The New Testament Story

‘Helping you find your way from Matthew to Revelation’

Regular Baptist Press

Unit 1  ‘Christ’s First Coming: His Birth and Early Life.

Session 3    The Four Gospels

PP Overview       This session is a survey of the 4 Gospels: Matthew, Mark,Luke and John. It is designed to give you an idea of th4e similarities and differences between the Gospels as they tell us about the life of Jesus Christ

PP Aims

By the end of this class, you will be able to:

          1. List the Gospels, state the perspective each gives of Jesus Christ and identify the key                   words or phrases in each Gospel.

PP Key Verse:  ‘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.’ Jn 20:31

Question: Tell me some of what you already know about the Gospels.

Question: What is your favorite story on the Gospels?

This morning we will look at the Biblical books that the stories you just mentioned are found. We will take a look at the writers and the purposes they had when they wrote about Jesus.

PP Key Verse:  ‘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.’ Jn 20:31

John’s words set the tone for the entire 4 Gospels.

The NT begins with 4 different accounts of the life of Jesus Christ. In some ways they are all the same.

·        They are biographies of the life of Jesus Christ

·        They tell us of his death on the cross and resurrection to life.

·        The holy Spirit equally inspired them all

·        They are all part of God’s Word, the Bible.

But they are also very different.

·        No two are exactly alike, if they were one wouldn’t be needed.

·        They highlight different subject matter

·        They use different vocabulary

·        They order events differently

Though they are different, three of the Gospels are joined together and are called _______?

·        The Synoptic Gospels

Synoptic means ‘having the same view’.

Question: What are the synaptic Gospels?

·        Matthew, Mark, Luke

PP I. The Gospel of Matthew

Question: Anyone know why Matthew’s Gospel is the first in the NT?

          PP A. The place of Matthew

                   -Matthew probably wasn’t the first Gospel written, that was most likely Mark.

                   -Matthew is first most likely because it bridges the gap between the OT and NT.                          

                   -Matthew quotes from the OT more than any of the other Gospel writers. He did                         this to show that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of OT prophesies. Over and over    again in Matthew you will read something like this…

PP Read: Matthew 1:22  ‘All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the                                          prophet’

          PP B. Matthew the writer

Question: What do you know about Matthew?

·        He was one of the 12 disciples

·        He was Jewish

·        He was from Galilee

Question: What was his other name?

·        Levi

                   -He was a twin: His brother was the apostle Thomas, also called Didymus.

                   -Matthew was a Publican, a Tax Collector for Rome before Jesus called him.

          PP C.  Matthew’s perspective on Jesus (King of the Jews)

                   -Matthew, like the other Gospel writers, wrote his book to tell others about Jesus.

                   -His primary audience was the Jews: therefore he presented Jesus as the                                      Prophesized King of the Jews.

                   -Since a king should come from a royal family, Matthew begins his book with a                           genealogy tracing Jesus’ ancestry back to King David. And then back to Abraham,   the founder of the Jewish nation.

PP Read: Matthew 1:1 ‘A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of                                       Abraham’

          PP D. Key words in the Gospel of Matthew  (fulfill, fulfilled)

                   -Due to his perspective of Jesus as King of the Jews, the key swords are ‘fulfill’                          and ‘fulfilled’ as they related to Jesus and the OT prophesies.

                   -17 times in his Gospel he uses the words ‘fulfill’ or ‘fulfilled’

                   -Because of Matthews ‘kingly’ perspective of Jesus in his Gospel, 32 times he                            refers to the Kingdom of Heaven, no other Gospel writer uses  this term.

          PP C. The power of the King: Matt. 28:19-20

                   -Matthew closes his Gospel with the Great Commission.

PP Read: Matthew 28:18-20 ‘Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’

                        -The Kings commands are to be obeyed. Jesus expected his command to be obeyed                     by his disciples…then and now.

PP II. The Gospel of Mark

          -The shortest of the 4 Gospels.

          PP  A. Mark, the writer

Question: Was Mark an apostle, one of the original 12 disciples?

·        No.

Question: What do you know about Mark?

·        He was very close to the apostle Peter.

·        His other name was John or John Mark used together.

·        His mother’s name was Mary and they lived in Jerusalem.

·        He went with Paul on part of his first missionary journey.

·        He was Barnabas’ cousin.

