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A Coming Christ in Advent: Essays on the Gospel Narratives Preparing for the Birth of Jesus: Matthew 1 & Luke 1
Father Brown reflects here not only on those annunciations of Jesus' forthcoming birth in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, but also on the beautiful canticles, the Magnificat and the Benedictus, and on the "origins of Jesus" as given in the first words of the New Testament.
72 pages, Paperback
First published November 27, 1988
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About the author
Raymond E. Brown
138 books103 followersRoman Catholic priest, member of Society of Saint-Sulpice and a prominent biblical scholar, esteemed by not only his colleagues of the same confession. One of the first Roman Catholic scholars to apply historical-critical analysis to the Bible.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 1, 2020
As always, Brown's scholarship is unmatched. His Catholic viewpoints are occasionally at variance with my Protestant opinions, but Brown's contribution to Biblical study cannot be argued. I look forward to reading the next volume of essays An Adult Christ At Christmas.
December 11, 2019
I got new insight from this work and could make more meaning from the 1st chapter of Matthews Gospel
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December 14, 2025Pub. 1988
December 13, 2015
Advent is a season of preparation for the coming of Christ. In this book the author takes a look at the first chapters of Matthew and Luke and draws reflections that enable the reader to enter deeper into the text and consequently deeper into the mystery of Christ. These initial chapters contain the long historical preparation for the coming of Christ in the history of Israel. Both Matthew and Luke allude to the historical developments leading up to Christ’s birth. Their views of history find expression through their narratives and are doctored to suit their readers, keeping in mind their context and background. Therefore, the first chapter of Matthew and Luke don’t only tell us about the events around Jesus’ birth but also unearth the story of Israel which lies beneath.
The first chapter delineates the origin and purpose of the infancy narratives and thus sets the foundation for what is to follow. The author stresses that similarity of facts is not as important as similarity of religious message. Matthew and Luke differ in a number of details, for example, Matthew cites Bethlehem as the hometown of Mary and Joseph but Luke gives it as Nazareth. Commitment to scripture doesn’t mean taking every fact as true rather it implies a recognition of the differences and the use of an independent hermeneutic for each account. Such an approach helps keep fundamentalism and skepticism at bay.
The second chapter is a reflection on the genealogy of Jesus as given in the gospel according to Matthew. The author bemoans the subtle neglect of the genealogy on account of its not having much bearing on the faith. He insists that such thinking is erroneous and that the genealogy contains the essential theology of the Old and New Testaments. He divides the genealogy into three parts: Patriarchs, Kings and Unknown and Unexpected persons. The section on the Patriarchs begins with Abraham and ends with Jesse. The distinctive character of this section is the choice of one son over another. Isaac was chosen over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau and Judah over his brothers. This pattern indicates to us God’s plan. The best weren’t always the ones chosen. The genealogy of Jesus contains both sinners and saints. The section on the Kings reveals the rise of monarchy and its ignoble end in exile. The third section reveals to us God’s grace that works through the unimportant and forgettable. There is also a theological import for the inclusion of the names of five women, all of whom had a marital history of scandal or scorn.
The third chapter deals with the Annunciation to Joseph. Matthew doesn’t report the annunciation to Mary. In this chapter the author throws light on the situation of Joseph. He uses a realistic approach and carefully avoids the spiritual vein which is often highlighted. He indicates the role of Joseph and his relation to the Christ-child. The fourth chapter marks a transition from Matthew to Luke. The author first presents the structure and function of the first chapter of Luke and takes a brief look at each of the special components like the angel Gabriel, Zechariah and Elizabeth. This infancy narrative acts as a bridge between the Law and the Prophets, and the time of Jesus. Parallels are drawn to emphasize this point.
The fifth chapter focuses on the Lucan canticles, the Benedictus in particular. The origin and meaning behind the canticles is lucidly indicated. The Benedictus is presented as a hymn that reveals early Jewish-Christian Christology. The final chapter can be considered dedicated to Mary for it deals with the Annunciation, Visitation and Magnificat. The author presents his exegesis of the texts and draws some wonderful insights.
The book is exceptionally well-written and has the capacity to inspire. The author proves his erudition in the scriptures and shows himself to be insightful. His insights, although they may seem pretty commonplace today, must have been startling when he first proposed them. The book is especially useful to preachers but has beneficial material for every Christian. Those looking to prepare themselves internally for Advent would find Brown’s insights to be helpful.
The first chapter delineates the origin and purpose of the infancy narratives and thus sets the foundation for what is to follow. The author stresses that similarity of facts is not as important as similarity of religious message. Matthew and Luke differ in a number of details, for example, Matthew cites Bethlehem as the hometown of Mary and Joseph but Luke gives it as Nazareth. Commitment to scripture doesn’t mean taking every fact as true rather it implies a recognition of the differences and the use of an independent hermeneutic for each account. Such an approach helps keep fundamentalism and skepticism at bay.
The second chapter is a reflection on the genealogy of Jesus as given in the gospel according to Matthew. The author bemoans the subtle neglect of the genealogy on account of its not having much bearing on the faith. He insists that such thinking is erroneous and that the genealogy contains the essential theology of the Old and New Testaments. He divides the genealogy into three parts: Patriarchs, Kings and Unknown and Unexpected persons. The section on the Patriarchs begins with Abraham and ends with Jesse. The distinctive character of this section is the choice of one son over another. Isaac was chosen over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau and Judah over his brothers. This pattern indicates to us God’s plan. The best weren’t always the ones chosen. The genealogy of Jesus contains both sinners and saints. The section on the Kings reveals the rise of monarchy and its ignoble end in exile. The third section reveals to us God’s grace that works through the unimportant and forgettable. There is also a theological import for the inclusion of the names of five women, all of whom had a marital history of scandal or scorn.
The third chapter deals with the Annunciation to Joseph. Matthew doesn’t report the annunciation to Mary. In this chapter the author throws light on the situation of Joseph. He uses a realistic approach and carefully avoids the spiritual vein which is often highlighted. He indicates the role of Joseph and his relation to the Christ-child. The fourth chapter marks a transition from Matthew to Luke. The author first presents the structure and function of the first chapter of Luke and takes a brief look at each of the special components like the angel Gabriel, Zechariah and Elizabeth. This infancy narrative acts as a bridge between the Law and the Prophets, and the time of Jesus. Parallels are drawn to emphasize this point.
The fifth chapter focuses on the Lucan canticles, the Benedictus in particular. The origin and meaning behind the canticles is lucidly indicated. The Benedictus is presented as a hymn that reveals early Jewish-Christian Christology. The final chapter can be considered dedicated to Mary for it deals with the Annunciation, Visitation and Magnificat. The author presents his exegesis of the texts and draws some wonderful insights.
The book is exceptionally well-written and has the capacity to inspire. The author proves his erudition in the scriptures and shows himself to be insightful. His insights, although they may seem pretty commonplace today, must have been startling when he first proposed them. The book is especially useful to preachers but has beneficial material for every Christian. Those looking to prepare themselves internally for Advent would find Brown’s insights to be helpful.
December 1, 2009
This very short book (71 pages) examines the Infancy Narratives of Matthew 1 and Luke 1. Brown, a Catholic priest, reflects on how the Infancy Narratives tie the Old Testament to the central proclamation of of New Testament -- that the Messiah & Savior has come into the world. The author's insights are thought provoking and inspire deeper contemplation of the scriptures.
July 28, 2011
Good essays on the Birth narrative. Thought-provoking to aid one in preaching these narratives from a fresh perspective.
December 4, 2015
A short book that serves to enhance ones Advent meditations.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews