Every December we go looking for Christmas Bible verses to write on cards, post on social media or send to a friend. And most of us end up using the same few verses year after year, like a favorite song playing on repeat. But the Bible has many more verses about the coming of Jesus than the handful we keep going back to, and some of them were written hundreds of years before He was born. These verses help us share the true meaning of Christmas and the reason Jesus came. Here are 40 Christmas Bible verses from the King James Version, including many we rarely use, so feel free to copy them into your cards, texts or family devotions.
In this article:
- Short Christmas Bible Verses for Cards
- Prophecies of Jesus’ Birth
- The Christmas Story Verses
- Bible Verses About Hope, Peace and Joy
- Christmas Verses for Kids
- A Four-Week Christmas Bible Reading Plan
- Ways to Use These Verses This Christmas
- Common Questions About Christmas Verses
- A Christmas Prayer for You
Short Christmas Bible Verses for Cards
Sometimes one line of Scripture says it better than anything we could write. You can write these short verses on a Christmas card, on a gift tag, or in a quick text, and every one of them points to Jesus.
1. Luke 2:11
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
An angel said this to shepherds who were out in the fields near Bethlehem working the night shift. Look at the three names he gives the baby. Saviour because He came to save us from our sins. Christ meaning He is the Messiah God had promised for hundreds of years. Lord because He is God Himself. And God told shepherds first instead of kings or priests.
2. Luke 2:14
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
The angel had barely finished speaking when the sky filled with angels praising God. Why the celebration? Because sin separated us from God and this baby (Jesus) was God’s ultimate plan for bringing us back. Peace with God was finally on its way.
3. Matthew 1:23
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Matthew was writing mainly for Jewish readers so he keeps showing them how Jesus fits the Old Testament promises. Here he quotes Isaiah 7:14, where Isaiah prophesied that a virgin would give birth to the Saviour. Emmanuel means “God with us” and that really is the whole story of Christmas. Jesus wasn’t only a good man or a wise teacher. He was God coming down from heaven as a real human being to be with us and save us.
4. 2 Corinthians 9:15
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”
Paul spent two whole chapters teaching the church in Corinth about giving generously. Then he finishes with this one line almost like he can’t help himself. He thanks God for the gift that beats every other gift, His Son Jesus.
5. John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Jesus said this to Nicodemus, a religious leader who came to Him at night with some honest questions. If anyone ever asks you why Christmas happened this verse is the answer. God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son. Anyone who believes in Jesus is saved from the punishment of sin and given eternal life. Christmas is the night that gift arrived wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.
6. Luke 2:10
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
The shepherds were terrified. So the angel’s first words were basically don’t be scared. Then came the news of great joy for all people. Not just the rich or the powerful or the religious. It is for all of humanity.
7. Matthew 2:10
“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”
King Herod told the wise men to find the child and report back so he could come and worship Him too. He was lying. He wanted Jesus dead because he saw this newborn King as a threat to his throne. But as the wise men left Jerusalem the star showed up again and led them right to the house where Jesus was. No wonder they were overjoyed. God was guiding them and Herod couldn’t stop it.
8. Isaiah 9:2
“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”
Isaiah was talking about Galilee in the north of Israel, a region the Assyrian army had overrun. Life there meant fear and loss and Isaiah calls it walking in darkness. Isaiah was actually pointing ahead to Jesus, who would eventually bring light to this very place. Centuries later Jesus grew up in that same region and started His ministry there. Matthew even quotes this verse when he tells that part of the story in Matthew 4:13-16. Jesus is the great light. He brings God’s truth and forgiveness and hope to anyone stuck in the darkness of sin.
Prophecies of Jesus’ Birth
God was talking about a Saviour long before Bethlehem. The Jewish people called Him the Messiah, which means “the Anointed One,” the King God would send to rescue His people from sin. These promises were written hundreds of years ahead of time. Read them side by side with the Christmas story and you will see God kept every one.
9. Genesis 3:15
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
This is the very first promise of a Saviour in the Bible and it comes at one of the worst moments in the whole story. Adam and Eve had just disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. Sin entered the world and every person born after them would be born into sin and cut off from God.
