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WHY FOUR GOSPELS?

A. Introduction: Since the beginning of the New Year, we’ve been working on a series about the importance of
becoming a regular, systematic Bible reader—especially the New Testament.
1. Bible reading is essential to our relationship with God because He reveals Himself, or makes Himself
known, through His written Word. Jesus said that the Scriptures testify of Him. John 5:39
a. To read regularly means to read daily (if possible) for a short period of time (15-20 minutes). To
read systematically means to read each book as it was written to be read, from start to finish.
b. The purpose of this type of reading is to become familiar with the text, because understanding
comes with familiarity, and familiarity comes with regular, repeated reading.
c. If you’re struggling with reading the Bible consistently, I’m challenging you to begin by focusing on
the four New Testament gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Reading four books is less
daunting than reading the whole New Testament (twenty-seven books).
2. The gospels are based on eyewitness accounts of Jesus. They were written by men (or close associates
of men) who walked and talked with Jesus, saw Him perform miracles, heard Him teach, saw Him die,
and then saw Him alive again. What they saw changed their lives. They wrote to tell what they saw.
a. Christianity stands apart from every other religion in the world in that it is not based on its founder’s
visions or teachings. It is based on a verifiable historical event—the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
b. When the resurrection of Jesus is examined with the same criteria used to assess other historical
events (the kind of evidence used in courts of law to prove cases), the evidence makes a powerful
argument for the reality of the resurrection. Consider just a few examples of the evidence.
1. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection took place in Jerusalem (AD 30) at Passover, an annual
Jewish celebration. Under Jewish law, all Jewish men were required to attend the event.
A. Thus, multitudes traveled to Jerusalem each year from all over Israel and the Roman
(Mediterranean) world. They came to sacrifice lambs at the great Temple in the city.
B. We know from a census conducted by a Roman governor that 250,000 lambs were slain at
Passover. Passover regulations required that there be a minimum of ten people for each
lamb killed. This means that at least two and a half million people were in and around
Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified.
2. No one at that time disputed that Jesus’ tomb was empty following His death. Jesus’ tomb
was only fifteen minutes from where He was crucified, and anyone could visit the tomb.
A. The issue was over what happened to His body. Jewish authorities paid the Roman guards
protecting the tomb to say that Jesus’ disciples stole His body. Matt 28:11-15
B. However, no one produced a body. No one came forward to say that they saw disciples
move or dispose of the body. A movement based on Jesus’ resurrection couldn’t have
taken root in the same city where He was executed if people knew that His body was found.
C. Yet within five weeks, 10,000 Jews became believers. The Jews were monotheists
(believed in only one God), and the idea that someone could be both God and man was
blasphemy. Yet they began to worship Jesus as God.
3. Some try to say that Jesus’ apostles made up the story of His resurrection. But that makes no
sense for at least a couple of reasons.
A. Women were the first to see the empty tomb and the risen Lord, and the first to spread the
news that He had risen. Women weren’t highly regarded in that culture. So, if you were
going to make up a story, you wouldn’t pick women to be the source of the story.
Matt 28:1-8; John 20:11-18
B. The apostles’ profession of faith in Jesus and His resurrection didn’t make them wealthy or
famous. In fact, they were rejected by much of society, as well as the prevailing religious
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establishment. They were beaten and jailed, and many were ultimately executed. No
one suffers and dies for something that they know is a lie.
c. Peter the apostle, facing execution for his faith wrote: For we were not making up clever stories
when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ…For we have seen his majestic splendor
with our own eyes (II Pet 1:16, NLT).
d. The gospel writers saw something life changing and wrote their books to facilitate the spread of the
message of Jesus and His resurrection.
3. This week and next, to help us get the most out of reading the gospels, we’re going to talk about what
they are, how to deal with some of the challenges to reading them, and why we can trust what they say.
B. Some people are put off by the repetition in the four gospels. They repeat because they all cover the same
basic story line. But each book was written to emphasize a different aspect of Jesus’ person and work. And
each writer directed his narrative toward the needs of the Christian community in which he lived.
