The Gospels
Gospel In
Matthew
Gospel in Matthew The opening chapter of Matthew’s gospel has a verse that gets right to the heart of the salvation message. “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) The child will be ‘a Son’. This is significant as there was a ‘promised Son’ prophesied Isaiah. “For a child will be born to us, a son [Son] will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) The clear connection with the prophecy is the son [Son] being attributed with ‘Divine’ titles and names. This prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 is in addition to Isaiah 7:14 where the ‘sign’ the Lord promises king Ahaz is that “…a virgin will be with child and bear a son and she will call his [His] name Immanuel.” ‘Immanuel’ means ‘God with us’. Names in the Bible, and especially Divine names, are ‘full of meaning’.[1][6] In the case of the name of Jesus, in the Greek language, Joshua or Jeshua relates back to the O/T Hebrew of ‘Yahweh is salvation’ or ‘O save, Yahweh’.[2] This helps us to see the acute focus in the heart of the gospel in Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Jesus Christ is the salvation provided for all those who have become or ever will become God’s people. He is, “God with us” - Immanuel. The baby born in Bethlehem so long ago is ever with us. God saves His people by their seeing His Son as their only Savior. Sinners need a Savior and Jesus can be trusted - He will save His people from sin. He is the ‘promised – Divine Son’ and the embodied truth that Jeshua saves.
Mark
Gospel in Mark Mark’s gospel is the shortest of the four Gospels. He writes with some particularities that easily identify his style. Most notably is his use of the word ‘immediately’. He hastens on in his writing and ‘immediately’ moves to the next scene. Hence, he is not big on details. It has been widely assumed that Matthew borrowed from Mark and added further details that Mark left out. This may be, but what is important to remember is that each of the inspired writers has written as the Holy Spirit guided them with each of their unique personalities shining through. Mark’s emphasis is immediately present as his opening words make known, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark wants all who read his gospel to know that Jesus is the Son of God, the second Person of the Divine Trinity. He is the fulfillment of the O/T hopes and prophecies (1:2-3,15).“The beginning…of the gospel is to be understood as the opening of verse 2 indicates, with a reference to the O/T prophecy of Isaiah. Particularly ch. 40 which speaks about God comforting His people with the pronouncement that her punishment is about to cease (Isa. 40:2). God had cast His people out of the land and into Exile by the Babylonians as a result of their covenant unfaithfulness. To breach His covenant brought about the covenant curses as to obey them brought blessings.The announcement of the ‘voice’ that is attributed to John the Baptist is calling for the preparation of the Lord to bring about ‘a Return from the Exile’, which Isaiah 40-55 reveals will come as a result of God’s Servant accomplishing His peoples forgiveness as ‘…He bore the sin of many…’ (Isa. 53:12e). Mark then, in connecting his opening statement to the Isaiah prophecy means, “that the beginning of this Gospel is rooted in Old Testament covenant theology of Isaiah 40-55-new exodus and new covenant expectations.”[1] The gospel is indeed rooted in the O/T as Isaiah 52:7 reveals. “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness. Who announces salvation and says to Zion, “your God reigns!” The context goes on to say …for God has comforted His people (vs. 9c). The comfort goes back to Isaiah 40:1 and the news of the ‘Return from Exile’. Salvation is a rich word in the O/T and means deliverance, rescue, redemption. The way Mark unfolds his gospel is to show that Jesus Christ, the Son of God brings about the ‘Return from Exile’. He, as the Son of God, defeats the devil and by offering up Himself on behalf of His people secures for them salvation – deliverance from sin, self and satan! After Jesus baptism by John where He received the Holy Spirit, He is impelled to the wilderness to deal with the devil (Mk. 1:12-13). Unlike Adam the first son (Lk. 3:38) and Israel the next son (Ex. 4:23), Jesus does not succumb to sin. His defeat of the devil is shown in a preliminary way by the temptation but shown conclusively at the cross. Mark shows Jesus, the Son of God has defeated the evil one and ‘He reigns’! The good news is that the Christ has defeated death and the devil and the ‘Return from Exile’ is entry into the Kingdom of God through repentance and faith (1:15). As Jesus overcame, so too all who are in Him can as well (1 Jn. 2:13-14; 3:8, 10; Rev. 5:5). Receiving Christ the Son of God brings one out of bondage, and into the Kingdom and makes one part of God’s family-those who do His will (Mk. 3:35). It is this ‘good news’ that Mark makes known in his gospel that the Son of God achieved. Robinson says of Christ in God’s plan and purpose. “His end could not be other than the great end God had appointed for the universe – the fashioning of sons to Himself in free and loving obedience.”[2][1] William J. Dumbrell, The New Covenant: The Synoptics in Context pg. 88[2] Don Garlington, Jesus the Unique Son of God: Tested and Faithful, pg. 39 ft.note 18 citing Robinson, Temptations, pg. 53
