The author of Luke draws almost parallel birth and genealogy narratives for Jesus and John the Baptist. It begins with the virgin pregnancy of Elizabeth, then while John is in the womb, he kicks when Mary arrives at their home, showing that pre-birth John the Baptist has predicted Mary’s own divine pregnancy. Then the naming of Jesus closely follows that of John’s and then they both circumcised. The Gospel of Luke creates a much more expansive birth narrative than Matthew and focuses more on Mary than Joseph. While the author consciously advances the reputation of John the Baptist, later in Luke there is an obvious divide between the divinity of John and that of Jesus. Luke also hones in on the John the Baptist’s mother, Elizabeth who is unexpectedly pregnant like Mary. The entire foundation of Luke seems to be built upon relationship of Jesus and John and that of Isaac’s (Gen 18:1-15) and Samuel’s birth (1 Sam 1:1-2:10 Luke’s author makes a point of using the word favor, “for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant” (Luke 1:48) to create a connection with “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look with favor on the lowliness of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant” (1 Sam 1:11 LXX). In Samuel, Hannah who had been barren was finally blessed by god with child, similarly in Luke, Elizabeth and her husband Zachariah who were much older were also blessed. Also Hannah promises “he shall drink neither win nor intoxicants, and no razors shall touch his head.” (1 Sam 1:11) This same announcement is made by an Angel in regards to John in (Luke 1:15)

By creating such a detailed background story, Luke’s Author wants to show the tight and undeniable connection between John the Baptist and Jesus. On the other hand, the audience should also know that events didn’t just occur by accident. Because, “even before his birth he will be filled with Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:15). John the Baptist is already a holy baby within the womb, and then upon Mary’s arrival he kicks, showing his own divine significance and simultaneously warning of Mary’s own divine pregnancy. Further down the line, this intertwined narrative creates the building blocks for Jesus receiving a baptism from John, and the beginning of Jesus’s ministry.

While Matthew shows little Greco-Roman literary influence, The Gospel of Luke creates a birth narrative similar to Apollonius of Tyana, following aretology guidelines. In a sense, The Gospel of Luke is trying to fill in the blanks left by mark, while also polishing up some of the semi-divine or human like traits. By creating a birth and genealogy narrative, the Gospel of Luke cohesively shifts from “the birth narrative and continues right through to the Passion narrative and into Acts” (White 255). It needs to be obvious to the readers that these scenes haven’t just been predicted, they’ve been divinely prophesized. Out of all the gospels, it is Luke that creates the best ‘divine-man’ narrative, using ancient aretology methods to both compare and out due its literary predecessors like the Life of Apollonius and the Life of Moses. Luke creates the true son of god, the ultimate savior.