Unit 10:
The Context of the Gospels
Section 8:
The Infancy Narratives
The Gospel According to Matthew, 1-2
The Gospel According to Luke, 1-2
The Infancy Narratives
• The Gospels lay the foundation for
understanding the message and the mission
of Jesus
• Each of the four Gospels contains a similar
but unique view of Jesus’ life and teachings
– Each Gospel contains the distinctive teachings,
preachings, understandings, and beliefs about
Jesus held by a specific early Christian
community
• Stories of faith intended to inspire and
strengthen the faith of other beleivers
The Infancy Narratives
• Infancy Narrative
– A story (myth) about Jesus’ birth and early life
– Contained only in the Gospel of Matthew and
the Gospel of Luke
– Each account is a unique and distinctive story
The Infancy Narratives
• Why?
– To provide a faith-filled response to the natural
curiosity of the early faith community regarding
the birth and early life of Jesus
– To link Jesus to the great figures of the Hebrew
Scriptures who experienced divine births
– To introduce the central themes and purposes
of the Gospel author
The Infancy Narratives
• The author of the
Gospel of Matthew
– Human/Angel with wings
• The Four Evangelists
– Rudolf Koch (1876-1934)
The Infancy Narratives
The Gospel According to Matthew
• The Context of the Gospels
– The Life of Jesus
• The political, cultural, social, economic, and religious
context of 1st Century Palestine
– The Early Disciples of Jesus
• Written as a result of the Resurrection
– The Gospel According to Matthew
• Written for Jewish Christians who were rejected by
other Jews for their belief in Jesus
• Approximately around 85 AD
The Infancy Narratives
Matthew’s Gospel: Two Fundamental
Questions
• Who is this Jesus called the Christ?
– The promised Messiah of the Jewish people
– The new Moses (law giver), the new King
David, and the greatest prophet
• What does it mean to be a disciple of
Jesus?
– To be faithful to God who has fulfilled the
promises of the Jewish tradition
The Infancy Narratives
Matthew’s Three Major Intentions
• Show his Jewish readers that Jesus was the Messiah they
had been waiting for
– Provides a genealogy of Jesus to demonstrate that Jesus was from
the line of King David
• Show his Jewish readers that Gentiles often accepted
Jesus as the Messiah even though many Jews rejected
him
– Includes the story of the wise men (or Magi), who were non-Jewish
men
• Portray Jesus as “the new Moses”
– The Holy Family flees to Egypt and is called out after Herod’s
death, reflecting the stories contained in the Book of Exodus
The Infancy Narratives
• The author of the
Gospel of Luke
– Ox with wings
• The Four Evangelists
– Rudolf Koch (1876-1934)
The Infancy Narratives
The Gospel According to Luke
• The Context of the Gospels
– The Life of Jesus
• The political, cultural, social, economic, and religious
context of 1st Century Palestine
– The Early Disciples of Jesus
• Written as a result of the Resurrection
– The Gospel According to Luke
• Written for Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians who were
Greek-speaking, wealthy, and well-educated
• Approximately around 80-90 AD
The Infancy Narratives
Luke’s Gospel: Two Fundamental Questions
• Who is this Jesus called the Christ?
– Merciful and compassionate Savior
– Special concern for the poor, outcasts, sinners,
women, children, and non-Jews (Romans,
Samaritans)
• What does it mean to be a disciple of
Jesus?
– To welcome all people into the Kingdom of God
The Infancy Narratives
Luke’s Four Major Intention
• Show that the Good News is for everyone, especially those
who are poor and downtrodden
– The angel Gabriel visits Mary (a woman)
– The shepherds (itinerant laborers) who visit Jesus
• Show that the Good News is for everyone, even Gentiles
– Provides a genealogy of Jesus that traces his ancestry back to
Adam, who is the father of all people, not just the Jews
• Portray Jesus as the divine Son of God
– Provides a genealogy of Jesus that traces his ancestry back to
Adam and, therefore, to God
• Point out the connection between John the Baptist and
Jesus
– Provides a birth sequence in which John shows the way to Jesus
The Infancy Narratives