1. The Gospel of Matthew (AD 58-68). Matthew was one of Jesus’ original twelve apostles. He wrote to
a Jewish audience to convince them that Jesus is the Messiah promised by the Old Testament prophets.
a. Matthew opened his gospel with Jesus’ genealogy from Abraham to David—This is a record of the
ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of King David and of Abraham (Matt 1:1, NLT).
b. This genealogy means nothing to us. But to a 1st century Jew it was vital information because it
showed that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham and David, and therefore had the correct lineage to
be the Messiah predicted by the prophets, Christ the Savior and Lord.
1. Matthew then gave brief description of Jesus’ conception in the womb of a virgin named Mary,
by the power of the Holy Spirit, which was another fulfillment of prophecy.
2. Matt 1:22-23—All this was done to fulfill the Lord’s message through the prophet: Look!
The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel
(meaning, God is with us) (Isa 7:14, NLT)
3. Matthew used more quotes from and allusions to the Old Testament than any other New
Testament book (almost 130). He used the phrase “that what was spoken through the prophets
might be fulfilled” nine times. This phrase is not found in any of the other gospels
c. Matthew’s gospel is at the beginning of the New Testament, not because it was the first to be
written, but because it clearly shows Jesus’ connection with the Old Testament.
1. Remember that on resurrection day, Jesus used the Old Testament Scriptures to prove who He
was and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection. Luke 24:27; 44-48
2. And, when the apostles proclaimed the resurrection after Jesus returned to Heaven, to prove that
Jesus was the Christ, they also reasoned with people from the Scriptures. Acts 2:25-28
2. The Gospel of Mark (AD 55-65). Mark was not part of Jesus’ original twelve apostles. Mark lived in
Jerusalem at the time Jesus ministered there and may have heard the Lord teach in the Temple. At some
point Mark became a believer, possibly through Peter’s influence. I Pet 5:13
a. Peter was one of Jesus’ original twelve apostles. Mark later became a ministry partner with Peter
and served as Peter’s translator when Peter preached in early churches. Mark’s gospel was based
on eyewitness testimony from Peter.
1. The Gospel of Mark was probably written in Rome to a mostly Gentile (or Roman) audience.
There are few quotes from the Old Testament, no genealogies, or reference to Jewish Law and
customs since Romans would have no interest in such things.
2. Mark’s gospel emphasizes action rather than teaching. Romans were impressed by action, so
he presented Jesus as a man of power who performed miracles and conquered death through
resurrection. Mark gave no details about Jesus’ birth or childhood since Romans would not
have been interested in them.
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b. The Gospel of Mark is the earliest and simplest. He opened his gospel with a direct and purposeful
confession of faith: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1, NKJV).
3. The Gospel of Luke (AD 60-68). Luke was not an eyewitness of Jesus, and we don’t know how he
came to faith in Jesus. We do know that he met Paul the apostle and became a traveling companion on
some of Paul’s missionary journeys.
a. Luke’s gospel was written to a man named Theophilus (a newly converted Gentile) to assure him of
the certainty of what he had believed.
b. Luke 1:1-4—Most honorable Theophilus: Many people have written accounts about the events
that took place among us. They used as their source material the reports circulating among us from
the early disciples and other eyewitnesses of what God has done in fulfillment of his promises.
Having carefully investigated all of these accounts from the beginning, I have decided to write a
careful summary for you, to reassure you of the truth of all you were taught (NLT).
c. Luke’s gospel is based on the testimonies of eyewitnesses of Jesus, including Paul. Luke’s
association with Paul brought him into contact with other eyewitnesses who saw and heard Jesus.
1. Both Matthew and Luke were familiar with and used Mark’s gospel in writing their own, and
thus, their gospels share the same basic events. Luke’s gospel is longer than the others, and
over half of the material is unique to his gospel.
2. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the synoptic gospels. Synoptic means seen together.
These three gospels were written close together and share a similar viewpoint and details.
4. The Gospel of John (AD 80-90). John’s gospel was the last to be written. By the time John wrote,
challenges to the apostles’ message had arisen—false teachings that denied the Deity of Jesus, His
incarnation, and His resurrection.
a. John’s aim was to clearly present Jesus as God—the Christ, the Son of the God. John opened his
book with a prologue that clearly stated who Jesus is: God Incarnate, the Word made flesh.
