What Does the Bible Say About Christmas and Jesus?
What Does the Bible Say About Christmas and Jesus?
Every December, millions around the world celebrate Christmas, but many wonder: what does the Bible actually say about this beloved holiday? While you won’t find the word “Christmas” in Scripture, the biblical accounts of Jesus’s birth provide the foundation for this celebration and offer profound insights into why Christians honor this day.
Understanding what the Bible says about Christmas requires examining both the historical narratives of Jesus’s birth and the theological significance these passages reveal. Let’s explore the biblical view of Christmas and discover what Scripture teaches about Jesus and this sacred season.
Christmas in the Bible: The Biblical Accounts
The Bible contains two primary nativity narratives found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. While the word “Christmas” doesn’t appear in Scripture—since it’s a later Christian celebration—these passages provide the historical and spiritual foundation for the holiday.
Luke’s Account: The Angels and Shepherds
The Gospel of Luke offers the most detailed account of Jesus’s birth. Luke 2:1-20 describes how Caesar Augustus ordered a census requiring Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. There, in fulfillment of prophecy, Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid Him in a manger because there was no guest room available.
Angels appeared to shepherds in nearby fields, proclaiming the good news: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11). This announcement to humble shepherds, rather than religious or political leaders, signaled that Jesus came for all people, regardless of social status.
Matthew’s Account: The Wise Men and Prophecy Fulfilled
Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 1:18-2:23) focuses on Joseph’s perspective and emphasizes how Jesus’s birth fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. Matthew records the visit of the Magi—wise men from the East who followed a star to find the newborn King. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, each symbolically significant.
Matthew also highlights the virgin birth, quoting Isaiah 7:14: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). This fulfilled prophecy underscores the miraculous nature of Jesus’s arrival.
Jesus Birth Scripture: Key Biblical Passages
Understanding what the Bible says about Christmas requires examining the specific scriptures that describe Jesus’s birth and its significance. These passages form the biblical view of Christmas that believers have treasured for centuries.
The Prophecies Fulfilled
Isaiah 9:6 — “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Written centuries before Christ’s birth, this prophecy reveals the divine nature of the coming Messiah. The child born would not be merely human but would bear the titles of deity itself.
Micah 5:2 — “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
This prophecy specifically identified Bethlehem as the Messiah’s birthplace, a detail fulfilled when Joseph and Mary traveled there for the census.
The Birth Narratives
Luke 2:6-7 — “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”
This simple verse captures the humble circumstances of Jesus’s arrival—the Creator of the universe born in a stable, laid in an animal’s feeding trough.
Matthew 1:20-21 — “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.'”
This passage explains Jesus’s name and mission. “Jesus” (Yeshua in Hebrew) means “the Lord saves,” revealing His purpose from the moment of His birth.
The Theological Significance
John 1:14 — “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
While John’s Gospel doesn’t include a nativity narrative, this verse captures the profound mystery at Christmas’s heart: God became human and lived among us.
Philippians 2:6-7 — “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
This passage describes the incarnation’s humility—God emptying Himself to become human, perfectly exemplified in Jesus’s birth in a stable.
The Biblical View of Christmas: Theological Foundations
What does the Bible say about Christmas from a theological perspective? While Scripture doesn’t command us to celebrate Jesus’s birth on December 25th, it provides compelling reasons why commemorating the incarnation matters deeply.
The Incarnation: God With Us
The central Christmas theology revolves around the incarnation—God becoming human. Jesus and Christmas are inseparable because His birth represents the moment when deity and humanity united in one person. This wasn’t merely God appearing to look human; it was God truly becoming human while remaining fully divine.
The Bible presents this as essential to God’s redemptive plan. Only someone who was both fully God and fully human could bridge the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity. Jesus’s birth was the first step in this reconciliation.
Fulfillment of God’s Promises
The Old Testament contains numerous prophecies about a coming Messiah who would deliver God’s people. What the Bible says about Christmas includes the reality that Jesus’s birth fulfilled these ancient promises, demonstrating God’s faithfulness across generations.
