Luke-luke draws our attention to a number of parallels between the birth of jesus and john the baptist:1. both conceptions were miraculous2. the angel gabriel appeared to parents of both children3. the names of both children were assigned by god4. both mothers sang songs that were recorded by lukelukes purpose in doing this may have been to build upon john the baptists popularity as he began to tell his audience the story of jesus. luke doesnt just highlight similarities between these two men, but also goes on to show that jesus was greater than john the baptist. for instance, while john the baptist is called a prophet and there was earthly rejoicing over his birth, jesus is identified as savior, christ and lord and there was both earthly and heavenly rejoicing over his birth (luke 2:13).