Why Were There Four Gospels?

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WhyWere There FourGospels?
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Gods Message For All Mankind
The Bible

• Focus
• Theme
• Purpose
• Whatever you call it, it is very important.

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The Most Important Message

• Many problems have resulted when we fail to
  recognize the authority of Gods Word in our
  lives.
• Many other problems have occurred when we dont
  rightly understand what is written.

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By the same token, if we do not understand the
why of Gods Word, we may miss the most important
message of all.
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Why did God write the Bible?
Especially the New Testament?
And why four gospels?
That will be our fundamental question for this
lesson!

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From Genesis to Revelation, there is one central
purpose which could be written at the top of
every page
God Reaching Out To Man
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The one overall theme or purpose of the Bible is
missionary in its concept.
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God Chose To Reveal
He is reaching out to all men of all time with
the missionary purpose of saving all who will
come to Him.

• Himself
• His law
• His desire
• His plan

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As one writer put it
God is walking through every page of the Bible
looking for man, just as He walked through the
Garden of Eden looking for him.
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The Messiah has arrived!
What the Old Testament spoke of and promised
since mans fall in the Garden of Eden (thousands
of years previously), the New Testament proclaims
in fulfillment.
What Abrahams descendants looked for and longed
for -- the Messiah, the Savior of the world --
has now arrived.
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The Four Gospels

• The first four books of the New Testament, the
  Gospels (good news), are written by four
  different evangelists (form of the same word
  gospel), proclaiming the ONE gospel of Jesus
  Christ.
• They are not purely biographical for they are
  openly evangelistic.
• They have good news to tell and they are going to
  tell it!

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The intent of the one gospel, written by four
different men, was to make us all missionary in
our focus. In other words, we are to be
gospelers if you will.
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The Gospel of Matthew
Reaching the Jewish Mind

• Matthews gospel has held the first place in our
  listing of New Testament books since the second
  century.
• It was not the first of the gospels to be
  written, but it forms a perfect link between the
  Old and New Testaments.
• The Gospel According to Matthew was written
  mainly to a Jewish audience.

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Matthews Opening Verse
This is the family history of Jesus Christ. He
came from the family of David. David came from
the family of Abraham
An introduction like this would be important to
the Jewish mind!
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Look at his use of O.T. quotes

• make clear the full meaning of what the Lord had
  said through the prophet (Matthew 122)
• In the town of Bethlehem in Judea. The prophet
  wrote about this (Matthew 24-5)
• John the Baptist is the one Isaiah the prophet
  was talking about (Matthew 33)
• This was written about John in the Scriptures
  (Matthew 1110, quoting Mal. 31)
• Jesus answered, Surely have you read in the
  Scriptures (Matthew 194)

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There are 40 direct quotes from the Old
Testament. That would impress a Jewish mind!
Matthew uses the Old Testament in his gospel more
than any of the other gospel writers.
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The thrust of Matthews account was to reach the
Jewish mind and make believers with a missionary
heart!
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The Gospel of Mark
Reaching the Roman Mind

• Although Mark tells the same story as Matthew, he
  uses a different set of eyes and sets forth an
  account suited for the vast Roman populace.
• His message is ultimately the same--the Savior
  has come!
• The Gospel According to Mark was Gods way of
  reaching out to a Roman audience.

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Marks Opening Verse
This is the beginning of the Good News about
Jesus Christ, the Son of God
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• Whereas Matthew begins his account by showing
  Jesus genealogical ties to David and Abraham,
  Mark goes all the way back to the Lords true
  heritage--God.
• This would have a great impact on the Roman mind.

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Explanation of Jewish Customs
The Pharisees and all the Jews never eat before
washing their hands in this special way. They do
this to follow the teaching given to them by the
great people who lived before them. (Mark 73)
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Explanation of Jewish Customs
This was Preparation Day. (That means the day
before the Sabbath day.) (Mark 1542)
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• Now to whom would the author need to explain
  Jewish or Aramaic terms and customs?
• It wouldnt be the Jew, it was the Roman mind.

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Marks Use of Action

• The Roman people were constantly busy. They
  extolled the virtue of activity.
• Mark wrote them a brief, but bustling account of
  the Lords deeds and teachings.
• He records 19 miracles performed by Jesus, but
  only 4 of His parables.
• Marks most common expression is straightway or
  immediately, found 42 times.

