Reading the Birth Narratives

 

The birth of Jesus Christ, His Incarnation, is found in the following Gospel passages:

 

Matthew chapters 1 and 2; Luke chapters 1 and 2; and John 1:1 – 18.

 

It is also helpful to look at how Mark begins his Gospel, right out of the starting blocks, getting to the action of the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. This is a characteristic of Mark’s Gospel – action, action, action – one action happening on top of another.

 

How is John’s approach different from Matthew’s and Luke’s? Where does John “begin”? What perspective does John give us and how does it complement what we see in Luke and Matthew?

 

What do you see in John 1:14? What do you see in John 1:18?

 

We might say that Matthew, Luke, and John provide us with three legs of a stool, on which rests the message of the Incarnation – we need all three legs to have a level perspective of the mystery of God coming to live with us. Of course there are other passages in Scripture that speak of the Incarnation, most notably Philippians 2:1 – 18 and Hebrews Chapter 2. There are others such as Galatians 4:1 – 7, often we read over these passages without stopping to consider how they throw additional light on the birth of Jesus Christ, the Incarnation of the Son of God. Perhaps during the coming year you might be on the lookout for Incarnational passages in your Bible reading.

 

Perhaps you might consider reading the birth narratives aloud with your family and friends? There is nothing quite like hearing the spoken Word of God, spoken in your immediate presence. There is reason that historically people read aloud, even to themselves; I know that I “see” things when I read aloud that I wouldn’t otherwise see; I find it exciting.

 

Look for the Trinity as you are reading.

 

When reading Luke, consider the “songs” the people are singing, the verses they are composing in the midst of their experiences.

 

What is the thrust of the messages from the angels? Do they have a common thread?

 

Contrast the responses of Zechariah and Mary to the messages they received – what is the difference in their responses? What can we learn from them?

 

Enjoy the glory of Christmas! The glory of the Incarnation!