Part 1: The Gospels
Notes
Transcript
Course Summary
Course Summary
The New Testament contains the story of the life ofJesus, the start of the Church and a glimpse into the end of the age. Understanding the storyline of the NT will help you grow immensely in your relationship with Jesus.
Breakdown:
Gospels - Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus
Acts - History of the Early Church
Jesus’ Movement
The Epistles (Letters) - “How to” of following Jesus
Jesus’ Movement ‘Behind the Scenes’
Revelation (Apocalypse) - Jesus Return
Over the next (4) weeks we are going to be looking at each of these different “parts” of the New Testament.
What is a “Gospel?”
What is a “Gospel?”
“Gospel” = Evangelion, which literally means “good news”
Refers to the “good news” that God saves sinners through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Both Jesus and Paul derived this important word from the prophetic poetry of Isaiah where the future arrival of God’s kingdom through the Messiah is called “good news” (Isaiah 52:7-10)
Breakdown Of Each Gospel
Breakdown Of Each Gospel
Question
Question
What is your favorite Gospel and why?
Matthew, Mark, Luke (Synoptic Gospels – i.e., those presenting a common view) and John
Matthew
Author: Apostle Matthew (described as a tax collector – Matt. 10:3)
Eye-witness account of these things
ii. Written: Sometime around 70 A.D.
Mark
Author – John Mark
Associated with the early church (Acts 12:12)
Companion of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 12:25; 15:37-41; cf. Col. 4:10)
Known by Peter (1 Peter 5:13)
Readers – Non-Jewish readership
Possibly Christians in Rome
Date – A.D. 60 – 70
On one side or the other of the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
Luke
Author – Luke (Disciple of the Apostle Paul)
“We Passages”
Narrative changes from using ‘they’ and ‘he’ to the pronoun ‘we’
After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”
Implies that the writer was present on these occasions + companion of Paul
Luke was a doctor
Readers –1st volume of two (Acts) written to Theopolis (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1)
Date – Later than A.D. 70
John
Author – Unknown, believed to be the Apostle John
Date – A.D. 85 – 100 at the end of John’s life
The Gospels are:
Narrative announcements that make the claim that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel + the true Lord of the world.
Historical narratives
Aim to persuade the reader to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and became his disciple.
Four Features of the Gospels
Four Features of the Gospels
Question
Question
What are the clearest distinctions you see between the four Gospels?
The Gospels share (4) features that make them unique amongst other Biblical stories.
Feature #1: OT References
Feature #1: OT References
Direct Quotations
Matthew presents Jesus’ healing ministry (Matt. 8:14-16)
Fulfillment of Isaiah’s description of the suffering servant (Isa. 53:4)
Subtle Allusions (to call to mind OT images)
In Mark 1:9-11, Jesus is baptized, and God announces from heaven,
“You are my beloved Son (Gen. 22:2), in you I am well-pleased (Isa. 42:1 + Psalm 2:7).
Blends phrases from (3) biblical texts to show that Jesus is the Messianic servant King who is the seed of Abraham.
Narrative Parallels
Matthew – Designs his story to match basic outline of Moses’ career
Moses + Jesus both
Come up out of Egypt
Pass through the waters
Spend 40 days in the wilderness
Ascend a mountain to teach the Torah
Purpose is to present Jesus as a greater-than-Moses figure
Ultimately, this shows us that the NT is not a “new” story
It is not disconnected from the OT but it shows that, through its OT quotations, it is one unified story that leads to Jesus
Feature #2: Identity Claims
Feature #2: Identity Claims
The Gospel writers make explicit claims about Jesus’ identity.
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,
More often, they shape the reader’s perception of Jesus through indirect means
Miracle stories that show Jesus’ power over creation
Words: Teaching parables, dialogues
Testimonies: People whose lives were touched by Jesus
God: “This is my Son” (Matt. 3:17)
Canaanite Woman: “Lord, Son of David!” (Matt. 15:22)
Feature #3: Climax of the Biblical Story
Feature #3: Climax of the Biblical Story
Climax - The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus
Mark allots
(10) chapters to roughly three years of Jesus’ ministry
(6) chapters to the seven days Jesus spent in Jerusalem leading to His death
Matthew
Introduces Jesus’ death early in Matthew (12:14)
But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Anticipated by Jesus Himself 4x’s (16:21, 27; 17:22-23, 20:18-19)
At the moment He will become King (27:37)
Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.
Feature #4: Rearrangement of Events
Feature #4: Rearrangement of Events
Each Gospel claims to recount real historical events but more than simply an historical record.
Each Gospel are a complete story, not a part of one “super-Gospel,” to guide us to a unique truth God has for us.
Each took the core stories of Jesus and edited, arranged and designed them in a careful way to emphasize unique facets of Jesus’ character.
Each took the core stories of Jesus and edited, arranged and designed them in a careful way to emphasize unique facets of Jesus’ character.
Summary
Matthew – King of Heaven and Earth
Greater-than-Moses figure who fulfills the promises of the ancient Scriptures
Resurrection has enthroned Him as the King of Heaven and Earth
Mark – Servant
Emphasizes the mystery and misunderstanding caused by Jesus’ announcement of the Kingdom of God
Shows Jesus as the unexpected Messiah and highlights in the paradox of how the exalted Messiah can only be recognized in the humiliated, crucified Jesus
Luke – Man
Highlights how Jesus brings the Gospel to the nations.
Shows Him empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring to fulfillment the OT promise that God’s salvation would reach beyond Israel to include all nations.
John – God
Introduces Jesus as God-become-human
Presents signs that demonstrate the truth of His Messianic claim + offer of eternal life for any that will trust in Him
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
(6) Tips to Reading the Gospels
(6) Tips to Reading the Gospels
(George H. Guthrie - Professor of Bible at Union University in Jackson, TN)
Question
Question
How do you suggest someone start reading the Gospels? Where should someone start?
Read Matthew, Mark, and Luke from “the Earth Up” and John “from Heaven Down” Perspective
Read Matthew, Mark, and Luke from “the Earth Up” and John “from Heaven Down” Perspective
“Earth Up”
Synoptics present the disciples (and other people) in a process of discovering the true identity of Jesus
Their “earthly” perspective is gradually expanded to a “heavenly” perspective
“Heaven Down”
John is written with the perspective of who Jesus is right from the start
Examples:
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John the Baptist was to “reveal” Jesus to Israel
Read Each Gospel for Its Unique Perspective
Read Each Gospel for Its Unique Perspective
Matthew – King of Heaven and Earth
Mark – Servant
Luke – Man
John – God
With the Miracle Stories Ask, “What Does this Tell Me about the Identity of Jesus?”
With the Miracle Stories Ask, “What Does this Tell Me about the Identity of Jesus?”
Understand the Cultural Context to Discern the Impact of Jesus’s Teaching
Understand the Cultural Context to Discern the Impact of Jesus’s Teaching
Read the Crucifixion and Resurrection as the Climax of the Stories
Read the Crucifixion and Resurrection as the Climax of the Stories
Ask, “What are the Kingdom of God Implications for My Life?”
Ask, “What are the Kingdom of God Implications for My Life?”
Conclusion
Conclusion
The Gospels are truly the “good news” of Jesus life, death and resurrection. I pray that this brief overview of the Gospels has been a blessing to you. I f it has been, I would very much appreciate if you would:
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Tune-in next Wednesday
A more in-depth overview you can check-out www.overviewbible.com/four-gospels