by Christianity Today and Standard Publishing LESSON 1 Introduction to the Gospels 1. The Emphasis of the New Testament...especially the Gospels When we approach the New Testament after a systematic study of the Old Testament there are several things to keep in mind: a. The Old Testament pointed to Someone coming...the New Testament states that Someone has come. b. Dominating the first four documents of the New Testament is the concept of FULFILLMENT. c. One should remember that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. And, that the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. 2. Fulfillment is central to the message of the New Testament a. Matthew mentions this theme at least twelve times: 1:22, That it might be fulfilled 2:15,17,23, That it might be fulfilled 4:14, That it might be fulfilled 8:17, That it might be fulfilled 12:17, That it might be fulfilled 13:35, That it might be fulfilled 21:4, That it might be fulfilled 26:56, That it might be fulfilled 27:9,35, That it might be fulfilled b. When Jesus began His ministry He said, Thus it becomes us to fulfill. Mt. 3:15. I came to fulfill. Mt. 5:17. Mark s record is, The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand Mk. 1:15. Luke records the words of Jesus, This day is the Scripture fulfilled in your ears Lk. 4:21. John contains the statement, That it might be fulfilled seven times: 12:38; 13:18; 15:25; 17:12; 19:24; 19:28, 36. c. Dr. Alan Stringfellow summarizes this concept in this manner: Christ is the fulfillment of all that the prophets saw, the psalmists sang and hearts hoped for. You have read through the Old Testament and the thing that probably made a lasting impression is the prevalence of animal sacrifice. From Genesis 4 on you have read of these sacrifices and ceremonies. The impression clings in your mind that these point to realities First Christian Church of Lake Butler, FL www.firstchristianfamily.org 1
outside themselves, yet this is not clearly explained. You also read of God s covenant with Noah, with Abraham, renewed with Isaac and Jacob. You saw the twelve tribes freed from bondage in Egypt, given a Law at Sinai, invade and occupy Canaan. Then comes the Judges with decline and punishment of Israel followed by the Books of Samuel with the change from a theocracy to a monarchy. The Kings bring the division of the kingdom and both kingdoms taken into captivity. The Chronicles review the tragic story. In Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther, only a remnant returns to Judea. The temple and walls rebuilt but the throne of David no more. You read on through the personal Books but there is nothing to shine light on the remnant or the ones scattered abroad neither in the prophets until Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi where we find things far from being well with the remnant and you feel again a purpose unfulfilled. You also read the unique Old Testament prophecy. It spoke to you, and does now, as no other about the future. It all focuses on the idea that Someone Is Coming. Malachi says, The Lord whom ye seek, shall come (3:1). But the Old Testament closes with that unfulfilled. 2 d. The New Testament answers what the Old Testament hoped for. The sacrifices of the Old point to Jesus the One, perfect sacrifice. The unfulfilled purpose of God with His people is now fulfilled in the Messiah, who has come. The prophecies of the Old Testament find their fulfillment in the Person and Ministry of Jesus. In the Old Testament He is coming in the Gospels He has come. In the Epistles He is present in His Church, His Body through the Holy Spirit in His people. In the Revelation He is coming again. 3. The Biographical Presentation of the Four Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John provide us with four unique presentations of the earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Each record has its own focus with all four uniting to provide a full portrayal of the God-Man Jesus Christ. There is a significant parallel between the four Gospels and the four living creatures of Ezekiel 1:10, As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. The lion speaks of 2 Alan B. Stringfellow, Through the Bible in One Year, pgs. 115-116 First Christian Church of Lake Butler, FL www.firstchristianfamily.org 2
