Christian Christmas Stories For Children

In the Garden of Eden, Satan deceived Adam and Eve into doubting God's Word. In that instant, they became spiritually dead, cut off from God who is the source of life. They did not physically die immediately. But without God in their lives, they were subject to the entire curse, which included sickness, disease, poverty and death.

God had a plan to reconnect with his children. It was a perfect solution that only He could have imagined. He would legally enter the world by being born with the help of a young virgin girl named Mary. Without a mortal father, Jesus would be without the sinful nature present in all of mankind. He would give Himself as one final sacrifice for all the sins of mankind. If we would only accept this free gift by believing that He died for our sins, we could be reunited with God today and throughout eternity.

God began speaking the plan through the patriarchs and prophets, each providing more clues so that nobody would be mislead when the Messiah came. Many of these dealt specifically with the birth of Christ. Here are a few related to the Christmas story:

Isaiah 7:14 - Virgin birth foretold named Immanuel (God with us).

Micah 5:2 - Bethlehem would be the birthplace.

Psalm 72:10-11 - Kings will present him gifts.

Jeremiah 31:15 - The massacre of Bethlehem's children.

Hosea 11:1 - The escape to Egypt.

God needed not only a virgin, but a virgin who would be a faith partner to bring His plan to fruition. He found such a person in Mary. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said:

"Congratulations, Mary! The Lord is with you. You are truly blessed!"

"Don't be scared, Mary. God has wonderfully blessed you. You will give birth to a baby boy. You will name him Jesus. He shall be called the Son of God. God will give him the throne of David and his Kingdom will never end!"

This was quite a revelation, so she asked, "How can I have a baby without a husband?"

This was not doubting God's Word like Zechariah had done (Luke 1:11-23). This was simply a question of how it would happen. Gabriel explained that God's Word would be planted in her spirit. And from that seed, the savior of the world would be born. Gabriel gave her further evidence by pointing out that her cousin Elizabeth, who had been barren for many years, was miraculously with child. This strengthened her faith that all would happen according to God's Word.

Mary said, "Let everything happen just as you have said."

God's Word is powerful. But He needs people willing to receive, believe and act on His Word. He found such a person in Mary. Mary was blessed, or empowered to prosper, because she believed God's Word. God's Blessing is available to any Christian that will simply trust God.

You can read the entire virgin birth story including Gabriel's visits to Zechariah and Mary in (Luke 1).

Some Reading Suggestions For the Miraculous Virgin Birth:
Mary, Gabriel & the Birth of Jesus - A paraphrase of the virgin birth story.
The Birth of John the Baptist - A free online Bible story about the birth of John the Baptist. Elizabeth and Zachariah were Mary's cousins and their story would influence Mary's faith.
Christmas Unwrapped - A 3 minute video presenting the birth of Jesus from the New Testament.

For additional Mary, Gabriel and the conception of Jesus resources

The night Christ was born, there were shepherds in the fields outside of Bethlehem watching their sheep. An angel appeared to them and they were greatly afraid by the glory of the Lord that lit up the night sky. Deep inside, people who don't know God live in fear of judgment. But the angel told them not to be afraid. He was there to bring them the good news of the birth of Jesus. The angel told them that they would find the child wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger. And then the sky was filled with an army of angels praising God by saying:

Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased. (Luke 2:14 NLT)

After the angels left, the shepherds ran to Bethlehem to see Jesus. They found the child just as the angel had described. And they praised God for Jesus and told everyone what they had witnessed. They shared the good news that God is with us. Now that is some really good news! (Luke 2:1-20)

Shepherds weren't exactly at the top of the social hierarchy back then. But somehow it seems very appropriate that the angels would announce the birth of Jesus to them. Jesus is called the lamb of God, good shepherd, gate of the sheep and shepherd of the people. Who else could appreciate him more than people who lived this life every day.

