The Nativity of Jesus Christ
Written for Principles of Biblical Theology, Dr. Joshua Madden, October 23, 2019
The synoptic Gospels of Matthew and Luke give us two reports of the birth of Jesus. While they differ in detail, together they show us the Incarnation, its place in salvation history, and how various prophesies are fulfilled. In comparing and contrasting the stories told by each Gospel, contemplating why details were included or excluded, and considering the initial audience Evangelist each wrote for, we can come to a better understanding of what the Incarnation means for all peoples and all generations.
Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus, which shows that Jesus fulfills the prophecy of 1 Chronicles 17:11-14, that of being a son of David. He then briefly states that when Mary became pregnant, Joseph would have divorced her had not an angel appeared to him in a dream, telling him that the pregnancy was through the power of the Holy Spirit, “and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”[1] Matthew continues, “All this took place to fulfil (sic) what the Lord had spoken to the prophet: ‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel’ (which means, God with us).”[2] The prophecy Matthew refers to here is at Isaiah 7:14; Jesus fulfills the prophecy not by his given name of Jesus, but by being the son of the virgin, and by actually being God with us.
Matthew then tells of the visit of the magi to King Herod, and their subsequent visit to the child Jesus. Matthew again makes specific reference to prophesy, stating that the chief priests and scribes tell Herod that the Messiah is to be born “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so is written by the prophet ‘And you O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.’”[3]
The Magi do not return to Herod, for they are warned in a dream. When Herod realized that the Magi did not return, he was “in a furious rage”[4] and ordered the killing of all boys in Bethlehem of two years of age and younger, the time frame he understood from what the Magi had said.[5] Matthew states this fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:15: “A voice was heard in Ra’mah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children, she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.”[6] Matthew does not give an explicit explanation of which city called Ra’mah is referenced here, nor of a specific mother named Rachel. Herod’s killing of these innocents was for naught, for the Holy Family had fled in response to a dream, in which an angel tells Joseph that the family must flee to Egypt to avoid Herod’s wrath and fear. Matthew refers the prophecy in Hosea 11:1: “[they] remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”[7]
After Herod dies, Joseph has another dream, in which he is told by an angel that it is safe to leave Egypt and return home. Joseph is fearful of the current ruler, Herod’s son Archelaus, and, further warned in a dream, rather than returning to Bethlehem, Joseph takes his family and “went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled. ‘He shall be called a Nazorean.’”[8] It is worth noting that the Old Testament as we know it does not contain a direct reference to Nazareth. It is possible that Matthew is referencing a prophecy that has been lost to time. There are also other theories about this, such as the two possibilities referenced in the USCCB’s footnote to Matthew 2:23:
“The town of Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament, and no such prophecy can be found there. The vague expression “through the prophets” may be due to Matthew’s seeing a connection between Nazareth and certain texts in which there are words with a remote similarity to the name of that town. Some such Old Testament texts are Is 11:1 where the Davidic king of the future is called ‘a bud’(nēser) that shall blossom from the roots of Jesse, and Jgs 13:5, 7 where Samson, the future deliverer of Israel from the Philistines, is called one who shall be consecrated (a nāzîr) to God.”[9]
That is the end of Matthew’s infancy narrative. In two short chapters, he has detailed six prophesies that have been fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. In telling of the dreams Joseph has, and the dream the Magi have, Matthew also shows God’s active involvement in the birth of Jesus and the events surrounding it. Clearly, something out of the ordinary has happened here.
Luke’s Infancy Narrative is more detailed. Luke begins with the angel Gabriel’s appearance to Zachariah, announcing that Zachariah and his wife, Elizabeth, shall have a son, to be named John, who “will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, and … will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.”[10] Gabriel also states John’s specific call: “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.”[11]
Zechariah, however, questions Gabriel, saying he and his wife are too old for this to be possible. For this lack of belief, Gabriel strikes him mute, saying Zechariah will be “silent and unable to speak until the day these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” [12]
Just six months later, Gabriel is again sent with a message, this time to Mary, announcing that she will bear a son, to be named Jesus, who “will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” [13] Mary also questions Gabriel. Perhaps Gabriel finds her question to be asked in awe, not disbelief, for Gabriel explains “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”[14] Gabriel also tells Mary of her kinswoman Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Mary gives her simple fiat, “let it be to me according to your word.”[15] She then goes to visit Elizabeth. Both Elizabeth and John, still in her womb, recognize Mary as the mother of the Savior to be born. Mary stays three months, and then returns home; Elizabeth has the baby; upon naming him John, Zechariah’s speech returns, and Zechariah voices his canticle, a prophecy about his own son.
