White lights or multi-colored ones? Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving or after? Open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Every family has its own Christmas traditions, and the ones you create today may become part of how your children and grandchildren celebrate for years to come. But there’s one Christmas tradition Christians have been passing down for more than 2,000 years: telling the story of Jesus’ birth.
We hear that story read in church and see it acted out in live Nativity scenes and Christmas pageants. But we can also share it at home, gathered on the couch with our children and grandchildren. Whether you’re introducing little ones to the Nativity for the first time or looking for a new way to celebrate Jesus’ birth, these religious Christmas movies on Great American Pure Flix offer something for families with young children. You might even find a new Christmas Eve tradition your family looks forward to every year.
Mary was just a young girl when the angel Gabriel appeared with news that would change her life forever. She was going to give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. Virgin Birth tells the Christmas story from Mary’s perspective, including what it meant for her relationship with Joseph and how she responded to a calling she never expected. At 42 minutes, it’s a good choice for families who want to spend a little more time thinking about the woman God chose to be Jesus’ mother.
Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber are getting ready for their first Christmas show at Mr. Nezzer’s theater, but just about everything that can go wrong does. When Bob starts wondering how anyone can celebrate Christmas when things aren’t going according to plan, the Veggies revisit the very first Christmas. They discover that even when circumstances are difficult, God’s promise remains the same: He is with us. It’s a fun introduction to the Christmas story for young children, with a reminder that Jesus is the greatest gift we’ll ever receive.
You probably know the song about the little drummer boy who had no gift to bring to the baby Jesus. In this VeggieTales version, Junior Asparagus plays the young drummer, who’s had a difficult life and doesn’t think he has much to offer anyone. But his visit to the manger changes how he sees himself and what he has to give. It’s an easy way to introduce younger children to the idea that God cares more about our hearts than what’s wrapped under the Christmas tree.
After watching one of these movies, ask your children what they learned about the first Christmas. What surprised them? What questions do they have? You don’t need to turn movie night into a Bible lesson. Sometimes a simple conversation about Mary, the shepherds, or even Junior Asparagus meeting the baby in the manger is enough to help children connect the dots between Jesus’ birth and how much God loves them.
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The shepherds didn’t keep the news of Jesus’ birth to themselves. Luke 2:17 tells us that after seeing Him, they spread the word about what they had been told about the child.
More than 2,000 years later, we’re still sharing that same Good News. As you celebrate Christmas with your family this year, make time to revisit the story of the Savior whose birth changed everything. You can read Christmas Bible verses together as a family or explore these 8 ways to keep the true meaning of Christmas in mind.