Some Reading Suggestions For The Nativity Of Jesus:
Angels, Shepherds & Good Tidings of Great Joy - A paraphrase of the Nativity story
Kirsi, The Little Lost Lamb - A story about a little lamb that risks her life to see Jesus. This adaptation of the Nativity story includes a lesson on searching for Christ.

For additional Nativity of Jesus resources

A short time after the birth of Jesus some wise men entered Jerusalem searching for the child. When King Herod heard this, he sent for them because he was disturbed that there might be a rival to his throne. He gathered the leading priests and teachers of the law and asked them where the Messiah would be born. They informed him that a ruler from Bethlehem would become the shepherd of God's people.

Herod arranged a meeting with the wise men to find out when the star appeared. He then instructed them to search for the child in Bethlehem. When they found him, they were to report back to Herod so he too could go and worship the child.

The wise men left Jerusalem and followed the star to the house where Mary, Joseph and the child were staying. They fell down before him and worshiped the child. Opening their treasure chests, they presented Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. When it was time to leave, God warned them in a dream to not return to Herod. Instead of traveling through Jerusalem, they went home another way.

An angel then warned Joseph in a dream to take his family to Egypt. So he and his family immediately left for Egypt, staying there until they were told to return. The gifts that the wise men presented would provide for all their needs for both the journey and stay in Egypt. Jesus may have been born in a humble place, but he was not humiliated. He had an angelic choir praising his birth. He had an entourage of nobles traveling for days to provide his family the resources for their stay in Egypt. God is always ready to protect us and provide everything we need in abundance. (John 10:10)

King Herod was furious that the wise men had not come back. He sent his soldiers to Bethlehem to slaughter all male children under the age of two. The age coincided with the time that the wise men said that the star had first appeared. Satan was trying his best to destroy Jesus through King Herod's actions. But God was one step ahead as always.

Tradition has always assumed that there were three wise men based on the three gifts mentioned. But more likely this was a very large entourage of wise men and servants. It was not safe to travel long distances in the ancient world without the protection a large number of people would provide. And only a large party would have been noticed and caused such curiosity in a large city like Jerusalem.

What has always fascinated me about this story is that wise men may have traveled for weeks, or even months, to see Jesus. In Jerusalem, the religious center of the nation of Israel, nobody noticed the star or understood the signs of the times. But the wise men were watching and were able to understand the meaning and purpose of the star. They immediately set out to see what God had done.

You can read the story of the Magi's visit and the escape to Egypt in (Matthew 2).

Some Reading Suggestions For the Visit of the Magi:
The Three Camels - The story of the three wise men and their camels: Erin, Nina, and Penda. The camels asked God to send them on a great adventure and boy did He ever! Saddle-up for the journey of a lifetime to see the baby Jesus at Christmas. Includes a lesson and play.
Heli, The Star of Bethlehem - A free Christian story about the star of Bethlehem. A little star learns that God doesn't look for the biggest or the brightest, but those willing to put their complete faith in what He can do in their lives. Includes a play.

For additional Wise Men, Magi & Epiphany resources

John 3:16 sums up very nicely the message of Christmas. God loves us so much that He gave Himself, love, to us. What separates Christianity from all manmade religions is a loving God that has done all the work for us to be reunited with Him. Christianity is about relationship and fellowship. We simply believe that Jesus died for us and we are spiritually reborn back into God's family. No wonder the angels were so excited to announce the Good News to the shepherds.

Sometimes we want to leave Jesus in the manger. Fortunately, He grew up and fulfilled every promise and plan that God had for his life. No other historical figure has had such a lasting impact on this planet. The reality of this was captured so eloquently in the poem One Solitary Life.

There are so many wonderful Christian sites dedicated to Christmas. You can find several very good Christmas links here.

When Joseph first heard that Mary was pregnant, his first reaction was to break the engagement privately. What made him change his mind? (Matthew 1:8-25)

Why did Joseph and Mary have to travel to Bethlehem? (Luke 2:1-6)

What led the wise men to Bethlehem? (Matthew 2:1-12)

What did the angel tell the shepherds to look for to confirm that they had found Jesus? (Luke 2:12)

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