In which gospels was the Christmas story told?

Answer

Matthew and Luke, though they agree on very few particulars and the common "nativity story" of Christmas is a gestalt of the two, with a heavy dose of extra-Biblical tradition thrown in.

Both begin with lineages of Joseph. They do not agree. Since Jesus is *not* the son of Joseph, this seems pointless, anyway.

In Matthew, Joseph is considering divorcing Mary after finding out she is pregnant. An angel appears to him, telling him what the child is and commanding him not to divorce her. Jesus is born in Joseph's home in Bethlehem ("When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home [...] she gave birth to a son," NIV). The wise men come looking for Jesus, following the star, and "on coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary" and present their gifts. Soon an angel warns Joseph of the coming slaughter, and they flee first to Egypt and then to Nazareth.

In Luke, things *begin* in Nazareth, where Mary and Joseph live. Mary, not Joseph, is visited by an angel. They go to Bethlehem for a census, and because there is no room at the inn, Mary lays the child in a manger. Angels announce his birth to local shepherds, and tell the shepherds where to find Jesus. There's no mention of a star, or of wise men, or of the slaughter, or of fleeing to Egypt or Nazareth.

So remember, when you see the plastic, light-up nativity scene on local lawns, it's not, technically, representing a scene from the Bible!

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