Unit 10: The Context of the Gospels

Section 7: The Infancy Narratives

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

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

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