1. Week 23
The Gospels

2. What is a Gospel? The word Gospel means “good news”.
But it is also the story of the Life of Christ
Each of the four Gospels is a complete story of the life of Christ.

3. The Key Thought Each Gospel was written to a specific audience
about a specific theme
for a specific reason.
But each story is a complete and powerful story of Jesus Christ.

4. God’s use of numbers.... #3 - Trinity and indicates strength
#6 - Man’s number
#7 - Number of Perfection/God’s number seen many times
#12 - Number of completeness in people; spies, tribes, apostles, months in a year
#40 - Number of completeness in time; wandering in the wilderness, Jesus tempted

5. What Does the Number 4 Signify
What Does the Number 4 Signify? Seems to indicate a totality or stability
4 horns on the altar
4 points on a compass
4 seasons of the year
4 corners of the Earth (Rev. 7:1, 20:8)
Four winds
Four kinds of soil
Four Gospels

6. The Arrangement
The first three gospels are similar and are called the synoptic. Why?
syn - prefix indicating similarity - same
optic - has to do with seeing - eye
So the writers of the first three gospels saw things in a similar way.
The fourth gospel, John, is 90% unique material.

7. Why are the Gospels Different?
1. Written to different audiences.
2. Each used his own personality.
3. Each had a different theme.
4. Each remembered or emphasized different events.
5. God wanted it that way.

8. Gospel Similarities - Each Deals with . . .
Christ’s earthly ministry.
Christ’s death and resurrection.
Christ’s teaching and miracles.
All of them omit an account of the 18 years of Jesus’ youth through age 30.
Each Gospel is complete in itself. But used together, we have a complete portrait of Jesus Christ.

9. Matthew About the Author Audience Key Verse, Key Word Unique Quality
Disciple, Tax Collector, Levi
Jews
21:5 Kingdom of heaven
Sermons (Sermon on the Mount)

10. Matthew Topical Arrangement King Shows Christ as
Frequent use of OT, geneology to Adam, Magi,
Most read book in the world.
Arrangement
Shows Christ as
Points to Remember
Referred to as . . .

11. Mark About the Author Audience Key Verse, Key Word Unique Quality
Traveled w/ Paul, Nephew of Peter
Romans
10:45 Immediately
Miracles of them

12. Mark Chronological Arrangement Servant Shows Christ as
Short, little detail or theology, “Reader’s Digest Version”
Gospel of Peter
Arrangement
Shows Christ as
Points to Remember
Referred to as . . .

13. Luke About the Author Audience Key Verse, Key Word Unique Quality
Physician, educated, not an eye witness
Greeks
19:10 Son of Man
Parables -- most of them here

14. Luke Arrangement Shows Christ as Points to Remember
Referred to as . . .
Chronological
God/Man
Detail, 50% spoken by Christ, Geneolgy to Adam
Most Beautiful book in the world

15. John About the Author Audience Key Verse, Key Word Unique Quality
Disciple, Wrote 5 books, young,
World
3:16 Believe --98 times
Teachings and meetings of Christ

16. John Arrangement Shows Christ as Points to Remember
Referred to as . . .
Topical
Savior
90% unique,written later, Stories of people, 7 “I ams”
Most Loved book in the world.

17. An Overview Matthew wrote to the Jews about a King
Mark wrote to the Romans about a servant
Luke wrote to the Greeks about a Perfect Man (God/man)
John wrote to the world about a Savior.

18. Four Types of Men -- Then & Now
A Jew -- Want proof or evidence (prophecy) -- “Show me!”
A Roman -- Businessman, “Can Christ meet my needs?”
A Greek -- Student, idealist, seeks truth as means to happiness
All men -- Comman man

19. The Seven “I Ams” 1. The Bread of Life 2. The Light of the World
3. The Gate
4. The Good Shepherd
5. The Resurrection and the Life
6. The Way, Truth and Life
7. The True Vine

20. The Greatest “I Am” I Am He
John 18: "Who is it you want?" 5 "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am he," Jesus said. 6 When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.