Find Inspiration From Biblical FamiliesSýnishorn

The Holy Family: The Birth of Jesus

No family is perfect, not even the family of Jesus. Jesus lived a sinless life, a perfect life as the son of God born of a virgin. Yet he was part of a family of people who were not sinless, perfect, or divine in nature.

What lessons might we learn from Jesus' family life?

The story of Jesus’ birth begins with his mother, Mary, and his earthly father, Joseph. Mary was engaged to Joseph when Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, appeared to Mary to tell her of the birth of her son and that God highly favored her.

The Gospel of Luke records the birth of Jesus, which occurred when the Roman government recorded a census of all its citizens under the reign of Caesar Augustus. Joseph took Mary, who was pregnant and pledged to be married to him, to his hometown of Nazareth. While they were there, the time came for Jesus to be born.

Since the cities were crowded, there was no room at the inn for them. Joseph found a stable to house his family until the birth of their first son.

Shepherds on the outskirts of Bethlehem became terrified when an angel of the Lord appeared to announce Jesus's birth (Luke 2:9-12). The birthday announcement of Jesus not only signaled good news for the nation of Israel but also good news for a young couple and the start of a family.

The shepherds found Mary, Joseph, and their baby lying in a manger. After they saw Jesus, they spread the word about him, and all who heard it were amazed.

The arrival of the wise men who traveled from the East made the birth of Jesus an international event. In response to Herod’s intentions to eliminate all newborns, Joseph led Mary and Jesus to Egypt as refugees.