"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." — Matthew 1:21 (KJV)
The short answer
The Bible tells the birth of Jesus in vivid detail: a decree, a journey to Bethlehem, a manger, and angels filling the sky with praise. Long foretold by the prophets, the eternal Son was born of a virgin to dwell among us and to save — anchored in Luke 2:1-7 and Matthew 1:18-23.
The birth of Jesus is not a legend the Bible hints at; it is an event it records with care, dated by a Roman census and rooted in a real town. Two Gospel writers tell it — Luke from Mary's side, Matthew from Joseph's — and both anchor it in prophecies spoken centuries earlier. What emerges is astonishing: the Maker of all things arrives as a newborn, wrapped in cloth and laid where animals feed. Below are eight passages, quoted exactly from the King James Version, that carry the story from ancient promise to the night the Saviour was born.
How does the Bible tell the story of Jesus' birth?
Luke sets the scene in world history — an empire counting its people — and then narrows to a single family finding no room. Nothing about it is grand by earthly standards, and that is the point.
"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 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. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 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)
An emperor's decree unknowingly served God's plan, drawing Joseph to Bethlehem, "the city of David," just as prophecy required. The Son of the Most High entered the world in poverty and quiet, "because there was no room for them in the inn."
What did the angels proclaim to the shepherds?
The first to hear the news were shepherds keeping watch by night — ordinary laborers, not kings. Heaven came to them with joy that could not be contained.
"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. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 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." — Luke 2:10-14 (KJV)
The angel names the child at once: "a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." The sign is startlingly humble — a baby in a manger — and heaven answers with worship: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace."
How is the birth described in Matthew?
Matthew tells the same birth from Joseph's side — his fear, his obedience, and the angel's word that explained the child's miraculous origin and mission.
"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." — Matthew 1:18-23 (KJV)
The child is conceived "of the Holy Ghost," named "JESUS" because "he shall save his people from their sins," and revealed as "Emmanuel — God with us." His birth is at once a rescue and a homecoming: God has come to dwell with His people.
Was the birth of Jesus foretold?
Long before that night, the prophets spoke of it — the manner of His birth, the town, and the names He would bear. The Gospels present the nativity as the keeping of these promises.
"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)
The sign is a virgin birth and a name, "Immanuel," meaning God with us — the very truth Matthew declares was fulfilled in Jesus.
"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 birthplace was named seven centuries early. The ruler born in little Bethlehem is no newcomer; His "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
"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 9:6 (KJV)
The prophecy piles majesty upon the manger. The child born to us is "The mighty God" and "The Prince of Peace" — titles that could belong to no mere infant, and yet belong to Him.
What does the birth of Jesus mean?
Beneath the census and the shepherds lies a wonder the New Testament never stops marveling at: God became one of us, at the right time, for our redemption.
"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)
The eternal "Word" — God Himself — "was made flesh, and dwelt among us." The birth of Jesus is the moment the invisible God took on a face, "full of grace and truth."
"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law," — Galatians 4:4 (KJV)
His coming was neither early nor late but in "the fulness of the time." Born "of a woman" and "under the law," the Son entered our condition fully in order to lift us out of it.
Frequently asked questions
Where in the Bible is the birth of Jesus recorded?
The birth of Jesus is told most fully in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Luke 2:1-7 records the decree of Caesar, the journey to Bethlehem, and the manger; Luke 2:8-20 gives the angels and the shepherds. Matthew 1:18-25 tells the birth from Joseph's side and names the child JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins (KJV). John 1:14 adds the deeper truth that the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. Together they present one event: God the Son entering the world as a real human child.
Was the birth of Jesus foretold in the Old Testament?
Yes. Centuries beforehand, Isaiah 7:14 promised that a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (KJV), and Micah 5:2 named Bethlehem as the birthplace of the ruler whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Isaiah 9:6 foretold his very titles: Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. The Gospel accounts present the birth of Jesus as the exact fulfillment of these ancient words.
"And, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was." — Matthew 2:9 (KJV)
Take it deeper
These passages are a beginning, not the whole of what God says about the coming of His Son. FlickerFaith is a Scripture-first study companion — open it to read the nativity in full context, follow the birth of Jesus from prophecy to fulfillment across Matthew and Luke, pray through what "God with us" means for you, and ask honest questions about the child who is Christ the Lord. It keeps you close to the Word, not away from it.
Keep reading
See how the season celebrates this event in what the Bible says about Christmas, and meet the child himself in who is Jesus Christ? His life leads on to Palm Sunday, Easter, and the resurrection. You can also browse all Bible topics or return home.