The Gospel Books Summaries!
Biography: The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - which tell the life story of Jesus. The first three Gospels are similar in content and structure and are also called the "Synoptic Gospels".
History: Acts or Acts of the Apostles - which recounts the early history of Christianity when the Apostles began to preach the Gospel.
Letters (a.k.a. the Epistles): Romans, 1st Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st Thessalonians, 2nd Thessalonians, 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, 1st Peter, 2nd Peter, 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John and Jude - written by Paul and other authors.
Prophecy: Revelation or Book of the Revelation to John - which is the only New Testament book to focus entirely on prophecy.
The book of Matthew is a Gospel that contains Narrative History, Genealogy, Parables, Sermons, and some Prophetic Oracles. It was written by Matthew (Levi), the Disciple of Christ.
THEME: The book of Matthew is the first of the synoptic gospels and it was written to reveal the Lord Jesus as the Messiah, the King of the Jews, from the line of David. It also was written to convince the Jews that Jesus Christ was indeed their long-awaited Messiah.
Chapters 1-4 in Matthew mainly deal with the miracle birth of Jesus and the events surrounding His early life. This primarily involves the commonly told Christmas story but also includes the genealogy of Jesus, which goes all the way back to Abraham. "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (1:21).
Chapters 5-25 consist of the ministry of Jesus from the interdiction of John the Baptist up to the point of His death at Calvary. These chapters are vital to our knowledge of Jesus Christ and are much of what we know about God living as a perfect man on Earth. These passages include Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount, numerous miracles, and priceless teachings to all who would listen and follow.
Chapters 26-28, contain the death and resurrection of Jesus. These chapters present the truth of the "Good News" and about how Jesus took the sins of the world upon Himself. This is the central theme of salvation through faith alone in the complete and finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross. Salvation is possible only through His death, His burial, and His resurrection from the dead, all for the sake of sinners. Numerous and amazing Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled frequently in these final chapters. Some of these are His betrayal for thirty pieces of silver by Judas, crucifixion with two robbers, and those wagging their heads at Jesus while He was yet on the cross.
Matthew seems to have written this Gospel to a Christian audience who was either Jewish or highly familiar with the Jewish religion. Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah (Matt 1:1), the promised descendant of King David who would bring God’s kingdom to earth and establish a time of peace and justice. Matthew quotes the Old Testament extensively, and places special emphasis on Jesus’ fulfillment of prophecies—which would have been important to a Jewish audience. Matthew tells us the story of Jesus with an emphasis on His role as Messiah, or Christ:
- Jesus is the son of God. He is conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb (Matt 1:18–20), and God endorses Jesus as His beloved Son (Matt 3:17). He is God incarnate, living among men (Matt 1:23).
- Jesus is the king. He is the son of King David (Matt 1:1). Jesus repeatedly declares that the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matt 4:17), and tells many parables about it. The book of Matthew makes more mentions of the “kingdom of heaven” of “kingdom of God” than any of the other Gospels.
- Jesus is the promised savior. He is the son of Abraham, through whom God had promised to bless all nations of the earth. Matthew emphasizes the Old Testament prophecies that Jesus fulfills, from His birth (Matt 1:22–23; 2:5–6, 17–18) through His ministry and right up to His death and resurrection. He lives a righteous life, teaches us what it means to be righteous, and dies on a cross so that we can be right with God.
***Matthew opens with a simple statement of who Jesus is (the Messiah), and closes with a simple statement of what we should do (make disciples for Him).***
Summary of Mark - Jesus. Servant and Son
The book of Mark is a Gospel that contains Narrative History, Sermons, Parables, and some Prophetic Oracles. This Gospel has somewhat of an emphasis in miracles (27 total) which is significantly more than any of the other Gospels.
It was written by John Mark who was one of the missionaries who accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their mission trips. It is possible that Mark wrote this Gospel at the urging of Peter (his companion in Rome) since he had firsthand knowledge of the things that Mark wrote about.
THEME: the purpose of the Gospel of Mark is to show that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God who was sent to suffer and to serve in order to rescue and restore mankind. The 16 chapters of the Gospel of Mark can be divided into two parts, 8 chapters each. In the first 8 chapters Jesus is essentially traveling north and preaching until chapter 8. In Chapter 8, Jesus is in the city of Caesarea Philippi where He asks His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” (vs. 27). Peter replies, “You are the Christ”. Throughout the last 8 chapters, Jesus is traveling south, back to Jerusalem; all the way to Calvary’s Cross.
