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?

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.