How do the infancy narratives of Luke and Matthew differ?

Answer 1

Significantly, in that Luke contains a lot of additional information not mentioned by Matthew. Matthew also records in his shorter account events not mentioned by Luke.

Matthew records the visit of the wise men, the flight into Egypt and the return to live in Nazareth.

Luke records the reason Mary gave birth in Bethlehem, (the decree by Caesar)and the visit to the shepherds by angels and their resultant visit to see Jesus. The circumcision of Jesus, together with the elderly Simeon and Anna are then followed by the return to Nazareth.

Answer 2

The infancy narratives in Luke focus on Mary and include the Annunciation, visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, birth of Jesus in a manger, and the angel's visitation to shepherds. Matthew's narrative emphasizes Joseph's perspective and includes the visit of wise men from the East, flight to Egypt, and the massacre of the innocents by King Herod. Matthew also emphasizes Jesus' fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.

Answer 3

The infancy narratives of John the Baptist and Jesus following the prologue are also unique to Luke's Gospel (1:5-2:52). This section of Luke sets the story of Jesus within the context of the Old Testament story. John Carroll explains,

The language, style, and content of the narratives and speeches of Luke 1-2 converge to connect Luke-Acts as a whole with the story of Israel. The impression generated by these chapters is that one has been immersed in the continuing experience of God's people. Yet, Luke 1-2 also announces that the closing chapter in the history of God's people has begun. The hope of Israel is on the verge of realization.i

In other words, Luke uses these introductory chapters to indicate that the fulfillment of all of Israel's eschatological hopes is found in Jesus. All of the ancient promises of redemption are to be realized in him.ii

The infancy narratives of John and Jesus both follow the pattern of promise, fulfillment, and response, but a comparison of the two reveals the superiority of Jesus to John. The narratives begin with the promise of the birth of John the Baptist in 1:5-25. Zechariah, a priest of God, and his wife Elizabeth are an elderly righteous couple, but they are childless (vv. 5-7). While in the Temple burning incense, the angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah (vv. 8-12, cf. v. 19). He promises Zechariah that he and his wife shall bear a son whose name will be John (v. 13). Gabriel's appearance itself is already a hint of the eschatological significance of these events because Gabriel's only previous appearances in Scripture have been in the Book of Daniel when he explained Daniel's eschatological visions (Dan. 8:16-17; 9:21-23). His appearance here in the infancy narratives of Luke hints that the births of John and Jesus are closely associated with the fulfillment of Daniel's eschatological visions.iii

Gabriel tells Zechariah that the birth of John will bring him joy and gladness and that many will rejoice at his birth (v. 14). The child will be great before the Lord and will be filled with the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, like the Nazirites of the Old Testament, the child is not to drink wine or strong drink (v. 15; cf. Num. 6:2-3). Gabriel then says of John, "And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared" (vv. 16-17). Here Luke sets forth John's role in God's redemptive plan. John is to be a prophet calling God's people to repentance. The reference to Elijah places John's work in an eschatological framework. He is to prepare a remnant for the long-awaited coming of the Lord.iv

The promise of John's birth is followed by Luke's narrative of the promise of Jesus' birth in 1:26-38. Again Gabriel is sent to bear the news, but this time he is sent to the one who will be the child's mother, a virgin named Mary (vv. 26-28). Mary is troubled by the appearance of the angel, but he tells her not to be afraid for she has found favor with God (29-30).v The angel then makes his announcement:

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end" (vv. 31-33).

Concerning John, the angel had said, "he will be great before the Lord" (v. 15). But of Jesus, he says, "he will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High." Zechariah's child will prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. Mary's child will be the Lord.

Answer 4

A:Matthew and Luke were the only two gospels in the New Testament to provide a story of the birth of Jesus, although the two accounts are dramatically different and difficult to reconcile. Where they do agree is that Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the reign of King Herod the Great, and that his parents were called Joseph and Mary. The author of Luke actually gave an ambiguous date for the birth of Jesus, because he also said that it occurred during the census of Quirinius, which took place ten years after the death of Herod.

John's Gospel does not contain a nativity account, and the author seems not to even have believed that Jesus was born in Bethlehem: (John 7:41-2) "Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"

Answer 5

A:

Some of the differences between Matthew and Luke nativity accounts are:

Difference

Matthew

Luke

Joseph's father

Jacob (1:16)

Heli (3:23)

Angel spoke to:

Joseph only - in a dream

Mary only - by visitation

Home town before birth

Bethlehem

Nazareth

Reason for being in Bethlehem

Home town

Census under Quirinius

Location in Bethlehem

House (2:11)

Stable/manger (2:7,16)

From Bethlehem, went to:

Egypt - out of fear that Herod would kill Jesus

Jerusalem, then Nazareth (2:22, 39)

Visited by

Magi, bearing valuable gifts fit for a king

Poor shepherds, who had been told by angels

Jesus spent his early years

In Egypt, until word arrived that Herod was dead

In Nazareth, travelling with Joseph and Mary each year for the Passover

Arrived in Nazareth

Years later, because it was still not safe in Bethlehem, and to fulfil a prophecy that Jesus would be called a Nazarene (2:23)

Weeks after birth (2:39)

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Answer 6

There are some similarities and quite a few differences in the two accounts of the birth of Jesus.

Both accounts had Jesus born in the royal city of Bethlehem, and in both cases an angel announced the divine conception of Jesus. But one gospel says the angel spoke to Mary, the other says the angel spoke to Joseph. Neither gospel author knew about account in the other gospel and the stories would not make sense if both were true.

In Matthew, Bethlehem appears to be the home town of Jesus' parents, Joseph and Mary. In Luke, Nazareth was the home town of Joseph and Mary, and Luke said that they were required to travel to Bethlehem to participate in a census - although scholars can find no record of a census during the time of Herod nor understand the context for it.

Both gospels say that people came to worship the baby Jesus. Matthew said that magi came from the east, while Luke said that poor shepherds came to worship him.

The modern understanding of the nativity is a syncretism of the accounts in Matthew and Luke, having Nazareth as the home town of Joseph and Mary.

Answer 7

Some of the differences between Matthew and Luke nativity accounts are:
Difference .................................. Matthew ........................... Luke

Joseph's father ............................ Jacob (1:16) ........................ Heli (3:23)

Angel spoke to: ........................... Joseph only - in a dream .. Mary only - by visitation

Home town before birth ............Bethlehem ......................... Nazareth

Reason for being in Bethlehem Home town ........................ Census under Quirinius

Location in Bethlehem .............. House (2:11) ...................... Stable/manger (2:7,16)

From Bethlehem, went to: ........ Egypt .................................. Jerusalem, then Nazareth (2:22, 39)

Visited by: .................................. Magi, bearing valuable ...... Poor shepherds, who had been told
..................................................... .gifts fit for a king ............... by angels

Jesus spent his early years: ...... In Egypt, until word ........... In Nazareth, travelling with Joseph and

...................................................... that Herod was dead ........ Mary each year for the Passover

Arrived in Nazareth: ................. Years later, because it ....... Weeks after birth (2:39)

..................................................... was still not safe in

..................................................... Bethlehem, and to fulfil a prophecy that Jesus ..................................................... would be called a Nazarene (2:23)