Right there God speaks to the serpent, who stands for Satan, and makes a promise. A child born of a woman would crush the serpent’s head. The serpent would bruise His heel, which is a picture of the suffering of the cross. But a crushed head is the fatal blow. That child is Jesus. On the cross He defeated sin and Satan and opened the way for us to be forgiven and brought back to God.
10. Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah first gave this sign to King Ahaz, a frightened king who didn’t want to trust God with his enemies. A virgin would have a son named Immanuel. Centuries later Matthew pointed back to this verse when Mary, who was still a virgin, gave birth to Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
11. Isaiah 9:6
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah wrote this around 700 years before Jesus was born. His people were watching the Assyrian army swallow up the nations around them and they were scared. Into that fear God promised a Child and He told them exactly who this Child would be.
“The government shall be upon his shoulder” means He would rule as King. Wonderful and Counsellor because there is no one like Him and His wisdom is perfect. The mighty God because He is God. The everlasting Father because He cares for His people forever. The Prince of Peace because He makes peace between us and God. That Child is Jesus.
12. Isaiah 9:7
“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
The promise keeps going. Jesus’ kingdom will keep growing and never end and He will rule from David’s throne with justice and fairness forever. He is the King God promised to David’s family and His kingdom is permanent.
13. Micah 5:2
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
Micah lived around the same time as Isaiah and he named the actual town where the Messiah would be born. Little Bethlehem. Hundreds of years later when King Herod asked where the Messiah would be born the religious leaders quoted this exact verse in Matthew 2:5-6. And that is where Jesus was born. Don’t skip the end of the verse though. His “goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Jesus didn’t start in Bethlehem. As the Son of God He has always existed.
14. Isaiah 11:1
“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:”
Jesse was King David’s father and God had promised David that a King from his family would rule forever. But by Isaiah’s time David’s royal line was so weak it looked like a tree chopped down to a stump. God said a new shoot would grow out of that stump anyway. That shoot is Jesus born into David’s family line as the forever King God promised.
15. Jeremiah 23:5
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.”
Jeremiah wrote this in some of Judah’s darkest years. King after king let God’s people down and led them away from God. So God promised a different kind of King from David’s family who would always do what is right and bring justice to the earth. Every human king failed but Jesus never does.
The Christmas Story Verses
Luke tells the Christmas story mostly from Mary’s side and Matthew tells it mostly from Joseph’s side. Put them together and you see God keeping His promise by sending His Son as a real baby into a real family in a real town.
16. Luke 1:30-31
“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.”
Mary was probably very young when the angel Gabriel came to her. Most scholars think she was a teenager since girls were usually engaged at that age back then. She was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter, and lived in Nazareth, a small village a lot of people looked down on. God chose her anyway. The angel told her to name the baby Jesus, which means “the Lord saves.” That is exactly what He came to do.
17. Luke 1:35
“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
Mary’s question was a fair one. How could she have a baby when she had never been with a man? The angel’s answer was that the Holy Ghost would come upon her and God’s power would overshadow her. That is why Jesus is called the Son of God. He had a human mother but no human father.
18. Luke 1:37
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
Gabriel said this right after telling Mary that her cousin Elizabeth, who had never been able to have children, was now six months pregnant. God gave Mary a miracle she could go and see to help her believe the one she couldn’t see yet. Nothing is too hard for Him. Not a virgin birth and not whatever you are facing this Christmas.
19. Luke 1:38
“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”
Saying yes cost Mary something. Being pregnant before her wedding could wreck her reputation and she knew it. She said yes anyway and called herself the Lord’s servant. She didn’t have all the answers. She just trusted God and that’s what we really need to do when we face circumstances we don’t fully understand.
20. Luke 1:46-47
“And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”
Mary sang this at Elizabeth’s house and Christians call her song the Magnificat. She calls God “my Saviour” and praises Him for keeping the promises He made long ago. It sounds a lot like Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2. Mary knew her Scriptures well enough to turn them into her own song of praise.
21. Matthew 1:20-21
“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Joseph found out Mary was pregnant and decided to quietly end the engagement. Then an angel showed up in his dream. The baby was from the Holy Ghost, the angel said, and Joseph was to name Him Jesus, “for he shall save his people from their sins.” That one line tells you why Jesus came. Joseph woke up and did exactly what God said. Here is something I find interesting. Matthew never records a single word Joseph spoke but only what he did.
