Q: Why Are There Four Gospels?
A: Each of the four Gospels presents Jesus
Christ from a different point of emphasis.
Matthew
Matthew, being a Levite, emphasizes Jesus as the Messiah, the Lion of the
Tribe of Judah. Each of the subtleties of his design supports this primary
theme. His genealogy begins with the "first Jew," Abraham, and continues
through David and the royal line to the legal father of Jesus,
Joseph.
Matthew's emphasis is on the fulfillment of the prophecies of the
Tenach, the Old Testament.
As a customs official, Matthew was skilled in shorthand, an essential asset
in a culture that did not have the advantages of printing, copiers, and the
like. Matthew focuses on what Jesus said, and includes the
extensive discourses, which he probably was able to take down verbatim.
Matthew's first miracle is the cleansing of a leper, a Jewish metaphor for
sin itself. Matthew concludes with the resurrection, also a distinctive
Jewish preoccupation.
Luke
Luke was a Gentile and a doctor, and his Gospel reflects
a very distinctive point of view, emphasizing Jesus as the Son of Man. His
genealogy begins with Adam, the first man. From Abraham to David, his list
is identical to that of Matthew. However, when he gets to David, he
doesn't track through Solomon (the first surviving son of Bathsheba) but through
a different son, Nathan (the second surviving son of Bathsheba). He
continues through to Heli, the father of Mary. (Joseph is the
son-in-law
of Heli). 1 As a Gentile, Luke's emphasis is
different. His emphasis is Christ's humanity; he focuses on what
Jesus felt. His first miracle is the expulsion of a demon, a very
human concern. Luke concludes with the promise of the giving of the Holy
Spirit, which is a natural bridge to his subsequent volume, The Book of
Acts
.
Mark
Mark is the amanuensis (secretary) for Peter, and he
emphasizes Jesus as the obedient Servant of YHWH. His is the only Gospel
with no concern for pedigree or genealogy. He focuses on what Jesus
did
; it deals in graphic
images, almost like a movie or video shooting script. Mark concludes with the
final visual appearance, the Ascension.
John
John had a very distinctive view, emphasizing Jesus as
the Son of God. He focuses on who Jesus was
. His "genealogy" is that of the Preexistent
One, constituting his opening verses. His Gospel is organized around seven
miracles, seven discourses, and seven "I AM" statements.
John's first miracle involves the use of the water of
purification being changed to wine at Cana, a private demonstration to the
disciples that Jesus was preeminent even over the Levitical priesthood. John
concludes with the promise of Jesus' return, and becomes the appropriate prequel
to John's final tome, The Revelation
.
The Four Faces Around the
Throne
It is interesting that each time we encounter the
"super-angels" (variously called cherubim or seraphim
) that surround the Throne of God, we note that there
are four "faces" involved: a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle.
2 These also were the principal tribal standards that
rallied the four "camps" of Israel (each camp consisting of three tribes) that
encamped around the Tabernacle.3
It is interesting that each of these "faces" are
suggestive of each of the four Gospels: Matthew, presenting the Lion of the
Judah; Mark, the ox (the classic emblem of servanthood); Luke, the Son of Man;
and John, the Son of God in the heavens. After you have explored our
summary resource, Learn the Bible in 24 Hours
, you are encouraged to examine, in depth, the four Gospels to
experience the skillful design that lies behind the familiar episodes.
They are, indeed, inexhaustible. But that's what you would expect from The
Word of God. Good hunting!
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, as well as the "5th Gospel," the
Book of Acts, are now available on MP3 CD-ROM.
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