Luke Vs Grandma

December 25th is the day that Christians all around America celebrate and remember the birth of Jesus Christ. In fact, within the walls of several of these homes, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Grandma or Grandpa reading the Christmas story to room full of eager grandchildren. But, from which passage should Grandpa read? Is the birth account in Matthew better than the birth account in Luke? Or is Luke’s rendition better than Matthew’s? While both accounts are proven to be trustworthy, it is no secret how the accounts do differ from one another in what they chose to share or not share. Certainly, the differences between the two allow for a much more rounded, fuller perspective on the coming of the Messiah, and both accounts loudly proclaim

Mary and Joseph were engaged to be married to one another when Mary became pregnant, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Due to the pregnancy, Joseph had been considering ending his relationship with her, but then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, explaining the situation to him. The angel of Lord informed Joseph that the baby within Mary’s womb was a boy, and that He was to be named Jesus, because He would be the one to save His people from their sins. After waking from this dream, he obeyed the angel’s commands to go ahead and take Mary as his wife. After marriage, the baby was born, and Joseph named the baby Jesus, as he was commanded to do. Jesus had been born in the town of Bethlehem, and after his birth, there were some wise men from the East who had come to worship Him. On the way to see Jesus, the wise men had been asked of Herod what they were doing, and when Herod learned of the King of the Jews being born, He ordered the wise men to report to him, but the wise men chose not to, and returned to their own lands a different way, avoiding Jerusalem altogether, which was were Herod was located. Once the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream yet again, warning him to flee to Egypt with his family so that they could escape Herod’s plot to kill Jesus. But, following Herod’s death, Joseph had yet

In general, it is safe to say that Luke provides greater detail than Matthew did, beginning with Mary’s role in the story. An angel had indeed appeared to Mary before she became pregnant, informing her of how she had been chosen to bear the Son of God. A few days later, Mary visits her cousin, Elisabeth, who at that time was 6 months pregnant with John the Baptist. After spending nearly 3 months with Elisabeth, Mary returns home. Because a census had been mandated, everyone was forced to return to their own ancestral towns. Joseph was a descendant of King David, so he needed to go to Bethlehem. In Luke’s account, Mary and Joseph were betrothed at the time of this journey, and there was no mention of an angel visiting Joseph to share with him the news regarding his pregnant fiancée. There is also no mention of Joseph’s internal struggle surrounding his and Mary’s relationship. While in Bethlehem, Mary gives birth to Jesus, just the same as in the Gospel of Matthew, but we learn in Luke’s account that the baby Jesus had been wrapped in swaddling clothes and had been laid in the manger out in a stable or barn, because there wasn’t any lodging for them available. Luke’s account also goes into great detail surrounding how a host of angels appeared to a group of shepherds in the fields, informing them of the birth of the