I’ve been watching Christmas movies since I was a kid. Some are movies about Christmas, and some are movies with the Christmas spirit, but some are about Jesus. After a while watching the Christmas related movies, I crave seeing a movie that is specifically about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Here is my list of Christmas and related movies, in some order of how I came to know Christ, starting with a few movies I watched growing up that have certain Christian themes:

• Lilies of the Field
• The Sound of Music
• Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
• The Great Escape
• West Side Story

Then, the list continues with Christmas movies that are about Santa Claus, family, forgiveness, self-worth and hope and kindness (and one other one!)

• Die Hard (sorry, there is a lot of content in this one and many people debate it is not a Christmas movie)
• Elf
• A Christmas Story
• The Polar Express
• A Christmas Carol
• The Santa Clause
• Rankin & Bass Christmas Cartoons
• Joyeux Noel
• It’s a Wonderful Life (probably my favorite movie of all time)
• Amazing Grace
• The Great Mr. Handel
• The Grinch
• The Chronicles of Narnia

Christian themed movies I love (all from Billy Graham):

• The Climb
• The Hiding Place
• A Vow to Cherish

And here are two movies specifically about Jesus that I love:

• The Nativity Story
• The Passion of the Christ (hard to watch as brutal)

But this is the heart of the Christmas story:

Luke 2

New International Version

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 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.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 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.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

John 3:16

Contemporary English Version

¹⁶ God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.

(He’s coming back to make things right; he won’t come as a peaceful babe)