The Four Gospels
The four gospels are not meant to be a biography of the life of Jesus. For there are many more miracles that Jesus did and words that He spoke that were not included in the gospels record (John 21:25). The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are named as the “Synoptic Gospels” because of their alike styles and because they present a synopsis of the life of Jesus.
While the whole Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16), the Lord used the gospel writers who had different backgrounds, to reveal His truths through their writing as they viewed the life of Jesus from different angles. Each gospel is written for a specific reason. But together they all present a complete picture of the Messiah and His mission.
Different Aspects of Christ’s Ministry
Matthew introduces Jesus as the promised king the Son of David that would rule forever (Isaiah 11:1; Matthew 1:1; Matthew 9:27; 21:9). He shows from Jesus’ genealogy that He was the promised Messiah.
Mark presents Jesus as the Son of Man (Zechariah 3:8; Mark 8:36). He, a cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), writes primarily for Roman or Gentile Christians. His record includes Old Testament prophecies and describes many Jewish words and customs. The author does not include the genealogies of Christ’s. Mark stresses Christ as the suffering Servant, the One who came not to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
Luke shows Jesus as the Son of Adam (Zechariah 6:12; Luke 3:38). He stresses the humanity of Jesus. As a “physician” (Colossians 4:14), evangelist, and historian, he reaches to the gentiles based on the reports of eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1-4) and shares Jewish customs and Greek names.
John presents Jesus as the Son of God (Isaiah 4:2; 7:14; John 1:1, 13; 3:16). As an eye witness apostle, he stresses the meaning of faith and salvation. And he also confirms the deity of Christ (John 8:58; Exodus 3:13-14; John 20:30-31) and gives a detailed picture of the events during Jesus’ last days.
Several Witnesses
According to Deuteronomy 19:15, the judgment in any court was made not on the testimony of a single eyewitness but on the testimony of two or three witnesses as a minimum. In a similar way, the Gospels record on the life of Christ must be based on several accounts.
Bible critics try to discredit the Gospels by referring to the inconsistencies in their stories. They show the differences in the order in which the events were presented or the trivial specifics in the events. But if we examine the accounts of the four gospels, it becomes clear that they do not have the same chronology. For the stories in the Gospels are organized in a topical order, where an event introduces a similar story.
And even the variations between the four Gospels are a clear proof to the independent nature of the writings. They are an evidence that the Gospels are factual and reliable. Each of the four gospels presents a truth of Jesus from a different view, but they all speak of the same story. And, they are all in agreement with one another. Thus, the variances are complementary, not contradictory.
After careful and fair examination of the four Gospels, we find that they are harmonious testimony of God’s truth. The historic facts, the prophetic facts, and the narrative record present a complete and truthful picture of Jesus Christ as the Son of King David, the Son of man, the Messiah, and the Son of God.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
