Christmas Story
Write a paragraph about how these differences reflect the unique audiences of the respective gospels.
The gospels of Matthew and Luke are complementary to each other and tell the same basic story about the coming of Jesus Christ. The purpose of giving different information in both Matthew and Luke’s Gospels is to reach different audiences. Matthew writes to the Jewish people to strengthen their Jewish traditions within a growing community. As for Luke, he writes to the people who have already converted to Christianity but were unfamiliar with teachings of Jesus. Luke wanted the Christians to know Jesus and how he grew to become our Saviour. Since the Jewish people were already familiar with Jesus, Matthew did not need to go into detail about the birth of Jesus and his claim to becoming our Saviour. Basically, Matthew’s writing seems to be a summary of Jesus’ birth.
In conclusion, the gospels of Matthew and Luke were written to bring light to very different perspectives to different audiences. Matthew was written to reason with the Jews and that Jesus fulfilled the prophesies of the Old Testament; whereas, Luke is more interested to establish Jesus’ bloodline to Adam.
Write an additional paragraph about how your new understandings reveal elements in your personal fifth gospel.
This task has enlightened me and as well introduced to me the “synoptic” Gospels. I was not aware that Gospel meant “Good News” and that each Gospel serves a different audience. I do not recall where I read this, but this opened my mind and made be look at the Bible with different eyes, “The Bible is not written for fact, but written for Faith”. This statement makes perfect sense to me considering that I come a science background that is always relating articles with facts.
My fifth Gospel with consists of both portraits of this event from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. I think by combing both Gospels makes my audience feel good. It explains the beginning, middle and end of the birth of Jesus. The following events will may my audience “feel” good:
I found Luke to be a “thinker” because I found his story to be very political and precise in details about other people’s events. As for Matthew, I found him to be a “feeler” because his story felt warmer to the heart. Matthew’s story was a “feel-good” event since there was no mention of boys to be murdered, rich Magi visit, and the story was around Mary, Joseph and Jesus.
- An angel named Gabriel visits Mary telling her that she will become pregnant with God’s son, named Jesus.
- Angel Gabriel also tells Mary that her cousin Elizabeth is also to become pregnant
- Joseph does not believe Mary until Angel Gabriel visits him in a dream explaining God’s plan for Mary’s son, Jesus.
- Caesar Augustus demands every man and his family to return to their birthplace for the census.
- Joseph travels to his homeland, Nazareth to Bethlehem.
- Mary (8 months pregnant) and Joseph travelling on a donkey set out on a 4 week journey to Bethlehem.
- When they arrive at the town, there was no room at the inn due to the over abundant amount of people travelling home for the census.
- Mary gives birth in a barn, wraps Jesus is swaddling and lays him in the major.
- The three Wiseman (Magi) visit King Herod and tell him of the coming Messiah.
- The star of Bethlehem appears in the sky and guides the Magi to visit Jesus where they bring gifts.
- The Magi return home by taking a different route to avoid King Herod, so King Herod announces his plan of killing every boy under the age of 2 in Bethlehem
- Joseph is warned of King Herod’s plan in his dream by an angel, so he flies with his family to Egypt.
I found Luke to be a “thinker” because I found his story to be very political and precise in details about other people’s events. As for Matthew, I found him to be a “feeler” because his story felt warmer to the heart. Matthew’s story was a “feel-good” event since there was no mention of boys to be murdered, rich Magi visit, and the story was around Mary, Joseph and Jesus.