Day 2639– New Testament Orientation – The Four Gospels – Four Witnesses to the King

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Welcome to Day 2639 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Day 2639 – New Testament Orientation – The Four Gospels - Four Witnesses to the King

Putnam Church Message – 05/25/2025 Sermon Series: New Testament Orientation Message 5: The Four Gospels Last week, we explored how Jesus appears in history outside the Bible. Our core verses were: Matthew 25:31-36 This week is Sermon 5 of 12 titled The Four Gospels - Four Witnesses to the King, Core Verses: Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT). (Opening Prayer) Heavenly Father, we gather today, much like those early followers of Jesus gathered centuries ago, to learn more about the one you sent into the world. We thank you for the collection of sacred writings we hold – this “biblos,” this library of books that tells your story and your plan. As we open the pages that tell the story of Jesus, the four Gospels, we pray for your Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds. Help us to hear these accounts not just as ancient history, but as living witnesses to your Son. Grant us eyes to see Him through the unique perspectives of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. May their words draw us closer to Jesus, deepening our faith and empowering us for the mission He has given us. In His name, we pray, Amen. Introduction We continue our journey through the New Testament with our fifth message, which turns our attention to the heart of this collection of writings: the Four Gospels. The word Bible, its original name, “biblos,” simply means “book” or “scroll.” It wasn’t initially a religious term, but it became the name for this unique collection of divine writings over time. The New Testament is a collection, not a single, continuous narrative written by one hand at one time, but a library. We have letters penned by apostles like Paul, a historical account of the early church’s actions (the Book of Acts), and then we have these four extraordinary books that stand at the beginning: the Gospels. What exactly are the Gospels? They aren’t typical letters like Paul wrote. They seem like histories, biographical accounts, and maybe even theological treatises in some sense. Unlike modern books with authors clearly listed on the cover, the Gospels are, strictly speaking, anonymous within their texts. Yet, from very early times, strong traditions connected these writings to specific individuals: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These weren’t random scribes but people closely linked to Jesus or His closest followers. These four distinct accounts of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection became foundational. Imagine being an Israelite or early Christian in the first century. You’ve heard stories about Jesus – perhaps you even saw Him, or have spoken to someone who did. Now, people are writing down these accounts. Why four? Why not just one definitive story? As we delve into Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we’ll see that while they tell the same core story, they each offer a unique portrait of Jesus, emphasizing different aspects of who He is and what He did. They are four witnesses, each highlighting the glorious King from a slightly different angle, tailored for different audiences and purposes within that burgeoning early faith community. Let’s explore these four unique yet harmonious voices. 1: Matthew - The King and the Kingdom: Fulfilling the Jewish Story Tradition tells us this Gospel was written by Matthew, also known as Levi, one of the original twelve disciples, who Jesus called away from his tax collection booth. Now, in our time, a tax collector might be someone doing a job. But in first-century Israel, under Roman occupation, a tax collector was often seen as a collaborator, someone who profited from the oppression of his own people, perhaps even extorting more than required for Rome. For Jesus to call such a man to be a close follower was scandalous to some, yet a powerful sign of His reach to the marginalized and despised. From an ancient Israelite perspective, Matthew’s background might have made him uniquely suited to write this Gospel. As a tax collector, he was literate, accustomed to record-keeping, and familiar with numbers and details. But more importantly, his conversion was a dramatic turning from the service of Rome to the service of the true King of Israel. Matthew’s Gospel strongly resonates with Jewish concerns. It demonstrates how Jesus fulfills the promises, prophecies, and patterns found in the Old Testament Scriptures: “The Law and the Prophets.” His aim seems to show his predominantly Jewish audience that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, the King who fulfills Israel’s story. Object Lesson: Imagine this is an ancient scroll, perhaps a family lineage or a record of important prophecies. For Israelites, scrolls like these held the weight of their history, identity, and future hope. Matthew writes with this sense of history and prophecy palpable in every chapter, unrolling the story of Jesus as the culmination of everything that came before. He shows us that Jesus isn’t a break from the past, but the magnificent fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham and David. Matthew frequently links events in Jesus’ life directly to Old Testament predictions. He emphasizes Jesus’ teachings on the Law, presenting Him not as someone abolishing it, but as bringing it to its intended purpose and fullness. As Jesus says in Matthew 5:17 (NLT), “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them.” He shows that Jesus’ teachings, like the Sermon on the Mount, offer a deeper understanding of God’s heart behind the Law, moving beyond mere external observance to the