These are my musing and notes surrounding the birth narratives as told in Luke 1-2 and Matthew 1-2. They are brief at best. I spent time comparing and contrasting them, along with Christmas Carols from the Moravian Book of Worship. These are brief notes, but I did want to share them. If you find things for comparison or contrast that I missed, please share those in the comments section! Also if you want a clearer explanation of any or the research from which these ideas came, please let me know and I will provide sources. Enjoy!!
Birth Narrative Comparisons
- Birth not mentioned in Mark, Logos “word” identified in John
- Birth only described in Matthew (M) and Luke (L)
Points of Comparison in Matthew and Luke
- Bethlehem
- Mary, Joseph, Jesus, visitors–main characters
- Mary and Joseph engaged
- God speaks through angels
- to Zechariah, Mary, Shepherds (L)
- in a dream to Joseph, Herod, Magi (M)
- unknown number of visitors (shepherds, heavenly hosts, magi)
- God at work in the scene
- God works through dreams (M)
- God speaks through angels (M and L)
- God speaks through angels in dreams (M)
- announcement of birth
- star announces birth (M)
- angels announce birth (L)
Points of Contrast in Matthew and Luke
- visitors are shepherds (L) and magi (M)
- those involved are upper class/royalty (Herod, scribes, magi) (M)
- the visitors are lower class (shepherds) (L)
- Place of birth/visit
- manger/barn/cave/stable (L)
- house (M)
- Leadership and dating of story
- Qurenius was governor of Syria (6AD) (L)
- King Herod (died 4BC) (M)
- Archelaus, son of Herod (M)
- Gifts for Jesus
- gold, frankincense, myrrh (M)
- Flee to Egypt to escape Herod (M)
- death of all infants in Bethlehem area
- Actions fulfill prophesies and are named (M)
- Jeremiah, Isaiah, Elijah
- Order of Location
- (L) Nazareth–>Census in Bethlehem–> Birth in Bethlehem–> Jerusalem to Temple–>Nazareth
- (M) Wise Men to Jerusalem, then Bethlehem–>Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem for Birth –> flee to Egypt–> Nazareth
- Mary’s involvement
- ponders visitors in her heart (L)
- angel comes to her (L)
- does not speak (M)
- angel in dream comes to Joseph (M)
- Joseph’s involvement
- leads Mary and Jesus to Egypt after dream (M)
- leads Mary and Jesus to Nazareth after dream (M)
- Elizabeth and Zechariah’s involvement
- Zechariah talks w/ Angel (L)
- Elizabeth gives birth to John (L)
- Mary visits w/ Elizabeth (L)
- neither mentioned in Matthew
“Details” not mentioned in Either Birth Narrative but from History/Fable/Tradition
- no snow at the birth
- no donkey that Mary rode (assumed)
- only animals mentioned are the flocks the Shepherds are watching and a “manger” feeding trough–no cows, donkey, chickens, goats, etc. (Away in a manger) (What child is this?)
- doesn’t indicate a sheep was given to Jesus as a gift
- no drummer boy playing his drum for Baby Jesus (Little Drummer Boy)
- no “Balthsar, Melchior, and Caspar” as names for wise men, no number of wise men specified (We three kings)(The First Noel)
- no Kings arrived to view baby Jesus (Herod is only King mentioned and he doesn’t visit, though he wants to) (We three kings)
- no camels that the wise men rode–assumed but not noted
- 3 gifts are not specifically tied to divinity, kingship, and death–added later-all were appropriate for kings
- the star was over the house, not manger–angels over the field, not manger (softly the night is sleeping)
- the wise men did not visit the manger, Jesus didn’t have a smile on his face or a halo/crown/glow on his head (Softly The Night is Sleeping)(Once in Royal David’s City)
- don’t know how old Jesus was when he was seen by wise men (child used not infant)
- shepherds were usually in the fields in the spring–not on cold winter nights (The First Noel)
- shepherds didn’t see and follow a star (The First Noel)
- The wise men were in the east, not the star (The First Noel)
- Cows and ox, and donkeys didn’t bow to Jesus (Good Christian Friends, Rejoice)
- It is unlikely that Bethlehem or the manger stall were quiet and still during the birth–the census had the town overflowing–and births are usually noisy (Silent Night)
Living On Emmaus Ave 
Hi, Suzanne. Enjoyed both the sermon and your very careful blog analysis. I think the analysis really hits on an important point — while the narratives DIFFER significantly, they have very few points of CONFLICT or CONTRADICTION — e.g., from Nazareth, going to Bethlehem vs. from Bethlehem, going to Nazareth — or flight into Egypt vs. prompt presentation at the temple. Rather, each contains some information that the other does not — the two accounts can as easily be considered complementary as contradictory, just not identical — and thus it makes perfect sense that over the millennia, we have added the accounts together to form the whole of the Christmas “story.” Frankly, however, none of this ever worries me, because I understand that many years after historical events, a number of people wrote down, in more than one language, versions of individual and collective recollections of those events. And many years after that, church leaders consciously chose which versions to carry forward. And for centuries upon centuries, Christians have recast these accounts in our own languages and contexts. Since I’m reasonably certain that English was not known to Jesus, Matthew or Luke (and in the form that we know it today, not really known to ANYBODY of their eras, as it is a modern amalgam), I don’t spend much time fretting about the details! I do, however, respect those who do. I simply don’t have the same perspective.
Happy New Year!
Chancy,
thanks for your thoughtful comments! I agree that Jesus, Matthew, or Luke did not know English (Despite some stories I’ve been told over the year of Jesus speaking in King James English)! You make a good point that through the years and many levels of translation and transcription, the recasting has happened over and over! I like the idea of holding these as complementary, as I do think that is what we often do, but it’s good to name it as such. So often we are quick to point out the “flaws”, but there are many points that work together as well. It’s easy to get lost in the details, and then we miss the overarching big picture! Thanks again for the comments!
Peace,
Suzanne