Lesson #17

Lesson #17

How Do Matthew, Mark and Luke Differ?

In one sense, the four gospels are similar, as they are all portraits of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. But each gospel also contains a special message. One way to unlock the special message is to work out what is different about each gospel.

Matthew’s Gospel

Jesus’ words

Two-thirds of Matthew’s Gospel, 1,071 verses, records the spoken words of Jesus.

Jesus is king

Matthew presents Jesus as Israel’s promised messianic king. Look up the following Bible references, which clearly reveal a portrait of Jesus as a ruler or king. 1:23; 2:2; 2:6; 3:17; 4:15–17; 21:5; 21:9; 22:44–45; 26:64; 27:11; 27:27–37

Father God

Matthew’s favorite way of describing God is to refer to him as “heavenly Father” or “Father in heaven.” What do we learn from the following verses about God our Father? 5:16; 5:45; 5:48; 6:1; 6:9; 7:11; 7:21; 10:32–3; 12:50; 16:17; 18:10; 18:14; 18:19

A gospel for Jews

Matthew quotes from the Old Testament more often than the other three gospels.

Matthew shows his Jewish readers, through these quotes, that Jesus really was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.

Matthew indicates that Jesus came from the Jews.

Matthew demonstrates that many events in Jesus’ life – birth, early childhood, teachings, miracles, arrest, death and resurrection – fulfilled prophesies about him written hundreds of years before in the Old Testament.

Mark’s Gospel

Mark’s message

It’s not too hard to see what Mark’s main message is. From reading Mark 1:1 , it is clear that this gospel is all about Jesus, the Son of God.

The humanity of Jesus

Mark emphasizes the humanity and kindness of Jesus.

• Jesus is “deeply distressed.” 3:5

• Jesus has “compassion” for a large crowd. 6:34

• Jesus is deeply distressed and “troubled.” 14:33

• The gospel’s favorite title for Jesus is “Son of Man,” used fourteen times. This title appears in Daniel 7:13 –14, where it is used of the Messiah. It is a title that is never used by anyone but Jesus. 10:45

Jesus is the Son of God

Mark shows how Jesus is the Son of God.

Read about the many times Mark refers to Jesus as the “Son of God.” 1:1, 11; 3:11; 9:7; 12:6; 13:32; 14:36, 61

Mark shows that Jesus acted with divine authority. In his conflicts with the Pharisees, Jesus acts and speaks as God. 2:1–12, 15–17, 18–22, 23–38; 3:1–6

Discipleship

Mark concentrates on the death of Jesus on the cross, and the need for Jesus’ disciples to follow him in a life of self-renunciation. 8:34–9:1; 9:35–10:31; 10:42–45

Luke’s Gospel

Luke was a Gentile, not a Jew. He wrote his gospel for the Gentiles. Luke took great pains to stress that Jesus was for everyone, not just the Jews.

In his gospel, Luke presents Jesus as the savior of the world, and shows that Jesus came:

• For women as well as men.

• For slaves as well as for free men.

• For the poor as well as for the rich.

• For people who had not been brought up as Jews.

Key themes in Luke

There are six themes to look for. List the themes, and write down the related Bible references, as you come across them.

• Prayer

• Money

• The Holy Spirit

• Forgiveness

• Praise and joy

• Women and children

Incidents recorded only by Luke

Many events only appear in Luke’s Gospel. See how they fit in with the six key themes mentioned above.

Zechariah’s vision and Elizabeth’s conception. 1:5–25

Gabriel’s visit to Mary. 1:26–38

Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. 1:39–56

Birth of John the Baptist and Zechariah’s song. 1:57–80

The decree of Caesar Augustus. 2:1–3

Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. 2:4–7

The shepherds. 2:8–20

Jesus’ circumcision. 2:21

Jesus is presented in the Temple; Simeon and Anna. 2:22–40

What’s So Special About John’s Gospel?

Opening Observations

Matthew, Mark and Luke are similar to each other, but John is quite different.

Many of the incidents mentioned in John’s Gospel, such as Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet (John 13:1–17), are not in Matthew, Mark or Luke.

Signs

One distinctive characteristic of John’s Gospel is the fact that he does not talk about miracles, but signs.

Start by reading John 20:31 , as John states why he recorded these miraculous signs. As you look up each sign, consider how it helped to reinforce who Jesus was.

The seven signs

“I Am”

Links

Did you know that some of the signs link up with the “I ams”?

For example, the seventh sign links with the fifth “I am.” You can link up others as well. Link the first sign and the seventh “I am,” the fourth sign and the first “I am,” the sixth sign and the second “I am.”

Concluding Thought

• In his gospel, John used a thematic approach rather than the chronological approach favored by Matthew, Mark and Luke.

• See how many of the following key word concepts you can find as you read John’s Gospel: truth, light, darkness, word, knowledge, remain, love, world, judgment, belief and witness.                                       Source: Water, M. (1998). Bible Study made easy. The Made Easy Series (30). Alresford, Hampshire: John Hunt Publishers Ltd.