attitude of the heart. Matthew also seems keenly aware of the tension between Jesus’ ministry, primarily focusing on Israel, and the eventual expansion to the Gentiles. The Messiah was for Israel! But Matthew, /writing after the resurrection and the beginnings of the Gentile mission, also includes stories that foreshadow the broader reach of the Gospel, often initiated by Gentiles themselves. Consider the story of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:21-28). Matthew includes this not just as a healing story, but as a sign that faith in Jesus, even from a Gentile, would be honored and included, hinting at the future mission. Matthew’s Gospel also carries a strong critique of the religious leadership of the day, particularly the scribes and Pharisees. From an Israelite perspective, these were the keepers of the Law, the interpreters of tradition. Yet, Jesus confronts them sharply. Matthew dedicates an entire chapter (Matthew 23) to Jesus pronouncing woes upon them: “What sorrow awaits you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you prevent others from entering” (Matthew 23:13 NLT). Imagine the shock among the listeners! The leaders of Israel told they were outside the Kingdom, actively preventing others from entering! Jesus isn’t just saying they’re having a bad day; He’s questioning their loyalty to the one true God. This brings us to the core verses for this sermon, found at the very end of Matthew’s Gospel. After His resurrection, Jesus gathers His disciples and makes an astonishing declaration, tying together the themes of kingship, authority, and mission that Matthew has been building towards: “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT) “All authority!” This wasn’t just granted at the resurrection; Matthew shows Jesus exercising this authority throughout his Gospel – over sickness, demons, nature, and even death. Matthew suggests this authority was evident from His victory over Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4) and onwards. Jesus, the Messiah King, now declares His universal sovereignty. Based on this authority, He issued the command to go to “all the nations” – a direct expansion beyond the initial “lost sheep of Israel,” fulfilling the promise that through Abraham’s seed, all nations would be blessed. Matthew presents Jesus as the King, and His followers as those commissioned to extend His Kingdom to the ends of the earth. Summary Statement for Main Point 1: Matthew’s Gospel presents Jesus as the Messiah King who fully embodies and fulfills the story and promises of ancient Israel, establishing His authority and commissioning His followers to extend His Kingdom to all nations. 2: Mark - The Suffering Servant: The Urgency of the Gospel in Action Traditionally, Mark is believed to be John Mark, Peter’s companion. It’s often suggested that Mark’s Gospel reflects Peter’s preaching and eyewitness accounts, likely compiled for a Roman audience. This might explain its concise, fast-paced style, often using the word “immediately.” Action and power are central. Object Lesson: In the Roman world, the cross symbolized brutal execution, reserved for the lowest criminals and rebels. It represented shame, suffering, and death. While it is the central symbol of our faith now, to first-century eyes, a suffering Messiah, let alone one executed on a cross, was a profound paradox. Mark confronts his readers with this paradox head-on, showing Jesus’ path leading inevitably to the cross, presenting Him as the powerful Son of God who also came as the Suffering Servant. Mark progressively reveals Jesus’ identity, often linking it to His suffering. Mark highlights Jesus’ journey towards the cross with increasing clarity. Several predictions of His death start somewhat cryptically and become explicitly detailed. Jesus tells His disciples, “The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead,” (Mark 8:31 NLT). Imagine being a disciple, hoping for a glorious kingdom on earth, and hearing this from the man you believe is the Messiah! Mark doesn’t shy away from the darkness; he shows that suffering and death are central to Jesus’ mission. Mark also powerfully confronts the religious traditions that had become burdensome and, in Jesus’ view, often missed the heart of God’s Law. He includes significant episodes where Jesus deliberately violates or reinterprets traditional purity laws. Consider the healing of the leper in Mark 1:40-42. Leprosy wasn’t just a physical disease; it rendered a person ritually unclean and socially isolated. Touching a leper made you unclean. Jesus deliberately crossed a boundary, showing God’s willingness to enter into our uncleanness and bring healing and restoration. He wasn’t afraid of becoming unclean; His touch brought cleanliness. Mark also includes Jesus’ teaching on food laws and ritual washing in Mark 7:1-23, a passage crucial from a first-century Israelite viewpoint. The Pharisees and scribes criticize Jesus’ disciples for not performing ritual handwashing before eating, accusing them of violating tradition. Jesus’ response is radical: “Nothing outside you can make you unclean by going into you. Rather, it is what comes out of you that makes you unclean,” (Mark 7:15 NLT). Mark explicitly adds, “This means Jesus declared all foods clean,” (Mark 7:19 NLT). Mark highlights this to show that Jesus was shifting the focus from external ritual purity to internal moral and spiritual purity. His point wasn’t that the Old Testament laws were bad, but that rigid adherence to traditions and a focus solely on the external missed the weightier matters of the heart, just as he criticized the Pharisees elsewhere. Mark’s unique perspective also surfaces in the passage about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:28-30). Blaspheming the Holy Spirit meant attributing the undeniable work of God (through the Spirit empowering Jesus) to Satan. It was a fundamental, willful rejection of God’s power and presence at work in Jesus, identifying His divine power as demonic. It was putting oneself firmly on the side of opposition to the one true God, a position from which there is no repentance or forgiveness because it denies the very means by which God saves. Mark presents Jesus as the powerful Son of God, constantly in action, confronting spiritual forces and religious complacency, yet resolutely walking the path of suffering and sacrifice. He calls his followers to a similarly urgent and costly discipleship, to take up their cross and follow Him. Summary Statement for Main Point 2: Mark portrays Jesus as the powerful, active, yet suffering Son of God who challenges restrictive traditions and calls for urgent, self-denying discipleship as He moves purposefully toward the cross. 