Tell Me the Story – Book 4: The King Is Born

Twenty-one stories from the Gospels: Zechariah in the temple, Mary and the angel, Mary visits Elizabeth, John's birth, Joseph's dream, Jesus born in Bethlehem, the shepherds, Simeon and Anna, the wise men, the escape to Egypt, the boy in the temple, John the Baptist, Jesus' baptism, the testing in the desert, the first disciples, water into wine, Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the official's son, Jesus in Nazareth, and the fishermen.

Yes. The first eight stories tell the Christmas story from the angel's visit to Zechariah to Simeon and Anna, and the wise men follow. With promise stories from the earlier books they make up a 25-day Advent reading plan, Tell Me the Christmas Story, for 1 to 25 December.

No. The stories keep to the Gospels, which mention a manger and no room in the inn, but no stable, donkey or innkeeper. The wise men visit a house some time later, and the Bible doesn't say how many there were. Notes for the grown-up point these out where a nativity play might have taught otherwise.

In the Life of Jesus books, a short line under some stories shows where the Gospels themselves say an Old Testament promise came true: Isaiah's Immanuel (Matthew 1:23), Micah's Bethlehem (Matthew 2:6), Hosea's "Out of Egypt" (Matthew 2:15), Isaiah's voice in the wilderness (Matthew 3:3), and others.

No. Each book stands on its own, and Book 4's introduction recalls the promises from the Old Testament books. Children who have read them will spot the links, like Jacob's stairway and the bronze snake, which Jesus Himself points back to.

Every verse quoted with its reference is word for word from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.