Scripture for Christmas

Christmas Bible verses about the birth of Jesus

30 verses that tell the Christmas story, from the prophets' promises to the shepherds, the wise men and the Word made flesh. Each one is quoted in full from the King James Version, with a line on where it sits in the story.

By Jesus GroupKing James VersionUpdated

Prophecies of His coming

Long before Bethlehem, the prophets promised a child from the house of David who would bring light and peace.

  • Isaiah 7:14 KJV

    Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

    Matthew 1:22-23 quotes this promise of a son called Immanuel (spelled Emmanuel in Matthew) and says it was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus.

  • Isaiah 9:2 KJV

    The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

    Matthew 4:13-16 says this promise of light was fulfilled when Jesus left Nazareth and made His home in Capernaum, in Galilee.

  • Isaiah 9:6 KJV

    For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

    Isaiah's promised child will reign on the throne of David forever (Isaiah 9:7), the same promise Gabriel gives Mary in Luke 1:32-33.

  • Micah 5:2 KJV

    But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

    When Herod asked where the Christ would be born, the chief priests and scribes answered with this prophecy (Matthew 2:4-6).

The announcement to Mary and Joseph

Luke tells how the angel Gabriel came to Mary. Matthew tells how an angel came to Joseph in a dream.

  • Luke 1:26-27 KJV

    And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

    Six months into Elisabeth's pregnancy with John the Baptist, God sent Gabriel to Mary, who was espoused, or engaged, to Joseph.

  • Luke 1:30-33 KJV

    And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

    Gabriel tells Mary she will have a son named Jesus, whose kingdom will never end.

  • Luke 1:35 KJV

    And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

    Gabriel answers Mary's question, “How shall this be?” (Luke 1:34): the child will be conceived by the Holy Ghost.

  • Luke 1:38 KJV

    And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

    Mary's answer to Gabriel: she accepts God's plan as His servant.

  • Matthew 1:20 KJV

    But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

    Joseph had decided to end the engagement quietly until an angel spoke to him in a dream (Matthew 1:19-20).

The birth in Bethlehem

A Roman census brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, the city of David, where Jesus was born.

  • Luke 2:1 KJV

    And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

    Luke sets the birth during a registration ordered by the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus; “taxed” here means enrolled.

  • Luke 2:4-5 KJV

    And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

    Joseph went to Bethlehem because he was from David's family line, and Mary, expecting her child, went with him.

  • Luke 2:7 KJV

    And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

    Luke describes the birth in one sentence: there was no room in the inn, so the newborn was laid in a manger, a feeding trough for animals.

The shepherds and the angels

Luke's account of the night the angels brought the news to shepherds in the fields.

  • Luke 2:8-9 KJV

    And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

    Luke tells how the news came to shepherds watching their sheep through the night in the fields near Bethlehem.

  • Luke 2:10-11 KJV

    And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

    The angel's message: good news of great joy for all people, because a Saviour was born that day in the city of David.

  • Luke 2:13-14 KJV

    And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

    A multitude of angels appeared with the first angel and praised God together.

  • Luke 2:15-16 KJV

    And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

    The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby just as the angel had told them.

  • Luke 2:19 KJV

    But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

    While everyone wondered at the shepherds' story, Mary quietly held on to all of it and thought it over.

The wise men

Matthew's account of the wise men from the east who followed the star to worship the young child.

  • Matthew 2:1-2 KJV

    Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

    Wise men from the east came to Jerusalem looking for the newborn King of the Jews after seeing His star.

  • Matthew 2:9 KJV

    When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

    After meeting Herod, the wise men followed the star until it stopped over the place where the young child was.

  • Matthew 2:10-11 KJV

    When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

    The wise men worshipped Jesus in a house and gave Him gold, frankincense and myrrh; Matthew names three gifts but never says how many wise men there were.

Emmanuel, God with us

Why the birth matters: God Himself came to live among His people.

  • Matthew 1:21-23 KJV

    And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

    The angel tells Joseph to name the child Jesus because He will save His people from their sins, and Matthew adds that He is Emmanuel, God with us.

  • Galatians 4:4-5 KJV

    But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

    Paul writes that God sent His Son at just the right time, born of a woman, so that we could be adopted as God's children.

  • 1 Timothy 3:16 KJV

    And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

    Paul's short summary of the faith starts with God coming in human flesh.

The Word became flesh

John's Gospel begins the story before creation, with the Word who became flesh and lived among us.

  • John 1:1 KJV

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    John begins his Gospel before Bethlehem, in the beginning, with the Word who was with God and was God.

  • John 1:4-5 KJV

    In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

    John calls the Word the life and light of men, a light that shines in the darkness.

  • John 1:14 KJV

    And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

    John's Christmas story in one verse: the Word who was God became a man and lived among us.

  • John 3:16 KJV

    For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

    The reason for Christmas: God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son.

Verses for Christmas cards

Short verses that fit inside a card or a Christmas message.

  • 2 Corinthians 9:15 KJV

    Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

    Paul ends a chapter about generous giving with thanks for God's gift, a gift too great for words.

  • 1 John 4:9 KJV

    In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

    John's first letter says God showed His love by sending His Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

  • Luke 1:78-79 KJV

    Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

    Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, praises God for the “dayspring from on high,” the sunrise that brings light and peace (Luke 1:67).

Share a verse

Sending a verse in a Christmas card, a text or a post? A few simple habits keep it clear and true to Scripture.

  • Quote it word for word. Copy the verse as it's written here and keep the reference with it, like “Luke 2:11 (KJV),” so anyone can look it up.
  • Pick one that fits the space. Short verses suit a card or a text message: Luke 2:11, Luke 2:14, John 1:14 or 2 Corinthians 9:15.
  • Add a line of your own. A sentence about why the verse means something to you this year turns a quote into a message.
  • Read the whole story aloud. For a family reading on Christmas Eve, read Luke 2:1-20, then Matthew 2:1-12 for the wise men.

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