This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in Luke 1:26-38,2:1-7, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
A long time ago, there was a lady named Mary who lived in a town called Nazareth. Mary was going to marry a man named Joseph who was from the family of David.
One day, an angel named Gabriel came to visit Mary and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” Mary was scared and confused. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, God has chosen you to have a baby. You will name him Jesus, and he will be very great. He will be called the Son of God and will reign forever.”
Mary asked, “How can I have a baby? I have never been with a man.” The angel told her that the Holy Spirit of God would give her a baby, and the baby would be called the Son of God. The angel also told her that her cousin Elizabeth, who was very old and had never had a baby, was going to have a baby too.
Mary was amazed and said, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be as you say.” The angel left her, and she was very happy.
A little while later, while Mary was still pregnant, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, the leader of the Roman Empire. The decree said that everyone in the Roman world had to be registered in their hometowns. Joseph, who was engaged to Mary, had to travel to his hometown of Bethlehem to be registered.
When they arrived in Bethlehem, it was very crowded. Many people had come from all over the place to be registered, and there was no room for Mary and Joseph to stay in an inn or a hotel. So they had to stay in a stable, where animals lived.
That night, Mary gave birth to a baby boy. They wrapped him up in cloths and laid him in a manger, which was a feeding trough for animals.
The baby was named Jesus, the Son of God, and he was born to save the world.
Biblical Lessons
- God has a special plan for each of us, just like he did for Mary and Jesus.
- We should trust in God’s plans and be willing to obey him, just like Mary did.
- God can use ordinary people, like Mary and Joseph, to do amazing things.
- Jesus came into the world to save us from our sins and bring us back to God.