My dear Muslim friends, as Christmas approaches, I wanted to take some time to share with you the beautiful story of the birth of Jesus Christ as told in the Christian Bible. I know that as Muslims you revere Jesus as a great prophet, so it is my hope that learning more about his humble beginnings and miraculous conception will draw you closer to understanding his divine nature and purpose.
The story begins with a young woman named Mary who was engaged to a man named Joseph. Both were from the line of King David. One day, Mary received a visit from the angel Gabriel who brought her a message from God Himself (Luke 1:26-38). Gabriel told Mary that she had found favor with God and would conceive and give birth to a son, whom she was to name Jesus. This child would be called the Son of God and would receive the throne of David to rule over Israel forever. Understandably, Mary was very confused since she was still a virgin. But the angel reassured her that this conception would be a miracle of the Holy Spirit.
Sure enough, Mary became pregnant, even though she was still a virgin. This fulfilled the prophecy made by Isaiah centuries earlier: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel means “God with us” – a powerful proclamation of Jesus’ divinity even from birth.
When Mary’s fiancé Joseph learned of her pregnancy, he knew the child was not his own. Since he was a righteous man, he resolved to break off their engagement quietly rather than disgrace her publicly. However, an angel also appeared to Joseph in a dream and confirmed that Mary’s child was indeed conceived by the Holy Spirit and had been ordained by God to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:18-24). Reassured of Mary’s faithfulness, Joseph took her as his wife.
Not long afterwards, the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus decreed that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This meant that Joseph and his pregnant wife had to travel all the way from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea, which was Joseph’s ancestral home. The journey was long and arduous, especially for Mary in her third trimester. But prophecy foretold the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), so they persevered.
When Mary and Joseph finally reached Bethlehem, the small town was crowded with others who had come for the census. There were no guest rooms available for them to stay in. Therefore, when the time came for Mary to deliver her child, the only place she could find shelter was a stable where animals were kept. It was in these lowly surroundings that Mary gave birth to the Savior of the world.
She wrapped the baby Jesus in cloths and placed him in a manger, which is a feeding trough for livestock. Despite the humble and unhygienic conditions, Jesus’ birth was accompanied by a magnificent chorus of angels praising God and proclaiming peace on earth and goodwill to mankind (Luke 2:1-20). This angelic choir revealed the cosmic significance of this newborn child.
Meanwhile, there were shepherds tending their flocks in the fields near Bethlehem. Once again, an angel appeared to them announcing the birth of Israel’s Messiah. The shepherds immediately went into town to see this marvel for themselves. They found baby Jesus lying in the manger just as the angel had said. These simple shepherds were the first witnesses of God’s greatest miracle – His own Son taking on human flesh (Luke 2:8-20).
Some time later, Wise Men from the East arrived in Jerusalem looking for the prophesied King of the Jews. They had seen His star in the heavens and had traveled far to worship Him. King Herod, who ruled Judea at that time, felt threatened by this royal newcomer and asked the Wise Men to inform him when they found the child so he could also pay homage. However, after the Wise Men found Mary, Joseph, and young Jesus in Bethlehem, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. They took a different route home, robbing Herod of his sinister plan to kill the child Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12).
You see, my friends, Herod was corrupt and feared losing his power. The Old Testament prophets foretold the Messiah would reign on David’s throne. So when the Wise Men came searching for this great new King, Herod tried to use them to locate and destroy Him. This shows the cosmic battle being waged between the forces of good and evil, between God’s divine plan and Satan’s corrupting influence in the world.
Thankfully, God’s plans cannot be thwarted. After the Wise Men departed, an angel appeared once more to Joseph in a dream. He warned Joseph that Herod would seek to harm Jesus and instructed him to flee with Mary and the child to Egypt until it was safe to return. The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh from the Wise Men would sustain them in this foreign land. And so the Holy Family left Bethlehem by night and remained in Egypt for some years before returning home after Herod’s death (Matthew 2:13-23).
My dear friends, this beautiful story shows how God fulfilled His promise to send a Savior, while highlighting Jesus’ humility and divine purpose. Born to a virgin mother in the lowliest of circumstances and immediately targeted by evil forces, Jesus entered this world as the Word made flesh – God incarnate as man. Though He deserved to be born in a palace, Christ embraced poverty and persecution from the very beginning to identify with our human weakness and suffering.
For centuries, prophets had foretold the events surrounding the Messiah’s birth. Jesus’ miraculous conception, His birthplace, the attempts to kill Him as an infant – all were prophesied long before His arrival. As promised, Jesus came from the line of David and was born in David’s city, even though that required Mary and Joseph to undertake a grueling journey while she was heavily pregnant. Prophecy and scripture converge in Bethlehem’s stable to reveal God’s amazing plan to redeem mankind and offer eternal life to all who believe.
At Christmas time, Christians commemorate this humble yet glorious coming of our Lord. We celebrate the divine wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. But Jesus’ birth is just the beginning of an even greater story. His sinless life, miraculous ministry, atoning death, and triumphant resurrection all testify to His divinity and absolute power over sin and death. This small baby born to Mary grew up to take the weight of the world’s transgressions upon Himself so that we might be reconciled to God.
My hope is that through understanding the events surrounding Christ’s birth, your eyes will be opened to God’s wondrous plan of redemption through His Son. Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He alone provides the way for us to be forgiven of our sins and have everlasting life with our Creator.
The Bible contains many prophecies about who the Messiah would be and what He would accomplish. I encourage you to explore these scriptures more deeply to discover why Jesus is exactly who the prophets said would come. The Quran affirms that Jesus was born of a virgin and performed miracles, but the Bible provides greater detail about His true identity and purpose.
As we rejoice this Christmas season, may your heart be drawn to know Jesus more. Not just as a great prophet, but as Savior, Redeemer, and Lord. The babe born in Bethlehem came to deliver you and offer eternal relationship with God. Receive His free gift of salvation through childlike faith. Then share the good news of Emmanuel, God with us, with others!
Merry Christmas and may God’s peace be with you.
