When you think of Christmas, what do you imagine? Is it Santa Clause? Presents under a shining tree? Full stockings and delicious food? These traditions are all part of Christmas, it is true. But, in reality, Christmas is about so much more. When we celebrate Christmas, we’re celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
So what happened on that famous day? Why is December 25th so important?
Here, we’ll tell the story of Jesus’s birthday.
The story begins more than 2,000 years ago with a woman named Mary, who lived in the town of Nazareth. She was about to marry a man named Joseph when an angel came to visit her. This angel was named Gabriel, and he had some very important news.
Gabriel told Mary that she would become pregnant. He also said that her son would be named Jesus. This baby Jesus was going to be a very special baby. Gabriel said that Jesus would be the son of God. Jesus was going to be a king, just like King David of the olden days. He would be a savior, a messiah, and his kingdom would never end.
This was a very important moment. All babies have a human mom and a human dad, but this baby was different. For the first time ever, a mother was pregnant with a baby, and the baby did not have a human dad. That’s because Jesus’s dad was God. This miracle is called the “immaculate conception.” It is one of the most amazing things that has ever happened.
When Joseph heard the news, he became confused. How could such a miraculous thing be possible? Joseph thought that Mary was lying, and that she wouldn’t be a very good wife. Luckily, Gabriel visited Joseph in a dream. Gabriel told Joseph that it was true: Mary’s baby boy would be the son of God. This calmed Joseph, and he and Mary got married.
Gabriel also told Joseph how important Jesus would be. Gabriel said that Jesus would save people from their sins. He would help people during his life, and make them very happy.
While Mary was pregnant with her baby, the Roman emperor made a declaration. He said that all people must be counted so that he would know how many people lived in his empire. This counting is called a census. Because of the census, Mary and Joseph had to leave their hometown of Nazareth and travel to the town of Bethlehem.
Mary rode to Bethlehem on a donkey. The journey took a few days. When they arrived, they got some bad news. All of the inns were already full. They had no place to sleep. This was especially bad news because Mary was about to have her baby. Luckily, an innkeeper told Mary and Joseph that they could stay in their stable. It was in this stable, a house for horses and other animals, that Jesus was born.
After Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph put him in the manger. The manger was the trough for the animals’ food. Because he was born in a stable and not in a house or hospital, baby Jesus had to sleep in the manger.
It’s amazing that the son of God was born not in a palace or in a mansion, but in a simple stable. This shows us that we should always be humble. The baby’s surroundings were simple, but it was his soul that really mattered.
Pretty soon, baby Jesus had many visitors. There were many shepherds around Bethlehem, taking care of their sheep. Angels came to tell the shepherds that Jesus, the son of God, had been born. The angels also told the shepherds where to find Jesus. They said that he would be in the manger. The shepherds hurried to visit baby Jesus.
Jesus had other important visitors: the three wise men (the Magi). These men were very smart and came to visit Jesus. They also made sure to keep baby Jesus safe.
The three wise men lived in a distant land. One night, they looked up at the stars. One light was shining especially bright. That bright star was directly above Bethlehem, where baby Jesus rested in his manger.
The three wise men decided to set out on an important journey. They would travel toward the star. They knew that when they arrived at the spot beneath the star, they would find a new king there.
As the three wise men traveled, they passed King Herod. King Herod was the king of Judah. He told the three wise men to find baby Jesus, and then tell him where Jesus was located. King Herod claimed he wanted to visit and worship Jesus, too. But the three wise men were very smart, and they knew this was a lie. Really, King Herod wanted to find baby Jesus so that he could kill him. The Three Wise Men knew that they couldn’t let this happen.
The three wise men continued on their journey, always heading toward that brightly shining star. Finally, they arrived in Bethlehem. When they saw baby Jesus, they fell on their knees and worshiped him. They prayed and prayed. The three wise men knew that Jesus was the son of God. He was the messiah. He was the savior. He would change the world forever.
The three wise men also gave baby Jesus gifts. They left him with gold, myrrh, and frankincense. They knew this was important to do, since Jesus was the son of God.
When it was time for the three wise men to leave, they knew they had to be clever. They did not want to see King Herod. They knew the king would ask them where Jesus was, and they knew the king wanted to kill the baby. To keep this from happening, the three wise men returned to their country by a different route. They never saw King Herod, and baby Jesus was safe.
Baby Jesus grew up to become a carpenter. He also helped many people. He performed miracles and saved people from their sins. He eventually died on the cross before going up to heaven. This story begins with Jesus’s birth, which happened on Christmas day.
This is a very important story, and it is the reason we celebrate Christmas. A long time before Jesus was born, God promised he would send humanity a savior. He said He would send a very special person to help people. He said He would send a messiah. Jesus was this person.
Christmas really is a special time of year. On Christmas, we visit our relatives. We celebrate our love for each other. We have a lot of fun, and we make important memories.
But we can never forget why Christmas is so important. This is the day that Jesus Christ, the son of God, was born. This is his story. It is truly a miracle.
So as you’re opening your presents or eating your Christmas feast, make sure you remember baby Jesus. Even more than Santa Clause or presents, flashing lights or tasty treats, the birth of Jesus Christ is what Christmas is all about.
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