.
**While this is certainly no academic endeavor, it does represent what I believe to be a plausible harmonic account of the Mathew and Luke narratives of the birth of our Lord. It is from the New King James Version, and Luke's texts are in blue, while Matthew's are in red. For your Christmas reading pleasure, I present the King Steve Version of:
A Harmony Of The Birth Narrative Of Jesus The Christ
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named
Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house
of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to
her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among
women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered
what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be
afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will
conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God
will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house
of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said
to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel
answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of
the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be
born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has
also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her
who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then
Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to
your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Now Mary was betrothed to
Joseph, and before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy
Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make
her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he
thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your
wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will
bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His
people from their sins.” (So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and
bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God
with us.”) Then Joseph, being aroused
from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his
wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from
Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took
place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered,
everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of
Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because
he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his
betrothed wife, who was still with child. So it was, that while they were
there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth
her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a
manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And
Joseph called His name Jesus.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the
fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the
Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For
there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the
Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in
swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven,
that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see
this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And
they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told
them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things
which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and
pondered them in her heart. Then the
shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they
had heard and seen, as it was told them.
And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the
Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was
conceived in the womb.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod
the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is
He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East
and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests
and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to
be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by
the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among
the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My
people Israel.’”
Then Herod, when he had
secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young
Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and
worship Him also.” When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the
star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood
over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with
exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the
young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when
they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.
Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return
to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. Now when they had
departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying,
“Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there
until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” When
he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for
Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My
Son.” Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go
to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” Then
he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of
Israel.
So when they had performed all things according to the law of the
Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew
and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon
Him.
