The Chronology of Christmas

A Biblical Timeline of Christ’s Birth

• The angel reveals to Mary that she, a virgin, would give birth to Christ–Luke 1:26-38
• An angel appears to Joseph in a dream and explains the virgin birth of Christ–Matthew 1:19-25
• Ceasar Augustus, emperor of Rome, decrees taxation, causing Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem–Luke 2:1-5
• Jesus Christ is born in Bethlehem in a stable, because there was no room in the inn–Luke 2:6-7
• Angels appear to shepherds in the fields at night, and the shepherds come to worship the Christ child–Luke 2:8-16
• On the eighth day, the baby is circumcised and is given His name JESUS–Luke 2:21
• On the forty-first day, after forty days of Mary’s purification, Christ is taken to the temple in Jerusalem and an offering is made–Luke 2:22-24
• At the temple, Simeon and Anna recognize the baby as the Messiah and praise the Lord–Luke 2:25-38
• Wise men come from the east, following His star and inquiring to Herod about the One born King of the Jews– Matthew 2:1-2
• Wise men come to the house where the Christ child is and worship Him, presenting gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh–Matthew 2:8-12
• Joseph is warned of God in a dream to flee with his family down to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod–Matthew 2:13-15
• Herod has all the baby boys two years old and younger in the region of Bethlehem killed–Matthew 2:16-18
• After Herod’s death, Joseph returns with his family to the region of Galilee and the city of Nazareth, where Jesus Christ grew up–Matthew 2:19-23