Events are recorded by one writer which may not appear in the writings of another, but it all a record of Christ’s life.

“The Gospel According to Matthew” means the story of Christ, as told by Matthew. THE GOSPEL, in the strict sense as we think of it, (Rom. 1:16, etc.) is probably the idea in Mark 1:1: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.” Even though the style and emphasis of each author is different, the subject is the same—JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD. While all four writers have written to establish this fact, The Gospel of John emphasizes this truth (Jno. 20:30, 31)” (What is in the Book?, Hoyt Houchen, 1).

Matthew, Mark, and Luke present the life of Jesus Christ from the same general approach or point of view. These first three books of the New Testament harmonize to give us a good understanding of the words and works of Jesus. The gospel of John presents the life of Christ from a different point of view. John selects certain events from the life of Jesus as evidence that He the Christ, the son of God. The first four books of the New Testament contain the good news of Jesus Christ and are inspired by God for our learning and our faith.

Matthew

The gospel according to Matthew was written especially to a Jewish audience to show that Jesus is the Christ. Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah, the King of the Jews. Matthew contains much of what Jesus taught about His kingdom, which Jesus identified as His church (Matt. 16:18-19). The book of Matthew ends with the resurrected Christ sending His apostles into the whole world to teach the gospel, make disciples, and continue teaching them to  observe His commands (Matt. 28:19-20).

Mark

The gospel according to Mark shows Jesus as a man of action. It gives us a series of “snapshots” of the life of Jesus. Mark was probably written to a Roman audience. It shows Jesus living a life of both service and sacrifice. Mark describes the Son of Man as a Servant on the move; constantly doing the will of the Father. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Mark also presents Jesus as the Son of God who sacrificed Himself to save sinners, “So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, ‘Truly this Man was the Son of God’” (Mk. 15:39). The gospel of Mark helps us “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15).

Luke

The gospel according to Luke is an accurate and carefully arranged account of the life of Jesus (Lk. 1:1-4). Luke, the “beloved physician,” wrote to a Greek named Theophilus about the works and words of Jesus (Col. 4:14; Lk. 1:3; Acts 1:1). He includes a number of events about Jesus that are not contained in Matthew and Mark. Luke portrays Jesus as the Son of Man, showing how He lived among men and women, how He valued men and women, and what He did for us all.

John

The gospel according to John presents Jesus as God. John’s purpose is clearly stated in John 20:30-31: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” Three words are important in this passage: signs, believe, and life. John contains a selection of seven miracles (signs) of Jesus that testify and support the truth that He is the Son of God. The word “believe” is the key word of the gospel, occurring 98 times. The “life” Jesus gives sinners is abundant salvation (Jno. 10:10). “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (Jno. 17:3).

The accounts of Christ’s life establish our faith in Him. Thank God for each one. 

Reprint, “Why are there Four Gospels?” The Spirit’s Sword, edited, JRP