The Gospels give us three different perspectives on the birth of Jesus. Matthew and Luke provide narratives while John provides a theological perspective. These are all in addition to the genealogies of Jesus which have their own implications. In particular, I see in Matthew's the full inheritance of the Davidic kingdom and the fulfillment of the Jewish story while Luke's tracing to Adam emphasizes the humanity of Christ.
John 1 might deserve a separate email altogether, but on a superficial level, its language and scope mirrors that of Genesis 1. This connects Jesus to the beginning of time and human creation.
John 1 also emphasizes the connection between John the Baptist and Jesus. John the Baptist is the messenger to pave the wave for Jesus. This was a similar principle we saw in the writings of Malachi. A messenger to pave the wave for God to come.
We find from the other Gospel accounts that John the Baptist was probably only about six months older than Jesus.
The birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1)
John the Baptist was into the line of Levite priests. His father, Zechariah, is a priest and has a traditional priestly name. Zechariah's wife, Elizabeth, is a descendant of Aaron.
Side note, we later find out in Luke that Elizabeth and Mary are relatives. Thus, Luke was aware of Mary's family history and the omission of an ancestral link between Mary and king David suggests that Mary was not a descendant of David. Otherwise, Luke would likely have mentioned it. Rather, the Davidic lineage of Jesus comes through Joseph, adoptive father of Jesus. That said, we can infer that Jesus, through Mary, was likely a descendant of Aaron.
Zechariah and Elizabeth have no children and are beyond their child-bearing years. Zechariah is before the altar burning incense when he sees the angel Gabriel appear. Gabriel tells him his prayers have been heard and he will have a child. Since Elizabeth was beyond child-bearing years, he probably stopped praying for a child years ago.
Gabriel tells him that the child will be named John and the child will be dedicated to the Lord similarly to the Nazarite dedication.
Zechariah is skeptical of all this and asks how he will know that this will happen. Gabriel tells I'm that due to his lack of faith, he will not able to speak until all this is done. He then cannot speak.
This interaction echoes several stories from the Old Testament. First, it is similar to God telling Abraham that he will bore him a child. Abraham was likewise skeptical that Sarah would give birth so he took manners into his own hand with the birth of Ishmael.
It also is similar to the anointing of Isaiah. Isaiah the priest was before the altar when an angel appeared and touched a coal his lips. This spiritually cleansed Isaiah to speak for God. For Zechariah, the opposite outcome occurs and he is in fact unable speak for a time.
We might be critical of Zechariah for his lack of faith, but his silenced lips serve a critical function in the story. In essence, it creates a public spectacle associated with the birth of his son, John the Baptist. Zechariah's lips are loosened when he writes on a tablet the name of John and henceforth, the public knew miracles were associated with this child, John.
Hence, God was already using John to pave the way for Christ even while both were still in the womb.
The Virgin Birth (Matthew 1; Luke 1)
Meanwhile, Mary has a similar encounter with the same angel Gabriel. He tells her that she will be with child as a virgin. She displays more faith than Zechariah.
Her pregnancy is largely quiet, but we get a detail that the fetus of John leapt for joy while in the womb of Elizabeth when she encounters Mary who is now pregnant with Jesus.
From Matthew, we get the story about Joseph. Joseph and Mary are engaged to be married when Mary is found to be pregnant. However, Joseph is not the father.
Joseph is probably very broken-hearted and feels betrayed by Mary. He plans to quietly dismiss her as a future wife. This downplays the public skeptical, in contrast to speechless Zechariah. However, we know there would be some public interest in Mary's pregnancy since she is pregnant and unmarried. That is unless the greater public does not know. We do not know if Mary can hide her pregnancy yet from the public.
An angel appears to Joseph in a dream. The angel tells him not to worry and that this was all of the Holy Spirit. Joseph acts obediently in faith and takes Mary in as his wife. This would make the child's birth legitimate.
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