Contradiction

When we look at these two verses, we see Matthew and Luke do not agree on whether or not baby Jesus was being persecuted by Herod the Great.

“Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.”

Matthew 2:16

“And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord.”

Luke 23:46

Historical

The crucifixion happened around 33 CE. Matthew and Luke were written somewhere between 50 and 85 CE.

Luke and Matthew were written about 20 years to 50 years, after the crucification. Before it was written formally, people heard about the story of Jesus from other people. With spoken traditions, people basically told each other about it.

This was a period of time when most people could not read or write, and they were not direct eye witnesses themselves.