No Contradictions in Jesus' Birth Narratives

The Christmas story is pivotal as evidence of Jesus Christ as God, Lord, Savior, Christ, and Messiah. All these titles have some overlap with one another and all are important. In a biography of Jesus Christ, the birth takes a prominent place and each gospel account of Jesus provides some difference or nuance for more material and a variation of detail, filling in the total picture. Those attacking these gospel narratives say Matthew and Luke contradict each other. I believe it is obvious to anyone hearing their criticism that these men play off each other’s unbelief in their presentations.

In assessing the most popular “atheist scholars,” they can’t afford to have either Matthew or Luke be true. When someone reads the gospels with an open mind, an amazing three birth stories tell it from three different and obvious viewpoints, none of which contradict the other two: Matthew from the perspective of Joseph, Mary’s husband, Luke from the vantage point of Mary, Jesus’ mother, and John from the outlook of heaven. Here’s how Matthew and Luke go together.

Matthew 1 focuses on the announcement to Joseph and Luke 1 on the miraculous conception of Mary. Luke 2 then details the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census and the birth there. Matthew 2 begins after the birth in Bethlehem, which is by the time the Magi arrive, the family probably living in a house by then (not a stable). Finally, Matthew 2 continues with their escape to Egypt and return not to Bethlehem, but to their original home, Galilee, settling in Nazareth. This then explains why the family settled in Nazareth, which Luke had established as Jesus’ home town.

Altogether, God orchestrated the Roman census (Luke) to fulfill the prophecy (Micah 5:2) that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Matthew and Luke).