MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
The person who knows us best is Jesus, and the best way to meet Him is through reading four books in the New Testament, called the Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John offer a portrait of Jesus’ life, teachings, death, and resurrection, and invite us to know Him personally.
The Old Testament provides the story of God’s preparation to send the Son to be the Messiah (called Christ) to deliver the world from the grasp of evil. New Testament letter writers such as Paul and Peter help clarify the meaning of Jesus’ life, and the Gospels give us a picture of His interaction with the Father and people.
The key event is the coming of Christ – entering the world through His incarnate birth. Our new birth happens as He comes into our life, and His return will establish an eternal kingdom. The introduction to the Book of Hebrews reads, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high..." (Hebrews 1:1-3).
Two events between 65 and 75 CE threatened the existence of the Christian community: 1) Roman emperor Nero set out to destroy all Christians; and 2) the ill-fated Jewish War resulted in the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple. More than historical accounts, the Gospels reveal God through His Son. "These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:31). Let’s take a short look at each of the four books.
Mark: Chronologically, Mark’s gospel of Jesus was the first written account of Jesus’ life, and it was penned during a time of great tragedy. By the time Mark wrote down what he’d been told by Peter, firsthand oral accounts of Jesus had been widely spread, and many of Paul’s writings were already in circulation. James the brother of Jesus had been martyred, as well as the apostle Paul, and most of the original disciples including Peter. Mark also died during these years, which might account for the abrupt ending to his book. In an impactful, but almost hurried way, Mark encouraged suffering people to follow Jesus who was victorious even through suffering and death.
Many scholars believe that Matthew and Luke used Mark as a historical framework. There’s much common material in their writings, yet both also introduce new content not contained in Mark. Most scholars conclude that Matthew and Luke also had access to a document of Jesus’ sayings known as “Q” meaning “source”.
Matthew: Losing the Temple and the war left Jewish believers searching for leadership in a Jewish context.
Matthew, a meticulous tax collector, wrote that the long-awaited Messiah - the Hope of Israel promised in the Old Testament - had come. His opening verse was a declaration that Jesus Christ is “the son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). He detailed Jesus’ genealogy in 1:17 - “all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the time of Christ fourteen generations.” More than sixty references to prophecy are used in Matthew, and the phrase “that it might be fulfilled” is a recurring theme. While Mark’s gospel had portrayed Jesus as the Suffering Deliverer, Matthew saw Him as the King, Son of David, rightful heir to the Kingdom, which begins now!
Luke: Reading this book, we get a sense of movement and destination, a journey on which Jesus took the disciples and us. Luke’s account is more literary than the other gospels, and contains 28 parables. In chapter 15 are parables about the lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost boy, the Prodigal Son. Each illustrates God’s immense love, the value of every individual, and joy in heaven when the lost is brought back into a relationship with God. There’s an emphasis on prayer, and on Jesus’ kindness to women, children, and the poor. Luke’s introduction (1:1-4) reflects the sincerity of the early witnesses to establish an accurate and reliable message. These first three books of the New Testament are called the Synoptic Gospels.
John: In writing the last Gospel, John chose a theological approach to correct Gnostic and philosophical misconceptions about Jesus which had already sprung up. John explains Jesus as the Eternal Logos, the Divine Word of Truth, who becomes flesh to reveal God to man. While the other Gospels focus on the life and ministry of Jesus, John provides a spiritual interpretation of His person, ministry, and divinity.
Each Gospel rings true for specific needs: if we’re struggling, Mark’s writings encourage us to know Jesus is victorious; to understand history and prophecy, Matthew connects it to Jesus for purpose and meaning; Luke helps us on our journey with Jesus; and John shows that behind Jesus’ story and ours is spiritual reality. The Gospels offer refreshing encounters with Jesus - read and allow them to draw you closer to Him.
