Where Is the Christmas Story in the Bible? Every Passage Explained

Every December, millions of people read “the Christmas story.” But if you open your Bible looking for it, where do you turn? The answer surprises many people: there isn't one single Christmas chapter. Two Gospel writers, Matthew and Luke, each tell part of the story, and together they give the full picture.

This guide shows you exactly where to find every part of the Christmas story, how Matthew and Luke fit together, the Old Testament prophecies behind it, and an easy way to read it with your family.

Where is the Christmas story in the Bible?

Here's the short list of passages to know:

Mark's Gospel doesn't include the birth at all — it begins with John the Baptist and the adult Jesus.

The Luke 2 Christmas story

Luke, a careful historian and physician (Luke 1:1–4; Colossians 4:14), tells the story largely from Mary's side. His account in Luke 2 is the one most families read on Christmas Eve.

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 2:7 (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.Luke 2:10–11 (KJV)

What Luke alone tells us

• The angel Gabriel's visits to Zechariah and to Mary (Luke 1:11–38)
• Mary's song of praise, often called the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55)
• The census of Caesar Augustus that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1–5)
• The manger and “no room … in the inn” (Luke 2:7)
• The shepherds and the angel choir: “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:8–14)
• Simeon and Anna recognizing the baby in the temple (Luke 2:25–38)

The Christmas story in Matthew

Matthew, writing especially for Jewish readers, tells the story from Joseph's side and keeps showing how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament. Five times in two chapters he points to a prophecy being fulfilled.

What Matthew alone tells us

• Jesus' family tree from Abraham through King David (Matthew 1:1–17)
• Joseph's dreams, including the angel's command: “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21)
• The wise men from the east and the star (Matthew 2:1–12)
• King Herod's anger and the escape to Egypt (Matthew 2:13–18)
• The family settling in Nazareth (Matthew 2:19–23)

Matthew and Luke side by side

The two accounts don't contradict each other; they complement each other, like two witnesses describing the same event from different places in the room.

Timeline of the Christmas story

1. Gabriel visits Zechariah in the temple; Elizabeth will have a son (Luke 1:5–25).
2. Gabriel visits Mary in Nazareth six months later (Luke 1:26–38).
3. Mary visits Elizabeth and sings her song of praise (Luke 1:39–56).
4. John the Baptist is born (Luke 1:57–80).
5. An angel speaks to Joseph in a dream; he takes Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:18–25).
6. The census sends Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1–5).
7. Jesus is born and laid in a manger (Luke 2:6–7).
8. Angels appear to shepherds, who hurry to see the baby (Luke 2:8–20).
9. Jesus is named and presented in the temple; Simeon and Anna praise God (Luke 2:21–38).
10. The wise men arrive and worship the child at a house in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1–12).
11. The family flees to Egypt to escape Herod (Matthew 2:13–18).
12. They return and settle in Nazareth (Matthew 2:19–23; Luke 2:39–40).

The order of the last few events is the most common way scholars fit the two accounts together. The Bible doesn't give exact dates or gaps between them.

Old Testament prophecies fulfilled at Christmas

For the background of these promises, see our Isaiah chapter summaries. Our Jesse Tree readings follow Jesus' family line from Creation to Bethlehem, one story a day.

Christmas story myths the Bible doesn't say

• Three wise men. The Bible mentions three gifts — gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:11) — but never says how many wise men there were.
• The wise men at the manger. They found the child in “the house” (Matthew 2:11), likely some time after the birth.
• A cruel innkeeper. No innkeeper is mentioned. The Greek word often translated “inn” can also mean a guest room in a family home.
• A donkey. Mary riding a donkey is a lovely tradition, but the text doesn't mention one.
• December 25. The Bible gives no date for Jesus' birth.

None of these details change the heart of the story. They simply help us read what the text actually says.

What the Christmas story means

John's Gospel doesn't describe the manger, but it explains why the manger matters:

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)

Christmas is the story of God coming to us. The one who made the world was born into it as a baby, so that He could live, die and rise again “to save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

How to read the Christmas story with your family

• Christmas Eve, short version: read Luke 2:1–20 aloud (about three minutes).
• Christmas morning, full version: read Matthew 1:18–25, Luke 2:1–20 and Matthew 2:1–12 in that order (about ten minutes).
• The twelve days of Christmas: read one section of the timeline above each day from December 25 to January 5.
• All of December: follow our free Advent Bible reading plan, which builds from the first promise in Genesis to the birth in Luke 2.

Planning a holiday meal too? Our short family dinner prayers work just as well around a Christmas table.

Frequently asked questions