Holy Child Bible Verses: 12 Scriptures About Jesus as the Holy Child

"Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed."

— Acts 4:27 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about Holy Child want Scripture on the church's prayer in Acts 4 — pais, God's holy servant/child Jesus in Acts 4:27 and 4:30 — not only an only begotten Son survey or a general Jesus identity list alone. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about Savior, Bible verses about only begotten, Bible verses about Jesus, Bible verses about suffering servant, Bible verses about hope, Bible verses about faith, Bible verses about salvation, Bible verses about the cross, Bible verses about God's love, and Bible verse of the day. Holy Child here means the anointed pais the church names in prayer — distinct from only-begotten or Savior surveys alone.

Word study (lead theme). In Greek, "child / servant" is παῖς pais (Strong's G3816; Bible Hub G3816) — a child, servant, or attendant. Acts 4:27 and 4:30 call Jesus God's holy pais (often rendered servant or child). Acts 3 uses the same word of the glorified servant Jesus. Isaiah's servant songs stand behind the title. This list tracks that holy-servant/child language, not every only-begotten or Savior title alone.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 4 presses that the believers prayed concerning God's holy child Jesus whom he anointed (Bible Hub MHC Acts 4; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Acts 4). (Only begotten and Savior live on those pages; this list centers pais.)

Who is the Holy Child in the Bible?

Luke 1:35 is the angel's word to Mary about the child she will bear. The verse calls that child the holy one. The holy child is Jesus, the one born of Mary.

Isaiah 9:6 is the promise that unto us a child is born and a son is given. The line promises a child who would reign. The church reads that promise beside Jesus, the holy one Luke 1:35 announces and the servant Acts 4 names in prayer.

Acts 4:27 and Acts 4:30 show the early church praying in the name of God's holy servant Jesus, whom he anointed. The NIV text already quoted on this page says "holy servant." Many modern translations say "holy servant," and other English Bibles say "holy child." Both translate the Greek word pais, a child or a servant. In that prayer the church asked God to stretch out his hand to heal and to perform signs and wonders through his name.

For faith today, the title names Jesus. It is the name the apostles used when they prayed: the holy child and servant God anointed, the same Jesus Luke 1:35 calls holy, in the line of the child Isaiah 9:6 promises.

12 Bible verses about Holy Child

1. Acts 4:27. "Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed." Your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. See Bible verses about Jesus.

2. Acts 4:30. "Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." Through the name of your holy servant Jesus. See Bible verses about faith.

3. Acts 3:13. "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go." God has glorified his servant Jesus. See Bible verses about the cross.

4. Acts 3:26. "When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways." God raised up his servant. See Bible verses about salvation.

5. Acts 4:25. "You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: 'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?'" Your servant, our father David — same pais word. See Bible verses about hope.

6. Isaiah 42:1. "'Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.'" Here is my servant, whom I uphold. See Bible verses about suffering servant.

7. Matthew 12:18. "'Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.'" My servant whom I have chosen. See Bible verses about God's love.

8. Isaiah 52:13. "See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted." My servant will act wisely. See Bible verses about hope.

9. Isaiah 53:11. "After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities." My righteous servant will justify many. See Bible verses about salvation.

10. Philippians 2:7. "rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." Taking the very nature of a servant. See Bible verses about Jesus.

11. Mark 10:45. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Not to be served, but to serve. See Bible verses about Son of Man.

12. Isaiah 49:6. "he says: 'It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.'" My servant — a light for the Gentiles. See Bible verses about Savior.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse when you need the Holy Child — not twelve as a grind. If you need the church's prayer title, start at Acts 4:27. If you need wonders through that name, open Acts 4:30. If you need the glorified servant, open Acts 3:13. For Savior, open Bible verses about Savior. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse about Holy Child?

Acts 4:27 (holy servant Jesus), Acts 4:30 (name of your holy servant Jesus), and Acts 3:13 (glorified his servant Jesus) are clear starting places.

How do Bible verses about Holy Child differ from only begotten or Savior alone?

Only begotten centers monogenēs Son language. Savior centers sōtēr. This page centers Acts' pais — holy servant/child — then cross-links those companions. See Bible verses about only begotten.

What does pais mean?

Greek pais (G3816) means child or servant. In Acts 4 the church prays about God's holy pais Jesus whom he anointed.

Is Holy Child the same as the suffering servant?

Closely related. Isaiah's servant songs feed Acts' pais title; this page starts from Acts 4's prayer language and then links the servant songs. See Bible verses about suffering servant.

How can I remember these verses?

Read Acts 4:27, then Acts 4:30. Thank God that the church still prays in the name of the holy servant. For the cross beside that title, open Bible verses about the cross. For Jesus, open Bible verses about Jesus.

Why do some Bibles say holy servant instead of holy child?

Acts 4:27 and Acts 4:30 use the Greek word pais (G3816). The word study above notes that pais means child, servant, or attendant. The NIV text quoted on this page reads "your holy servant Jesus." Many modern translations say "holy servant." Other English Bibles say "holy child." The two English phrases translate one Greek word for Jesus, the one God anointed.

Is the holy child a Christmas title for Jesus?

Scripture does not call the phrase a Christmas title. Luke 1:35 speaks of the holy one born of Mary, and Isaiah 9:6 speaks of a child who is born, so churches often read those verses at Christmas. Acts 4:27 and Acts 4:30 use the title when the early church prays in the name of Jesus, and many modern translations say "holy servant" there. The title names Jesus in the birth passages and in that prayer.

Sources

• Blue Letter Bible lexicon: G3816 (links above).
• Bible Hub Greek: G3816.
• Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: Acts 4 (links above).
• Scripture quotations NIV.