Showing posts with label 4 Gospels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4 Gospels. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

4 Gospels


~ 4 Views of 1 Savior ~

November 2011 Tuesday Countdown:  4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 0 

There are many different ways of comparing the four Gospels.  Here is a very brief overview—much more could be said.

The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) stress the humanity of Christ.
The Fourth Gospel (John) stresses the deity of Christ.

Consider the opening of the four Gospels in conjunction with their primary readers:
Matthew  ~  Jews (genealogy—Jesus, the Son of Abraham) – King of Israel
Mark  ~  Romans (action, no genealogy) – Servant of the Word
Luke  ~  Greeks (starts with Adam—Jesus, the Son of Adam) – Son of Man
John  ~  Church (goes back to eternity—Jesus, the Son of God) – Son of God

Matthew  ~  Jesus Christ as King (the Messiah) – The Prophesied King
Sovereignty (to reign, to rule)
Mark  ~  Jesus Christ as Servant (all action) – The Obedient Servant
Humility (to serve, to suffer)
Luke  ~  Jesus Christ as Man (the Son of Man) – The Perfect Man
Humanity (to share, to sympathize)
John  ~  Jesus Christ as God-man (the Son of God) – The Divine Son
Deity (to redeem)

Matthew  ~  David’s “Righteous Branch” (Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15)
Mark  ~  Jehovah’s servant, “The Branch” (Zechariah 3:8)
Luke  ~  The man whose name is “The Branch” (Zechariah 6:12)
John  ~  “The Branch of Jehovah” (Isaiah 4:2)

Matthew  ~  The Royal Lawgiver (Matthew 28:18-20)
Mark  ~  The Mighty Worker (Mark 16:16-20)
Luke  ~  The Friend of Man (Luke 24:50-53)
John  ~  The Son of God (John 20:28-31)

Matthew  ~  The Gospel of the Jewish Messiah (Christ)
Mark  ~  The Gospel of the Wonder Working Servant (God)
Luke  ~  The Gospel of the Savior of all sorts of people (Holy Spirit)
John  ~  (The Son of God)

Matthew ~ What Jesus Christ THOUGHT (and said) – His Kingdom
Mark  ~  What Jesus Christ DID – His humanity
Luke  ~  What Jesus Christ FELT – His ministry (His human nature)
John  ~  Who Jesus Christ WAS – His Deity (He was fully God)

Matthew  ~  The Way of Righteousness
Mark  ~  The Way of Suffering
Luke  ~  The Way of Wisdom
John  ~  The Way of Love

Consider the closing of the four Gospels in conjunction with their primary readers:
Matthew  ~  Jewish mind: Resurrection (the crowning proof of His Messiahship)
Mark  ~  Roman mind: Ascension (exalted to glory and honor)
Luke  ~  Greek mind: Holy Spirit (promises of a Comforter to man)
John  ~  the Church: Second Coming (our Lord’s own promise of His return)

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW