Here are Christmas Bible verses for you to help you remember that in this Christmas season it is Jesus Christ, Who is the reason for the season! Whether you want a handy reference to include a verse or two in your Christmas cards, or you just love reading and re-reading the Christmas story, this article has you covered.
The beauty of this holiday season is a reminder that God is faithful, and He keeps His promises. He promised to send His Son, Himself in the flesh, so that sinful humans could eventually be reunited with Him in spirit. And He did! This is the reason for Christmas.
Christmas Bible Verses — Old Testament Prophecies
Way back in the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve sinned, God promised a future, coming Savior. The first mention of a coming redeemer in God’s Word is in Genesis 3:15. In this verse, God is talking to Adam and Eve about their sin. After they sinned, they needed redemption. God promised them, and all generations following them, redemption in the Person of Jesus Christ.
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (KJV)
As the Old Testament progressed and time got closer to the miraculous birth of Christ, God revealed more information. Most of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah were from the prophet Isaiah.
“Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 (KJV)
This prophecy foretold how Immanuel (“Emmanuel” is the Greek spelling and means “God is with us”) would come — born as a human Baby, but through the body of a virgin female.
“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.” Isaiah 9:2 (KJV)
The great light is a reference to Jesus Christ. Many times in Scriptures, the word “light” refers to truth. Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the truth. The Gospel of Matthew records that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy in Matthew 4:16. “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (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. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7 (KJV)
This wonderful and prophetic description was only partially fulfilled when Jesus Christ came as a baby. Not only do these verses refer to Christ’s first advent, when He came as a helpless infant, they are also looking forward to His second coming where He will come as a conquer and reign on Earth.
“And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” Isaiah 60:3 (KJV)
This prophecy may have been obscure when Isaiah wrote it, but in hindsight he was writing about the visit of the wise men after Jesus was born.
“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.” Micah 5:2 (KJV)
The prophet Micah revealed the exact future birthplace of the coming Messiah.
Christmas Bible Verses — The Birth of Christ
The Christmas story is found in the beginning of the New Testament. Each of the Gospel writers wrote about the birth of Christ from a different perspective.
Christmas Bible Verses — From Matthew
Matthew wrote his Gospel from a Jewish perspective, primarily to Jewish people. He presented Jesus as the King of the Jews. Here is how he tells what we call the Christmas story:
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
“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.
“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.
“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
“And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” Matthew 1:18-25 (KJV)
Matthew did not go into detail telling why Mary and her husband, Joseph, were in the town of Bethlehem when Jesus was born there. He just said that Jesus was born there.
“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.” Matthew 2:1-2 (KJV)
It was Matthew who recorded the visit of these foreign dignitaries. Since Matthew was writing to the Jews, and Jesus was born to be King of the Jews, it was appropriate for both these wise men to visit the newborn King, and also for Matthew, of all of the Gospel writers, to include this event.
The wise men followed a special star to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. They inquired about this royal birth to King Herod, and when Herod heard about the birth of the King of the Jews, he knew exactly that this baby was the Christ. He told the wise men to find Him so he could “worship” him and then plotted to kill Him.
“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. 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.” Matthew 2:9-11 (KJV)
The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were actual gifts given to Jesus and His family. But these gifts were also prophetic. The gold represented His future kingship. The frankincense represented His priestly duties. Just as the priests in the Old Testament were mediators, and frankincense was part of their God-ordered worship, these priests were intercessors for the people to God. Jesus Christ is our High Priest. He intercedes to God for His people. Unlike human priests, Jesus Christ is totally without sin. The Apostle Paul reminds the reader of this in Hebrews 4:14. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.” (KJV)
The myrrh that the wise men gave to this healthy newborn baby was symbolic of His death. Christ was offered myrrh as He was suffering on the cross (Mark 15:23). After His body died, His friends used myrrh to prepare His body for burial (John 19:39).
Christmas Bible Verses — From Mark
There are no Christmas Bible verses in the Gospel of Mark. Mark wrote his Gospel from the viewpoint of Jesus, the suffering servant. No one cared about the birth of a humble servant.
