10/22/2024
Have you ever wondered why in the New Testament there are four different biographies of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? It might seem like they tell the exact same story. But when you study the gospels, you’ll see how each book reveals the same truth about who Jesus is in a unique way. The American Bible Society offers these brief overviews of the four gospels:
The gospel of Matthew is generally accepted to have been written by Matthew the tax collector, who was one of the twelve original disciples of Jesus. His account of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection focuses on the idea of “God with us,” or Emmanuel, which is one of the many names of the Messiah found in Scripture. In Matthew, you will see how Jesus connects to ancient Jewish traditions and the genealogical line of King David, along with the rest of the biblical story. You’ll also see how Jesus fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament as Matthew carefully explains that Jesus is the Son of God—and tells us what this truth means for our lives.
The gospel of Mark was likely written by a scribe named Mark who worked with Peter and Paul and recorded many first-hand accounts of Jesus Christ. Many of the stories in this book came from Peter’s own experiences with Jesus, and Mark uses this incredible testimony to share the good news about Jesus the Messiah. Throughout this gospel, you’ll read about Jesus’ teachings and miracles and see how people reacted to his claim that he was the Messiah. You’ll even see how Jesus’ own disciples struggled to understand who Jesus was. In addition, you’ll see connections between this gospel and earlier Scriptures like Isaiah and Malachi, which show how Jesus fulfills the role of the Messiah promised more than 400 years before his birth. You’ll also read some of Jesus’s most well-known parables, which still have important lessons to teach us today!
The gospel of Luke was written by Luke, a companion of Paul who is also widely accepted as the author of Acts. Like Mark, Luke depended on eyewitness accounts to create an organized story of Jesus’s birth, ministry, death, and resurrection. His book begins by introducing John the Baptist—God’s promised messenger—who would prepare the way for the Lord. Next, Luke introduces Jesus, who is the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Messiah to save his people. Through this gospel, Luke shows how Jesus is connected to the ancient bloodlines of David and Abraham. He also shows how Jesus, as a descendant of Adam, is the promised Messiah for all of God’s people—including the Gentiles. This radical truth was carried by believers like Luke to people who had never heard the good news about Jesus, and it’s a truth he encourages us to share with people in our own lives.
The gospel of John was written by John, who describes himself as the disciple Jesus loved. Like the other authors of the gospels, John’s focus is to present Jesus as the Messiah—fully God and fully human. He includes many signs and miracles of Jesus to support this claim, but his specific focus is what Jesus says about himself. Throughout the gospel, John includes seven “I am” statements from Jesus that echo God’s own revealed identity from the Old Testament. These statements help show God’s love for people, which manifested itself in the gift of Jesus Christ and his offer of new life for all who believe. They can also guide us as we seek to introduce Jesus to our family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors.
-Michael