22. Luke 2:7
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
The “inn” here most likely means a guest room in a family home and it was probably packed with relatives who came to town for the census. So Mary laid her newborn in a manger, which is a feeding trough for animals. The Son of God and King of all creation sleeping in a feed box. He came humble to serve and to save ordinary people like us.
23. Luke 2:8-9
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.”
Shepherds didn’t get much respect back then and plenty of people looked down on them. Yet they were the first to hear that Jesus was born and God’s glory lit up the very field where they were working. God’s good news is for everyone whatever anybody else thinks of them.
24. Luke 2:15
“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”
They didn’t wait for morning. The next verse says they hurried to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger. God told them and they believed Him and they went.
25. Luke 2:19
“But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”
Everyone else was buzzing about what the shepherds had said. Mary went quiet and kept it all in her heart, turning it over.
26. Luke 2:20
“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”
After seeing Jesus the shepherds went back to the same fields and the same sheep. Their job hadn’t changed but they had. And they went back praising God for everything they had heard and seen.
27. Matthew 2:1-2
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
The wise men were probably scholars who studied the stars, most likely from Persia or Babylon. They weren’t Jewish yet they traveled a long way to worship the newborn King of the Jews. So Jesus didn’t come for one nation only. He came to be the Saviour of the whole world. And here is something many people don’t know. The Bible never says there were three of them. That idea probably comes from the three gifts.
28. Matthew 2:11
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
Look closely and you will see they found Jesus in a house and Matthew calls Him a young child not a baby. So they likely arrived some time after His birth maybe months later. They bowed down and worshipped Him, which tells you they knew He was no ordinary child. Many Christians see meaning in the gifts too. Gold for a King, frankincense for God, and myrrh, a spice used in burials, pointing ahead to His death on the cross.
Bible Verses About Hope, Peace and Joy
The rest of the New Testament looks back on that first Christmas and explains what it meant. Jesus didn’t come just to be born in a manger. He came to live a perfect life and die on the cross for our sins and rise again so we could have peace with God and hope for eternity.
29. John 1:14
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
John calls Jesus “the Word.” He doesn’t start with the manger like Luke does. He goes all the way back before creation and tells us the Word was with God and was God. Then in this verse the Word becomes a human being. Christians call this the incarnation, which simply means God the Son took on a human body. “Dwelt” literally means He pitched His tent among us. He came to live right here with us.
30. Galatians 4:4-5
“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
After centuries of waiting God sent His Son Jesus at exactly the right moment. “Made of a woman” means Jesus was fully human. “Made under the law” means He lived under the law God gave Israel and He kept it perfectly. Why? To redeem us, which means to buy us back from slavery to sin. And God didn’t stop at rescuing us. He adopted us into His family as His own sons and daughters.
31. Titus 2:11
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,”
Paul wrote this to Titus, who was leading young churches on the island of Crete, where people had a reputation for being difficult. Grace is God’s kindness that we don’t deserve. When Jesus was born that grace showed up as a person. And through Jesus salvation is offered to everyone no matter who they are or what they have done.
32. Philippians 2:6-7
“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”
Paul is describing Jesus here. He was equal with God but He didn’t cling to His rights or His glory. He humbled Himself and took the form of a servant and became a man. The King of heaven came down to serve us. Many scholars think this passage was an early hymn the first Christians sang together so people were singing about Christmas long before anyone wrote a carol.
33. 1 Timothy 1:15
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
Before Paul became a Christian he hunted down followers of Jesus. That is why he calls himself the chief of sinners. And this verse says plainly why Jesus came into the world: to save sinners. If God’s grace could reach Paul it can reach anyone. Paul never got over that.
34. Romans 15:13
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”
Paul gives this blessing near the end of his long letter to the Romans. Real hope and joy and peace don’t come from how things are going. They come from trusting God and the Holy Ghost fills us with them as we believe. That is my prayer for you this Christmas.
35. John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Jesus said this at the Last Supper only hours before the cross. He knew what was coming. He gave His disciples His peace anyway. It isn’t the world’s kind of peace, the kind that needs everything to go right. It comes from knowing we belong to God.
