The Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel of Luke

Mary is found to be with child prior to living with Joseph. (1:18)

The angel Gabriel visits Mary and let's her know that she is with child. (1:26-27)

An angel visits Joseph in a dream and tells him who the child will be, so Joseph sticks with Mary. (1:20)

No visit from any angel to Joseph in dream or in waking.

Joseph learns that he should name the child Immanuel according to scriptures. (1:23)

Mary learns that she should name the child Jesus. (1:31)

Joseph does as the angel tells him and marries Mary. (1:24)

No marriage - they are still unmarried when they leave for Bethlehem. (2:5)

No census.

Emperor Augustus calls for a census to count the inhabitants of the Roman Empire. (2:1)

No trip to Bethlehem.

Joseph takes his pregnant fiance with him on a trip to his hometown of Bethlehem. (2:4)

Jesus is born. (1:25)

Jesus is born (2:7)

Wise men come from the East. (2:1)

No wise men from the east.

The wise men question King Herod about the "King of the Jews". (2:2-6)

No questioning of Herod.

Herod commands the wise men to find this child. (2:7)

No wise men, still.

Wise men travel southwest (following a star in the East). (2:9-10)

Still no wise men.

No shepherds.

An angel visits some shepherds living in the fields. (2:10)

No angels or shepherds.

The angels tell the shepherds about a child born in Bethlehem and tell them that they will go visit this child. (2:10-14)

The wise men find the family in a house. (2:11)

The shepherds find the family in a manger. (2:16)

The wise men give the family gold and valuable spices. (2:11)

No gifts from the shepherds.

The wise men leave back to their own country, fearing King Herod. (2:12)

The shepherds, having no fear, proclaimed the things which they had seen to everyone they could find. (2:20)

No circumcision.

Jesus is circumcised and officially named. (2:21)

No presentation in the temple or sacrifice.

Jesus is presented in the temple and a sacrifice is made for him of 4 birds. (2:22-24)

No Simeon in Jerusalem.

Simeon, a man from Jerusalem, meets Jesus and his family and tells them that Jesus is the messiah. (2:25-35)

No female prophet.

Anna, a female prophet, also speaks great things about Jesus. (2:36-38)

An angel visits Joseph in a dream and tells Herod to take the new hamily and flee to Egypt. (2:13)

No dream, no angels.

Joseph Flees with his family.(2:14)

No flight.

Joseph and his family remain in Egypt until King Herod dies. (2:15)

No Egypt. Ho Herod.

Herod, angry that he had been tricked by the wise men, ordered all of the infants under 2 murdered. It is carried out. (2:16-18)

No massacre of children.

An angel appears to Joseph and tells him to return to Israel. (2:19-20)

No angels - no return.

Joseph takes his family back to Israel but becomes afraid and turns North towards the Galilee. (2:21-23)

No return from Egypt.

No festival.

Jesus' family goes to Jerusalem for the Passover festival at the age of 12, though there is no mention of them ever leaving the area. (2:41-42)

No return from Jerusalem.

Jesus' family leaves after the festival ends thinking that Jesus is with them. (2:43-44)

No panic.

Jesus' family panics when they find that he is not with them. (2:45)

No temple scene.

Jesus' family finds Jesus in the temple listening and asking questions of which all were amazed. (2:46-47)

No angry parents.

Jesus' parents are upset that he is there and ask him what he was thinking. (2:48)

No response from Jesus.

Jesus tells them that they should have expected him to be in the house of his Father. (2:49)

No misunderstanding.

Jesus' family does not understand what he means by this. (2:50)

Jesus goes to Nazareth (first time the city is mentioned in this gospel) from Egypt. (2:23)

Jesus returns to Nazareth with his family. (2:52)