Why are there four Gospels? They all say the same thing don’t they? All four of the Gospel writers paint a detailed portrait of Jesus, but each writes from a unique perspective. It could be said that if we put all four of the Gospels together, we would have a more complete picture of Jesus. Some critics have tried to point out contradictions because of these differences. But each Gospel writer provides us with a picture of Jesus’ life and ministry from a unique perspective so naturally you would expect some differences. If all four Gospels were exactly the same we would doubt their reliability and accuse them of copying off one another. As we survey these four Gospels, we will discover that these slight variations actually support their authenticity. Today, I want us to discover the distinctiveness of each Gospel and see the wonderful portrait that they paint of our Savior and Lord.
I. Understanding the uniqueness of each Gospel.
A. The book of Matthew.
1. The portrait of Jesus painted by Matthew is that of a royal king with great authority.
2. Matthew’s audience is Jewish and the genealogy that is included holds great importance because it helps prove that He is the Messiah, a descendant of David in the line of Abraham.
3. Matthew quotes the Old Testament more than any other Gospel writer because from a Jewish perspective it is essential to see how the messianic prophesies are fulfilled in Jesus.
4. In fact the key verse of Matthew’s Gospel is a quotation from the prophet Zechariah.
5. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” (Matthew 21:4-5—NIV)
B. The book of Mark.
1. The portrait of Jesus painted by Mark is that of a humble servant.
2. Mark’s main audience is Roman so the genealogy and prophesies are not that important.
3. Instead of dealing with long discourses he packs a lot of action in his brief Gospel.
4. The key verse of Mark really puts an exclamation point on the humble servant theme. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45—NIV)
C. The book of Luke.
1. Luke a Greek physician and historian is the writer of the third Gospel. His readers appreciate achievement, beauty, culture and big ideas.
2. In true Greek fashion Luke paints a portrait of Jesus being the ideal man. Luke skillfully sketches Jesus’ life with great detail. His genealogy traces Him back to Adam. His birth, childhood, His relationships and sufferings all highlight Jesus’ humanity.
3. Luke includes more of Jesus’ teachings then the other writers. His Gospel includes the stories of the “Good Samaritan” and the “Prodigal Son.”
4. The key verse of Luke highlights the fact that Jesus has great compassion for fallen humanity. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10—NIV)
D. The book of John.
1. John writes several years after the other three Gospel writers and paints a portrait of Jesus’ divinity. The other writers painted Jesus as a king, servant and the ideal man but John shows that He is much more than these, He is God.
2. John’s Gospel is more universal in nature; it is intended for all people. He chooses to include seven miraculous signs that prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the Son of God.
a. Changing water into wine. (2:1-11)
b. Healing the royal official’s son. (4:46-54)
c. Healing the man beside the pool of Bethesda. (5:1-9)
d. Feeding the five thousand. (6:5-14)
e. Walking on the water. (6:16-21)
f. Healing the man born blind. (9:1-7)
g. Raising Lazarus from the dead. (11:1-45)
3. John brings his readers to the point of decision. We either accept Jesus as the Son of God or reject Him and head toward eternal death.
4. The key verse is quite unique among the Gospel writers because it expresses John’s purpose for writing.
5. Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31—NIV)
II. Helpful hints for understanding the Gospels.
A. What are the synoptic Gospels?
1. Matthew, Mark and Luke are known as the synoptic Gospels. The word synoptic is made up of two Greek words and literally means “seen together.” The words are syn which means together and opsis which means view.
2. These three books are grouped together because they use similar phrases and vocabulary as well as presenting a similar view point on Christ’s life.
3. John is the most unique of the Gospels, he includes information not found in the three synoptic Gospels such as the private words shared between Jesus and His disciples the night before He was crucified.
4. John’s theology in regard to Jesus is much deeper and well developed than the other Gospel writers. This is why it is not included in the synoptics.
B. The Gospels are never intended to trace every moment and detail of Jesus’ life.
1. The Gospel writers never intended for us to have a complete and uninterrupted story of Jesus’ life.
2. Each writer focuses on the details that were important to the audience to which he was writing.
3. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. (John 21:25—NIV)
C. To study the Gospels correctly, we need to harmonize them.
1. Reading the different perspectives on the same story allows us to be able to see the full impact of Jesus’ life.
2. The Gospels are intended to be read together providing us with a more complete picture of Jesus’ life.
III. Following the major events through the Gospels.
A. Jesus existed in the beginning.
1. Matthew, Mark and Luke begin Jesus’ life in the womb of young teenage girl named Mary but John begins much farther back in time.
2. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1-2—NIV)
3. The words “In the beginning” echo Genesis 1:1, especially to Jewish Christians; however, these words in John 1:1 do not refer to the act of creating but to the one who existed and who was present when creation took place, that is, the Word.
4. Then John identifies the word. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John1:14—NIV)
5. This is one of the most profound and meaningful verses in the Bible: the Logos who was God became flesh (a human being) and “lived for a while” among us, so that people could see his glory, glory of the only son of God.
6. Jesus is therefore God and God’s highest revelation, not merely in spoken words or writings, but in his human person and actions.
B. Jesus coming and living among mankind.
1. John literally says that Jesus came and dwelt among us. The Greek word used for dwelt presents the idea of pitching a tent.
2. John does not merely say that God took up residence in Jesus in a manner or degree not realized in anyone else. Rather, the verse says that God turned into a human, masculine being who was made of plain human flesh and resided for a while among plain human beings. In fact, it was through the flesh of the human Jesus that God’s glory and truth would be revealed in the fullest way.
3. The fancy term we give to Jesus’ entrance into this word is “incarnation.”
4. We must take to heart that Jesus was like us in every way except one, He never sinned.
C. Jesus’ sacrificial death.
1. At the very heart of the Gospel is the cross.
2. Jesus the perfect unblemished Lamb of God, being the only one qualified willingly laid down His life for our sins.
3. This message is so important to the Gospel message that we will spend the next two weeks examining it.
D. Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.
1. Death could not maintain a hold upon the Son of God, so on the third day He burst forth from the tomb victoriously.
2. All four Gospel writers feature the resurrection and call the reader’s attention to two important facts. This was a miraculous and a bodily resurrection and His body was not stolen.
E. Jesus’ second coming.
1. Only Mark and Luke provide us with what happens next. Luke actually provides us with the most details in the book of Acts.
2. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:10-11—NIV)
A preacher was visiting a man whose wife had recently died. On a cabinet in the living room was a wood four-fold picture frame decorated with gold leaf. Standing in a place where it could be seen from nearly everywhere in the room the frame contained four pictures of his wife. When asked about them the man explained, “Each picture provides me with one of my wife’s characteristic expressions.” He went on to say that, “No one photograph was enough, all four were needed.” Sometimes it would be one photograph that particularly spoke to him and sometimes it would be another one. But each one in its own way brought the memories that were dearest to Him to mind.