3: Luke - The Savior of All: God’s Plan for the World through the Spirit Traditionally attributed to Luke, a Gentile physician and a companion of the Apostle Paul. This fact is significant. Luke is the only known Gentile author in the New Testament. Along with the Book of Acts, (Luke volume 2), which he wrote, Luke is responsible for roughly a quarter of the entire New Testament text volume. As a Gentile writing to another Gentile (his dedication is to Theophilus, Luke 1:3), Luke has a particular interest in showing that Jesus is the Savior not just for Israel, but for all people – including Gentiles, women, the poor, and the marginalized. He is often called the Gospel of the Outsider. Luke’s perspective is universal. Object Lesson: Water in the ancient world was essential for life and was often used in rituals of purification and inclusion. Luke’s Gospel is like a cup of refreshing water being poured out not just for a select few, but for everyone who thirsts, symbolizing God’s salvation and the Holy Spirit made available to all nations and all people. Luke’s Gospel includes events and parables that are unique to him and powerfully illustrate Jesus’ heart for those often overlooked by society. His Gospel begins with prophecies that immediately hint at the broader scope of salvation. Simeon, holding the infant Jesus, declares, “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luke 2:29-32 NLT). This is long before Jesus begins public ministry, yet the theme of “salvation for all people,” “light to the nations,” is present from the start. When Jesus begins His ministry in His hometown synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30), He reads from Isaiah 61 about bringing good news to the poor, liberty to the captives, and recovering sight to the blind. Then, after stating this prophecy is fulfilled in their hearing, He reminds them of Old Testament stories where God’s prophets helped Gentiles when Israelites rejected them – Elijah and the widow of Sidon, Elisha, and Naaman the Syrian. The reaction? The people in the synagogue are filled with rage and try to kill Him! Luke shows how radical Jesus’ message of inclusion was to those with a narrow, exclusive view of God’s favor. Luke features stories like Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector in Jericho (Luke 19:1-10). Luke also includes the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14). The Pharisee proudly lists his religious merits, while the tax collector stands humbly apart, beats his chest in sorrow, and prays, “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.” Jesus concludes, “I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted,” (Luke 18:14 NLT). Luke also emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit, God’s empowering presence. While the Spirit is mentioned in other Gospels, Luke highlights the Spirit’s activity from the beginning: in Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Simeon, and Anna. Jesus himself is conceived by the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit. This emphasis carries directly into the Book of Acts, where the Spirit empowers the early church to continue Jesus’ mission to the ends of the earth. Luke shows that God’s presence and power, the Holy Spirit, actively brings salvation for all people. Luke includes hard sayings, emphasizing that following the universal Savior requires radical commitment and a willingness to step outside traditional boundaries and comforts. Finally, Luke connects Jesus directly to the entire sweep of Scripture. Luke shows that the entire Old Testament narrative points forward to Jesus – His suffering and His glory. Luke emphasizes that Jesus’ life and mission are deeply rooted in God’s long-established plan revealed in the Scriptures. Summary Statement for Main Point 3: Luke’s Gospel portrays Jesus as the compassionate Savior for all people, highlighting His inclusion of the marginalized and emphasizing the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in bringing God’s salvation to the world. 4: John - The Divine Son: Eternal Life Through Belief Our final Gospel is John. This Gospel is distinctly different from the Synoptics in structure, style, and content. It contains unique stories and long discourses of Jesus not found in Matthew, Mark, or Luke, such as the conversations with Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman at the well, the raising of Lazarus, and the extensive teaching in the Upper Room. While traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee, the Gospel itself is anonymous. Regardless of the precise identity of the human author or source, the Gospel presents itself as an eyewitness account deeply connected to Jesus. John’s purpose is clearly stated: “But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life in his name,” (John 20:31 NLT). John wants his readers to believe in Jesus’ true identity – not just as Messiah, but as the Son of God, divine, pre-existent, the Word made flesh (John...