The Four Gospels: One Message
What are the Gospels?
• The Gospels are the primary source of our knowledge of Jesus’ life and teachings.
• The first four books of the New Testament are known as the Gospels
• Gospel means “good news” – Evangelium
• The Gospels tell the story of Jesus, the Savior of the world.
• Gospels talk about Jesus and the disciples (all his followers) and the apostles (the
chosen 12 Jesus asked to follow him closely).
The Gospels contain:
- Parables (stories that teach a lesson)
Examples: The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Mustard Seed
- Miracles (wonders worked for the people to have greater faith)
Examples: The Healing of the Paralytic, The Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes
- History of Christ’s life – How he became man, His birth, His life, His death, His
Resurrection
KNOWING HOW THE GOSPELS WERE FORMED
Stage 1: Jesus’ Life in Palestine
The Gospels present the works and words of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus
proclaimed the Good News of our salvation. After The Resurrection, the apostles
preached that Jesus himself is the Good News for him.
Stage 2: Oral Tradition
The Good News was spread only by word of mouth. The original proclamation of
the apostles after the Pentecost was called the kerygma.
Why did it take so long to write the Gospel?
1. The Semitic people preferred the spoken, “living” word to the written word.
2. The early Christians did not feel the need to record the facts about Jesus being
confined to Palestine and its neighboring countries and the original witnesses to Jesus’
life were still living during that time.
3. The early Christians expected the risen Christ to come back soon.
Stage 3: The Written Gospels
The Gospels were written over a period of 30-40 years. The Gospels are faith
testimonies to the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus written by believers to guide
fellow believers and inspire new ones.
Reasons for writing the Good News
1. The apostles and the original witnesses were dying or being martyred.
2. The Good News was being preached to people farther and farther away from
Jerusalem and the Jewish culture and religion.
3. For a more permanent record of Jesus’ message for the future generations of
Christians.
The Gospel Portraits of Jesus
Matthew: Jesus is the Messiah and king
Luke: Jesus is the Savior of the world
Mark: Jesus is the suffering Messiah
John: Jesus is the Son of God, The Word made man
THE GOSPEL SYMBOLS
● Matthew is represented by a wing-man because his Gospel opens with a record
of Jesus’ human ancestors.
● Mark is represented by a desert lion because his Gospel opens with John the
Baptist “crying out in the desert.” The symbol also fits Mark’s style, which is as
vivid and as direct as a lion’s roar.
● Luke is represented by an ox because his Gospel opens with Zechariah offering a
sacrifice to God in the temple. The ox is a reminder of ancient animal sacrifices.
● John is represented by an eagle because his Gospel starts with a prologue
praising Jesus, who alone can look at the face of God just as the eagle alone can
look upon the sun.
WHO WROTE THE GOSPELS?
• The Four Evangelists
- Matthew (the apostle), Mark, Luke, John (the apostle)
• Evangelist means “sharer of the Good News”
About Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
- Matthew the Apostle, also known as Saint Matthew and as Levi, a dishonest tax
collector driven by greed until Jesus Christ chose him as a disciple.
- Mark traveled with St. Paul and helped spread the Gospel. He wanted to convert the
Greeks (who were pagan) to Christianity. First Gospel to be written.
- Luke was a doctor but traveled around with Paul to spread the Gospel.
Literary Purpose: Luke wanted to show Christ’s humility through his love for the poor
and women- those in society no one cared about.
- John is a fisherman who left everything to follow Jesus. He was the youngest apostle
and a brother of James.
● There is only one Jesus but there are four inspired Gospels. Each Gospel
presents a different perspective on Jesus. The Gospels portray Jesus as the
Messiah-King (Matthew), the Suffering Messiah (Mark), the Savior of the
World (Luke), and the Son of God (John).
Parables of Jesus
The word parable (Hebrew mashal; Syrian mathla, Greek parabole) signifies in general a
comparison, or a parallel, by which one thing is used to illustrate another. It is a
likeness taken from the sphere of real, or sensible, or earthly incidents, in order to
convey an ideal, or spiritual, or heavenly meaning.
Classifications of Jesus’ Kingdom Parables
1. Parables that describe the King/God – His nature, His qualities, and His attitudes in
dealing with His people.
2. Parables that emphasize the kind of response needed to enter the Kingdom
3. Parables that deal with relationships with other people.
4. Parables that refer to the future coming of the Kingdom
Themes of the Parables
1. God’s loving mercy is at the heart of the Good News.
2. Everyone is called to enter the Kingdom.
3. The Kingdom demands our Repentance.
4. The Good News demands a persevering response.
5. Rejoice and be hopeful. Jesus reveals to us God’s goodness, generosity, forgiveness,
love and offer of salvation.
