Why Are There Four Gospels?
INTRODUCTION – John 21:25 – As we have said in the last two weeks, it is fine to ask God questions as long as we are not questioning His goodness. What can we learn from the fact that there are four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)?
- WE SEE THAT GOD EMPOWERS DIVERSE PEOPLE
Matthew was a Jewish tax collector, considered a collaborator with the Roman oppressors. In Matthew 21:31,32, we see that Jesus loved the unlovely. Mark, also Jewish, referred to himself unflatteringly in Mark 14:51,52. He probably saw himself as something of a failure (see Acts 13:13). Luke was a Gentile, an outsider of outsiders. Imagine his joy when he wrote Luke 2:32. John, untrained in formal theology, was a Jewish fisherman, yet he wrote one of the deepest books of the entire Bible. Even though he was exceptionally close to Jesus, he knew that he had no individual merit but had been drawn to the Savior (see John 6:44). God enabled each one of these men to write about the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. God does not change: He continues to empower diverse people like us.
- WE RECOGNIZE THAT GOD PROVIDES DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
Each Gospel tells the same story, the same truth. Each one, however, has a different emphasis. Matthew focused on Jesus as King of the Jews, as Messiah. Mark emphasized Jesus as Servant (see Mark 10:45, the theme verse of this Gospel). Luke pointed to Jesus as the Son of Man (Jesus’ favorite self-designation). John immediately presents Jesus as the Son of God (see John 1:1). Emphasis should not be confused with exclusivity: these pictures of Jesus are intertwined throughout each Gospel. God did use the different personalities of these writers to give us a fuller understanding of Jesus (see II Timothy 3:16,17).
- WE DISCERN THAT GOD PERCEIVES OUR DEFINITE LIMITATIONS
John 21:25 – If we had fewer than four Gospels, we would not have as full a picture of Jesus as we do. If we had more, we would be overwhelmed. John is not exaggerating here; because Jesus is eternal and infinite, we cannot know everything about him. Four Gospels provide us with a thorough portrayal that is not too much for us to comprehend.
CONCLUSION – The Gospel message is the good news of Jesus, God the Son, coming as our perfect substitute (fully man and fully God) to die in our place for our sins, sins that separate us from a holy God. He rose from the dead as He had predicted, evidencing that He is the giver of life, of eternal life. Trust in Him as Savior, and He will save you forever. If He is your savior, you can be certain that he will empower you to do His work, just as He did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.