Do you have an angel or a star on the top of your Christmas tree? Neither is more spiritual than the other. In fact, both point to Jesus in the Christmas story, depending on which Gospel account you read.

We often merge the Christmas story details from Matthew and Luke into one complete and coherent unit. We copy and paste and then read it as a whole. But each author compiled his story for a specific purpose to an individual audience. That story introduces the narrative of each Gospel, but it also fits seamlessly into the overarching picture of Scripture.

There’s nothing wrong with harmonizing the Gospels, per se. But I would suggest a better approach is to read them in the context in which they were written, comparing and contrasting them. That brings us back to that angel or star on the top of your Christmas tree.

In Matthew, the wise men were following a star but searching for a king. In Luke, an angel heralded the birth of a baby to shepherds at night. Two different groups, two different Gospels — and two different ornament choices. But one overarching message about Christ.

How do these Gospel accounts help us better understand the nature of Jesus’ first coming? Let’s take a look at three contrasts and how we can use them to speak truth to the Church today.

The Rich and the Poor

In popular imagination, shepherds are given the role of filthy peasants while the wise men are often considered kingly and high class. However, the notion that shepherds were outcasts and unclean is unfounded. Jesus used shepherds in a positive context many times in His teaching.

Some shepherds owned flocks and made a good living. Nevertheless, it is generally agreed that they occupied the lower rungs of society, living modestly. Meanwhile, although the idea that the wise men were “three kings” has been debunked, their status in society was likely higher than that of shepherds.

Jesus’ earthly family was apparently poor (see Leviticus 12:8 and Luke 2:24). But the gifts of the wise men helped resource them. The gold, frankincense and myrrh the wise men brought Jesus were not only signs of royalty, but they were highly valuable. In fact, they probably helped fund the family’s sojourn in Egypt.

Isn’t it interesting that when placed side by side, the accounts of Matthew and Luke paint a picture of Jesus being both destitute and wealthy? Paul says right along with Him, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty” (Philippians 4:12).

This is a great reminder to us that no matter our status in society, we all have equal standing before God. Jesus identifies with both the poor and the rich. And regardless of our personal resources, we have a God of unlimited means.

Christ’s sacrifice for our sins is the real reason for the season.

Public and Private Worship

The wise men’s story is shrouded in secrecy. Their origin is unclear. They meet Jesus under the cloak of night and enter His home to worship privately (Matthew 2:11).

The shepherds, on the other hand, go public with their adoration of the newborn babe. They “spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child” (Luke 2:17) and went around the area “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen” (verse 20).

Our worship of Jesus should begin privately, in our personal prayer time. But the outward extension of that should be public identification with Him. We are careful not to practice our righteousness just for public recognition (Matthew 6:1), but we should never be afraid to acknowledge Jesus to the world (Luke 12:8).

Our exaltation of Jesus should not be limited to private experience. And our public profession of Him should be based on a sincere heart relationship. The public and private aspects of worship go hand in hand. Without one, the other may suffer. But as we practice both, we grow closer to our Lord.

Slain Lamb and Risen King

Shepherds set out to find a newborn lying a manger, while the wise men sought a king. They both found what they were looking for.

The fourth Gospel offers insight into these contrasting images — bringing together the humble and the exalted. Although John doesn’t provide a detailed Christmas story in the traditional sense, his introduction about the eternal Word becoming flesh leads into the declaration by John the Baptist, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

John picks up on this imagery again in Revelation 5. Here we see the throne room of God, and “a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain,” appears (verse 6). But the Lamb is exalted as worthy and crowned with honor! As it turns out, a slain Lamb and a triumphant King are completely compatible images. But how?

We find the answer at the cross. The cross brings the manger and the rest of Scripture into focus. In fact, Christ’s sacrifice for our sins is the real reason for the season. It’s why Jesus came.

The shepherds looked for Jesus, but it was He who came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). And the wise men paid Him homage, but Jesus “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Jesus completed all of this at the cross, not at the nativity.

Whether following a star or listening to an angel chorus, what matters most is where it leads. The gospel goes beyond an old dusty manger where a mother placed her newborn among hay. It reaches further than a house in Bethlehem where a relatively unknown child sparked a revolution of the soul.

It leads all the way down Calvary’s road to a cross — and then beyond, to an empty garden tomb. As we celebrate Christmas, we should keep it in proper context. And that includes our Savior’s birth, death and resurrection.