Week #1 - How Do the Gospels of Matthew and Luke Connect With The Old Testament?
Blog Series Intention Recap
The Questions of Christmas series invites us to slow down and look at the Christmas story with fresh eyes. We begin by seeing how Matthew, Luke, and the Old Testament fit together to tell one true story about Yeshua (Jesus)—Israel’s King and our Savior. Then we explore how Hanukkah’s themes of light and God’s faithfulness shape the world Yeshua (Jesus) was born into. We also look at why many scholars believe Yeshua (Jesus) was likely born during the Feast of Tabernacles, when God came to dwell with His people. Finally, we discover who the magi really were and how their long journey shows that the nations have always been drawn to Israel’s Messiah.
This page is a post in the series “The Questions of Christmas.” Click here to see the rest of the posts.
Let’s jump into Week #1:
One story, two different sets of eyes… Matthew and Luke are telling the same Christmas story, just from different seats in the room, and both lean on the Old Testament to show that Jesus really is Israel’s promised Messiah. Matthew highlights Jesus as the true King in David’s line, while Luke shows how His birth brings God’s salvation and joy to every kind of person. Their perspectives don’t compete—they complete each other—and together they give us a fuller picture of Jesus’s early life. Both writers remind us that God kept every promise He made, from the virgin birth to the line of Abraham to the prophecies spoken centuries before. When we hold their accounts side by side, Christmas becomes a bright reminder of God’s faithfulness and the hope we have in our Savior.
Why it Matters:
Matthew writes to show Jesus as the Messiah promised to David and Abraham.
Luke writes to show Jesus as the Savior whose birth brings joy to all people.
The Old Testament prophecies give the backbone of both accounts.
Seeing the unity strengthens our confidence in the incarnation.
Go Deeper:
ONE STORY, TWO WINDOWS
Every December, we read the Christmas story. But often, we read Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts as if they were separate. The stories feel different. Matthew discusses Joseph, the Magi, Herod, and the flight to Egypt. Luke talks about Mary, the shepherds, Zechariah, and the songs of praise that fill the Temple.
Some of us wonder:
“Why do the stories not sound the same?”
“Did Matthew and Luke disagree?”
“Which one is right?”
“Why does the Old Testament matter for Christmas at all?”
The answer is simple and essential: Matthew and Luke tell the same story from different angles, but both rely on the same promises. Christmas is not two stories. Christmas presents a unified story of Scripture’s final confirmation that the God of Israel keeps His covenant.
To understand Christmas, you have to understand both gospel writers and the entire Old Testament standing behind them.
Why did Matthew tell the story as he did?
1. Matthew writes to show Yeshua (Jesus) is the promised King of Israel.
Matthew opens his Gospel with a genealogy. Matthew 1 often seems like just a list of names, and it often feels like God is just trying to bore the reader. This list is a story in a single paragraph. Matthew writes:
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham”
(Matthew 1:1, ESV)
Matthew was writing a mission statement.
Son of Abraham: Yeshua (Jesus) is the One who brings the blessing promised in Genesis 12:3.
Son of David: Yeshua (Jesus) is the King promised in 2 Samuel 7:12–16.
Jesus Christ: the Messiah—HaMashiach, the Anointed One.
Matthew is showing his Jewish readers that the story they have hoped for has arrived.
2. Matthew tells the story through Joseph’s eyes.
Matthew brings Joseph to the center, not because Mary is unimportant. Matthew focuses on Joseph’s legal authority, placing Yeshua (Jesus) in David’s royal line. Adoption gives Yeshua (Jesus) the legal right to David’s throne.
Joseph’s role answers the question: “Is Jesus truly the Davidic King?”
Matthew’s answer: Yes. Without Joseph, Jesus would not stand legally in the royal line.
3. Matthew highlights prophecy at every turn.
Matthew repeats a pattern throughout chapters 1–2:
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet…”
(Matthew 1:22, ESV)
He quotes Isaiah, Micah, Hosea, and Jeremiah. Why?
Because Matthew wants the reader to see that Jesus does not appear from nowhere. His standing rests on the foundation of Scripture.
Here are some key Old Testament promises Matthew highlights:
Virgin birth — Isaiah 7:14
Birth in Bethlehem — Micah 5:2
Exile imagery — Hosea 11:1
Weeping over lost children — Jeremiah 31:15
To Matthew, the entire story of Israel funnels into the birth of the Messiah - Yeshua (Jesus).
4. Matthew tells about the magi and Herod.
Why does Matthew include the magi but not the shepherds?
Because the magi show that the nations recognize Israel’s King, and Herod shows the conflict around the rightful throne of David. These are kingdom themes. Matthew wants readers to see Yeshua (Jesus) as the true King. Adding the shepherds to the story would distract from the royal feel of Matthew’s story. Shepherds were considered unclean because of their connection with animals, blood, and living in the open fields.
Why did Luke tell the story as he did?
