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the wondrous and far-reaching connection that is established in the purpose of God
between Adam, mankind (including Jew and Gentile) and Christ.
Let us now examine one or two passages that are found in both Matthew and Luke,
and see what divergence there is, if any, and what significance may be attached thereto.
(1) THE FORERUNNER.
(a) The Time and Period.
Matt. 3: 1, "In those days."
Luke 3: 1, 2, "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate
being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother
Philip tetrarch of Iturĉa and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the
tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests."
Matthew, the Hebrew writer for the Hebrews, is unconcerned about the bearing of
Gentile rulers upon the date of John's commission, whereas Luke, the writer for the
Gentiles, gives the utmost attention to the Gentile powers that be.
(b) The Preaching of John.
Matt. 3: 1, 2, "Came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judĉa, and saying
Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Luke 2: 3, "The word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness,
and he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of
repentance for the remission of sins."
Here once more the divergence is according to plan. Matthew, the writer of the gospel
of the King, for the Hebrew Christian, stresses "repentance in view of the kingdom of
heaven"; Luke, companion of Paul, and writing for the Gentile convert stresses "the
remission of sins".
(c) The Quotation from Isaiah.
Matt. 3: 3, "For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias saying, The voice of
one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths
straight."
Luke 3: 4-6, "As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make
His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall
be brought low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways
shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."
It will be seen at once, that Luke could not be satisfied with the brief quotation made
by Matthew. He must go on until "the salvation of God" seen by "all flesh" is reached,
for such a theme coincides with the purpose of his gospel.