Why Do We Have Four Gospels?

The Holy Scriptures include four Gospels.  Each, written by a different author, is an account of the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.  In many respects and to a large extent, they relate the same chronology and set of facts about Jesus' earthly ministry.  Each confirms that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah, pointing to his resurrection as the ultimate proof that he's the Son of God.

        What (if anything) makes each account distinctive?  Why do you think that God inspired four men to write accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, which were incorporated into the canon of Scripture?  Why four instead of one, three or five?

        I'm not going to attempt to address all of these questions or to go into much depth due to space and time constraints.  To do so is far too much ground to cover here.  Instead, I will share with you, briefly, what I believe is distinct about each account.  As always, your comments, insights and questions are welcome.

        The first three are commonly referred to as the "Synoptic Gospels" insofar as they cover largely the same ground: i.e., they present a chronology of Jesus' time on earth.

MATTHEW: Jesus the King

• Throughout Matthew makes repeated references to the "kingdom of heaven" or the "kingdom of God."  In Matthew the kingdom is mentioned more often than in any other Gospel.  In Jesus, he writes, the kingdom is already here on earth.
• Key Passage:  "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (28:18-20).
• Matthew's focus is on proving to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah or Christ, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.  Hence, much attention is devoted at the outset to establishing the royal lineage or genealogy of Jesus.
• He presents Jesus as the "King" to whom God has given power and authority to redeem and to judge all of humanity.

MARK: Jesus the Son of God

• Presents Jesus as the "Son of God."
• Key Verse: "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (10:45).  "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (8:34).
• Mark's theme is Jesus as a suffering and obedient servant of God and redeemer of men.
• As God's son, Jesus possesses God's authority and power.  Yet, he is powerful in the sense of Isaiah in that he must be obedient to the will of his Father, even to death on a cross.
• He passes over the birth and early years of Jesus' life and begins with his baptism by John, immediately preceding the beginning of his earthly ministry.
• The "Markian mystery": A pivotal point is reached in Jesus' ministry in Chapter 8 where Peter confesses, "You are the Christ."

LUKE: Jesus the Son of Man

• Portrays Jesus in his fullest humanity.  God, through his son, has come to seek and save the lost.  This is captured in the three parables of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son.
• Key Verse:  "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (19:10).
• Luke, more than other Gospel writers, emphasizes the the activity of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Jesus.
• Luke's Gospel is addressed to a Gentile audience.

JOHN: The Deity of Christ

• This Gospel, more so than the others, makes the case for the deity or divinity of Jesus.  It offers a clear and compelling statement of purpose: "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 (20:31).
• Drives home the point that salvation is a gift of God and comes through faith.
• John 3:16 is the most quoted verse from the Bible.
• John's Gospel expresses the uniqueness of Jesus' relationship with the Father, including the pre-existence of Jesus: "In the beginning was the Word" (1:1).  Jesus is divine ("the Word was God," 1:1), and he is also human ("the Word became flesh," 1:14).