A beloved Christmas Eve tradition for many Christians is reading aloud Christ’s birth as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Families gather around the reader to hear how Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem and then she gave birth to the Savior. Listeners are enthralled with how our Lord came to be born in a manger, and Mary “wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
How does Luke’s Gospel surprise us with facts not found in the other Gospels?
When Did Luke Write His Version of the Christmas Story?
Luke’s background includes his identity as a Gentile, born and raised in Antioch (Acts 11:26 tells us that this is where the disciples were first called Christians). Since Luke wrote two letters addressed to Theophilus, scholars suggest the earliest date for the Christmas narrative is right after the events described in Acts 28: around A.D. 62.
A man of diligence and loyalty, Luke did much research to give Theophilus (and us) the information that he believed mattered. In chapter one, Luke gives us a look into what Mary felt when the angel Gabriel visited her (Luke 1:28-38), and even what Elizabeth declared as she was alone in her room (Luke 1:25). Luke insisted at the outset, “I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:3-4). Luke promises “certainty”—truth, facts.
Since Luke’s vocation was as a physician (Colossians 4:14), a career that requires looking at details, it’s not surprising that he would naturally include many details (to our delight and the glory of God). Luke did thorough research to write his Gospel account, and much of his narrative is unique and gained from reports he garnered from “eyewitnesses and servants of the Word” (Luke 1:2).
What Does Luke’s Christmas Story Have in Common With Other Gospels?
The Holy Spirit superintended each man who penned God’s Word using their personalities, social comportment, and vocation to present Scripture in varied, unique ways.
Matthew and Luke are the two Gospels that provide a narrative about Jesus’ birth to Mary and Joseph. They provide some common details:
- Mary was betrothed to Joseph (Matthew 1:18; Luke 2:5)
- Mary was “with child” (Matthew 1; 18; Luke 2:5).
- Mary gave birth to a son (Matthew 1:25; Luke 2:7).
- The baby was named Jesus (Matthew 1:25; Luke 2:21).
- Jesus is identified as the Savior (Matthew 1:21; Luke 2:11).
How Do Mark and John Introduce Jesus with No Christmas Story?
Jesus’ birth is not recorded in the other two Gospels. Instead, they highlight other important details.
Mark’s Gospel begins reiterating the prophecy of John the Baptist (Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1). From there, he speeds ahead to the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:9-11).
John’s Gospel gives looks at Jesus before and at His incarnation.
- The Apostle John defines Jesus as the logos—the Word of God—in John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This is a definitive statement that Jesus is God, always has been, and always will be.
- John quickly tells the account of John the Baptist preparing for the prophesied Savior to come, witnessing to the crowds about Him, and then pointing Him out. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)!
What Unique Information Do We Get in Luke’s Christmas Story?
Luke is the only Gospel writer to give a detailed account of the setting and events surrounding the birth of the Messiah.
In Luke’s Christmas Story, we learn the following information:
1. The approximate date of Christ’s birth may be discerned from Luke’s report that Caesar Augustus reigned over the Roman Empire (Luke 2:1), Herod served as tetrarch of Judea (Luke 1:5), and Quirinius acted as governor of Syria (Luke 2:2). From the biblical and government records and the appearance of celestial phenomena (Matthew 2:1), scholars generally agree Jesus’ birth occurred between September and October 2 or 3 B.C.
2. The Lord used the government officials and the decree of Caesar Augustus to bring Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. Christ would be born there, thus fulfilling the prophecy found in Micah 5:2.
3. Joseph, Mary’s husband, was “of the house and lineage of David” (Luke 2:4b). The Davidic covenant ensures a Davidic king (One who is in the line of David) will bring God’s blessing to the nations (2 Samuel 7:8-29). Christ perfectly fulfills this covenant. Matthew also traces Jesus’ lineage through Joseph, but it comes before the Christmas Story is described (Matthew 1:1-17).
