Comparing the Two Accounts The Birth Jesus in the Gospels
Jesus was born in a very small country, it was not an important area
of land people only passed through it and passed by it. From north to
south of the country Palestine was less than 270km long. The Jordan
valley ran through the middle of the country, towards the north of the
country laid steep mountains the peak of mount Hermon was 3000 meters
above sea level.
Palestine was situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea,
in southwestern Asia. Palestine is now divided between Israel and the
Israeli-occupied territories, parts of which are self-administered by
Palestinians. At the time of Jesus' birth it was a small. It lay
between two of the great cultural centers of Egypt and Mesopotamia.
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During the time of Jesus the land was ruled by Romans, the Romans
where known for there brutal and vicious ways they would make the
Jewish people feel cheap and shameful as the Roman's thought of them
self's as superior.
The English word "gospel" is copied from the Old English godspel
meaning 'good tidings', which is a rendering of the Greek evangel ion
'good news'. During the time of Jesus' there where 4 main gospels but
the two gospels who wrote about what happened to Jesus where Matthew
and Luke. Below shows what both Matthew and Luke said when they where
with Jesus.
Matthew
The ancestors of Jesus traced to Abraham.
Joseph is engaged to Mary, she is pregnant and he plans a divorce.
The angel announces to Joseph the birth of a son by the Holy Spirit.
Wise men from the east ask Herod about the birth of a 'King of the
Jews'.
Jesus is born and visited by the wise men who were led by a star.
Joseph is warned to take the child to safety in Egypt.
Herod orders the massacre of all the children.
Herod dies and Joseph and his family return from Egypt.
LUKE
The book of Luke, found after the books Matthew and Mark, focuses on the ministry of Jesus Christ but it also gives us a look into His birth and growth in totality. In this chapter we see a historical account of some of the journeys that Christ experienced. It is important to keep in mind that the Bible and all of its books do serve as historical accounts but each book is unique in the fact that they incorporate a theological timeline. The Bible is, conceivably, the most important book that has ever been written. It gives the world eyewitness accounts to historical events that helped not only shaped a region of the world but the whole entire world. It is nearly impossible to go through some formal societal education and have never once read a part of the bible or have heard a story that adapts from the stories within the bible. The bible has helped formed institutions, associations and so much more. By reading the Gospel of Luke we are truly reading what is meant for us to read as Christians. The principal plot in the book of Luke is the life of Jesus Christ, his sacrifice, His ability to beat death and remain perfect as the son of GOD despite being human as well. Jesus is seen as the perfect savior for humans in the book of Luke. Luke not only gives multiple examples of the power of Jesus but also it gives us a look at The Lord’s triumph over temptation. Luke also depicts Jesus as a man/GOD who had a very deep concentration on people and relationships. The book of Luke gives Jesus a loving characteristic but doesn’t shy away from showing that at times Jesus got angry too. Jesus showed a great deal of compassion to the sick, those in pain, the poor, and unambiguously the sinful. Jesus had genuine love for everyone. Throughout this...
Throughout Jesus’ life he has effected many people for the better. But each person sees Jesus in a different way and interprets his almighty powers differently. This is where all of these Gospels came from. Each one is unique and talks about Jesus from each authors point of view. For example in the gospel of Luke there are many themes and ideas that are unique to the gospel and wouldn’t find in the other ones like salvation for the people by Jesus being portrayed as the Universal Savor, the Messianic Secret, God’s plan and the focus on poverty and the wealthy.
While most people in the West know the story of Joseph as a religious text from the book of Genesis and the Tanakh, it is crucial to realize that it is also a very important part of the Islamic faith when studying Western religion. In the Koran, the story of Joseph is also told, however it yields a different meaning. The two different accounts of the story of Joseph in chapters 37 and 39 through 50 of the book of Genesis and in Surah 12 of the Koran both tell the same story of Joseph, but the significance of each telling is different for every religion. By reading the two different accounts of the story, one can gain a clear and knowledgeable understanding of what is regarded as important to the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic faith.
The wise men’s actions which are affected by heavenly interventions (the star and God’s revelation in their dream), disclose the real nature of Jesus in this fragment. Therefore, Jesus is not just the “King of the Jews” but a being of worship and divinity. The wise men represent the people who seek salvation, someone to lean on, and an opportunity to omit sins. On the other hand, King Herod who is not present in the fragment, but mentioned, may represent the people who are interested in finding the truth, but are not doing anything in order find it. King Herod fears that his position as King is compromised, and by that driven fear he deceits the wise men. As a final point, the themes of deceit, the way people are represented and divine interventions play a significant role in this fragment, which will accompany THE NEW TESTAMENT as a
The story before Matthew 24:43-51, the parable of the fig tree, turns our attention to identifying the outline of events prior to Jesus’ return. The emphasis is on identifying the abomination of desolation, the great tribulation, and the signs in the heavens leading to Jesus’ return. Though the seasons will be evident, man will continue on as if its life as usual. Noah’s time is used as an example to show how people will not recognize what is right in front of them until it is too late. “Two men will...
