LOC 001: Life Of Christ: What is a Gospel?
This morning it is my hope to set out the 1. parameters for our
study of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in the Gospels. Then I
hope to answer the question, 2. What is a Gospel? And, finally, I hope to show you
the 3. purposes for the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
1. Parameters.
2. What is a Gospel -- a special literary Genre
3. Purpose for the Gospels
1. Parameters:
A. The primary source for
our thoughts on the life of Christ will be the four Gospels. Someone might ask: Why not study one
extensively, rather than all four brought into one study? Someone else might ask, why study the Life of
Christ at all when there is so much in the Epistles?
Let me handle the first question first. Not all of the facts concerning the Life of
the Lord Jesus are contained in one Gospel.
Each Gospel writer selected certain items that fit their purpose for
writing. Matthew Mark and Luke have a
great deal of overlap in the stories they use, however, the Apostle John’s
presentation is very different. It is
thoughtful to the point of being mystical at times. Each Gospel contains some material not found
in the others. THerefore, if we compare
Scripture with Scripture, we can get a more comprehensive view of the life of
our Lord than if we concentrated on any one of the Gospels.
Why study the Life of Christ?
To be reminded of the one most central reason for Christianity. Without the person and work of the Lord Jesus
Christ there would be no Epistles to consider.
Christ is the first thing to consider in Christianity. He is the
cornerstone and foundation. We are alive
to God because of him. As Christians, we
should be as familiar with his person and work as we are with the great
theological treatises written by his followers.
An understanding of the Gospel as portrayed in the Gospels is
fundamental to a right understanding of the Truth as God’s truth. The Old Testament points forward to him, the
New Testament looks back to him and forward to his return. He is the central focus of the faith. But,
the sad reality is this: People don’t want to hear about the Jesus of the
Gospels. They want to hear about the
Jesus of the modern Church.
The Jesus portrayed in the Modern Church is more like a buddy and
a coach than he is the Lord of Lord and King of Kings who has come to usher in
a new age and do warfare against his father’s enemies. Jesus isn’t just a moral example for all men
to follow, he is the king, the Lord, the one and only savior, the great
confounder of religious snobs, the one who obeyed withour sin, the one who
drove out the moneychangers from the temple, the one who revealed the secrets
of an adulterous woman, the one who forgave another, he is the perfect
representation of God himself in human form.
The Gospels tell us who he really was and is.
That brings us to parameter #2 Time.
There has never been a time when Jesus was not God. There was a time when he was not man. Our study is not limited to Jesus as a man,
or to Jesus as God, but Jesus as incarnate--that is, God and man, God in the
flesh. To introduce the subject
properly, we will see how Jesus was eternal as it says in the beginning of
John’s Gospel. And, Lord willing, at the end, whenever that may be, we will see
Jesus as the one who will return in a grand display of glory.
In one sense the to study the entire life of the Lord Jesus would
be to study from eternity past through eternity future. That is his life span. For the purposes of our feeble minds, we will
focus our attention on what the Gospel writers have written. We will look at
the four canonical or NT Gospels. But,
what is a Gospel?
2. What is a Gospel? a word about literary genre.
A literary genre is a classification of writing. Novels are a popular literary genre. Subdivision of novels might be Sci-fiction
novels, or historical novels, or fictional novels. They are all books written to tell a story
that may or may not have true elements.
Novels are written to entertain.
That is their purpose.
A personal letter is another literary genre or
classification. When you write a letter
and send it via regular mail or email, your purpose is to convey something
important to yourself to someone else.
The Epistles of the NT are personal letters between men and other men as
in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus and between men and groups of people like
churches. An example of this type of
letter or epistle is Romans. When we
talk about literary genre we mean what type of writing something is.
The Gospels are unique as a literary genre. They were written as the first evangelistic
tracts to spread the Good News of The Lord Jesus Christ after his ascension to
heaven.
Gospel means good news.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have a special place in the life of the
church as the four evangelists. In
liturgical churches, they have the lesson from the Gospel each Sunday. When the refer to the writer of the reading
they call him the evangelist. They may say, TURN TO THE FIRST CHAPTER WRITTEN
BY JOHN THE EVANGELIST, etc.
This brings us to another reason for preaching through the life of
our Lord Jesus as revealed in the NT Gospels--we can’t help but preach
evangelistically when we are confronted with his glory and grace. During this study there should be something
for all. Those who need edification
should be built up as we consider the Life of our Lord, those in need of evangelism, will hear of
Christ Jesus the Lord.
A Gospel is a unique type of literature used to spread the Good
News of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. The Purpose for the Gospels
Let’s look at the purposes for which each Gospel was written. They
are four wonderful presentations with special purposes and particular
audiences.
Matthew
Matthew’s purpose was show Jesus as the one who fulfilled all that
the Jewish writings of the Old Testament
predicted. Matthew also casts the Jewish leaders in very bad light and
he includes the five largest blocks of Jesus’ teaching. Because of these, the
Gospel of Matthew is often considered to be directed towards a Jewish audience
in order to show them that Jesus was the Christ, the promised Messiah. Matthew uses more allusions to the OT than
any other Gospel writer. He uses about
80 references to the OT in order to make his point. Throughout his Gospel, Matthew contrasts the
Jewish religious and political leaders understanding of the OT with the true
teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was God incarnate fulfilling all the
Scriptures had spoken.
Seventeen times in 28 chapters Matthew mentions this fulfillment
focus of his Gospel:
MAT 1:22 So all this was
done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the
prophet, saying:
MAT 2:15 and was there
until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."
MAT 2:17 Then was
fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
MAT 2:23 And he came and
dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."