1. Luke writes as a careful historian.
Luke opens his gospel with one of the most explicit statements of purpose in the New Testament:
“…having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you…”
(Luke 1:3, ESV)
Luke investigates eyewitnesses. He interviews people. He writes to Theophilus, likely a Gentile official. His goal is clarity, confidence, and accuracy.
Matthew writes like a rabbi.
Luke writes like a historian and physician.
2. Luke focuses on Mary, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, Anna.
Luke tells the story from the inside—from the hearts of faithful Jewish believers living at the end of the Old Testament era. He shows the joy of those waiting for redemption.
Luke wants readers to understand:
Jesus’s birth is good news for the humble.
God keeps His promises to ordinary people.
Redemption comes in surprising ways.
Luke focuses on song, worship, and joy because that is what the incarnation brings.
3. Luke emphasizes “good news for all people.”
The angel says to the shepherds:
“Fear not… I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”
(Luke 2:10, ESV)
This is Luke’s theme: the birth of Jesus is global good news, not just a national blessing.
4. Luke ties Jesus to both Israel’s story and the world’s salvation
Luke gives two genealogies:
One through Mary (biological descent)
One all the way back to Adam (universal descent)
Why Adam?
Luke is showing that Jesus is the Savior of the whole human race.
THE OLD TESTAMENT AS THE FOUNDATION
Matthew and Luke tell the story differently, but the roots are the same. The Old Testament is not background decoration. It explains everything in the Christmas story.
Here are the primary Old Testament themes that both writers rely on:
1. The Promise of a Deliverer (Genesis 3:15)
The first promise of salvation shows that the Messiah will be born of a woman and will defeat evil. The virgin birth connects directly to this promise.
2. The Promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3)
The Messiah would come from Abraham and bless the nations. Matthew highlights Abraham. Luke shows the nations coming near.
3. The Promise to David (2 Samuel 7:12–16)
God promises an eternal King. Matthew clearly emphasizes this. Luke echoes it when Gabriel says:
“The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David.”
(Luke 1:32, ESV)
4. The Prophetic Hope of Isaiah
Isaiah anchors both gospel accounts:
Isaiah 7:14 — The virgin will conceive.
Isaiah 9:6–7 — A child will be born who is Mighty God.
Isaiah 40 — A voice will prepare the way of the Lord (John the Baptist).
5. The Bethlehem Prophecy - Micah 5:2
Matthew cites it, but Luke confirms it by showing the census that brings the family there.
6. The theme of God dwelling among His people
The birth of Jesus fulfills the tabernacle imagery:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt [literally: ‘tabernacled’] among us.”
(John 1:14, ESV)
Both gospels show God returning to His people.
7. The suffering and opposition of God’s chosen Servant
Herod’s violence parallels the patterns seen in Pharaoh and other enemies of God’s people. Matthew—especially—highlights these parallels.
THE UNITY OF THE GOSPEL ACCOUNTS
1. The differences are complementary, not contradictory
If two witnesses tell a police officer the exact same story word-for-word, the officer becomes suspicious. Real witnesses tell the truth in different ways.
Matthew and Luke do the same.
Matthew emphasizes the kingdom.
Luke emphasizes the incarnation’s joy.
Both emphasize God’s promises.
Both present the same Messiah.
Both rely heavily on the Old Testament.
2. The timelines can be harmonized
Luke records the earlier events:
Annunciation, Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary’s praise, the shepherds.
Matthew records events after the early days:
The magi, the escape to Egypt, Herod’s cruelty, the return to Nazareth.
When combined, they form a coherent timeline.
3. The theology is unified
Matthew: “Jesus is the promised King.”
Luke: “Jesus is the Savior for all.”
Both depend on the same Scriptures. Both show God keeping His Word. Both present Christmas as God entering history to save His people.
How does this help me understand the concept of “The Questions of Christmas?”
ONE STORY OF ONE SAVIOR
When we bring Matthew, Luke, and the Old Testament together, Christmas becomes clearer and stronger. We see the birth of Yeshua (Jesus) not as a sentimental story, but as the arrival of God’s Messiah at a specific moment in history. The gospel writers are not competitors. They are faithful partners telling one story from two angles—one King, one Savior, one hope for the world.
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR US TODAY
1. We trust the Scriptures more deeply
Seeing the unity of the accounts strengthens confidence in the inspiration of Scripture.
2. We understand God’s faithfulness
God made promises thousands of years before Jesus was born. He kept them exactly. Christmas proves God does not fail.
3. We see the Messiah clearly
Yeshua (Jesus) is not a vague religious figure. He is the King promised to Israel and the Savior promised to the nations.
4. We worship with knowledge
Christmas becomes richer when we see it through the lens of biblical prophecy.
5. We see the Old and New Testaments as one story
The Bible is not a collection of random books. It is one unified narrative leading to Christ.
Christmas is the fulfillment of God’s promises. Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah of Israel and the Savior for the nations. The story is one. The Scriptures are one. The Savior is one.