1. John 1:1; John 1:14—In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (ESV).
2. John was familiar with the other gospels and wrote to supplement them. Ninety-two percent of
the material John included is found only in his book. The three earlier gospels express Jesus’
Deity and humanity, but John is more direct in his presentation.
b. John stated why he wrote his gospel: Jesus’ disciples saw him do many other miraculous signs
besides the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is
the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life (John 20:30-31, NLT).

C. The gospels are historical biographies of Jesus. However, because of the supernatural aspect of the gospels,
people have a bias against thinking of them as history. But much of the history recorded in the Bible is
verifiable through secular records and archeological evidence.
1. And, when the gospels are assessed by the same standards that are applied to other ancient books, the
gospels are on a par with and stand up against other ancient biographies.
a. For example, the gospels were written between 25 to 60 years after Jesus lived. This may seem like
a long time, but it’s a miniscule amount of time in ancient writings.
b. The two earliest biographies we have of Alexander the Great (founder of the Greek Empire) were
written more than 400 years after his death in 323 BC. Yet they are considered reliable.
2. Bible critics like to point out that the gospel writers often describe the same event differently, arrange
events in a different chronological order, and recount statements that people using different words.
a. Biographies in the ancient world were not like those of today. Ancient writers were not as precise
as historians are today. We know this from secular writings.
1. Writers weren’t that concerned with putting events in chronological order or quoting people
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word for word, as long as they recorded the essence of what happened and what was said.
2. Two events were sometimes combined into one. Single events were simplified. Authors
often paraphrased, and quotation symbol didn’t exist yet.
b. Ancient biographers did not give equal time to every stage of a person’s life. Their purpose in
recording history was to learn from the person’s achievements. Therefore, the writing was devoted
to the most important part of an individual’s life.
1. The gospels say little about Jesus’ life before He began His public ministry at age thirty. This
makes sense since Jesus came into the world to die as a sacrifice for the sins of men.
2. When the gospels are harmonized (put together with all the events recorded in order, nothing
repeated or left out) only about fifty days of Jesus’ three and a half year ministry are covered,
with great emphasis on the weeks leading up to the crucifixion.
3. There is an air of authenticity to the gospels. The authors give details that put themselves in a bad light.
The gospels report that Matthew was a tax collector (Matt 10:3), all the disciples deserted Jesus when He
was arrested (Matt 26:56) and Peter denied that he knew the Lord three times 26:69-75).
D. Conclusion: To help us read more effectively, we need to say more about the gospels next week. But
consider these thoughts as we close.
1. The New Testament writers didn’t set out to write a religious book. They wrote to spread the message
that Jesus is God Incarnate, the Savior who died for our sins and rose from the dead. They wrote to
persuade men to believe. They wrote so that men can know Him.
a. Their relationship with Him was connected with the Scriptures. Even though these men were
eyewitnesses, they reasoned from the Scriptures that Jesus is who He claims to be.
b. They understood that Jesus, the Living Word, reveals Himself through the written Word, and they
were aware that they were writing Scripture. II Pet 3:15-16; II Thess 2:15; II Thess 3:12-14
2. At the Last Supper the night before He was crucified, Jesus said told His apostles that He would continue
to reveal Himself to His followers through His Word. Jesus promised that He and the Father would
send the Holy Spirit who would testify of Him.
a. John 14:21—Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. And because they
love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of
them (NLT).
1. John 14:26—The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I
myself have told you (NLT).
2. John 16:13—When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth…He will bring me
glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me (NLT).
3. At the end of the meal, Jesus prayed to the Father: John 17:17—Make them pure and holy by
teaching them your words of truth (NLT); Your word is truth (ESV).
b. Three days later, on resurrection day, the first time Jesus appeared to His apostles and disciples,
He appealed to the Scriptures.
1. Luke 24:27—Then Jesus quoted passages from the writings of Moses and all the prophets,
explaining what all the Scriptures said about himself (NLT)\
2. Luke 24:44-45—When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me by
Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true. Then he opened their minds to
understand these many Scriptures (NLT).
3. The men who wrote the gospels were writing to 1st century people in a different culture than ours, and
they used terms and words that are foreign to us (we’ll say more about this next week). Don’t worry
about those details right now. Look for Jesus—who He is and what He did, and ask the Holy Spirit to
help you see Jesus through these books. More next week!