strength and kingship the man, highest intelligence the ox of lowly service the eagle speaks of heavenliness, Divinity. In Matthew, the Messiah-King (the lion) In Mark, Servant of Yahweh (the ox) In Luke, the Son of Man (the man) In John, the Son of God (the eagle) As Sovereign, He came to reign and rule. As Servant, He came to serve and suffer. As the Son of Man, He came to share and to sympathize. As the Son of God, He came to redeem. In the four Gospels we see sovereignty, humility, humanity and deity. 4. The Emphasis of the Four Writers a. Matthew the lion was the emblem of the tribe of Judah, the royal tribe of David. In Matthew our Lord is uniquely the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David (Rev. 5:5 and Isa. 11:1,10). He is the King the Lord our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5). The opening sentence of Matthew gives the key: The Book of the generations of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. (Note 1:17). Mark has no such genealogy while Luke goes right back to Adam and John back to eternity. Matthew is the Gospel in which our Lord offers Himself to the Jews as their Messiah-King. b. Mark the ox is the emblem of lowly service. The Gospel of Mark is the Gospel of Action. No genealogy is given. The emphasis is on the activity of Christ the lowly Servant. The characteristic word is straightway or immediately. c. Luke There is the face of man. There is no obscuring of His kingship or His Deity, nor His humanity. His genuine manhood is emphasized as Luke relates His parents and His birth and even He is called King and Savior. Luke tells of His boyhood. Luke 2:41-52. d. John The aspect corresponding to the eagle finishes the pattern of Ezekiel. John goes back to eternity. In the beginning was the Word (Jesus); and the Word (Jesus) was with God; and the Word (Jesus) was God all things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4). John presents Him as the Son of God (1:18, 34). He is the Word, the Light, the Life, the Son. He is God manifest in the flesh. He is the God-Man. First Christian Church of Lake Butler, FL www.firstchristianfamily.org 3
5. Each Gospel Is Unique The content of the Gospels deals with one Life and one Ministry Jesus. They often parallel each other about events and discourses. However, each one has some material or some additional information that another may not record. In addition, each of the Gospels are unique in their own way. Matthew writes with reference to the Hebrew mind. So his Gospel contains numerous Old Testament references. Mark, who traveled with Peter, writes primarily with reference to the Roman audience. His emphasis is on the miraculous ministry of Jesus. Dr. Luke, who traveled with Paul, writes to the Greek mind. His emphasis is on the genuine manhood of Jesus. John seems to have the Church at large in mind with his writing. He also reveals Jesus to the whole world, without racial distinction. He is the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us. 6. Their Conclusions Matthew ends with the Resurrection and Great Commission. (Mt. 28) The Gospel of the Messiah-King ends with the crowning proof of His Messiahship. Mark finishes with the Ascension (Mk. 16:19-20) The Gospel of the Lowly Servant ends with His exaltation to a place of Glory and Honor. Luke wraps up his Gospel with the promise of the Holy Spirit (Lk. 24:49) The Gospel of Ideal Man ends with the promise of a Comforter to man. John concludes with the promise of the Second Coming (John 21:20-23) The Gospel of the Divine Son ends with the Lord s own promise of His return. First Christian Church of Lake Butler, FL www.firstchristianfamily.org 4
Additional Info on the Four Gospels 1 Each of the four Gospels presents Jesus life in a different way with different themes, showing different nuances of Jesus the man and of the various groups who encountered him. Matthew s Gospel is the Jewish Gospel. It shows how Jesus fulfilled the Torah and provided the final understanding of it. It represents Jesus as the descendant of David who fulfills the OT promises for the Messiah, the King of Israel. In Matthew, Jesus gives the principles for living as citizens of God s Kingdom (e.g., Matt. 5-7). Jesus leads the disciples to overcome their failures in spite of their little faith. Mark centers on Jesus as Messiah and Son of God. Mark reports the disciples difficulties: They misunderstand and fail as they try to follow Jesus. Mark shows the nature of true discipleship through characters who appear briefly, like the woman from Phoenicia, the father of the demon-possessed boy, and blind Bartimaeus. Luke has more on the subject of social concern than any other Gospel. Luke also highlights the importance of prayer, the Spirit, and worship. He shows how through Jesus, God has worked out his salvation in human history and become Lord of all. In John, Jesus is the living revealer of God who encounters all people with the light of the world and the bread of life and with the need to believe Jesus is the unique One, who is himself God and has entered this world and brought the glory of God s presence into the world and among his own people. Each Gospel has unique perspectives. God chose to inspire four different writers because each perspective is important for the church. None of the Gospel writers take a strict chronological approach to Jesus life. Instead, the Gospels are more topical, organized to provide a theological portrait of Jesus actions, teachings and impact. 1 NLT Study Bible, pg. 1561 First Christian Church of Lake Butler, FL www.firstchristianfamily.org 5