Dive In: the gospels

Skeptics are not a modern development. Cain heard God but ignored his warning. Noah was alone among earth’s people who honored God.

When Jesus encountered future disciples in the first chapter of John, he responded to questions with a simple “come and see.” He drew skeptics to himself.

So should we. But not to ourselves, in spite of what we sometimes think. Our task is to point them to Jesus.

Answers are found in the presence of Jesus, which is found in the gospels.

If we’re going to grapple with questions about the nature of God, the gospels bring us a tapestry of Jesus’ life and ministry. And Jesus was clear that he was the way to the Father. The gospels are the avenue to Jesus. We have to understand them.

Which brings me to my topic for today: why are there four gospels? There’s more in that question than you might think.

If the goal of the gospels is to present a historically accurate, chronological account of the life of Jesus, then there wouldn’t seem to be a need for four gospels. One could do that. But since there are four gospels, and they have been endorsed as canonical and inspired by God, we must dig deeper.

The gospels are not to be seen only as different views of the same historical account. How does one account for the gospel differences, especially those that seem contradictory? How does one explain why a gospel includes certain accounts and leaves others out?

For most of church history, scholars believed that the gospels were meant to harmonize. In other words, they were certain that if you read the resurrection story in all four gospels, you could piece them together to get the complete story. That implies each gospel is incomplete without the others. That could have presumptuous implications.

The thinking has changed. Today, many assume that the first-century writers had different audiences, different purposes, and different talents. Although the gospels address the same basic narrative – Jesus’ life on earth – they are not incomplete apart from each other.

Each gospel has unique purpose, audience, style, form, content and theology. Each evangelist wrote from his own gifting and viewpoint, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Today begins a short series on each gospel. I will include an overview of the purpose of each gospel and also some ideas on whom in the modern audience might be drawn to a particular gospel presentation.

If we’re intent on shining light on this world, we must show them Jesus. That’s the battle point, where the tension arises. Jesus is not safe, like some watery references to a higher being might be. When we bring up Jesus, we establish the front line of the spiritual battle.

That’s why we need to know the gospels.

Tomorrow, we’ll start with Matthew.

We’ll discover who he wrote to and what his purpose what. And hopefully when we’d want to direct someone to the first gospel.