Christmas Bible Verses — From Luke
Luke was a physician (Colossians 4:14). Since he was a doctor, he was very interested in the workings of the human body, including childbirth. It is not surprising that the Gospel of Luke is the most comprehensive account of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. Matthew simply records that Mary was a virgin, and that “she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” However, Luke’s Gospel fills in some of details.
Before writing about the birth of Jesus Christ, Luke recorded the miraculous conception of Mary’s cousin, Elisabeth. Elisabeth was both barren and past natural childbearing age. The angel Gabriel appeared to her husband, Zacharias, a priest at the Temple in Jerusalem. Their son was John the Baptist, who grew up and became the forerunner of Jesus Christ.
Six months into Elisabeth’s pregnancy, God sent Gabriel to Mary to ask her permission if she would be the mother of His Son. Here are the Christmas Bible verses from the Book of Luke.
26 “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 “To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 “And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 “And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 “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:
33 “And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 “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.
36 “And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:26-38 (KJV)
Luke recorded the events that took Mary and her husband, Joseph, from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
1 “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 “(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 “And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 “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:)
5 “To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 “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 2:1-7 (KJV)
It was Luke also who wrote about the angels appearing to the shepherds to announce the Gift that was given by God that night. The angels were so excited about what God was doing, they could not contain themselves. They HAD to relay this good news to humans. God allowed them to share this good news to some of the lowly members of that society — keepers of sheep.
Maybe it was the shepherds who better understood “the lamb of God.” Whatever the reason, this group of men caught the excitement of the angels, left their sheep, went, and were privileged to see and worship this newborn King of the Jews.
8 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 “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.
10 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 “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.
16 “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 “And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” Luke 2:8 (KJV)
Christmas Bible Verses — From the Gospel of John
John presented his view of Jesus Christ as God. There are no traditional Christmas Bible verses in the Gospel of John. He began his Gospel by subtly introducing Jesus Christ as “the Word” Who was God.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1 (KJV)
What was subtle in the first verse, John makes very clear in verse 14.
“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 1:14 (KJV)
John never mentions just how “the Word” became “flesh.” There is no mention of Jesus’ miraculous human birth.
John mentions John the Baptist as the forerunner of Jesus Christ, and then he records John the Baptist announcing that Jesus was the perfect and future sacrifice for the sin of the world.
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29 (KJV)
Christmas Bible Verses — Salvation Verses
It is wonderful to know in what way God came to Earth. But the true meaning of Christmas is not in the Baby in the manger, it is Christ on the cross, then buried in a tomb, and finally resurrected. When He came as a Baby, His work had just begun. When He lived a sinless life, offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice, then raised Himself from the dead, His work of redemption was finished.
The Person and work of Jesus Christ began when God offered each individual the gift of eternal life. But as with any gift, Christmas or otherwise, the offered gift must be accepted. Today, it is up to each individual to accept — or reject — His wonderful gift, and accept — or reject — Him as their Savior from hell.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 (KJV)
No one is perfect before God. Everyone has a sin debt that they cannot pay, and therefore, they cannot see, much less enter into, the glory of God.
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (KJV)
God knew this. But the love of God was so great for His broken creation, He needed a solution. So He gave One. That was Jesus Christ Who came to Earth to live as a sinless human being and become the perfect, sinless sacrifice for our sins. Jesus satisfied our sin debt that we owed to God the Father.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (KJV)
The payment of our sin is death, not only physical, but spiritual. Death in this verse means eternity apart from God in hell. But because of the perfect gift of Jesus Christ Who paid our debt, we can have eternal life through Him. This gift of the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ is offered to all people, but God will only give eternal life to those who accept it.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10 (KJV)
With a simple prayer of asking God for this gift that He freely offers to all, anyone can be saved.
Salvation is the true meaning of Christmas. But without Jesus’ birth, the Baby in the manger, there would be no hope of salvation.
With these Christmas Bible verses, may you have a new perspective on birth of Jesus Christ.
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