Luke - Acts
Gospel in Luke/Acts When we think of the Gospel of Luke we must of necessity think also of the book of Acts. Reason being, Luke is the author of both and Acts picks up where Luke leaves off. It is good if we consider them together; more as of a part one and part two. Acts concludes what Luke's Gospel started. Luke writes his Gospel to Theophilus, that he would know the certainty of the account of Jesus Christ which he had beentaught (Lk. 1:2-4). Luke's style is as much an historical account as it is a theological treatise. The clear emphasis in Luke's writing is the Holy Spirit. His Gospel makes five references in the opening chapter alone, whereas Matthew just twice and Mark and John only once. Moreover, Acts has a myriad of references; forty to be precise! This abundance illustrates the importance Luke stresses on the work and person of the Holy Spirit in both his Gospel and his understanding of God's salvation through Christ Jesus. He alone of all four Gospels, gives the most detail of the birth narrative of both John the Baptist, the forerunner to Jesus Christ and greatest prophet, as well as to Jesus and His earthly parents, Joseph and Mary. Luke paints an expansive portrait of the righteous ‘waiting on the Lord’ in the Temple, and the fulfillment of their prayers as well as God's promises. All of this is undergirded with the fulfillment of not only the Messiah - Israel's consolation and God's salvation (Lk. 2:25, 30), but also the promise of His Holy Spirit (Lk. 24:49; Acts 2:33). We readily see how closely Luke unfolds his Gospel between the work and Person of Jesus with that of the promise of God in the coming of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:33 Luke records Peter's explanation of Pentecost; directly connecting Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to the right hand of God the Father, to the Holy Spirit's coming in fulfillment of the Father's promise. Shortly after, Peter presents the Gospel to those Jews who witnessed the Spirit's coming and says, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and all who are a far off, as many as the Lord shall call to Himself” (Acts 2:38-39). Knowing that the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus are all part of one homogeneous whole as far as New Testament salvation is concerned, we see that for Luke, he presents the coming of the Holy Spirit as integral to the re-formation of the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16). At the very outset of his Gospel all five references in the opening chapter illustrate Luke’s emphasis on how this new work of God, in the salvation of His people is akin to a 'new creation'. It includes of course, the Holy Spirit 'hovering' over Mary, just as the Holy Spirit brooded over the waters in the initial creation; when the Word of God was spoken, the creative work of God was brought forth. So too, the Holy Spirit 'overshadowed' Mary and it is “for that reason the Holy offspring shall be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1:35). It is because the Holy Spirit had filled John the Baptist from his mother's womb that he shall, in ‘the spirit and power of Elijah’, ‘turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God' as well as 'prepare a people for the Lord' and, as the ‘forerunner’, be the one to announce the Christ to Israel (Lk. 1:15-17). When Elizabeth meets Mary she is filled with the Holy Spirit and pronounces Mary's blessedness and prophecies that Mary is pregnant with her Lord (Lk. 1:41-43). So too, Zacharias, John's father, is filled with the Holy Spirit and he also prophecies that ‘God has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people’, and that this is in keeping with ‘His oath and covenant to Abraham’ (Lk. 1:67-68, 72-73). This foundation of the Holy Spirit's work is presented to us to see how closely knit His work is to that of Jesus’. Christian salvation is a Trinitarian salvation and as Luke recorded Peter presenting the Gospel of God's grace, he said, “...as many as the Lord shall call