The Announcement to Mary
Before Jesus was born, the angel Gabriel appeared to a young woman named Mary in Nazareth. He told her that she would conceive a son by the Holy Spirit and that He would be called the Son of God. Mary responded with faith: "I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled." (Luke 1:38)
This announcement — called the Annunciation — is the beginning of the Incarnation, the moment God prepared to enter human history. Mary's willingness to trust God despite the cost set the stage for everything that followed.
Jesus' Birth in Bethlehem
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, fulfilling the prophecy of Micah 5:2 written seven centuries earlier. Because a Roman census required Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem, and because there was no room in the inn, Jesus was born in humble surroundings and laid in a manger.
The circumstances of His birth — poverty, obscurity, a feeding trough — were a sign of the kind of Savior He would be: one who came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).
The Shepherds and Wise Men
On the night of Jesus' birth, angels appeared to shepherds in nearby fields and announced: "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." (Luke 2:11) The shepherds went immediately to find the child.
Later, wise men (Magi) from the East followed a star to find Jesus and brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh — gifts fit for a king, a priest, and one who would die. Their visit confirmed that Jesus came not only for Israel but for all nations.
The Escape to Egypt
When King Herod learned that a new king had been born, he ordered the killing of all boys in Bethlehem under two years old. An angel warned Joseph in a dream, and the family fled to Egypt — fulfilling the prophecy of Hosea 11:1: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
This episode reveals that Jesus' life was marked by danger and displacement from the very beginning. He was a refugee before He was a teacher. His solidarity with the vulnerable was not a later development — it was woven into His story from birth.
The Return to Nazareth
After Herod died, the family returned from Egypt and settled in Nazareth in Galilee — fulfilling the prophecy that He would be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23). Jesus grew up in this small, unremarkable town, the son of a carpenter.
Luke tells us that Jesus "grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52). His years in Nazareth were years of ordinary life — working, learning, growing — before His public ministry began around age thirty.
Jesus in the Temple at Age Twelve
When Jesus was twelve years old, His family traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. On the return journey, His parents realized He was missing. After three days of searching, they found Him in the Temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening and asking questions.
When His mother asked why He had stayed behind, Jesus replied: "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49) This is the first recorded statement of Jesus — and it reveals His awareness of His unique relationship with God the Father, even as a child.
Key Scriptures
Matthew 1:23
"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").
Matthew connects Jesus' birth to Isaiah 7:14, showing that His arrival fulfilled ancient prophecy.
Luke 2:10–11
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."
The angel's announcement to the shepherds identifies Jesus as Savior, Messiah, and Lord from the moment of His birth.
Luke 2:52
"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."
Jesus' childhood was one of genuine human development — He grew, learned, and matured like any child.
Explore More Scriptures
Matthew 1–2
Matthew's account of Jesus' birth, the visit of the Magi, the flight to Egypt, and the return to Nazareth.
Luke 1–2
Luke's detailed account of the Annunciation, the birth in Bethlehem, the shepherds, and Jesus in the Temple.
Micah 5:2
The prophecy written seven centuries before Jesus' birth that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem.
Isaiah 7:14
The prophecy of the virgin birth, fulfilled in Jesus' conception by the Holy Spirit.