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The first two chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke tell stories of the beginnings of Christianity that are rather similar in some aspects and strikingly different in others. Any of the Gospels may be studied in comparison to others; studying these similarities and differences is perhaps the best way for an individual to come to an improved understanding of any Gospel. In my comparison of the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke, I will examine common features and significant differences in relation to the purpose of each of these gospels. Furthermore, I will show Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the Jewish Messiah as foretold by prophecy of Jewish scripture whereas Luke emphasizes the whole of Jesus life chronologically with emphasis on the Temple’s importance in his adolescent life. The Gospel of Matthew begins with a genealogy of Jesus, which relates back to Abraham, the father of the Jews. Many of the individuals included in the genealogy are important figures in Jewish Scripture such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David, Solomon and others. At the end of the genealogy, in verse 16, an interesting problem presents itself: this is the genealogy of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Matthew 1:18-25 states that Joseph was engag