Jesus came in space and time, was of the house of David, miraculously conceived, and born in Bethlehem as the Old Testament foretold. He is the very Son of God and took on the name Immanuel, which means God with us (Matt 1:23), the one who would give his life to bring eternal life to his people.

Introduction

Every year following Thanksgiving, we start to see Christmas lights glowing on houses, trees filled with ornaments, and nativity scenes set up on a side table or in a front yard memorializing the birth of Jesus. Eventually, many of us will turn our attention to familiar Christmas movies like A Charlie Brown Christmas¹. And, we’ll listen as Linus recounts what “Christmas is all about.” The spotlight is fixed upon him as he stands on the school stage. He quotes from the Gospel of Luke. He tells all listening about the announcement to the country shepherds that Jesus, the Savior, has been born.

For some of us, that might be the extent of our contemplation about Jesus’ birth. But others may wonder where the bible speaks of Jesus’ birth. After all, Jesus didn’t simply magically appear out of nowhere. He has a past, a mother, a hometown, and a history. We find this history, the narratives that report the birth of Jesus in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.

The reported details differ since the two authors wrote the two accounts of Jesus’ birth for different audiences. These New Testament books include details that the other omits and vice versa. In this article, we’ll consider the similarities and differences in these accounts while also reflecting upon how we should appropriate these differences.

Before discussing the differences, let’s examine each narrative and how they describe Jesus’ birth.

Matthew

Genealogy

Matthew’s gospel begins with a genealogy that culminates in the birth of Christ. Matthew 1:17 tells that from Abraham to David, there were fourteen generations. From David to the Babylonian deportation, there were another fourteen generations. Finally, from the deportation to Jesus, fourteen generations passed (Matt. 1:17). This statement summarizes Jesus’ genealogy, showing that he came from the lineage of David. Matthew includes this information to set the stage for seeing how Jesus fulfilled the promise made to David in 2 Samuel 7. In that passage, God promised David that the Messiah would come from the line of David. The Messiah had to be a son of David, and Matthew 1 shows that Jesus is that Son.

The Angel’s Announcement

Matthew explains how the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and Mary. Though Mary was engaged to Joseph, he did not father the child she carried. Thus, Joseph decided to break off the engagement and send Mary on her way without any public shaming or condemning of her (Matt 1:19). Yet, as he contemplated how to go about this, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel told him that Mary had done nothing wrong. Her pregnancy was a miraculous act of God, and the son she bore was “conceived in her…from the Holy Spirit”(Matt 1:20). In other words, Mary had not been unfaithful. She remained committed to her husband, Joseph. A miracle conceived the son she bore.

The Wise Men

Matthew’s account moves quickly from the angel’s announcement to the days following his birth. Many believe the occasions described in Matthew 2 occurred months after his birth. Some have speculated that Jesus was around twelve months old. We can’t be exactly sure.

We have come to assume many things about the wise men. But little is spoken of them in the actual passage. Matthew 2:1 tells us they came from the east. They went first to Jerusalem, assuming that the King of the Jews would be born in the religious center of the Jewish people (Matt 2:1). The rising of a star prompted them to find this newborn king (Matt 2:2). When they inquired about Jesus’ birth, King Herod, having consulted with the chief priests, told them the Old Testament expected the Messiah to be born in Bethlehem, the city of David (Matt 2:4-8). When they arrived in Bethlehem, they offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Christ child (Matt 2:11). People commonly limit the wise men to three because of the number of gifts. However, the passage does not tell us how many wise men existed, where they came from, or their names or histories.

Significance of the Wise Men

Though we don’t know much, we do know certain significant things. First, the fact that they came from the East; second, they lacked knowledge of the Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah’s birth, indicating that they were from outside the Jewish people. This is significant because when they found the baby Jesus, they worshiped him (Matt 2:11). Thus, from Jesus’ earliest days, the nations were honoring and celebrating him. This was to fulfill the promises made in the Old Testament that the Messiah would be a blessing to all the world and that the nations would sing for joy at his rule (Ps 2:7-12).

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