God gave us four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—to help us learn more about Jesus in different ways. Each Gospel shares a unique part of who Jesus is, like looking at a diamond from different sides to see all its beauty. Let’s break it down in a way that’s easy to understand.
1. A Complete Picture of Jesus
The four Gospels give us a fuller understanding of Jesus by showing different parts of His life and ministry. Here’s how each Gospel helps us see a specific side of Jesus:
Matthew: Matthew wrote his Gospel for Jewish people, showing them that Jesus was the promised King—the Messiah they had been waiting for. He emphasized that Jesus came from the family line of King David and fulfilled many promises made in the Old Testament.
Mark: Mark focused on showing Jesus as a servant. He wrote mainly for people who weren’t Jewish, called Gentiles. His Gospel is short and action-packed, showing how Jesus came to serve others and give His life for them.
Luke: Luke, a doctor, carefully wrote his Gospel for a man named Theophilus, a Gentile. He wanted to show that what people believed about Jesus was true and based on historical facts. Luke talks a lot about Jesus’ humanity—how He was the “Son of Man” and understands our human experience.
John: John’s Gospel is different from the other three, called the “Synoptic Gospels.” While the others tell more about Jesus’ life on earth, John focuses on His divine nature—showing that Jesus is God. He wrote so people would believe in Jesus and have eternal life.
Each Gospel writer had a special job, like pieces of a puzzle that together show us the bigger picture of who Jesus really is.
2. Verifying the Truth
God didn’t just give one Gospel because, in the Bible, having more than one witness is important to prove something is true (Deuteronomy 19:15). The four Gospels are like four witnesses to Jesus’ life. They all agree about the big things, but each writer shares different details.
This is like how different people might remember the same event in their own words. Some might focus on certain parts, while others tell different parts of the story. If all four Gospels were exactly the same, it might seem like they copied each other. But because they have different details, it shows they are telling the truth from their own perspectives.
3. Learning by Comparing
Another reason God gave us four Gospels is so we can learn even more by comparing the stories. For example, the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people is told in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but each Gospel adds something new.
In Matthew’s version, we learn how Jesus sent the disciples in a boat, but we don’t know why. When we read Mark’s account, we find out that Jesus did this because the disciples were proud after doing miracles and needed to learn humility. Each Gospel adds more to the story, and when we put them together, we see the lesson more clearly.
In the end, God gave us four Gospels to help us understand different parts of who Jesus is—His kingship, His service, His humanity, and His divinity. These four accounts also help us see that the stories about Jesus are true and reliable, and by studying them, we learn more about what Jesus has done for us.
