Ask a Pastor Column

Q:  What are the differences in the four gospel accounts?

A:  Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are indeed about as different as four works on the same subject can be! Each was written to a different recipient or recipients, each had a different author with a unique relationship with Jesus, and each was written for a slightly different reason, which gives each account a unique flavor and feel.

Many scholars think the Gospel of Mark was written first. It carries with it the energy and fervency experienced by the early church as the gospel was racing across the Roman Empire. The excitement of those first years of gospel work bursts from the pages of Mark’s Gospel (As you read Mark, count how many times the words “at once,” or “immediately” appear in the text)! Mark likely wrote to Roman citizens; presenting Jesus Christ as a suffering servant-leader in contrast to the power-hungry and authoritarian Roman emperors (see Mark 10:42-45)

Matthew may have been next; written as the church settled into a steadier pace of ministry. While Matthew lacks the high pitch of enthusiasm that we find in Mark, it is more thorough and digs into all of the ways in which Christ fulfilled the Old Testament as the foretold Jewish Messiah (The words “it was fulfilled” is a key phrase to watch for in Matthew). It was likely written to Jews to convince them their long-awaited Messiah had come.

Luke is unique because it is the only gospel addressed to an individual (The “most excellent Theophilus,” of Luke 1:1-4). Since Luke had no direct contact with Jesus, he writes more like a second-hand reporter; gathering facts and first-hand accounts to present in “an orderly account,” (Luke 1:3). It was written to assure a struggling new believer of “the certainty of the things in which [he had] been instructed.” (Luke 1:4). Luke has been called the foremost historian of the ancient world because of the detail and accuracy of his gospel and especially its sequel, which we know of as the book of Acts.

John is certainly the most distinct of the gospel accounts. While the first three resemble each other closely in content and structure, John branches out on his own. It was likely written to “fill in the blanks” of the other narratives and present information about Jesus that wasn’t emphasized in the other works. Most of the accounts provided in John are unique, and he is careful to provide clarification and specific details; perhaps partly to resolve disagreements that had begun to sprout up in a new generation of believers (See John 19:33-37; 20:3-8; and 21:23 as examples). Ultimately though, John’s central purpose is the same as all the others; and John states it most clearly: “[This] has been written so that you [the reader] may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that, by believing in Him, you may have life in His name!” (John 20:31)

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