The Very First Christmas

Long ago, a man named Joseph and his soon-to-be wife Mary had to travel to a town called Bethlehem. A ruler wanted to count everyone in the land, and every family had to go back to their hometown.

Mary was about to have a baby — a very special baby. When they got to Bethlehem, the town was so crowded that there was no room for them to stay anywhere. So that night, Mary had her baby in a stable, a place where animals slept, and laid Him in a manger, a box normally used to feed animals.

His name was Jesus.

Out in the fields nearby, shepherds were watching their sheep in the dark. Suddenly, an angel appeared, and the sky filled with light! The shepherds were terrified — but the angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy for everyone. Today, in Bethlehem, a Savior has been born — He is Christ the Lord!”

Then the sky filled with angels, all praising God. When they left, the shepherds ran to Bethlehem as fast as they could — and found it exactly as the angel said: Mary, Joseph, and the baby, lying in a manger.

The shepherds couldn’t keep it to themselves. They told everyone they saw. And it all started with a tiny baby, born in a stable, who came to save the whole world.