Luke concentrates on John the Baptist in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2, the focus is on the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. Luke’s Gospel has the story we all know from countless Christmas pageants (although people may be surprised to find out that there is no report of Mary riding a donkey to Bethlehem, or Joseph going from inn to inn trying to get a room, or even a stable filled with cows). Luke tells a straightforward tale. The Emperor has ordered a census, each to be counted in their own town, so Joseph takes Mary with him “from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David.”[16] Luke does tell us that when the child is born, they “laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”[17] An angel appears to the shepherds who were watching the flock at night, announcing “I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people, for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”[18] The shepherds come to see the baby. Eight days later, the child is circumcised and named Jesus. At the proper time, Joseph and Mary take him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, “(as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord,’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord.”[19] There they meet a holy man named Simeon, to whom “[i]t had been revealed … by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”[20] When Simeon saw Jesus, he recognized him as the Messiah, and prayed to God “my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”[21]
There was also a prophetess there, Anna, who likewise recognized Jesus as the Messiah, and “she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”[22]
Luke tells us that Mary, Joseph and Jesus then returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth, where “the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”[23] Luke then jumps to Passover, in the year that Jesus was twelve. That year, as all years, the family goes to Jerusalem for the feast. Upon their return, Jesus remains behind without Mary and Joseph’s knowledge. Mary and Joseph at first believe he is with the caravan, with others of the family, and journey on for a day looking for him. When they realized he is not among the caravan, they return to Jerusalem. Matthew tells us that “After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.”[24] When questioned by his parents as to why he had remained behind in the Temple, Jesus responded “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” [25] Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph did not understand this response. Jesus returned with them “to Nazareth, and was obedient to them…[and he] increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.”[26]
The first conclusion we can draw from the Gospels is that not all of the Evangelists considered the birth of Jesus to be part of the central story of salvation history. As Pitre points out, the Gospels are not standard biographies. “The Gospels are not just about the life of the man Jesus of Nazareth; they are about the coming of God in the person of Jesus.”[27] John, who seeks to establish the divinity of Christ, begins with “the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” and then moves on to John the Baptist. John writes not of the Incarnation itself, but of how Jesus lives out his mission. Likewise, Mark begins with John the Baptist, who is fulfilling a prophecy of Isaiah. Matthew and Luke, who each write for different audiences with different backgrounds, offer us the most detailed stories.
Of the four Gospels, only Matthew and Luke give us any detail of the birth of Christ. In comparing the Infancy Narratives, we must look at what Matthew and Luke tell us, which elements they share, and which elements differ. Matthew gives us Herod, Magi, and the Flight to Egypt. Luke gives us the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Presentation, and the Finding in the Temple. Luke leaves no doubt that John the Baptist and Jesus are related; no other evangelist makes note of this. In both Infancy Narratives, people recognized the infant Jesus as Messiah. In Luke’s gospel, Elizabeth, the unborn John, Simeon, and Anna all recognize Jesus. In Matthew, three Magi recognize him and come to pay him homage. Both Matthew and Luke tell us that, from birth, this is a special child.
