The Birth of Christ
Below is a short summary of the Birth of Christ. You can find the Christmas Story in Luke Chapters 1 and 2 and Matthew Chapters 1 and 2.
Mary and Joseph were a young engaged couple living in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. God sent the Angel Gabriel to visit Mary. Gabriel said to her:
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Luke 1:30-33
Confused, Mary asked Gabriel how that could be so, considering she was a virgin.
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:35
Mary faithfully agreed, stating that she was the Lord’s servant.
Evenso, Joseph began to have doubts. Because Mary was pregnant, he wasn’t sure if he should still marry her.
So an Angel visited him in a dream:
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”).
Matthew 1:20-23
This comforted Joseph, and he took Mary as his wife.
Months later, all the people of the Roman Empire were ordered to register for a census. Because Joseph was from the line of David, the couple traveled by donkey to the town of Bethlehem so they could register. It was here that Mary went into labor. Because of the census, Bethlehem was overcrowded. Mary and Joseph were turned away for a room.
They took refuge in a stable. Surrounded by farm animals, Mary humbly brought The Son of God into His earthly existence. Baby Jesus was swaddled and placed into a manger full of hay for a bed.
In the nearby fields, an angel appeared to a troop of shepherds that were watching over their flocks.
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:9-12
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven ,and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:13-14
The angels left, and the shepherds excitedly agreed to find the stable giving shelter to the Baby Jesus. After visiting the new family, the shepherds joyously told everyone about the Messiah. They left glorifying God.
After some time, three Magi (Wise Men) came to Jerusalem, seeking out the Messiah.
and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:2
This made King Herod angry, for he wanted to be seen as the king of the Jews. Herod met with the Magi and instructed them to follow the star and find Baby Jesus. They were to report back to him the exact location of the Christ Child.
The Magi followed the star until they found the small family.
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
Matthew 2:10
The three men offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and they worshiped The Newborn King.
Soon after, the Magi left back to their country, taking a different route so they would avoid Herod.
Other Places in The Bible Christ’s Birth is Mentioned:
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Micah 5:2
One Last Note...
Although we do not know the Month of Christ’s birth, we do know it was during the time Herod governed. Even though we do not know when He was born, December 25th and the Christmas Season as a whole, have been designated to celebrate His birth since 336 A.D.
Author Max Lucado observed, “ Christmas begins what Easter celebrates.”
Regardless of knowing the factual date, the extraordinary reality that most of mankind is focused on Him is simply beautiful. What is truly important is that He was born, whatever date that was, because if He hadn’t been born, He couldn’t lead us toward eternal salvation. Therefore, let’s celebrate His birth with the rest of the world!
Take delight in this sacred celebration that enables us to honor Christ by employing the Christmas Spirit to spread goodness and love to all.
We are Wishing You a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas!
- Torrance Church of Christ