Comparison of the Gospels of Luke and Matthew on the Birth of Jesus

Though both the Gospels of Luke and Matthew provide an account of the birth of Jesus and have a few main points in common, they differ in several aspects. Both of these books establish the mother of Jesus as Mary and include reference to her husband Joseph and both agree that Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem. From there, the books diverge in their intent, as well as content.

The Gospel of Matthew begins by establishing the lineage of Jesus from Abraham, through David, to Joseph. This is in fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. The Gospel of Luke also includes the lineage though later in the text. This implies that it is not as central to the story and is not shown as a fulfillment of the prophecy. This is also evident in the terms that are used to describe Jesus. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is referred to as the Messiah and named "For He will save His people from their sins" (1:21, 25). The Gospel of Luke focuses more on the identity of Jesus as evidence of God at work. He is described in terms of great, holy, and full of wisdom and grace, as well as the Son of God.

The stories of Jesus' birth also vary with the other characters presented in each book. In Matthew, magi from the East first visit King Herod before proceeding onto Bethlehem to see Jesus and present gifts. King Herod plays an important role as he feels threatened by the prophecy and what he heard from the magi. He then ordered the slaughter of innocents in an effort to destroy any male who might take his crown. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were forced to flee from the slaughter. In the Gospel of Luke, angels appeared to shepherds tending their stock near Bethlehem and they were the first to visit the infant Jesus.

The two Gospels vary in their main themes as well. The Gospel of Matthew is full of themes such as conflict, obstacles, and politics, while the Gospel of Luke focuses on humbler themes such as joy, faith, poverty and humility. The stories of Jesus' birth should be read in both Gospels as it gives the reader different perspectives on the same event.