Before the two panels are examined I think that it’s important to note Luke’s prologue which addresses his writing to Theophilus as an account concerning the truth after Luke’s careful investigation of oral tradition. L material of the intertwined birth stories that Luke implements to Mark’s plot begins with the annunciations of John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ birth. John’s annunciation happens at the beginning of Luke when an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah in the sanctuary, telling him that his prayer has been heard and that his wife Elizabeth will bear him a son and he will name him John. That even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit and thus imposing his divinity. Luke goes directly to Jesus’ annunciation when Gabriel, an angel from God goes to Nazareth but in this case appears to the mother, Mary. Gabriel tells her that she has found favor with the Lord, that she will conceive and bear a son, that he will be named Jesus. He continues and tells her Jesus’ importance, how he will be called “Son of the Most High(God)” and will give him the throne of his ancestor David. Both of these stories come full circle when Mary goes to visit Elizabeth and John “leaped” in her womb, expressing how even John felt Jesus’ presence, so it’d be pretty safe to say that he’s the real deal. Luke continues on into the actual births, illustrating Jesus’ birth more but both John and Jesus are circumcised on the 8th day. White makes the comparison in 251 and tells how Jewish scripture shapes the narratives with the relationship of Jesus and John, and that of Isaac’s (Gen 18.1-15) and Samuel’s birth (1 Sam 1.1-2.10).
The background information at the beginning of Luke is used to make sense of John’s role but putting him side by side with Jesus, but eliminates any implications that may have arisen in thinking that John the Baptist was the Messiah as in some cases many people favored John over Jesus. But it is clear that even before birth, John knew from the womb knew his purpose and that he would only prepare the world and its people for Jesus’ mission. This is a way of implicitly stating how the book of Mark starts, when John the Baptist is at the river baptizing and says “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1.7-1.8)
Luke’s material doesn’t necessarily have to be true, but the purpose of it is to make his story sound better than Marks, to appeal better to a reader at the time and fill in the blanks that Mark left with the birth story and genealogy. These two components are key of an aretalogy and the narrative could even be compared to the ancient aretalogy of Apollonius of Tyana. Being and honest and truthful didn’t necessarily make a good writer, making it sound good and as close to perfect is what made a story sound good. Luke follows the outline of an aretalogy to make his story near perfect for whom he’s addressing it to in the name of Theophilus. Luke implies from the beginning that his version is the true version, so why not make the true version sound great and add elements that would make it a great piece?