4. Jesus was the “firstborn” to Mary, placed in a manger and clothed in swaddling cloth material (Luke 2:12). While Matthew does not explicitly state Jesus was Mary’s firstborn, it is implied when we read that she was a virgin when she became with child by the Holy Spirit.
The theme of Christ’s humility continues with his birth’s physical surroundings. Scholars debate whether Luke’s detail that they put Jesus in a manger “because there was no room in the inn” means they were staying in a crowded family house (or “inn”) with a connected barn or a crowded traveler’s inn with no available rooms. Either way, the couple had no regular room to rest their heads, so they found cover in a barn with animals, and Jesus was laid in a feeding trough.
5. The witness of Jesus’ birth extended to the shepherds in a nearby field (Luke 2:8). An angel of the Lord, awash in the glory of the Lord, appeared to them, filling them with fear (Luke 2:9). The angel then reports the greatest birth in redemptive history, “a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). The angel gives the shepherds the sign of his arrival (Luke 2:12), and then suddenly, the angel is joined by “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God,” directing glory to God (Luke 2:13-14).
6. God first made the momentous news known to the unlikeliest group—shepherds. Men holding that vocation were despised and rejected, and it was completely unexpected to be the ones to behold the arrival of the Messiah!
7. The shepherds went to Bethlehem to see “this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us” (Luke 2:15), and what they saw corroborated what the angels declared to them. Not only did they observe Mary, Joseph, and the baby, “they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child” (Luke 2:17). Not only did Mary and Joseph hear, but so did others, for “all who heard wondered at what the shepherds told them” (Luke 2:18). Mary treasured the shepherds’ news, and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19). The shepherds’ fear turned to wonder turned to praise, for as they returned to the field, they glorified and praised God “for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them” (Luke 2:20).
8. The angel of God gave Jesus’ name to Joseph before He was even conceived (Luke 2:21).
What Does Luke’s Christmas Story Teach Us Today?
1. The world’s opulence is nothing contrasted to our eternal King Jesus’s humility (Matthew 11:29). Born into a world of Roman emperors parading themselves as gods, the King of the universe put on flesh and dwelt among us as a humble servant (John 1:14; Mark 10:45).
Christians are to imitate Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1), and as we do, we are to conduct ourselves with humility (Proverbs 22:4; Colossians 3:12; Titus 3:2), among many other virtues (Colossians 3:12-14).
2. God’s love for “outsiders” is on full display in Luke’s account of the Christmas Story. God first gave the Good News to despised and rejected ones (shepherds), not the wealthy or influential. This fact highlights God’s love for all people, and the Good News is not limited to any one social status.
3. Earthly matters never limit God; He is sovereign over all events, all people, and all history. Though Satan sought in many ways to thwart God’s redemptive plan, as we see He began in Genesis 3:15, Satan has no power. The devil is feckless and already defeated (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 2:14-16; Colossians 2:15).
4. God’s timing is always perfect. Joseph and Mary arrived at a crowded Bethlehem, with all rooms taken (probably because of the census decree). Jesus’ incarnation did not involve a grand entrance full of pomp and power. Instead, He came in meekness and humility, as was foretold. The timing of our births is also God-ordained. We are in God’s perfect time at the very place He planned for us.
As we look forward, good Lord willing, to another Christmas celebration this year, let’s thank God for His amazing love and provision of a Savior for us. May we all share the Good News with the listeners and readers the Lord places in our paths.
Photo Credit:©GettyImages/MKucova
This article is part of our larger Christmas and Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ!
What Is Advent: Meaning, History, and Traditions
Advent Prayers for Friends, Family, and More
What Is an Advent Wreath and How to Use One?
The History of Santa Claus: Origin of St. Nicholas
Christmas Bible Verses & Scripture Story
What is Christmas? True Meaning and Holiday History
Christmas Eve History and Traditions
Why Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh?
When Was Jesus Born? Why December 25th
Where Was Jesus Born?