36. Zephaniah 3:17
“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”
Most of Zephaniah is warnings about God’s judgment on sin. Then, near the very end, comes this. God will be with His people and save them and rejoice over them with singing. We do a lot of singing to God at Christmas but here God is the one singing over us. That is how much He loves His people.
37. Psalm 98:4
“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.”
Isaac Watts based “Joy to the World” on this psalm. It calls the whole earth to praise the Lord because He is coming as King to rule the world with righteousness and Watts saw that fulfilled in Jesus. So next time you sing it remember this Scripture.
Christmas Verses for Kids
These are short enough for little ones to memorize. Try one a week through December at breakfast or bedtime. Luke 2:11 and Luke 1:37 from earlier in the list work well for kids too.
38. Luke 2:12
“And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
The angel gave the shepherds a sign so they would know they had the right baby. Wrapped in cloths and lying in a feeding trough. Kids love that the King of the whole world slept where the animals ate. Jesus was humble from day one.
39. Luke 2:52
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
This is one of the very few verses about Jesus growing up. Kids like hearing that Jesus was a child once too and that He grew and learned just like them. He was fully God and fully human.
40. 1 John 4:19
“We love him, because he first loved us.”
John wrote this as an old man after a lifetime of following Jesus. Out of everything he could have said this is what he wanted us to know. God loved us first and He proved it by sending Jesus. We don’t love God to earn His love. We love Him because He already loved us.
A Four-Week Christmas Bible Reading Plan
If you would like to read through the Christmas story as a family in December, here is a simple four-week plan using verses from this list. Each week has its own theme.
- Week 1, Hope: Isaiah 9:2 and Isaiah 9:6
- Week 2, Peace: Luke 2:14 and John 14:27
- Week 3, Joy: Luke 2:10 and Matthew 2:10
- Week 4, Love: John 3:16 and 1 John 4:19
- Christmas Eve: Luke 2:7 and Luke 2:11
Read the verses, talk about them for a minute or two, and pray. That is all it needs to be.
Ways to Use These Verses This Christmas
A few easy ways to put these verses to use this Christmas:
- Write them in your Christmas cards. The short verses near the top fit well inside a card.
- Read one a day as a family. Start on December 1 and read a verse each night at dinner. It only takes a couple of minutes.
- Text one to someone who is hurting. Christmas is hard for people who lost someone. John 14:27 or Isaiah 9:2 can mean a lot.
- Put one on your Christmas tree. Write verses on tags or paper ornaments and hang them up. Let the kids pick one off the tree each day.
- Pray them out loud. Romans 15:13 and Isaiah 9:6 are easy to turn into a prayer over your family.
Common Questions About Christmas Verses
What is the main Bible verse for Christmas?
Most people would point to Luke 2:11: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Isaiah 9:6 and John 3:16 are close behind.
Where is the Christmas story in the Bible?
You will find it in Matthew chapters 1 and 2 and Luke chapters 1 and 2. Luke tells it from Mary’s side with the angels and the shepherds. Matthew tells it from Joseph’s side with the wise men and the star.
What is a good short Bible verse for a Christmas card?
Try Luke 2:11 or Luke 2:14 or 2 Corinthians 9:15 or Matthew 1:23. They are short and joyful and point straight to Jesus.
What Old Testament verses predict the birth of Jesus?
Isaiah 7:14 and Isaiah 9:6 and Micah 5:2 and Isaiah 11:1 are the best known. God first promised a Saviour all the way back in Genesis 3:15.
What does Emmanuel mean?
It means “God with us.” Matthew 1:23 tells us so quoting the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14.
What Bible verses can we read as a family before Christmas?
Many families begin with the prophecies, such as Isaiah 9:2 and Isaiah 9:6, and then read through Luke chapters 1 and 2 as Christmas gets closer. You will find a simple four-week Christmas reading plan above.
A Christmas Prayer for You
Father, thank You for sending Your Son to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. For everyone reading this, please fill their home with Your presence this Christmas. Where there is worry, bring peace. Where there is grief, bring comfort. Where family feels far apart, bring them back together. Holy Spirit, stir up fresh hope and joy in every heart. We give You all the glory, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
If one of these verses spoke to you, pass it on to a friend who could use some hope this Christmas.
Merry Christmas, and God bless you.
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