From Genesis 3:15’s promise of one who would crush the serpent’s head to Isaiah’s prophecies of a suffering servant and mighty God, Jesus’s birth began the fulfillment of God’s long-announced plan.
Universal Salvation Offered to All
The Christmas narratives emphasize that Jesus came for everyone. The angels announced good news “for all the people” (Luke 2:10). Both lowly shepherds and wealthy foreign Magi worshiped the infant King. This inclusivity remains central to the biblical view of Christmas—salvation isn’t limited by nationality, social status, or background.
Does the Bible Command Christmas Celebration?
An honest examination of what the Bible says about Christmas must acknowledge that Scripture doesn’t explicitly command observing this holiday. The early church didn’t celebrate Christmas as we do today, and December 25th was established as the celebration date centuries after Christ’s birth.
However, Scripture does provide principles that support commemorating Jesus’s birth:
Luke 2:20 shows the shepherds “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen.” Celebrating God’s works is biblical.
Psalm 77:11-12 encourages remembering God’s deeds: “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
1 Corinthians 11:24-26 demonstrates that Jesus Himself instituted memorial celebrations when He commanded His followers to remember His death through communion.
The Bible’s silence on Christmas observance means Christians have freedom in how they mark this event, but the incarnation itself is undeniably central to Christian faith and worthy of celebration.
Christmas Theology: Why Jesus’s Birth Matters
Understanding what the Bible says about Christmas goes beyond historical facts to grasp why Jesus’s birth holds eternal significance.
The Beginning of Redemption
Jesus birth scripture reveals that His arrival initiated God’s rescue mission for humanity. The angel told Joseph that Jesus would “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Christmas marks the beginning of this salvation story, continuing through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.
Demonstration of God’s Love
John 3:16 declares, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus’s birth was the ultimate expression of divine love—God didn’t send instructions or principles but gave Himself in human form.
Hope for Humanity
The Christmas message offers hope for a broken world. Jesus came as the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) and “light of the world” (John 8:12). His birth promised that darkness, sin, and death would not have the final word.
Applying Biblical Christmas Truth Today
What does the Bible say about Christmas for believers today? Several practical applications emerge:
Worship the reason for the season. Keep Jesus central in Christmas celebrations, not as an afterthought but as the focus of the holiday.
Reflect on the incarnation’s wonder. Take time to marvel at the mystery of God becoming human—born as a vulnerable infant yet remaining the Almighty.
Embody Christmas values year-round. The humility, generosity, and love demonstrated in Christ’s birth should characterize Christian living every day.
Share the good news. The angels proclaimed good news of great joy. Christians today can share this same message with others who need hope.
Practice gratitude for God’s gift. Recognize that Christmas celebrates the greatest gift ever given—God Himself coming to dwell among us and provide salvation.
Conclusion: The Biblical Heart of Christmas
While the Bible doesn’t use the word “Christmas” or specify how to celebrate Jesus’s birth, it provides the historical accounts and theological foundations that make this celebration meaningful. What the Bible says about Christmas centers on the incarnation—God becoming human to accomplish our redemption.
The nativity narratives in Matthew and Luke, supported by Old Testament prophecies and New Testament theological reflection, reveal Jesus and Christmas as inseparable. His birth wasn’t merely a historical event but the hinge point of history, the moment when God’s eternal plan entered time and space.
As you celebrate Christmas this year, let the biblical view of Christmas shape your observance. Remember that the decorations, gifts, and traditions are wonderful, but they point to something infinitely greater: Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us, who came to bring salvation, hope, and eternal life to all who believe.
The Bible’s message about Christmas remains as relevant today as when angels first announced it to shepherds two thousand years ago: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14).
How does understanding the biblical foundation of Christmas change how you celebrate? Explore more faith-based insights and biblical perspectives at WorldReport.press.
