Matthew traces jesus roots back to abraham to emphasize his role as the. In fact, charles dickens may be the real inventor of christmas. When we think about the christmas story, we usually start with the gospel of luke and gospel of matthew. It traces jesus ancestry from abraham, through david, and to joseph, the. The christmas story there are two accounts of jesus birth in the bible. His christmas story has the egyptian sojourn, fleeing the pharaoh herod, five dreams from an angel to joseph, the dad, and five fullfillments of the dreams. Arranged chronologically from matthew and luke matthew 1. They write to two different communities and thus their messages and characters highlighted in their stories differ accordingly.
Each contrasting portrayal fits into the distinctively. The christmas story in the gospel of matthew selections relating to the wise men and herod by the rt. The christmas story in matthew matthew 12 is a version that. Matthew 2 the magi visit the messiah after bible gateway. This is the story of the birth of jesus in the town of bethlehem, from the gospel according to matthew. Five major sections, five addresses, mountaintop faceoffs. Christmas according to matthew and luke daily news. Matthew and luke differ in significant ways in their versions of the birth of jesus. It is joseph in this birth story who is told by an angel in a dream that marys surprising pregnancy is the work of the lord.
In that account we encounter mary and joseph, the trip to bethlehem, the manger scene, and the angels and shepherds. Are the christmas stories in matthew and luke reconcilable. Andrea perch matthew luke ontario religious education. When most people think of christmas, they think of the christmas stories found in the gospel of matthew and the gospel of luke. It is the birthday of jesus christ who was born in bethlehem, israel. Matthew writes in hebrew, his audience jewish christians. I tried to figure out how to straighten out these two gospel accounts and get down to the true story, but i couldnt piece it. Mark starts his story of jesus with the calling of john the baptist in the wilderness. How is the christmas story different in different gospels.
Matthew chooses to begin his gospel story with jesus genealogy. The christmas story according to the gospel of matthew and. Other colorful characters appear, including elizabeth and zacharias, simeon and anna. Elements from both are included in every sunday school christmas pageant, but how much of the two stories actually agree. Matthew s gospel focuses on josephs role, with four stories that point to the fulfillment of prophetic expectation. Biblical insights into the birth of christ offer old and new testament parallels. The gospels according to matthew and luke give an account of jesus birth, but each offers a different perspective. Mary was an unlikely candidate to be honored with the role of mother to the savior. Marks gospel records nothing about the birth of jesus. His mother mary was pledged to be married to joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the holy spirit. In matthew, the family flees to egypt, but in luke, they go to jerusalem for the blessings in the temple. Told carelessly, the christmas story sounds like gods plan b. In the gospel of matthew, the story is told from the standpoint of a man, especially joseph. By investigating the two separate christmas stories, reflecting on the audiences that they appealed to, and gaining new insights through coopers analysis of the christmas story, i have come to a greater understanding of my own personal fifth gospel.
The christmas story from the gospel of luke all pro dad. As a way of comparing and contrasting, fill in the chart below of the similarities and differences in the two gospel accounts. Jesus as the new moses in matthews gospel by john dominic crossan, coauthor with marcus borg of the first christmas december 19, 2011 love the questions, wrote rainer maria rilke to an aspiring young poet in july of 1903. A few wednesday nights ago, we played christmas jeopardy and were reminded how matthew and luke shared different parts of the christmas story.
Here already matthew shows his special interest and the intended audience for. Peter edmonds sj thinks about how the opening verses of matthews gospel were shaped by earlier references to. An angel announces jesus birth to joseph in a dream matthew 1. The way matthew then tells the story of jesus draws on a lot of symbols from jewish tradition that really convey a picture of jesus. Its interesting to read the differences between the 2 gospel texts quoted off from the king james bible. The story of the nativity of christ can be found in luke 2.
In matthew, one finds the genealogy on the fathers sidealbeit, the adopted father. Even without a manger, shepherds and magi, mark still has plenty to tell us about the meaning of christmas, suggests peter edmonds sj, especially when we read his gospel alongside those of matthew and luke. Matthew, mark, luke, and john, the gospel of jesus christ according. Christmas according to matthew the text in context. Read both of these accounts below and then compare and contrast the two gospel accounts of the nativity of christ. Matthews gospel focuses on josephs role, with four stories that point to the fulfillment of prophetic expectation. Anybody wanting to read the earliest account of the christmas story could be forgiven for thinking that the beginning of the new testament would be the best place to start. There are actually two different christmas stories not counting popular later addons like the little drummer boy, santa and rudolph. And when herod knew that he had been mocked by the magi, in a rage he sent murderers, saying to them. The christmas story according to matthew thinking faith. Why do matthew and luke have different nativity stories.
