Complementary
Filters. They’re all the rage on apps like Instagram or Facebook. One can take a photo, add a filter, and change the appearance. The image is still the same, but depending on the filter used, one’s eyes are drawn to one aspect or another. The observer can appreciate different aspects of the subject by viewing the photo through different filters. The four Gospels have a similar affect on the life and person of Christ Jesus. Much like viewing a black and white photograph, one in sepia tone, one in blue tones, and one in full color. The first three have a similar feel as they are all essentially a two-tone photograph, but the full color stands apart. One Gospel, John, has a distinctly different feel than the other three.
Robert Gundry (2012) generally defines Gospels as those books within the Bible that give testimony to the life and ministry of Christ Jesus giving us “proclamations and instructions written from a theological standpoint” (p. 150). In this sense the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are all similar. Their primary purpose is to give testimony to the life and person of Christ Jesus. A. Culpepper (1998) states that the four Gospels “are written accounts of the ministry and teaching of Jesus from His baptism through His death and resurrection” (p. 18). Gundry explores solutions to what he terms the “synoptic problem” in the fifth chapter of A Survey of the New Testament. Scholars believe that the three synoptic Gospels are so similar because they all draw on the same sources, sometimes even suggesting that a source not in the canonized Bible may be the primary source for all three Gospels. Odd that none of the scholars mention the fourth source being God Himself inspiring and guiding the writing through the Holy Spirit.
Within the four gospels there are several moments of harmony. The first is when Jesus begins His ministry in Galilee seen in Matthew 4:12, Mark 1:14, Luke 4:14-15 and John 4:1-3. The second is when Jesus feeds the five thousand, seen in Matthew 14:21, Mark 6:44, Luke 9:14-16, and John 6:10-11. The third is Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, seen in Matthew 21:9-11, Mark 11:8-11, Luke 19:36-38, and John 12:12-13. The fourth harmony is during what is referred to as the Last Supper when Jesus foretells of a betrayer, seen in Matthew 26:21, Mark 14:18, Luke 22:21, and John 13:21. The fifth instance is the testimony of Peter’s denial of Jesus, seen in Matthew 26:69-74, Mark 14:66-71, Luke 22:55-62, and John 18:15-18. Next in line at sixth is when Pilate sentences Jesus, seen in Matthew 27:24-26, Mark 15:15, Luke 23:24, and John 19:13-16. The crucifixion is seventh in line, the number of completion, seen in Matthew 27:35-37, Mark 15:25-26, Luke 23:33-38, and John 19:18-19. Jesus’ death is the eighth point of parallel seen in Matthew 27:50, Mark 15:37, Luke 23:46, and John 19:30. Second to the last is Jesus’ burial, seen in Matthew 27:59-61, Mark 15:46-47, Luke 23:53, and John 19:39-42. Finally, the tenth harmonious event is the testimony of visiting the tomb and finding it empty, seen in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20. These ten events by themselves tell the Gospel story in a nutshell.
Many of the differences between John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels comes in style and information given. For example, they synoptics primarily focus on the ministry of Jesus in Galilee while John focuses on Jesus’ ministry in Judea around Jerusalem (Culpepper, 1998, p. 19-20). Another point of difference is in relation to parables and miracles. Parables and miracles play a vital role in the synoptic Gospels but are hardly to be found in John’s Gospel. Instead, John records a few miracles but calls them signs, and uses longer discourses in between the seven signs. While the synoptic Gospels speak often of the coming Kingdom, John focuses instead on eternal life. While Matthew and Luke both open with genealogical accounts of Jesus, and Mark opens with Jesus’ baptism, John chooses to begin before the beginning by proclaiming Jesus’ deity and eternality from before time began. The synoptic Gospels are all people focused, earth focused; whereas John is God focused, heavenly focused. These initial focal points continue throughout the respective Gospel accounts.
Having four different perspectives of our Savior, Christ Jesus helps us see His ministry and personhood in more detail and with more clarity than if we had only one testimony. We all learn differently, and we all connect to God differently because of that. Some are more linear thinkers; others prefer to think in terms of allegories or metaphors. In our walk, sometimes we need words spoken straight to us, and other times we need a gentler approach. John’s Gospel is frequently used for evangelism, while Matthew’s Gospel and the other synoptics are used to help disciple believers. Culpepper (1998) reminds us that “each of the four Gospels presents a different portrait of Jesus, and consequently each has a different interpretation of what it means to be a follower of Jesus” (p. 25). Just as the different tints in a photograph focus our attention on different aspects of the photograph resulting a fuller appreciation of the art we are beholding, so too do the four Gospels help us focus our attention on a different aspect of Christ Jesus and help us more fully appreciate and understand our Savior.
References
Culpepper, R. A. (1998). The Gospel and Letters of John. Abingdon Press.
Gundry, R. H. (2012). A Survey of the New Testament. Zondervan.
The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible. (1999). Zondervan.
(Originally submitted in class in January 2022)
Life As A Joyful Adventure 