209 - Four Gospels—One Story
- Gwen Diaz
- Jul 28, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 10
JULY 28 - Nº 209 Matthew 1:1; Mark 10:45; Luke 1:1-4; John 20:30-31
As God was preparing the world for His Son to come as the Messiah, there were basically four groups of people living on the planet:
First - there were Abraham’s descendants known as the Jews or Israelites. They were the nation God had chosen to be His representatives to the rest of the world (see #8 - January 8).
Second - there were the Romans who had unified the world and connected it with a sophisticated system of roads (see #208 - July 27). They were in power during the time Jesus was on earth.
Third - there were the Greeks who had greatly impacted the world with their language and culture during the reign of Alexander the Great (see #208 - July 27).
Fourth - there was everyone else in the world regardless of religion or ethnicity.
The four Gospels were written to these four different audiences. The goal of each author was to convince his readers that Jesus Christ was (and is) their Messiah. The stories these four accounts share are often the same (especially in the first three Gospels), but you will notice that their focus is very different.
Matthew wrote primarily to the Jews to prove that Jesus was their King.
The Jews were familiar with the Old Testament and its promises of a Messiah who would one day rule the world and bring them peace. Matthew shared how these promises would all be fulfilled by Jesus. He began his account with Jesus’ royal credentials. His genealogy proved that he was a descendant of David and rightful heir to his throne. Early in his life, he was worshiped by kings from other countries. His actions were powerful and his commands authoritative, just as a King's should be.
Mark wrote to the Romans. Being a good servant was extremely important in their culture. Everyone had an authority figure over them. So everyone, except Caesar himself, was a servant. And everyone except the lowliest servants had servants of their own. Mark wanted to convince the Romans that Jesus was the perfect servant.Therefore, he filled his pages with action, recording more miracles than any other Gospel. Mark does not contain a genealogy since it doesn’t really matter where a servant comes from. It only matters how well he serves and how much he sacrifices.
Luke wrote to the Greeks. He recorded the events of Jesus’ life chronologically rather than thematically, as the other gospels did. The Greeks were students of humanity. Their arts, literature, and sports all pursued the perfect human mind and body. Luke demonstrated that Jesus was the perfect man they were searching for. He was strong and tender; intellectual and practical. Luke recorded more stories of Jesus' interactions with women and children than any other Gospel writer. He traced Jesus’ ancestry all the way back to Adam - the very first man.
John wrote to the whole world. He wanted everyone to know that Jesus is the eternal Son of God, yet he was willing to become a man. John highlighted seven miracles that Jesus performed to reveal his sovereignty. And he shared seven instances when Jesus used God’s own name for himself, claiming that he was “Yahweh” (which translated is “I Am!”) when he spoke of himself. He points out that Jesus was with God from the very beginning.
God wants everyone to know His Son! That is why there are four Gospels! Although they only touch on only a few of the events that took place while Jesus was on earth, the Gospels offer us a powerful introduction to his life.
The Gospels each portray Jesus in a different light.
Look back over these summaries and ask yourself: Which aspect of Jesus’ character do I need to embrace more:
His power and authority as King?
His love as a servant?
His understanding as a man?
His holiness as the Son of God?
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