I have some questions about how to reconcile the birth narratives in Matthew 2 and Luke 2, so I thought I'd ask those (much) more knowledgeable than I on this board. My questions mostly revolve around the timing of what happens and when. Here's how I formulate each individual story (some personal thoughts/notes and then some questions too)...and then some final questions at the end of my post about determining the order of events mentioned in both accounts. I am using the ESV translation.
MATTHEW 2 - notes and questions
(1) "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea" (2:1). It appears that this chapter takes place while the family is still living in Bethlehem because, after Herod talks with the wise men, he not long after that orders that all male infants ages 2 and under should be killed in Bethlehem and the surrounding regions (2:16) there in Judea.
(2) How long did Mary and Joseph live in Bethlehem after Jesus' birth? The chapter does say the magi visited the family by coming into "the house (and) saw the child with Mary his mother" (2:11). It must've been some time less than 2 years, since that was the maximum age of male children that Herod ordered to have murdered shortly after the magi visit (2:16). (I assume the word "child" is implying someone a bit older than an infant.)
(3) Why would the family have lived so long in Bethlehem after Jesus' birth? To give Mary some time to recover after the birth (and the long journey from Nazareth)?
(4) After the magi visit the child Jesus, they are warned in a dream not to return to Herod (2:12). Joseph is warned in a dream to flee to Egypt to avoid Herod's coming wrath on all the male children ages 2 and under (2:13). Joseph and Mary stay in Egypt until Herod dies. They then travel back to Israel after an angel appears to Joseph in a dream (2:19). When Joseph hears that Archelaus was reigning over Judea (where Bethlehem is), Joseph is afraid to go back to Judea...and being warned in a dream, they withdraw to the district of Galilee instead and live in Nazareth (2:22). Why would Joseph want to return to Bethlehem instead of just going back home to Nazareth? I guess it just depends on their reason why they wanted to continue living in Bethlehem after Jesus' birth (and the census).
LUKE 2 - notes
(1) Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea because of the census (2:4). Jesus is born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger (2:7). Shepherds come visit Jesus in the manger (2:16).
(2) After 8 days, Jesus is circumcised (2:21). After the time of purification (33 days), they travel to the Temple in Jerusalem to present him to the Lord and to offer sacrifices (2:22). After they "had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth" (2:39).
OVERALL QUESTIONS (comparing both accounts)
Comparing these two stories, I am confused about the order of events. Luke says Jesus is born in Bethlehem (after the journey from Nazareth), then they go to Jerusalem after 41 days, and then they return to Nazareth. Matthew says Jesus is born in Bethlehem, the family lives in Bethlehem for no longer than approx. 2 years (the age of male children Herod has killed), then they travel to Egypt until Herod dies, and then they return to Nazareth (not Bethlehem). If the family had the circumcision and trip to Jerusalem...then wouldn't they need to return to Bethlehem for a while (instead of Nazareth) to be there for up to 2 years, then later travel to Egypt, and then later come back to Israel and go home to Nazareth? I'm curious why Luke might not mention the trip back to Bethlehem and flight to Egypt before saying the family returned to Nazareth.
Thank you so much!!
MATTHEW 2 - notes and questions
(1) "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea" (2:1). It appears that this chapter takes place while the family is still living in Bethlehem because, after Herod talks with the wise men, he not long after that orders that all male infants ages 2 and under should be killed in Bethlehem and the surrounding regions (2:16) there in Judea.
(2) How long did Mary and Joseph live in Bethlehem after Jesus' birth? The chapter does say the magi visited the family by coming into "the house (and) saw the child with Mary his mother" (2:11). It must've been some time less than 2 years, since that was the maximum age of male children that Herod ordered to have murdered shortly after the magi visit (2:16). (I assume the word "child" is implying someone a bit older than an infant.)
(3) Why would the family have lived so long in Bethlehem after Jesus' birth? To give Mary some time to recover after the birth (and the long journey from Nazareth)?
(4) After the magi visit the child Jesus, they are warned in a dream not to return to Herod (2:12). Joseph is warned in a dream to flee to Egypt to avoid Herod's coming wrath on all the male children ages 2 and under (2:13). Joseph and Mary stay in Egypt until Herod dies. They then travel back to Israel after an angel appears to Joseph in a dream (2:19). When Joseph hears that Archelaus was reigning over Judea (where Bethlehem is), Joseph is afraid to go back to Judea...and being warned in a dream, they withdraw to the district of Galilee instead and live in Nazareth (2:22). Why would Joseph want to return to Bethlehem instead of just going back home to Nazareth? I guess it just depends on their reason why they wanted to continue living in Bethlehem after Jesus' birth (and the census).
LUKE 2 - notes
(1) Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea because of the census (2:4). Jesus is born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger (2:7). Shepherds come visit Jesus in the manger (2:16).
(2) After 8 days, Jesus is circumcised (2:21). After the time of purification (33 days), they travel to the Temple in Jerusalem to present him to the Lord and to offer sacrifices (2:22). After they "had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth" (2:39).
OVERALL QUESTIONS (comparing both accounts)
Comparing these two stories, I am confused about the order of events. Luke says Jesus is born in Bethlehem (after the journey from Nazareth), then they go to Jerusalem after 41 days, and then they return to Nazareth. Matthew says Jesus is born in Bethlehem, the family lives in Bethlehem for no longer than approx. 2 years (the age of male children Herod has killed), then they travel to Egypt until Herod dies, and then they return to Nazareth (not Bethlehem). If the family had the circumcision and trip to Jerusalem...then wouldn't they need to return to Bethlehem for a while (instead of Nazareth) to be there for up to 2 years, then later travel to Egypt, and then later come back to Israel and go home to Nazareth? I'm curious why Luke might not mention the trip back to Bethlehem and flight to Egypt before saying the family returned to Nazareth.
Thank you so much!!