baby. They would find him wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
Think about that sign. A king would usually be found in a palace. This king was lying in an animal's food box.
Scene 6 of 8The Sky Fills with Angels
Suddenly a huge crowd of angels appeared with the first angel. The Bible calls them "the heavenly host." Host means a great army.
The angels praised God. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!" (2:14).
Scene 7 of 8The Shepherds Go
The angels went back into heaven. The shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this."
They hurried off. They found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.
After they saw him, the shepherds told everyone what the angel had said about this child.
Everyone who heard them was amazed.
Scene 8 of 8Mary Remembers
Mary kept all these things close. She thought about them deeply in her heart.
The shepherds went back to their fields. They praised God for everything they had heard and seen. It was all just as the angel had told them.
Eight days later, the baby was circumcised, as God's law said. Circumcision was the sign that a Jewish boy belonged to God's people. Then he was named Jesus. The angel had given that name before he was born. The name Jesus means "the LORD saves."
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Good news of great joy that will be for all the people" (2:10) | The good news is for everyone, starting with ordinary shepherds. |
| "A Savior has been born to you" (2:11) | God sent someone to rescue people. The angel says "to you," to the shepherds. |
| "He is Christ the Lord" (2:11) | Jesus is the promised king, and he is Lord. |
| "Lying in a manger" (2:12) | The king of everything came small and poor. |
| "Peace to men on whom His favor rests" (2:14) | God's favor brings peace. In the Beatitudes, "blessed" means the same thing: God's favor rests on someone. |
| "Mary treasured up all these things" (2:19) | Mary held on to what happened and kept thinking about it. |
Back Then
A census was a count of people. Rome counted people so it could collect taxes.
Babies were wrapped tightly in cloth strips. People believed it kept a newborn warm and safe. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Bethlehem was called the city of David. David grew up there, watching his father's sheep (1 Samuel 17:15).
Literal Reader Alert
Was Jesus born in a stable? The Bible mentions a manger, but it does not mention a stable or a barn. Many people picture a stable because mangers held animal food.
Was there an inn with a mean innkeeper? The Bible does not mention an innkeeper. The Greek word can also mean a guest room in a house.
Were there three wise men? Not in this story. Wise men come in Matthew 2, and the Bible does not say how many there were.
Was Jesus born on December 25? The Bible does not give a date. Christians chose that day to celebrate his birth.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The shepherds | Terrified | An angel appeared, and God's glory shone around them (2:9) |
| The shepherds | Eager | They hurried to see the baby (2:16) |
| Everyone who heard | Amazed | The shepherds told what the angel had said (2:18) |
| Mary | Thoughtful | She treasured these things in her heart (2:19) |
| The shepherds | Joyful | Everything was just as the angel said (2:20) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Which part of this story stays with you? Tap one.
"Do not be afraid!"
These were the angel's first words. God did not come to scare people. God came to be with them, and with you.
The shepherds on the night shift
God told the news first to ordinary workers. You don't have to be important to be invited.
A baby in a manger
The king of everything came small and poor. No one is too small or too poor for God to come close.
Mary, thinking it over
It's okay to have questions and keep thinking. Mary did.
You Might Have Heard
"Christmas is a sweet story about a baby."
What's true: It is tender. A mother wraps her newborn and lays him down to sleep.
What the story is mainly about: God came close. The promised king came as a poor baby. The first people to hear were ordinary shepherds working the night shift.
Where Jesus is: Right in the middle of the story. Another Gospel calls him Immanuel, which means "God with us" (Matthew 1:23).
Good News
The angel's first words were "Do not be afraid." God did not come to scare people. God came to be with them. The good news of great joy is for all the people, and that includes you.
Big Idea
God came to us as a baby and told the good news first to ordinary people.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Martin Luther loved this story. In his Christmas sermons, he asked people to picture how poor and cold Mary and Joseph were. He also wrote a Christmas hymn. It is traditionally said to be for his own children (1534–35). English translation by Catherine Winkworth (1855):
From heaven above to earth I comeTo bear good news to every home;Glad tidings of great joy I bring,Whereof I now will say and sing.
Luther also said the Old Testament is like "the swaddling cloths and the manger in which Christ lies" (Preface to the Old Testament, 1523). He meant that the Old Testament points to Christ. It is also Israel's Scripture, which Jewish people still read and love today.
In Church
Many churches read Luke 2:1-14 on Christmas Eve, often with verses 15-20. Luke 2:15-21 is read on January 1, when the church remembers the name of Jesus.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
How did that feel?