Matthew begins his Gospel (chapter 1) with Jesus' genealogy and his account of Jesus' conception. Luke begins his Gospel with an account of the birth of John the Baptist followed by the Annunciation to Mary and, implicitly, the conception of Jesus. Both evangelists are concerned with this beginning in time and place of the story of Jesus.

When John came to write his Gospel, he was concerned to show the beginning of the Christ event far beyond the beginning of time, in the eternity of God. He does not deny the importance of Jesus' conception and birth in place and time. He seems to be reminding us, or even teaching us, that if we do not cast our minds back into God's eternity, then we do not really understand Jesus and the wonder of our redemption. Without paying attention to the pre-existence of Jesus, we miss the core of the doctrine of our reconciliation with God. Our contemplation of Jesus' earthly life brings us much consolation and enlightenment and draws our minds and hearts to him. But a mere human vision of Jesus is insufficient, for "in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."