Two of the evangelists, St. Matthew and St. Luke, open their Gospels with accounts of the Nativity of Jesus, including a prophetic star and the coming of the wise men, and angels appearing to shepherds to herald the birth of the newborn King. There are even remarkable accounts of the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary, His mother, while she was a virgin. It’s hard to believe that some New Testament scholars wonder if all of this is true. Surely, they say, if anything in the Gospel records smacks of myth and legend, it is these colorful stories of the conception and birth of the Son of God, laced as they are with angelic visitations, and miraculous signs and wonders. But what does the historical evidence actually suggest? Matthew and Luke The accounts of the Nativity by Matthew and Luke are obviously very different from each other. For example, Luke tells of the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin By Robert Stackpole, STD The Historical Jesus 18 Marian Helper • Winter 2024-25 • Marian.org
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