YLD (21/06/06) – Four Gospels in the New Testament
Summary
YLD Topic: Four Gospels in the New Testament
Scripture:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)
The first four books of the NT are called Gospels, and each one tells the story of Jesus from a different point of view.
- Luke was a doctor, a Greek Christian, the only non-Jew author in the NT. He was a close friend and companion of Paul. He also wrote Acts, and the two books go together. The audience of this book is for Gentiles. His account of Christ’s life is very detailed, and it’s written in a way to present Christ as the perfect human, the Son of man and also the Savior from God.
- Matthew was a former tax collector who became one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. The purpose of this book is to prove that Jesus is the Messiah. He refers to the OT prophecies telling people that Jesus is the promised king who lasts forever. The book is addressed to Jews.
- Mark was not one of the 12 disciples, but accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey. This book is shorter than the others. It’s likely he wrote his book in Rome, where his mentor the apostle Paul was in jail for Christ. Mark wanted to reassure the faithful ones that Jesus was who said he was so the followers would stand strong in the face of difficulty. He came as the Servant of God. This book is for Christians in Rome.
- John was the apostle, son of Zebedee, brother of James, called a “Son of Thunder”. He was closer to Jesus than any of the other Gospel writer, and he was the only disciple who followed him to the cross. After he was walking with Jesus for a lifetime, the “Son of Thunder” earned a new nickname: the “Apostle of Love.” His purpose of writing is to prove that Jesus is the Son of God and that all who believe in him will have everlasting life. He wants to share this message to all the new Christians and those who don’t know Jesus.
From here, we learn that
- From Matthew Jesus is the Promised King
- From Mark Jesus is the Servant of God
- From Luke Jesus is the Son of Man
- From John Jesus is the Son of God
Have you ever been punished?
Have you ever been punished for someone else’s mistake?
Have you even taken the punishment of other willingly?
Jesus offers his selfless love to us, a big price to pay for our punishment, willing to reach out to us so we can have a everlasting relationship with God.
