Luke 1:26ff—Was the announcement of the birth of Christ made to Mary or to Joseph?

Problem: Matthew says the announcement of Jesus’ birth was made to Joseph (Matt. 1:20), but Luke asserts that it was made to Mary (Luke 1:26ff). Who is correct?

Solution: The announcement was made to Mary first and then to Joseph. Mary had to know first, since she would have been the first to know she was going to have the baby. Joseph needed to know next, since his wife was going to have a baby that was not his! This kind of pairing of visions on important matters is found elsewhere in Scripture. Compare Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10:3, 15) and Saul and Ananias (Acts 9:6, 10–16).

This excerpt is from When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1992). © 2014 Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Click here to purchase this book.