A Baby in a Manger · the good news comes to the shepherds first
A Bible story to tell as a family · Luke 2:1–20 · ages 3–12 · 10 min
The story
In those days, the most powerful man in the world, Caesar Augustus, emperor of Rome, ordered that all the people in his empire be counted. It was a census: everyone had to go to their family's town to register their name. So Joseph left Nazareth, in Galilee, and went up to Bethlehem, the little town of David, because he was from the house and line of King David. Mary went with him. She was pledged to him in marriage, and she was expecting a baby.
The road was long, full of hills and stones. Imagine the tired feet and the dust on their sandals. And it was right there in Bethlehem, while they were there, that the day came. Mary gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth, nice and snug, the way mothers did back then, and laid him in a manger, the trough where animals eat, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Close by, out in the dark fields, there were shepherds. They stayed awake all night watching over their sheep, with the cold on their faces and the stars up above. Shepherds were not important people; they were simple workers whose clothes smelled like sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared, and the glory of the Lord shone all around them, a light so bright it seemed the night had turned into day. They were terrified!
But the angel said, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” And he went on: “Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!” The angel even gave them a clue so they could find the child: a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger. What a strange sign for a king! No palace, no crown, no golden cradle.
Then, all of a sudden, the sky was full. A great multitude of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!” When the angels went back into heaven, the field was quiet again. The shepherds looked at each other and said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
And they hurried off through the darkness. They found everything exactly as the angel had said: Mary, Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. After they had seen the child, the shepherds told everyone what they had heard about him, and all who heard it were amazed.
Mary, though, stayed quiet. She treasured up all these words and kept thinking about them in her heart, like someone keeping a treasure in a little box. And the shepherds went back to the field, to the same sheep and the same cold. But they were not the same anymore: all along the way they were glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen, just as they had been told.
1Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire. 2This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And everyone went to his own town to register. 4So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her Child to be born. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night. 9Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord! 12And this will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying: 14“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!” 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. 17After they had seen the Child, they spread the message they had received about Him. 18And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, which was just as the angel had told them.
What the Bible says
- v. 7: Mary wrapped the baby in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn.
- v. 11: the angel announces that “a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!”
- v. 19: Mary treasured up all these words and pondered them in her heart.
What we learn
God chose to come into the world in a way no one expected: as a poor baby, in a small town, lying in the animals' feeding trough. And the first announcement did not go to the emperor, but to shepherds working through the night. This shows that Jesus came for all the people, starting with those who feel too small. The text also shows two good ways to respond to God: the shepherds hurried and told others; Mary treasured it and kept thinking. Our family needs both.
Questions to talk about
For little ones
- Where did Mary put baby Jesus to sleep?
- The shepherds were scared. What did the angel tell them?
For kids
- Why do you think God told the good news to shepherds first, and not to the emperor?
- The shepherds hurried and then told everyone. Who would you like to tell about Jesus?
For teens
- The text begins with Caesar Augustus, the most powerful man in the world, and ends with a baby in a feeding trough. What do you think Luke wants to show with that contrast?
For adults
- Mary treasured and pondered; the shepherds spread the news. Which of these two responses is missing in you at this stage of life?
Activity
Make a manger out of a shoebox, with shredded paper for straw and a small cloth. Wrap a doll or a paper roll in the cloth, the way Mary did. Then turn off the lights: someone holds a flashlight and reads verses 10 and 11 as the angel, while everyone else, the shepherds, hurries over to the manger.
To memorize: Luke 2:11
Prayer
God our Father, thank you that Jesus came as a baby, small and close to us. Teach us to hurry to him like the shepherds and to treasure his words in our hearts like Mary. Fill our home with your peace. In Jesus' name, amen.