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Marks Use of Power

• The Romans also loved power and gloried in
  strength, often using intimidation to get what
  they wanted.
• Mark does not picture the Savior as using
  intimidation or scare tactics, but he does
  masterfully show the Lords power in the miracles
  he records.
• Mark does not record hundreds of one- disease
  miracles, but shows Jesus power over everything.

Mark took the Romans love for power and turned
it around to show them the Saviors power of love.
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We All Know That The Bible

• Has 66 books
• But did we remember that all but two of them,
  Luke and Acts, were written by Jews?

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The Gospel of Luke
Reaching the Greek Mind

• Matthew wrote to the Jewish audience Mark wrote
  for the Roman populace. Luke now joins in on the
  work, telling essentially the same story, and
  primarily addresses the Greek or Gentile world.
• Luke the beloved physician (Col. 414) was a
  well educated and intellectual Greek.
• He wrote Luke Acts in a Vol. 1 2 format.

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There is a unique feature found only in Luke and
Acts--a dedication--as both books are addressed
to a man named Theophilus.
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Lukes Opening Introduction
1Many have tried to give a history of the things
that happened among us. 2They have written the
same things that we learned from othersthe
people who saw those things from the beginning
and served God by telling people his message. 3I
myself studied everything carefully from the
beginning, your Excellency.
4I write these things so that you can know that
what you have been taught is true.
The Greeks emphasized culture, learning and
education, so this introduction would certainly
appeal to them.
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The Genealogical Record

• Matthew traced Jesus genealogy back to David and
  Abraham (for the Jewish mind)
• Luke traced His record even further, all the way
  back to Adam (338).
• In this way, Jesus would have universal appeal,
  the Savior of all men, not just the Jews.
• To the shepherds Dont be afraid, because I am
  bringing you some good news. It will be a joy to
  all the people. (210)

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The Unfortunate Disenfranchised

• Social outcasts (737-50, esp. v. 39)
• The Good Samaritan (1025-37) unique to Lukes
  gospel
• Tax collectors and sinners (151-2)
• Lazarus, a deserted beggar (1619-31)
• Lepers (1711-19)
• Dying thief (2339-43)
• Many women and widows

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The Unfortunate Disenfranchised
The Greeks were busy spreading their culture and
language all over the world. Their intent was to
better the people and improve their lives. Lukes
message of Christ would appeal to their mind.
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God cares for and will save the Greek in the
exact same way in which He cares for and saves
the Jew.
God wants His message of salvation spread. We
must spread it!
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The Gospel of John
Reaching the Post-Apostolic

• Matthew, Mark, and Luke are often referred to as
  the synoptic gospels because they present a
  common view of the life, ministry, and death of
  Jesus.
• Even a casual reading of the pages of Johns
  gospel shows a vast difference.
• Being the last surviving apostle, he writes for a
  post-apostolic mind.

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The Gospel of John

• John, writing near the end of the first century,
  seeks to preserve a more personal account of the
  Son of Mandetailing intimate conversations with
  His disciples and others He meets along the way.
• As a result, John emphasizes the spiritual side
  of Jesus more than the synoptic writers who
  stress His historicity.

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The Gospel of John
The gospel according to John has often been
called the Universal Gospel since it was
written for the post-apostolic mind. It was God
reaching out to all men who lived after the
apostles.
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Johns Stated Purpose
Jesus did many other miracles before his
followers that are not written in this book.
(2030)
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Johns Stated Purpose
But these are written so that you can believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. (2031)
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Johns Stated Purpose
The purpose of Johns gospel was clearly
missionary in intent!
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Johns Introduction

• Before the world began, there was the Word. The
  Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was
  with God in the beginning. All things were made
  through him. Nothing was made without him. In him
  there was life. That life was light for the
  people of the world. The Light shines in the
  darkness. And the darkness has not overpowered
  the Light (11-5)

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The Word became a man and lived among us. We saw
his glory the glory that belongs to the only
Son of the Father. (114)
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The Golden Text John 316

• For God loved the world so much that he gave his
  only Son. God gave his Son so that whoever
  believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal
  life.
• Why did God the Father send His Son to the world?
• Is this just for the Jews? Is this just for the
  Romans? Is this just for the Greeks? Is this just
  for people living in the first century?

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God, the greatest Giver, gave His Son, the
greatest Gift!
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Johns Final Verse
There are many other things that Jesus did. If
every one of them were written down, I think the
whole world would not be big enough for all the
books that would be written (2125)
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God wants all men for all time to be saved.
God wants His message of salvation spread.
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We must spread the salvation message.
Thats why there were four gospels!!