In chapter 1, there is a quick introduction of John the Baptist and his preparation for the coming Messiah. It also includes the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan, and the temptation in the desert by Satan. The focus quickly changes to the message and ministry of Jesus.
In chapters 2-10, Jesus selects His Disciples, “And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him, and that He could send them out to preach” (3:14). The rest of these passages almost completely refer to Jesus as a Servant. It presents Jesus either teaching, healing, helping, performing miracles, blessing, feeding, challenging authority, and feeling compassion (8:2).
Chapters 11-16 are the final chapters that declare the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ again another example of servanthood. He is betrayed, dragged through a faulty trial, and then unmercifully beaten, humiliated and crucified; all for the purpose of serving sinners. The final chapter is the miraculous resurrection of His physical body, numerous appearances, and command of the Great Commission, and finally His ascension to the right hand of God.
This Gospel emphasizes two important characteristics of Jesus Christ:
- His authority as the Son of God
- His compassionate service to people (particularly in miracles)
***As you read Mark, you’ll see the word “immediately” repeated often: Mark is a quick, urgent, bold message about who Jesus is and what He did.***
~~~~~~The book of Luke is a Gospel that contains Narrative History, Genealogy, Sermons, Parables, and some Prophetic Oracles. The emphasis of Luke is Parables and contains more of them than any other Gospel (19 total). It is the third of the synoptic gospels.
The key personalities of the book include Jesus Christ, His parents Mary and Joseph, the Twelve Disciples, John the Baptist, Herod the Great, Jewish religious leaders, and Pilate.
In chapters 1-4, Luke writes a very detailed account of the birth of Jesus, a common Christmas story, yet always fascinating. He then explains John the Baptist’s preparation of the coming Messiah, then Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, which transitions into Jesus’ beginning ministry in Galilee.
Chapters 5-21 consist of the ministry of Jesus. As Jesus travels, He teaches, preaches, heals the sick, and brings hope to the desperate and discouraged. He was also seeking those who were obedient and faithful, such as the Roman Centurion who sincerely pleads with Jesus to heal his servant from a far distance, “just say the word, and my servant will be healed” (7:7). Jesus met many religious leaders who relentlessly opposed Him and constantly tried to trick and kill Him.
In chapters 22-24, one of His own (Judas) betrays Jesus. He was unlawfully convicted by a dishonest and hateful court, and sentenced to an excruciating death. However, death could not hold Him and after three days He resurrected and arose from the grave, just as He had miraculously raised others during His ministry.
The book of Luke shows us Jesus, who came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). We learn all about the God-man in whom we’ve placed our faith. We see how He lived, how He died, and how He rose again.
Luke’s Gospel is written in ways that Jewish and non-Jewish people can understand and appreciate. In Luke, Jesus is indeed the long-awaited Messiah; He is also the savior of the nations (Luke 2:30–32). Whereas Matthew traces Jesus’ ancestry to Abraham (Matt1:1), Luke charts His lineage all the way back to Adam (Luke 3:38). This isn’t surprising—after all, Luke spent a great deal of time with the apostle Paul, who shared the good news with both Jewish and Gentile audiences.
Summary of John - reasons to believe in Jesus
The book of John is a Gospel that contains Narrative History, Sermons, Parables, and a few Prophetic Oracles. It was written by the Disciple/Apostle John.
Theme: It was written so that all may believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God who gives eternal life. John’s gospel uses the word “Believe” 98 times and the word “Life” 36 times, in an effort to embed the importance that one must believe in order to live eternally.
Chapter 1 is the preamble of the Messiah’s coming ministry. John gives clear evidence that Jesus is more than just a man, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (1:1). John then describes that the “Word” is Jesus who became a man to “live among us” (1:14). The beginning verses in the first chapter teaches us that Jesus is more than just a man who came into existence but rather, He is infinite God.
Chapters 2-12 consist of Jesus’ ministry. He meets with a religious leader named Nicodemus and teaches him that no one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless they have are personally “Born-Again” (3:3). Several times throughout the book, Jesus claims that He Himself is God, “I am the Father are one” (10:30). Jesus also repeats and applies to Himself, the Jehovaic statement, “I AM” as found in Exodus 3:14, for example, when Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25), “I am the way the truth and the life” (14:6), “I am the door” (10:9), and “I am the bread of life” (6:35).