to Himself” (Acts 2:39). It is God the Father who elects people and chooses them to be His. This calling is that people would come to His Son for forgiveness of sins, that they would receive the Holy Spirit and live a life pleasing to God. The Father selects, the Son secures, and the Holy Spirit ensures that “He who began a good work, will complete it unto the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). Luke's second writing unfolds the ‘rest of the story’. AsJesus ascends to heaven the promise of Him being with His disciples unto the end of the age (Mat. 28:20) comes to pass at Pentecost, with the coming of the Holy Spirit. The ‘Acts of the apostles’ is really the ‘workings of the Holy Spirit through the apostles’! The Church continues in the Messianic mission, in taking salvation unto the ends of the earth (Isa. 49:6; Acts 13:47). This fulfills the Abrahamic promise that, “…in him all families of the earth would be blessed” (Gen. 12:3; Acts 3:25) and the Great Commission of Jesus at the conclusion of Matthew (28:19-20), as well as His further instruction to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). For it is through Abraham and his seed that this promise comes to pass, and Paul makes it abundantly clear in Galatians that Jesus is that Seed (Gal. 3:16)! Thus, all who are ‘in Christ’ and hence have received the Holy Spirit are ‘children of Abraham’ and of the promise - the promised Holy Spirit !!! It is these who comprise the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16).
John
Gospel in John This writing has as its express purpose the necessary ingredients to find all that we sinful humans need to experience present joy, and eternal bliss with our Maker and Savior forever. They could be summarized down to two words: believe, and life. “But these [words] have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His Name” (Jn. 20:31). Within this purpose statement of John is the crux and the content of what is necessary for ‘Life’. The crux is the difficult thing that people by and large dismiss or readily turn up their noses at; because it rubs them the wrong way, it insults their intelligence, and that being primarily because of pride! The insult to sinful humans is that they are ‘spiritually dead’ (Eph. 2:1; Jn. 5:24). In the first reference in Ephesians Paul says, “…you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” This is because mankind enters into this world ‘spiritually dead’ and needs ‘spiritual life’, which is only found in the Son of God; hence you must believe, i.e. have faith in Him to find life. The second reference is just as plain, as Jesus says in John, “… he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death unto life.”Note that the crux of what must be received moves into the content of what needs to be believed. Namely, that you ‘hear’ Jesus’ words. Jesus says, “… the words that I speak, they are spirit and they are life” (Jn. 6:63). How does a spiritually dead person hear ‘spiritual words’? Jesus says, “… unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3). “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.” In short, you need to be born again, born anew, born from above, born of the Spirit (Jn. 3:3,5,8). It is when Jesus’ words in conjunction with the Spirit of God, awaken the spiritually dead person to the reality of their sin and the judgment of eternal death and damnation that they come to Christ for ‘life’. When belief or faith lays hold of Jesus, one has passed from the judgment of death into the justification of life, by believing the Father sent the Son into the world to die for you! This is what John’s Gospel of life is all about. Jesus said if you (1) hear His words, and (2) believe Him who sent Him [the Father sending His Son to die for you, in your place], (3) you have eternal life [presently] and have passed from death into life. Thus one escapes the judgment that awaits sinners who don’t repent of their sin and turn to the Son for salvation, for life (Jn. 5:24). Although the assurance of this ‘born again’ experience is left to John’s second writing in 1 John, his Gospel does give us a glimpse of what is and should be representative of entering ‘life’. “He who believes in the Son has [presently] eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (Jn. 3:36). The one who believes the Son, obeys the Son! The one who does not obey does not believe! The acid test of having entered into life is a heart motivated to live for and love Jesus Christ which essentially moves you to obey Him and want to please Him. We don’t do this perfectly but it is the intention; not the perfection but the direction of our lives in the Lord of Life
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