- The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and the visit of the shepherds. (Luke 2:1-20)
- After 40 days, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem for His presentation. (Luke 2:22-38)
- The Magi searched for the newborn King of the Jews and found Jesus with Mary in a house in Bethlehem. (Matthew 2:1-12)
- Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt with the infant Jesus. (Matthew 2:13-14)
- Herod ordered the murder of all male children 2 years of age and under in Bethlehem. (Matthew 2:16-18)
- After Herod died, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus back to Nazareth. (Matthew 2:19-23)
- When Jesus was 12 years old, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover; they thought they lost Jesus but they found Him in the temple. (Luke 2:41-52)
The chronology above is based on the infancy narratives of Luke and Matthew, and it provides a reasonable solution to the dilemma that if the flight to Egypt took place right after the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, how could they have gone back to Jerusalem after 40 days for the presentation?
What we can conclude from the chronology above, is that the visit of the Magi could not have occurred when Jesus was born in the stable. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that the Magi found Jesus with Mary in a house, so this would be some time after the census took place; many people have already left Bethlehem, such that Mary and Joseph were able to find a house where they could stay.
Some commentaries say that the visit of the Magi happened when Jesus was more or less a year old, which explains why Herod ordered the massacre of the male children 2 years of age and under in Bethlehem, rather than just the newborn.