The Four Gospels
Matthew's concern was to persuade Jewish people
that Jesus, in spite of the fact that he did not set up an earthly
kingdom, was nonetheless the true Jewish Messiah every Jew was
expecting. Matthew did this by connecting Jesus wherever possible
with Jewish tradition. For example, he traced Jesus' genealogy
from Abraham (not Adam), quoted often from the Old Testament,
exposed the inadequate religious practices of Jewish leaders,
demonstrated Jesus' power in miracles, emphasized Jesus' teaching
about the true nature of God's kingdom, corrected false ideas
centered on an earthly kingdom, and insisted that the gospel is
for all nations rather than just for Jews. Accordingly, the book
of Matthew forms an ideal connecting link to the Old Testament,
orientated as it is to Jewish readers. Mathew, sometimes called
Levi, was one of the twelve disciples (9:9; 10:3), so that his
knowledge of Jesus was first hand.
Second in order but probably firstin writing,
the Gospel of Mark appears to be aimed at Roman readers. The author
John Mark was not one of the twelve disciples, but is mentioned
several times in the New Testament, for example in 1 Peter 5:13
where Peter called him "Marcus my son". Mark's information
about Jesus came largely from Peter.
The book of Mark appears to be addressed to Roman people who would
wonder why Christians would do such a seemingly foolish thing
as to follow a common criminal. By describing Jesus' deeds and
teachings, the author shows how Jesus offended the religious leaders,
how they in turn secured His crucifixion from Pilate, and how
God overruled that opposition by raising him from the dead. Mark
shows Jesus as the Son of God, worthy to be believed and followed.
Scholars say that the Greek literary style of
Luke is the best of all the Gospels. Luke dedicated his book to
Theophilus (and presumably also to readers of Greek background).Travelling
extensively with the apostle Paul, Luke would have adequate time
and contacts to do the research he spoke of in 1:3, His purpose
in writing this Gospel was to convince his readers of the truth
of the things they had heard about Jesus (1:4).
Luke adjusted his account of Jesus' ministry to persons without
a Jewish background, showing the universal appeal of the gospel.
For example, he described Jesus' birth in the setting of world
history, he traced Jesus' ancestry to Adam ( not only to Abraham
), he included beautiful hymns, he explained unfamiliar Jewish
customs, he emphasized Jesus' humanitarian compassion for the
poor and unfortunate, he stressed the prominence of women in Jesus'
ministry; in general he showed that Jesus is for Gentiles as well
as for Jews (24:47). Luke is the only Gospel to conclude with
the ascension of Jesus to heaven.
Written by "the disciple whom Jesus loved"
(21:20,24), the apostle John, this Gospel is generally regarded
to have been written late, between A.D. 90 and 100. John did not
attempt to cover all the same material as the other three Gospels,
he organized his book around seven major "signs" that
Jesus gave - signs designed to convince readers that Jesus is
the Messiah, the Son of God (20:31). The first of these signs
is the changing of water into wine (2:11), and the last is the
raising of Lazarus from the dead (11:43 ff,). John repeatedly
mentioned how certain person and events testified to Jesus.
Of particular interest is the fascinating insight in the prologue
of John which affirms that the same Word by which God created
the world in the beginning became flesh in the person of Jesus
(1:3,14). Just as that Word was not well received throughout history,
so now in Jesus it was not well received by Jesus' countrymen
(1:10,11). Yet those who accept the signs and the witness concerning
Jesus' divine origin may become children born of God (1:13).
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