Gerhard Lohfink, in his book, “Jesus of Nazareth” believes that Jesus’ person and ministry are intertwined, or actually one and of the same. After Lohfink clarifies the difference between the "reign of God" as distinct from the “Kingdom of God,” he asserts that in Jesus, there is this active, ongoing reign which is not only revealed, but is manifested in all He says and does. Lohfink states, that Jesus is “not just preaching about the reign of God, but He is announcing it,” going on to indicating that Jesus is manifesting this reign in His own self disclosure and the actions of His ministry. Jesus ways of teaching and interactions with others, is shown as compassionate, gentle, direct and personal, as well as definitive and bold. As we also find in Ch. 3, “All that is happening before everyone’s eyes. The reign of God is breaking forth in the midst of the world and not only within people.” (51) And for Lohfink, this is taking place in the actual preaching, actions and life of Jesus Christ. Simply, we are personally and collectively and actively a part of establishing this “reign” right here, right now. A “reign” of mercy, compassion, forgiveness, self-giving, sacrificial love, as well as of justice and peace.
In his Crucifixion, with the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist Mourning (c.1460), a piece within the Northern Renaissance collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rogier van der Weyden portrays a stark image of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The right panel of the diptych depicts the gruesome image of a crucified Christ. Weight pulls the emaciated body down into a Y-shape, contrasting the T-shape of the cross it is mounted on. The only movement comes from the loincloth wrapped around Christ’s waist that dances in the wind. Blood visibly trickles from the corpse’s wounds. Behind the body, a red cloth is draped down the grey wall. At the base of the cross sits a skull and bone. The left panel portrays the Virgin Mary swooning in despair as Saint John attempts to support her weight. Her hands are clasped in prayer as she gazes up at her lifeless son. Both figures are clothed in pale draping robes. The vibrant red of the cloth that hangs from the grey wall in the background contrasts the subdued colors of the
The Gospel according to Matthew, although being the first book of the New Testament canon, it was not considered the first gospel genre to be written. Matthew’s gospel gives an account of the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. In this essay, I intend to look at how the exegesis and interpretation of this gospel may be affected by our understanding of the authorship, its intended readership and where and when it was written. Although all these categories are important in their own right, I will focus more of the intended audience and readership of this gospel.
Compare and contrast the birth narratives in the Gospel of Matthew and that of the Gospel of Luke.
The Gospel of John, the last of the four gospels in the Bible, is a radical departure from the simple style of the synoptic gospels. It is the only one that does not use parables as a way of showing how Jesus taught, and is the only account of several events, including the raising of Lazarus and Jesus turning water into wine. While essentially the gospel is written anonymously, many scholars believe that it was written by the apostle John sometime between the years 85 and 95 CE in Ephesus. The basic story is that of a testimonial of one of the Apostles and his version of Jesus' ministry. It begins by telling of the divine origins of the birth of Jesus, then goes on to prove that He is the Son of God because of the miracles he performs and finally describes Jesus' death and resurrection.
While both the Gospel of Matthew and John tell of the global reordering plan for the world, each does so in a unique way. The Gospel of Matthew is able to show the reordering of the world by focusing on the aspect of Jesus as a teacher and the results of this; while the Gospel of John shows the reordering occurring as God works through Jesus showing signs to the people of who he is, focusing on the belief this brings to people. “But all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” (John 1:12). Through this verse, we see the reordering in effect, as all who receive him and believe in him have the power to become children of God.
The Virgin birth of Christ is an actual Historical fact. God came (in the sinless form of Jesus) into the earth "HE" created. No other event in the past has had so much impact out side of Calvary where Christ paid the price for our transgressions. Seven hundred years earlier, this was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah and it came about just as predicated in (Matthew 1:22, 23)
In the gospels of Mark and John, both showed a vivid portrait of Jesus in their writing. Mark’s gospel describes much more of Jesus' life, miracles, and parables as suffering servant. However, John’s gospel was written to convince people to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Nonetheless, both John and Mark present many of the crucial events of Jesus' life, including his trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.
The word 'gospel' means good news. There are four gospel accounts in the New Testament:
The word "gospel" is a translation of the Greek word "euangelion" which means "good news. The first three books in the New Testament (Mark, Matthew, and Luke) are often referred to as the Synoptic Gospels (from Greek synoptikos, "seen together") They bear greater similarity to each other than any of the other gospels in the New Testament. Along with these similarities come some differences among the gospels, suggesting that each gospel was written for a specific audience and for a specific purpose. This paper will examine the resurrection of Jesus, while identifying the significant differences between Mark, Matthew and Luke. This paper will also analyze the differences to suggest the prominent theological perspective each gospel author might be trying to convey about the resurrection of Jesus.