A Nighttime Journey to Egypt

The wise men had already left.

They had returned to their land by another road, just as God had told them.

Jesus was still with Mary and Joseph.

But King Herod wanted to find him and hurt him.

The child was in danger.

One night, while Joseph was sleeping, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.

The message was urgent.

“Get up. Take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you.”

The angel explained that Herod would look for the child to kill him.

Joseph understood that he had to act.

He could not wait until morning.

He got up while it was still nighttime.

Mary and Joseph took Jesus and left for Egypt.

They were leaving behind the place where they had been living.

A long road and a different land lay ahead.

But the most important thing was to protect the child.

Mary cared for Jesus. Joseph stayed beside his family.

Together, they traveled toward a place where they could find shelter from danger.

The gifts they had received from the wise men would help the family during that time far from home.

Traveling with a small child took care.

Jesus needed to rest, eat, and stay close to his mother.

They had to make the journey step by step.

At last, they reached Egypt.

They stayed there, far from Herod. Egypt was outside the territory he ruled; there the family could find refuge.

We do not know every detail of that journey or the house where they lived. The Bible tells us that Joseph obeyed the warning and took Mary and Jesus to Egypt.

God had shown them how to find safety. And Joseph had listened.

So many things had happened since Gabriel's announcement. The Savior had been born in Bethlehem, and different people had come to meet him.

Now, away from danger, Mary and Joseph kept caring for him.

Later, Herod died. An angel spoke to Joseph in another dream and told him to return with the child and his mother to the land of Israel. A son of Herod was ruling in Judea, and Joseph was afraid to stay there. After another warning in a dream, he took his family to Galilee. They settled in Nazareth, where Jesus would keep growing.

Here ends our series about Jesus' birth. His story will continue as he grows.