MAT 3:15 But Jesus
answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting
for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
MAT 4:14 that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
MAT 5:17 "Do not
think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy
but to fulfill.
MAT 5:18 "For
assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle
will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
MAT 8:17 that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself
took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses."
MAT 12:17 that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
MAT 13:14 "And in
them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear
and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;
MAT 13:35 that it might
be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My
mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the
world."
MAT 21:4 All this was
done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
MAT 26:54 "How then
could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"
MAT 26:56 "But all
this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."
Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
MAT 27:9 Then was
fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took
the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the
children of Israel priced,
MAT 27:35 Then they
crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They divided My garments among
them, And for My clothing they cast lots."
Matthew portrays Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s past
promises. He was then, he is for us
today. What an encouragement is ours to
know what God had spoken hundreds of years prior to the time was fulfilled to
the letter. And, what a joy it is to know, that it hasn’t changes in ite
relevance and power to affect lives unto salvation.
Mark
This is the shortest of the Gospels. Brevity does not mean insignificance. The Gospel of Mark is compact in its
presentation. It is sort of a no frills
approach to Gospel writing. He gives us the details in short digestable blocks
without a lot of added comment. Mark was an eyewitness to the events. Mark has
a powerful point to make about the Lord Jesus Christ. He makes it in at least
four ways:
A. Jesus was what every
Israelite was supposed to be. Mark shows
Jesus as a faithful son of Israel living a life in submission to God’s
commands. Jesus is the model Jew and the
model for his disciples, of whom John Mark was one.
B. Luke presents Jesus as the Son of God and as the son of
man. He is divine and he is the messiah.
Jesus glory could not be contained by the flesh. Mark has Christ’s glory shining through his
incarnate form as he goes about doing good.
C. In Mark we see the
importance of Gospel proclamation and the power it has over the souls of
men. The good news is not just true
theologically or historically, it is THE power of God over sickness, evil, and
death.
D. In Mark’s Gospel we also see how God’s true people are to have
a ministry to the Gentiles. Mark takes great pains to explain Jewish customs
and terms. He is the one who tells us
that the temple was to be a house of prayer for all nations. The final
profession of faith in his book comes from the lips of a gentile 15:39)
Without great detail, but enough to get his point across, Mark
writes a compelling story for those outside of the Nation Israel showing to the
Gentile mind the glory of Christ that would have been absurd to them. The very idea of God becoming man was
crazy. But, Mark wrote enough to
confront unbelievers with the marvels and mysteries of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke
Luke tells us in an explicit manner why he wrote his Gospel. IN doing this, he also explains what a Gospel
is. A definition from a Gospel writer
that should not be easily dismissed.
Luke 1:1 Inasmuch as
many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have
been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were
eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good
to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first,
to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may
know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
The Gospel of Luke is:
A. An orderly arrangement
B. Showing what has been fulfilled
C. Based on eyewitnesses
D. A personal letter to a man with a Greek name--Theophilus.
E. That he might know for certain.
F. It was a follow-up packet--Theo had already been
instructed. This Gospel was to verify in
an orderly manner based on the eyewitnesses all that had been fulfilled.
Luke shows the history of Salvation. Luke writes of Jesus ministry to the down and
out as well as his work among the rich and famous. However, it is to the down and out that Luke
directs the readers attention. Jesus did
not cater to the rich and powerful, he ministered to all.
Luke stresses the prayers of Jesus. Before many important events
in Jesus life, Luke shows him as a man of prayer. Of the nine prayers found in
the four Gospels, seven of them are found in Luke. We also find some parables
of Jesus on prayer found only in Luke.
Luke is important to believers as he reminds us that even though Jesus
was God and man, he prayed. If Jesus
prayed, so should we and moreso.
John
John also gives us an explicit statement about the purpose for his
writing the Gospel that bears his name. John 20:30-31 And truly Jesus did many
other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this
book; 31 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.
John has this theme of life running throughout his Gospel. JOhn
wants his readers to see a difference between ordinary life and the life of God
given through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Almost forty times, John presents this contrast of life. Listen to
a few of them, this is what the Gospel is about:
JOH 1:4 In Him was life,
and the life was the light of men.
JOH 3:15 "that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
JOH 4:14 'but whoever
drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that
I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into
everlasting life."
JOH 5:24 "Most
assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me
has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from
death into life.
JOH 6:35 And Jesus said
to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger,
and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
JOH 6:68 But Simon Peter
answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal
life.
JOH 8:12 Then Jesus
spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows
Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
JOH 10:28 "And I
give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone
snatch them out of My hand.
JOH 11:25 Jesus said to
her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he
may die, he shall live.
JOH 12:25 "He who
loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep
it for eternal life.
JOH 13:37 Peter said to
Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your
sake."
JOH 13:38 Jesus answered
him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to
you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
JOH 14:6 Jesus said to
him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through Me.
JOH 15:13 "Greater
love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
JOH 17:2 "as You
have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as
many as You have given Him.
JOH 17:3 "And this
is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom You have sent.
What a grand purpose--that you may believe that Jesus is the
Messiah, the son of God and that believing you may have life in all that he
represents.
This is what Gospel preaching is about--bringing the message of
life and salvation to men, women, boys and girls. The Gospel brings the life of God into the
soul of man. Bringing it to those who need to hear it so by it they may be
rescued from the curse and defilement of sin and find deliverance in the Lord
Jesus Christ alone. The gospels may have
different human purposes, but they speak with one voice the same message of the
Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and the need all men possess--God’s grace giving
what men don’t deserve--life everlasting.
I hope the Life of Christ will stir your heart to love the Lord
Jesus more and more. This is always a
great need in the Church.
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