Bible story for kids · Luke 1 and 2, Matthew 2
The first Christmas
God sent the angel Gabriel to a young woman named Mary in the town of Nazareth. “You will have a baby boy,” Gabriel said. “Name him Jesus. He will be called the Son of God.”
Mary was going to marry a man named Joseph. An angel told Joseph in a dream that this baby was from God.
The ruler in Rome ordered everyone to be counted in their family’s hometown. So Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, the town of King David.
While they were there, Mary had her baby. She wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger, a box where animals eat, because there was no room for them in the guest room.
That night, shepherds were watching their sheep in the fields. An angel appeared, and God’s glory shone around them. They were afraid.
The angel said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy for all people. Today a Savior has been born for you. You will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Then many angels appeared, praising God. The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph, and the baby, just as the angel said. They told everyone what they had heard.
Later, wise men came from the east, following a star. They found Jesus with his mother, bowed down, and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
From the Bible
this very day in David’s city a Savior has been born for you. He is the Messiah, the Lord.
Talk about it
- The angel said the news was for all people. Who would you want to tell good news to?
- Jesus was born in a humble place, not a palace. Why do you think God did it that way?
- The wise men brought gifts. What could you give to Jesus?
Read Luke 1 and 2, Matthew 2 in the Bible
For grown-ups: what the text says
Some favorite details are not in the text. The Bible does not say there were three wise men, only three gifts. It does not mention an innkeeper or a donkey. The wise men came to a house, likely some time after the birth (Matthew 2:11). Lumin’s Christmas page goes scene by scene and has a guessing game about what the story says and does not say.