63 Christmas Quotes, Religious Messages & Bible Verses

Christmas is the celebration of God coming near. In the words of John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

Use these Christmas quotes, religious Christmas messages and Bible verses in your cards, sermons, bulletins and social posts this season. Jump to the section you need:

• Short Christmas quotes
• Christmas quotes about Jesus
• Classic Christmas quotes from church history
• Religious Christmas messages
• Christmas Bible verses

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Short Christmas Quotes for Cards and Social Posts

1. “Christmas is not a myth, not a tradition, not a dream. It is a glorious reality.” (Billy Graham, Day-by-Day with Billy Graham)
2. “Christmas is about the Creator of the universe who is not part of the universe.” (John Piper, Christmas Day sermon, 2005)
3. “The Giver becomes the Gift, this quiet offering.” (Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift, 2013)
4. “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)
5. “Remember, it is man who creates the distance. It is Jesus who builds the bridge.” (Max Lucado, God Came Near, 1987)
6. “The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in his heart.” (Helen Keller, “Christmas in the Dark,” 1906)
7. “Christmas is not a time or a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” (Calvin Coolidge, 1927 Christmas message)

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Christmas Quotes About Jesus from Christian Authors and Pastors

1. “In our world too, a stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world.” (C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle, 1956)
2. “The central miracle asserted by Christians is the Incarnation. They say that God became Man.” (C.S. Lewis, Miracles)
3. “In Jesus the ineffable, unapproachable God becomes a human being who can be known and loved.” (Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas, 2016)
4. “The Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child.” (J.I. Packer, Knowing God, 1973)
5. “The really staggering Christmas claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God made man…” (J.I. Packer, Knowing God, 1973)
6. “Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not emerge out of history; He came into history from the outside.” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, December 25)
7. “Who among us will celebrate Christmas correctly? Whoever finally lays down all power, all honor, all reputation, all vanity, all arrogance, all individualism beside the manger…” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Advent sermon, 1933, in God Is in the Manger)
8. “If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional.” (Martin Luther King Jr., “A Christmas Sermon on Peace,” 1967)
9. “Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate the love of God and family and to create memories that will last forever. Jesus is God's perfect, indescribable gift.” (Joel Osteen, The Christmas Spirit, 2010)

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Classic Christmas Quotes from Church History

1. “The Maker of man became Man that He, Ruler of the stars, might be nourished at the breast; that He, the Bread, might be hungry; that He, the Fountain, might thirst…” (Augustine, Sermon 191)
2. “This Gospel is a terror to the great, learned, holy, and powerful because they all despise Christ… It is a comfort to the lowly to whom alone Christ is revealed.” (Martin Luther, Christmas sermon, in Martin Luther's Christmas Book)
3. “Infinite, and an infant—eternal, and yet born of a woman—Almighty, and yet resting on a woman's bosom…” (Charles Spurgeon, “His Name—Wonderful!” 1858)
4. “And when the Lord Jesus has become your peace, remember, there is another thing, good will towards men. Do not try to keep Christmas without keeping good will towards men.” (Charles Spurgeon, “The First Christmas Carol,” 1857)
5. “…the hands that had made the sun and stars were too small to reach the huge heads of the cattle.” (G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man, 1925)
6. “…he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!” (Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, 1843)

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Religious Christmas Messages

Need the right words for a card, a church email or a text? Copy these religious Christmas messages and make them your own.

Religious Christmas Messages for Cards

1. Merry Christmas! May the hope, peace, joy and love of Jesus fill your home this season.
2. Celebrating the birth of our Savior with you. Wishing you a blessed Christmas.
3. Immanuel, God with us. May you feel His presence this Christmas and all year long.
4. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. Wishing you the joy of Christ this Christmas.
5. May the light of Christ shine on you and your family this Christmas.
6. Praying the Prince of Peace fills your heart and home with His peace this Christmas.

Christmas Messages for Church Members

7. Merry Christmas, church family! Thank you for serving, giving and praying with us this year. We're celebrating the birth of Jesus with you.
8. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we thank God for each of you. Merry Christmas from all of us at [Church Name].
9. Thank you for making room for Jesus in your life and in our church this year. We can't wait to worship with you on Christmas Eve.
10. This Christmas, we're grateful for a church family that shows the love of Jesus to our community. Merry Christmas!
11. Your generosity helped us share the good news of Jesus this year. Thank you, and Merry Christmas.

Want to thank givers at year-end too? Use our church thank-you letter template.

Christmas Messages for Texts and Social Posts

12. Good news of great joy for all the people! Merry Christmas from our church family to yours. (Luke 2:10)
13. Join us this Christmas Eve as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Everyone is welcome. [Service times]
14. Jesus is the reason for the season. Merry Christmas!
15. God's greatest gift came wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Merry Christmas! (Luke 2:12)

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Christmas Bible Verses

These Christmas Bible verses are from the NIV. Looking for short verses to write in a card? See our Bible verses for Christmas cards.

Bible Verses About the Promise of Jesus' Birth

1. Isaiah 7:14: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
2. Isaiah 9:2: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
3. Isaiah 9:6: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
4. Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
5. Matthew 1:21: She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
6. Matthew 1:23: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
7. Luke 1:30–31: But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.”

Bible Verses About the Christmas Story

8. Luke 1:46–47: And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
9. Luke 1:78–79: Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.
10. Luke 2:7: And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
11. Luke 2:10–11: But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”
12. Luke 2:13–14: Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
13. Luke 2:19: But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
14. Luke 2:20: The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
15. Matthew 2:2: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
16. Matthew 2:10–11: When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Bible Verses About Why Jesus Came

17. John 1:5: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
18. John 1:9: The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
19. John 1:14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
20. John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
21. 2 Corinthians 8:9: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
22. 2 Corinthians 9:15: Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
23. Galatians 4:4–5: But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
24. Philippians 2:6–7: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
25. 1 Timothy 1:15: Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
26. 1 John 4:9: This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

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Share the Joy of Christmas Giving

Christmas and the end of the year are a natural time for generosity. Make it easy for people to give with Tithely online giving, so they can give from their phone or computer in a few taps. For campaign ideas, see our year-end giving guide.

More Christmas Resources for Your Church

• Bible Verses to Use on Christmas Cards
• Christmas Sermon Ideas: Topics with Bible References
• How to Plan Your Christmas Eve Service
• 100+ Encouraging Bible Verses & Religious Quotes