Faley tells us that Matthew’s audience is “largely a Jewish Christian one,”[28] pointing at Matthew’s “reverential attitude toward Jewish law and his audience’s presumed familiarity with it.”[29] “Matthew used the Old Testament to develop his picture of Jesus.”[30] Matthew’s opening genealogy and his use of the Old Testament both point to his audience. He shows that Jesus is from the line of David; he is a descendant of Abraham. The genealogy itself is split into three sections, each of fourteen generations. “Fourteen is two times seven, with the number seven signifying the perfection of creation.”[31] Dauphinais and Levering explain that we thus have six sets of seven leading up to the birth of Jesus, and thus his birth “signals the end of exile and the arrival of the seventh seven, the day of the Lord.”[32]
Harris tells us that “Whereas Matthew’s Gospel addressed the concerns of Jewish Christian in Syria confronting Jewish hostilities, the needs of a Hellenistic Gentile group were met with Luke’s edition….”[33] Luke writes to those less knowledgeable, and thus less concerned, as to how Jesus fulfills the promises of the Old Testament.
All of Scripture is God’s revelation to us. If we were to read just Matthew or just Luke, we would still know some of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, but would not have all the information. If we read only Matthew but make no effort to understand his references to the Old Testament, we would be unable to understand all Matthew is telling us. If we read only Luke, we would have no knowledge that the birth of Jesus ties into the Old Testament. We wouldn’t know the significance of being of the line of David or of the birth taking place in Bethlehem.
Of the four Gospels, only Matthew and Luke give us any detail of the birth of Christ. Whatever is included in Scripture is there for a reason:
“Therefore, since everything asserted by the inspired authors or sacred writers must be held to be asserted by the Holy Spirit, it follows that the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings for the sake of salvation. Therefore ‘all Scripture is divinely inspired and has its use for teaching the truth and refuting error, for reformation of manners and discipline in right living, so that the man who belongs to God may be efficient and equipped for good work of every kind’….” [34]
We need not be concerned as to why some stories are in one book but not another, as ultimately, all stories God wanted to put into sacred scripture are in sacred scripture. Our careful reading and studying of scripture can help us gain understanding of God’s plan for all peoples and all generations.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abbott, Walter M., ed., Joseph Gallagher, Translation ed. The Documents of Vatican II. New York: Guild Press, 1966
Carmody, Timothy R. Reading the Bible. Mahwah, NJ: 2004
Dauphinais, Michael and Matthew Levering. Holy People, Holy Land: A Theological Introduction to the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2005
Faley, Roland J., TOR: From Genesis to Apocalypse: Introducing the Bible. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2005
Harris, Stephen L. Understanding the Bible. 3rd Edition. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1992
Pitre, Brant. The Case for Jesus: the Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ. New York: Image, 2016.
Vatican II Council. "Dogmatic constitution on divine revelation: Dei verbum." Solemnly promulgated by His Holiness Pope Paul VI on November 18, 1965. Accessed August 26, 2019. http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html
[1] Matthew 1:21 (Revised Standard Version, 2nd Catholic Edition)
[2] Matthew 1:22-23
[3] Matthew 2:5-6
[4] Matthew 2:16
[5] Matthew 2:16
[6] Matthew 2:18
[7] Matthew 2:15
[8] Matthew 2:22-23
[9] http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/2, accessed October 16, 2019.
[10] Luke 1:15-16
[11] Luke 1:15-17
[12] Luke 1:20
[13] Luke 1:32-33
[14] Luke 1:35
[15] Luke 1:38
[16] Luke 2:4
[17] Luke 2:7
[18] Luke 2:10-11
[19] Luke 2:23-24
[20] Luke 2:26
[21] Luke 2:30-32
[22] Luke 2:38
[23] Luke 2:40
[24] Luke 2:46-47
[25] Luke 2:49
[26] Luke 2:51-52
[27] Brant Pitre, The Case for Jesus: the Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ (New York: Image, 2016). 77
[28] Roland J Faley, TOR: From Genesis to Apocalypse: Introducing the Bible. (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2005): 193
[29] Faley: 193
[30] Carmody 205
[31] Michael Dauphinais and Matthew Levering. Holy People, Holy Land: A Theological Introduction to the Bible. (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2005): 140140
[32] Dauphinais: 40
[33] Stephen L. Harris, Understanding the Bible, 3rd ed. (Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1992): 147
[34] Vatican II Council. "Dogmatic constitution on divine revelation: Dei verbum." Solemnly promulgated by His Holiness Pope Paul VI on November 18, 1965. Chapter III, Section 11. Accessed August 26, 2019. http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html
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