But underlying their differences is essential agreement on ten most important points. Words from the gospels of matthew and luke by jane ray. The story begins with a genealogy that places jesus in the line of descent from abraham and david. The books of matthew and luke both give accounts of the birth of jesus, while the book of john gives a more ethereal account of how the word became flesh john 1.
There we see the shepherds, the magi, and the angel gabriels stunning declaration to mary. Does it surprise you that the gospel of mark does not have a version of the christmas story. The christmas story in the gospel of john bellator christi. In other words, we can make the christmas story sound like god turning to a new plan, rather than fulfilling all that he had promised. Matthew 2 new international version niv the magi visit the messiah. Matthew s gospel is placed at the beginning of the new testament, not because it was the first of the new testaments books to be written, but because it is the gospel in which we find the most elevated portrait of jesus, the fullest exposition of his teaching and the only references to the church in all the gospels.
When his mother mary had been betrothed to joseph, before they came together she was. In luke, mary and joseph start in nazareth and have to travel to bethlehem where jesus is born and placed in a manger. The christmas story according to the gospel of matthew and luke compared below, i am sharing the 2 different versions of the christmas story as shared by the gospel of matthew and of luke. This contains portions of the three articles called the two stories of christmas, originally published in new church life october, november and december 1981. Many scholars do not see the luke and matthew nativity stories as historically factual. Now the birth of jesus christ took place in this way. The story of the storytellers the gospel of matthew.
Matthew records the birth of christ in the first two chapters. A team of editors takes feedback from our visitors to keep trivia as up to date and as accurate as possible. These sections are all weaved together to form a more robust narrative of the christmas story. Story of christmas combines 4 gospels chicago tribune. This christmas story is drawn wordforword from the bible. Gospel mixture this category is for questions and answers related to the christmas story, as asked by users of. We most often, at christmas, read the story of jesus birth from the gospel of luke. We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. The christmas story trivia questions page 8 gospel. Matthews gospel is placed at the beginning of the new testament, not because it was the first of the new testaments books to be written, but because it is the gospel in which we find the most elevated portrait of jesus, the fullest exposition of his teaching and the only references to the church in all the gospels. Matthews gospel is placed at the beginning of the new testament, not because it was the first of the. Learn the bibles christmas story of the birth of jesus. This christmas im trying to look at the gospels one by one to see what story is.
The christmas angel, gabriel, appeared not only to zechariah and mary but also to daniel the prophet more than 500 years before the christmas story. Trivia questions this category is for questions and answers related to the christmas story, as asked by users of. Perhaps through the influence of films i had always imagined. Each has a different perspective, approach, and audience. In such a parallel universe, the most careful skeptic would rightly suggest doubts about that tradition. The christmas story from the gospels consider the gospel. The surprising christmas story in johns gospel jim. Mary is much more central to the story than in matthew with her visit to elizabeth and her magnificat in 1. Simply read them the christmas story from the gospel of luke. Bernard brandon scott discusses what he calls the mush gospel, mushing various stories from all the gospels into a single story that is. The christmas stories of matthew and luke are very different. The gospel of mark is possibly the first of the gospels to be written and although done so by mark, according to early church tradition, probably represents the preaching and message of the apostle peter. Although accounts of the first christmas customarily are blended into a single story, there actually are four stories of the coming of jesus. Matthew wrote his gospel in the late first century ce, perhaps in.
The christmas story king james version for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Christmas story from the gospel of matthew youtube. Put simply, if we get the christmas story wrong, we get the gospel wrong. The nativity of jesus, nativity of christ, birth of christ or birth of jesus is described in the biblical gospels of luke and matthew. In the familiar version of the christmas story, mary and joseph travel from. The storys first appearance in any source other than the gospel of matthew is in the apocryphal protoevangelium of james of c. We must be very careful to tell the christmas story in such a way that. Christmas story varies in the gospels denver post blogs. Our modern christmas story is a composite drawn from two gospels, meaning devotional accounts of the life of jesus, known as the books of matthew and luke. When his mother mary had been betrothed to joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the holy spirit. Matthew, in stark contrast to marks narrative of omission begins his account with an elaborate genealogy that places jesus as an ancestor of king david and abraham. As we heard last night, the gospel according to matthew gives the account of the angel appearing to joseph and also records the visit by the magi. The christmas stories or the infancy narratives occur only in the gospels according to saints matthew and luke.
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