          PP  B. Mark’s perspective on Jesus Christ (Obedient Servant)

                   -Mark wrote primarily to the Romans

                   -The Romans were men of power and were doers. Mark presented Jesus as an                            obedient servant.

                   -He wrote about many of the miracles Jesus performed to show his power.

                   -He also wrote of the many things Jesus did…going from one to another                                     event/deed almost immediately.

                   -Since the Romans weren’t interested in the Old Testament, Mark uses only about                       half the quotes/references to the OT that Matthew uses.

          PP  C. Key words in Mark his perspective on Jesus  (immediately, multitude)

                   -Used 43 times by Mark in his Gospel, immediately is a key word showing Jesus      as one busy completing his mission.

                   -Another key word in the Gospel of Mark is ‘multitude’. It is found 17 times.

                   -Jesus seems to always attract a crowd to which he ministered.

          PP D. The wonder of the Servant: Mark 1:27-28

                   -Mark is the Gospel of wonder. In his Gospel, Mark emphasizes the multitudes                           ‘hushed’ and in ‘awe’ as Jesus spoke or performed a miracle.

                   -As we read of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, we too should still be ‘hushed’                     and in ‘awe’ of him.

PP III. The Gospel of Luke

          -Luke refers to the Holy Spirit more times than Matthew and Mark…combined.

          PP A. Luke, the writer

Question: What do you know about Luke?

·        Luke was not an apostle

·        Luke was not Jewish

·        He was probably the only NT writer who was a Gentile…go Luke!

·        Some Biblical scholars thing Luke might have written the Book of Hebrews

·        Luke hung out with Paul on  his 2^nd and 3^rd missionary journeys. 

·        Luke was the most highly educated of all the Gospel writers.

·        He was a doctor and showed an interest in those who were considered lesser people in his day: women, children, the sick.

          PP B. Luke’s perspective on Jesus (Perfect man)

Question: To whom did Luke write his Gospel?

·        Theophilus,

                   -Luke’s audience was the Greeks, that’s why his use of the Greek language is the                        best of all the Gospel writers.

                   -Greeks were interested in philosophy and teaching, to that end, Luke records                             much of Jesus’ teaching.

                   -Greeks were also historians, to that end Luke mentions many of the historic                                figures of his day: King Herod, Caesar Augustus, the Syrian governor Cyrenius,     Tiberius Caesar, and Pilate.

          PP C. Luke’s key phrase (Son of Man)

                   -The phrase ‘Son of Man’ appears 26 times in Lukes Gospel.

                   -This shows Jesus Christ as the perfect person who is the savior of imperfect                              humanity.

          PP D. The Savior of men: Luke 19:10

                   -Luke’s Gospel reminds us over and over again of why Jesus came to earth.

                             -He came ‘to seek and save that which was lost’ (Lk 19:10)

PP IV. The Gospel of John

          -John’s gospel is not like the others in many significant ways. Only 8% of what is found     in John is found in any of the other Gospels.

          -John’s Gospel was the last to be written.

          PP A. John, the writer

Question: What do you know about the Apostle John?

·        He was one of the first disciples to follow Jesus

·        He probably was the youngest…some say 16 yrs old when called by Jesus.

Question: What does this say about the importance of having a viable Youth Group in the church?

·        His brother was the apostle James.

·        He was one of the last apostles to die…he lived to almost the end of the 1^st century.

·        His father was Zebedee and they were a wealthy fishing family

·        His mother was Salome who took spices to anoint Jesus after his burial.

·        John, along with brother James and Peter were present at Jesus’ transfiguration.

·        John was the only Apostle at Jesus’ feet when he was crucified.

·        John was known as the ‘beloved disciple’

·        John also wrote 1-3 John and Revelation.

          PP B. John’s perspective on Jesus (Divine Son of God)

                    -John stresses the deity of Jesus Christ.

                   -He portrayed Jesus as the Divine Son of God.

                   -John referred to God and the Father 121 times and to Christ as ‘the Son’ 42 times.

PP Read: John 3:16  ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’

          PP C. John’s key word (Believe)

                   -Believe: is used 98 times.

                   -John’s Gospel is called ‘The Gospel of Belief’

          PP D. The personal Savior: John 3:3

                   -While Mark emphasized Jesus’ work withy the multitudes, John showed Jesus                            working with individuals.

                   -While Jesus is the Savior of the Word, salvation is a personal and individual        matter.

PP Read: John 3:3 ‘In reply Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’

Question: Any questions?