The Infancy Narratives

The Infancy narratives can be found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. These sections of the gospels help to understand the significant meaning of how God became man. It also leads readers to reflect with awe and wonder how an all-powerful God had to depend on the fiat of a simple and humble Jewish virgin from Nazareth for the salvation of the world (cf. the intuition of St. Louis-Marie de Montfort on the Incarnation).

Introduction

The infancy narratives are scripture passages presenting the circumstances of Christ's birth. The common concluding scripture event that frames the end of this infancy narrative is the depiction of Jesus in the Temple. [Lk 2:41-52].

In Matthew and in Luke

The narration of Jesus' infancy is found only in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Below is a brief summary of the sections that outline the circumstances and events of the birth of Christ in both Matthew and Luke:

The Matthean infancy narrative

Mt 1:1-17 - The Genealogy of Jesus
Mt 1:18-25 - The Birth of Jesus
Mt 2:1-12 - The Visit of the Magi
Mt 2:13-23 - The Flight into Egypt [v. 13-15],
Herod's Massacre of the Infants [v. 16-18],
The Return from Egypt [v. 19-23]

The Lucan infancy narrative

Lk 1:1-4 - The Gospel Prologue
Lk 1:5-25 - The Promise of the Baptist's Birth
Lk 1:26-38 - The Annunciation
Lk 1:39-56 - Mary's Visit to Elizabeth
Lk 1:57-80 - The Birth of the Baptist
Lk 2:1-20 - The Birth of Jesus
Lk 2:21-40 - The Circumcision and Presentation in the Temple
Lk 2:41-52 - Jesus at Twelve Years

Jesus birth in the Nicene Creed

The infancy narratives in the gospels of Matthew and Luke has become one of the sources in the formulation of the Nicene Creed, especially as regards the text which relates to Jesus being born of Mary:

"For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary,
and became man."

This text (including the rest of the Nicene Creed) containing the faith affirmation of Jesus being born of human flesh in Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, was formulated by 318 bishops who gathered at Nicea. These bishops worked for many months until they were able to issue the final form of the Nicene Creed in Greek on June 19, 325 A.D.

The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed

This creed was developed after Nicea and has a different version of the birth of Jesus. However, the creed is richer and fuller than the original Nicene Creed, and is better suited to liturgical recitation. The text concerning the birth of Jesus states:

"...who for us men and for our salvation came down
from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit
and the Virgin Mary, and became human."

The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed uses the term "incarnate" as compared to the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke which uses:

• "conceive" - Lk 1:31
• "come upon you" - Lk 1:34
• "overshadow you" - Lk 1:34
• "conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" - Mt 1:20
• "found to be with child of the Holy Spirit" - Mt 1:18

The use of the term "incarnate" for the original meaning in Greek cannot certainly carry the full import of the original. And if the Greek text were to have a literal rendering and translation, it would be:

"and being made flesh out of the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and becoming human."

As with anything human, especially in terms of language and culture, translations and creedal formulations can only help get a glimpse of the full light of the mystery of the birth of Christ.

Jesus greater than John the Baptist

The infancy narratives in Luke has a special structure that is to be noted. If it were studied in more detail - how it is structured - one will discover that there is a section in the narratives that gives a parallelism between the infancy narrative of John the Baptist and the infancy narrative of Jesus. This parallelism is structured thus:

Annunciation of John the Baptist's birth - Lk 1:5-25
Annunciation of Jesus' birth - Lk 1:26-38

Birth of John the Baptist - Lk 1:57-58
Birth of Jesus - Lk 2:1-20

John's circumcision - Lk 1:59-79
Jesus' circumcision - Lk 2:21

Growth of John as a child - Lk 1:80
Growth of Jesus as a child - Lk 2:40, 52

So close are the similarities between the accounts of both John and Jesus' infancy narrative that many bible scholars say that one probable reason for this construction in Luke is to truly present John as a herald for Jesus, and that Jesus is really superior to John - Jesus being one who would replace John in John's prophetic role when he enters His public ministry. Also, the "bridge" verse that proves that the scholars findings may be true, is the verse which tells about the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth [Lk 1:39-56] and the "Magnificat" [Lk 1:46-55].


There is another explanation to this parallelism and it has to do with the stereotype Old Testament pattern about the birth of a notable figure in the salvation history of Israel. This pattern is evidenced in many of Israel's important leaders and patriarchs and prophets. One notable figure is Isaac. The parallel pattern of the birth accounts of Jesus and John the Baptist, is also found in the story of the birth of Isaac [Gen 17:1, 3, 15-16, 17, 19].

The name "Jesus"

"Jesus" was a common name among the Jews at the time. In the original Hebrew, it was "Josue". Jesus Christ was given another name at the same time, the name "Emmanuel" [Mt 1:23]. If the meaning of these two names were combined, the combination would mean a Divine Presence which delivers and saves - a Divine Presence that was already experienced by the people of the Old Covenant [Israel to Yahweh], and is now continued through the very incarnation of God in the person of a Jewish man named Jesus.

The significance of the infancy narratives

The infancy narratives, both in Matthew and Luke, serve a great purpose in the understanding of the Christian faith. The essential meaning and import of these special passages provide great spiritual insights and wisdom that can not be found in other world religions or faiths. And the divine intuition is received as a gift through one's faith in God-in-Jesus. For only through faith can Christians truly affirm that: 'God, in His greatness and glory; in all His might and great power; had to depend on the "yes", the consent, he fiat, of a humble Jewish maiden and virgin, so that He may save the world from sin, perdition, destruction and death.' [St. Louis-Marie de Montfort] So great is God's love for all humanity that He shared in man's sinful condition so that many may share in His divinity [the mystery of the Incarnation].

Related books and references:

• "Gospel Parallels: A Synopsis of the First Three Gospels" by Burton H. Throckmorton, Jr.
• "And Would You Believe It! Thoughts About the Creed" by Bernard Basset, SJ
• "The Creed: What Christians Believe and Why It Matters" by Luke Timothy Johnson
• "Mary in the New Testament" by Brown, Donfried, Fitzmeyer, Reumann [editors]
• "Invitation to Luke" by Robert J. Karris
• "Life of Christ" by Fulton J. Sheen