Your guide to sharing the Nativity story with your family
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The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke both contain the Nativity story.
The Nativity story or the birth of Jesus is not found in the other two gospels — the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of St. John. While the Matthew and Luke both tell the Nativity story in different ways, the central element of the story is that Jesus, the savior of the world, was born in Bethlehem.
Contemporary retellings of the nativity story often weave together both narratives found in the the gospels of Matthew and Luke.
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This article glosses the verses of each of the common elements of the Nativity story and provides summaries for each. Each of the summaries are presented chronologically and can be read in order to summarize the Nativity story. The translation used for quotes is the New Revised Standard Version available on BibleGateway.
Foretelling the birth of John the Baptist
The story occurs in Luke 1:5-25.
Summary: A priest named Zechariah, part of the priestly order of Abijah, was married to Elizabeth. They were unable to have children. Then, one day, Zechariah saw an angel who said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.” Zechariah does not believe it due to their difficulties before. God says that he will be mute until this happened. Then, Elizabeth conceives a child.
Annunciation to Mary
This story occurs in Luke 1:26-38.
Summary: In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s seclusion, the angel Gabriel goes and visits Mary. Mary was engaged to Joseph from the house of David. Gabriel greets Mary by saying “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Gabriel informs her that she will have a son “who will be called the Son of the Most High.” Mary wonders how this will happen and Gabriel tells her that nothing is impossible with God and that it will happen by the Holy Spirit. He reminds her that Elizabeth, her relative, was able to become pregnant even though she was barren.
Mary visits Elizabeth and praises God
This story occurs in Luke 1:39-56.
Summary: After the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will give birth to the Son of God, Mary visits Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s baby leaps in her womb when Mary greets her and Elizabeth declares Mary blessed. She says that what the Lord told her would happen. Mary then praises God and says, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me and holy is his name.” After three months of visiting Elizabeth, she then returns to her home.
Annunciation to Joseph
This story occurs in Matthew 1:18-25.
Summary: Mary found out that she was pregnant while she was engaged to Joseph. Joseph planned on quietly ending the relationship, but an angel came to him in a dream and told him that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The angel tells him to name the child Jesus and that he is a fulfillment of scripture, “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall call him Emmanuel.”
Birth of Jesus
The story occurs in Luke 2:1-7.
Summary: Caesar Augustus decrees that a census be taken of all the people. Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem to be counted in the census. When they are there, Mary’s time to deliver her child arrives. Mary delivers her child and “laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.”
Annunciation to Shepherds
This story occurs in Luke 2:8-20.
Summary: Shepherds in a nearby field were tending to their flocks when an angel appeared to them and said, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” An angel with other heavenly host then sings together to praise God. The shepherds then visit Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus and tell them what happened.
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The magi visit
This story occurs in Matthew 2:12.
Summary: Magi, also called Wise Men colloquially, see the star in the east and wonder where the child is — they call him “the child who has been born king of the Jews.” Then, Herod instructs the magi to tell him where Jesus is. The magi went looking for the star and then found the baby underneath the star. They gave gifts to him and then, because they were warned in a dream, they do not return to Herod.
