Study Guide: The Uniqueness of the Gospels

Together, all four Gospels give us a full account of everything we need to know about the God-man, Jesus Christ. However, each author wrote their Gospel to a specific audience, at a specific time in history, painting Christ in a uniquely different light within each depiction. We know without a doubt that all of these writings have been truly inspired by God, so it is intriguing to dissect their differences in order to understand what each account is meant to relay to us as believers.

The Gospel of Matthew is the most “Jewish” out of the four. He constantly refers to the Old Testament because he is writing to the faithful Jewish people who would be familiar with these sacred writings. He uniquely includes Joseph’s infancy narrative and opens his book with Jesus’ genealogy, immediately naming famous figures from the Old Testament, such as David and Abraham. Matthew wants to emphasize to his readers that Jesus is the fulfillment of all Messianic prophecies.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5:17)

Mark wrote his Gospel for the gentile audience of his time. He focuses on the idea of the “Messianic Secret,” that Jesus’ identity was hidden during his ministry. Mark writes how Christ was known as a mighty miracle worker, but because he was not yet understood as the Son of God, discipleship meant that his followers were called to enter into the mystery of Christ. Mark notably mentions that when Christ’s true identity was finally revealed, it was done so by a gentile, the Roman centurion, at Jesus’ crucifixion. This is the shortest of all the Gospels; it depicts Jesus as a man of action, quick to help those around him.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

Luke also wrote his Gospel in order to teach to the Gentiles. Luke focuses on the mercy of God by being the only Gospel in which the parables of the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan are included. By writing in a secular historical context, he shows how Christ is a universal savior. His writing mimics that of a Greek/Roman history book and he notes Jesus’ genealogy beginning with Adam, demonstrating how the Lord came to rescue all of humanity.

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10)

John wrote to a mixed audience of both Jewish people and gentiles. 90% of his Gospel is unique from the others as he focused on including proof that supported the divinity of Christ and omitted many accounts that appealed to his humanity. Only this Gospel holds the seven “I AM” statements declared by Christ throughout his ministry. John’s main goal was to portray the special relationship between the Son and the Father, one of shared divinity and purpose.

"Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)

Although the four Gospels each contain different motives and stories, they all share the common theme of Jesus being sent by the Father to save us from our sins. Each account includes the Son praying to the Father, Christ performing miracles, and teaching of the New World Order through sermons and parables. We can obtain a unique understanding of Jesus through the different authors, and come to know him more personally from all four together.

1. How does Luke demonstrate that salvation is offered to all people?
2. Why does John focus so strongly on Jesus' divinity?
3. Which Gospel emphasizes Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy?
4. What audience was Mark primarily writing to, and how does that shape his presentation of Jesus?