Welcome listeners to our fourth talk of our series on New Testament Survey. This is the second of three talks on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In our last talk, we presented the key significant features of the Gospel. We shall now look more closely at each of the four gospels. The four gospels are subdivided into two groups - the synoptic and the Gospel of John. The Synoptic is the collective name for the first three Gospels - Matthew, Mark and Luke. In this session, we shall focus on the synoptic gospels. We shall go on to the Gospel of John in the next session. So, let’s look at Matthew, Mark and Luke - the synoptic gospels.

They share a set of common features that lead to their being grouped together. The word “synoptic” refers to their being seen together. The common message of the Gospel is to reveal who Jesus is and that He came to save humankind from sin and judgement. Each writer presents the words and works of Jesus by weaving them together in a particular way that shares with us each their inspired insight into who He is and what He came to do. His words are His actual teachings taught in parables and discourses. His works are narrative accounts of what He actually did in ministry, but they are not necessarily set in chronological sequence. Each gospel organises this slightly differently with many parallel events and teachings. The common features are why these three gospels are grouped together. The differences reflect the different emphasis, testimonies and perspectives of each writer. All three gospels line up Jesus’ life and ministry as one single path - from his baptism to His ministry in Galilee, then to his ministry in Jerusalem. Each gospel presents Jerusalem as where His ministry came to climax where He died and rose again from the dead.

Let us now look at Matthew’s gospel. The gospel of Matthew stands out as the one which most strongly identifies Jesus Christ as the son of David, the King and Messiah of Israel, God’s chosen nation. It begins by immediately tracing the genealogy of Jesus to King David and to Abraham as the Father of the nation. It makes the most references to the Old Testament to show how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies and scriptures. It is addressed mostly to Jewish leaders who know the Old Testament that Jesus is their Messiah. Thus, it has a Jewish perspective. Nevertheless, its message is for all humankind to know who Jesus is and that He has come to save us through what God has revealed of Himself and this world through the laws and the prophets of the Old Testament. In Him, the kingdom of heaven has arrived. It may be symbolised by the lion as the Gospel points to the identity and authority of Jesus Christ as the King, the chosen one of God.

Then, we come to the Gospel of Mark. The Gospel of Mark is the shortest gospel. Most scholars agree that it is the first to be written. If so, it is likely that Matthew and Luke drew their common material from it. Mark wrote this gospel with the input of Peter, the leading apostle. It presents Jesus as the mighty servant of God, emphasizing what He did, rather than on what He taught. It refers to Jesus as “teacher” the most times among the Gospels. One surmises that Mark wants us to know who Jesus is and what He taught by what He did. He is the teacher who taught by action, not by words. It centres on the public ministry of Jesus without referring to His birth. The word “immediately” is frequently used in this gospel to emphasize the immediacy and impact of what Jesus did and the business of His ministry. It is believed to be aimed at a Roman leadership as the Romans are more impressed with actions and effect rather than concepts and teachings. It may be symbolised by the ox as the Gospel that points to Jesus as the mighty servant of God who did God’s will.

Then we come to the third synoptic gospel - the Gospel of Luke. Luke is the longest gospel by word count. It is the only gospel written by a Christian who is not a disciple of Jesus when He was on earth. His is a research account that is based on gathering detailed information from those who knew Jesus when He was on earth. He is the only Gentile or non-Jew writer of the New Testament. A third of the teachings or events of this gospel are not found in the others. These factors give it its uniqueness. He gives us the fullest account of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. He traced the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam - the first human being created by God. He gives more details than any other gospel on the part of women in Jesus’ ministry and on social injustice. Thus, it may be symbolised by a man as the Gospel points to the humanity of Jesus, who is sent by God to identify with us and save us.

Now, in our next talk we will turn to the Gospel of John.

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