SOURCES:

Dr. Margaret Nutting-Ralph

AND GOD SAID WHAT?

New York: Paulist Press, 2003
Etienne Charpentier

HOW TO READ THE NEW

TESTAMENT
Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 1997

TWO DISTINCT STORIES

It is hardly noticed or realized that in every
attempt to recreate the Christmas story either
through narration or through images in a
nativity scene, what actually happens is a
fusion of two distinct infancy narratives found
in the Scriptures.
Matthews and Lukes account of Christs
birth, though agreeing at certain points, are
two separate stories, each conveying a
particular theological message.

INFANCY NARRATIVES
Little is known about the infancy of Jesus.
It was not of primordial interest to the
early Christians.
It is important to know that the
evangelists were not eye-witnesses of
Christs birth, and that their accounts were
written after the resurrection. Hence, the
stories were written in the light of their
faith in the risen and glorified Christ.
The infancy narratives are attempts to
describe Jesus Christ through an
imaginative story regarding his origins.
(Midrash)
Thus, the stories of Christs birth were not
written to tell us the exact chronology of
events, or the actual events that took
place. Rather, the authors wrote the
infancy narratives to tell us who Christ
is.

Matthews Infancy
Narrative

Matthew wrote for Jewish

converts to Christianity. He
wanted to present Jesus as the
New Moses, the fulfillment of the
promised Messiah. Hence, in his
infancy narrative, he used Old
Testament symbolisms that
would easily evoke the memory
of the messianic prophecies.

Key Features of
Matthews Infancy
Narrative
The Genealogy of Jesus
The Announcement to Joseph
Birth in a house in
Bethlehem
The Star
The Visitation of the Magi

 The Massacre of Infants

The Flight into Egypt
The Return to Nazareth

THE GENEALOGY
The Messiah has to be of the Davidic
line. Matthews account begins with a
genealogy to attest to this fact: Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of David, the
beginning of the new creation

THE
ANNOUNCEMENT TO
JOSEPH
The Angel appears to JOSEPH in
a DREAM (perhaps evoking the
memory of Joseph the Dreamer).
The announcement to Joseph, a
descendant of David, tells us
that Jesus is truly Son of David,

though Joseph is merely Jesus

foster father.

BIRTH IN
BETHLEHEM, IN A
HOUSE
Matthews account suggests that
Joseph and Mary lived in Bethlehem,
hence the Child was born in a house.
Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem to
reinforce the idea of his being in the
Davidic line, Bethlehem being Davids
city.
The infant was born in a house
because he was a king, not fit for a
stable as in Lukes presentation.

THE STAR
Read Numbers 2:17

 THE VISIT OF THE

MAGI AND THE
MASSACRE OF
INFANTS
The author wanted to show how Jesus
was rejected by the Jewish authorities
and the civil power but was accepted
by the Gentiles.
The Gifts of the Magi tell us who Jesus
is The Son of God, the Messianic
King, the Suffering Servant
It is noteworthy that the massacre of
the infants evokes the memory of
Moses survival in a similar incident.

THE FLIGHT INTO

EGYPT AND RETURN
TO NAZARETH

The flight into Egypt and the

return to Nazareth show in
symbolic fashion how in Jesus,
the people achieve a successful
exodus. The way to the Kingdom
of God is at last open.
Again this event evokes the
memory of how Moses was
spared from the massacre by
being an adopted son of Egypt.

Lukes Infancy Narrative

Luke wrote for the Gentile
converts to Christianity. He
wanted to present Jesus, not as
the royal messiah, but as a man
who came for all, especially for
the lowly.

 Key Features of
Lukes Infancy
Narrative
The Announcement to Mary
The Visitation
The Journey to Bethlehem
Birth in a manger
The Angels and the Shepherds
The Presentation in the
Temple

THE ANNUNCIATION
Mary of Nazareth symbolized the lowly
of Israel (anawim) that eagerly
awaited the coming of the Messiah. It
is the poor and the lowly that first
accepted with an open heart the Good
News that salvation has dawned with
the coming of Jesus.

THE VISITATION
The poor (represented by Mary) are
not merely beneficiaries of the Good
News, but are also its bearers.
Marys Magnificat echoes the song of
Hannah in the Old Testament. It is a
song of praise for Gods preferential
love for the lowly.

THE JOURNEY TO
BETHLEHEM
Mary and Joseph are from Nazareth, a
town of ill reputation. The Messiah is
identified with sinners.
To accommodate the Bethlehem
prophecy, Luke puts a census, a royal
decree in his account, so as to
facilitate Jesus birth in Davids city.
The journey of Mary and Joseph to
Bethlehem prefigures the humility
shown by Jesus in his subjection to
human authority.

 JESUS BIRTH IN A
MANGER
Lukes account says that Jesus was wrapped
in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger,
again, to highlight Christs identification
with the poor and the lowly.
There is no place in the inn this God
incarnate is not a traveler that stays only
for a night, but a God that dwells with his
people
The swaddling clothes line in the passage is
an echo of Wisdom 7:1-6, establishing
Christs humanity.
The manger is a place where one places food
for the animals. By using this imagery, Luke
is telling his audience that Jesus is food for
his people.

THE ANGELS AND

THE SHEPHERDS
This infancy narrative was written
during the era of apostolic preaching.
The apostles were shepherds of

Gods people. Those who receive the

Good News cannot but be messengers
(angels) of this Good News as well.
The shepherds were more that lowly
visitors, they were heralds of Christs
coming.

PRESENTATION IN
THE TEMPLE
The presentation highlights Jesus being
firstborn. Jesus is the firstborn of all
creation. He liberates those who are under the
law by subjecting himself to the law. The title
firstborn was used by the early Church to
denote Christs divinity. Hence by constantly
referring to Jesus as the firstborn, he was
telling his audience that Jesus is the divine
Son, through whom all other sons and
daughters are saved.

POINTS OF
AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE TWO ACCOUNTS

 Jesus parents are Mary and Joseph

Mary and Joseph are engaged but
not married at the time of Jesus
conception
Joseph is of the Davidic line
Mary conceives through the Holy
Spirit
An angel directs that the child
should be named Jesus
The angel says that Jesus is to be a
savior
Jesus is born in Bethlehem at the
time of Herod the Great
Jesus is raised in Nazareth

THE VIRGIN BIRTH

Miraculous stories surrounded the
birth of prominent men in the Old
Testament (e.g. birth from a barren
woman). The birth of the Son of God
must surely be a greater miracle.

However, Gods preference for the

Virgin, must not simply be seen as a
spectacle to marvel at. It is an
affirmation that God is pleased with
the single-hearted.

SOURCES:
Dr. Margaret Nutting-Ralph

AND GOD SAID WHAT?

New York: Paulist Press, 2003
Etienne Charpentier

HOW TO READ THE NEW

TESTAMENT
Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 1997