The events in Chapters 13-17 occur less than 24 hours before Jesus’ death. They describe the details of the Last Supper with Jesus and His disciples. Jesus taught many important topics to the Disciples during this time. Some of these were topics about the Kingdom, and about the work of the Holy Spirit that would be sent to them. He also prays for Himself, His disciples, and for all the future believers.
Chapters 18-21 portray the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In these final chapters, He is on trial and then convicted illegally. After which He is appallingly beaten, humiliated, and then crucified. Jesus resurrected and arose from the tomb and appeared to Mary Magdalene and to His disciples. When John finishes his gospel he writes one of the most amazing truths about Jesus Christ, “And there are many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written” (21:25)
John may be the final Gospel, but this narrative begins far, far earlier than the other three. While Mark begins with Jesus’ adult ministry, and Matthew and Luke begin with His physical birth, John opens with the beginning of all creation: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Jesus presents Himself as God incarnate throughout the Gospel of John, often using the phrase “I am” (the memorial name of God revealed in Exodus). John records several “I am” statements from Jesus throughout this book:
- “I am the bread of life” (Jn 6:35, 41, 48, 51)
- “I am from [God], and He sent Me” (Jn 7:29)
- “I am the Light of the world” (Jn 8:12; 9:5)
- “I am [God]” (Jn 8:58)
- “I am the door” (Jn 10:7, 9)
- “I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10:11, 14)
- “I am the Son of God” (Jn 10:36)
- “I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn 11:25)
- “I am the way and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6)
- “I am the vine” (Jn 15:1, 5)
The Gospel of John makes a strong argument for Jesus as the exclusive savior, and the only way to know God (Jn 1:18; 14:6). Jesus is greater than the Jewish heroes Moses and Abraham (Jn 1:17; 8:58); Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, and John challenges us to believe in Him.
- Prologue (Jn 1)
- The “Book of Signs” (Jn 2–12)
(Seven miracles that John uses to show Jesus is the Son of God)Turning water to wine (Jn 2)- Healing the nobleman’s son (Jn 4)
- Healing the sick man at the pool of Bethesda (Jn 5)
- Feeding 5,000 (Jn 6:1–14)
- Walking on water (Jn 6:15–21)
- Healing the blind man (Jn 9)
- Raising Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11)
- The Jews reject Jesus, and Jesus withdraws to his disciples (Jn 12)
- The “Book of Glory” (Jn 13–20)
(Jesus demonstrates his love for the disciples, and the Father glorifies the Son)- Jesus’ final teachings (Jn 13–16)
- Jesus’ high priestly prayer (Jn 17)
- Jesus’ betrayal, trial, and death (Jn 18–19)
- Jesus’ resurrection (Jn 20)
- Epilogue: Jesus feeds seven disciples, reinstates Peter (Jn 21)
The first four books of the New Testament are known as the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each book tells us about the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
All 4 gospels focus on the story of Jesus
The Gospels are where we find all the famous Bible stories about Jesus. Because each Gospel is about the same main character, they all share several elements.
For example, each of the four gospels follows this general progression: Mt - Matthew, Mk - Mark, Lk - Luke, JN - John
- A statement of Jesus’ divine status
(Mt 1:23; 3:13–17; Mk 1:1, 9–11; Lk 1:32–35; 3:21–22; Jn 1:1, 29–34) - Jesus’ miracles and teachings
(Mt 4–25; Mk 1–13; Lk 4–19:27; Jn 2–17) - Jesus’ betrayal, trial, and death
(Mt 26–27; Mk 14–15; Lk 19:28–23:56; Jn 18–19) - Jesus’ resurrection and encouragement to his followers
(Mt 28:1–15; Mk 16:1–8; Lk 24:1–12; Jn 20:1–10
Why do we need four gospels?
Many people (including myself) have asked, “Do we really need four gospels in the Bible? That seems redundant. Shouldn’t one do the trick?”
Maybe that would be the case if Jesus were a regular person who just did regular things. But He isn’t, and He didn’t.
John says that the world itself couldn’t hold all the books that could be written about Jesus’ ministry (John 21:25). If there’s that much to say about Jesus, then we shouldn’t be surprised that we have multiple accounts of him in our Bible.
We have four gospels because during the early church period, four people found it necessary to tell the story of Jesus from four different perspectives. Each gospel was written for a different (original) group of people, by a different author, who was trying to accomplish a different purpose.
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