Synoptic Teachings: Who is Jesus?
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  Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew  

Source: ^[1]http://www.padfield.com/1999/gospels.html

Matthew was a Galilean Jew and is often referred to as “Matthew the tax collector” (Matt. 10:2). It is the unanimous consent of the “church fathers” such as Irenaeus, Origien, Eusebius and Jerome that Matthew wrote his gospel in Hebrew and it was later translated into Greek.

While Matthew does not state the purpose of his book like John did (John 20:30-31), it is obvious to even the casual reader that he wrote to prove that in Jesus of Nazareth is to be found the fulfillment of all Messianic prophecy. Some have commented that the gospel of Matthew was written by a Jew, about a Jew, to other Jews — and this is certainly the case.

Try to picture a Greek opening the gospel of Matthew for the first time. Within the first few verses he would read of the genealogy of Christ. (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38) Among the Jews this would have seemed both logical and appropriate, but to a Greek it would have been unintelligible. He would also read of Jesus being the Messiah — a term which no Greek would have been able to fully comprehend. The point is that the gospel of Matthew was never intended for a Greek audience.

There are more than forty Old Testament passages quoted in Matthew in connection with even the minor events of the life of Christ. Matthew would often mention some minor detail in the life of Christ and then go on to show that the event was a fulfillment of prophecy. Matthew explains that Christ was born of a virgin “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet” (Matt. 1:22; Isa. 7:14). The chief priests told Herod that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, “for thus it is written by the prophet” (Matt. 2:5; Micah 5:2). When Herod ordered the slaughter of the innocent children, it was seen as a fulfillment of “what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet” (Matt. 2:17; Hos. 11:1). John the Baptist (Matt. 11:11-14) prepared the way for Jesus, “for this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah” (Matt. 3:3; Isa. 40:3).

Christ began His ministry in “Capernaum, ^[2]Matt. 4:13-16 which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet” (Matt. 4:13-14; Isa. 9:1-2). Even the teaching method of Jesus was a matter of prophecy. Matthew explains that “Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: ‘I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.'” (Matt. 13:34-35; Psa. 78:2).

The death of Christ on Calvary’s cross (Luke 23:32-33; Matt 16:21; Matt 17:22-23; Matt 20:18-19; Matt 26:2) was also a matter of prophecy, and Matthew goes into detail to explain this fact. Christ was betrayed into the hands of the enemy for thirty pieces of silver, as prophesied by Jeremiah (Matt. 27:9-10;Jer. 32:6-9). When He was crucified, the soldiers “divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: ‘They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.'” (Matt. 27:35;Psa. 22:18). Even His words on the cross were a matter of prophecy, for there in agony He quoted the words of the Psalm of the Cross, “‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'” (Matt. 27:46;Psa. 22:1).

  Jesus in the Gospel of  Mark  

The Gospel Of Mark

Source: ^[3]http://www.padfield.com/1999/gospels.html

The gospel of Mark was written to a Roman audience. If one verse could reflect the message of the book, it would be this: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). In the book of Mark Christ is presented as the ideal servant. Unlike Matthew, Mark does not give us the genealogy of Christ, for the genealogy of a servant is not important.

Since Mark was not writing to a Jewish audience, he had to explain Jewish customs and settings to his readers. Matthew tells us of the question the scribes and Pharisees had over the fact the disciples of Jesus did “not wash their hands when they eat bread” (Matt. 15:1-11). When Mark tells the same story he has to explain the washing of hands was a ceremonial cleansing, not the washing of dirt off the body. “For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.” (Mark 7:3-4).

When Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple, Mark tells us that Jesus “sat on the Mount of Olives (Matt. 26:36; John 18:1) opposite the temple” (Mark 13:3). Every Jew knew the Mount of Olives was “opposite the temple,” but Roman readers would have had no idea as to its location.

Mark also has to explain the day of Unleavened Bread was “when they killed the Passover lamb,” something every Jew would have known since birth, but about which a Roman would have been unfamiliar.

  Jesus in the Gospel of  Luke  

The Gospel Of Luke

Source: ^[4]http://www.padfield.com/1999/gospels.html

Luke has the distinction of being the only Gentile writer in the Bible. He is referred to by Paul as “Luke the beloved physician” (Col. 4:14). It has been observed that preachers usually see men at their best, lawyers see men at their worst, and doctors see men as they really are. Luke sets forth the humanity of the Son of Man and presents in chronological order the life of Christ. As a physician, he is more exacting in his use of language. When he refers to a leper he uses the exact medical term to describe the condition, i.e., “full of leprosy” (Luke 5:12). In Mark 3:1 we read of the man with the withered hand whom Jesus healed on the Sabbath — Luke adds it was his right hand which was withered, something a physician would note (Luke 6:6). It is also the physician who notes that in the Garden our Lord’s “sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

“An example of Luke’s care is the way in which he dates the emergence of John the Baptist. He does so by no fewer than six contemporary datings. ‘In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar (1), Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea (2), Herod being tetrarch of Galilee (3), and his brother Philip being tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis (4), and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene (5) in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas (6), the word of God came to John’ (Luke 3:1, 2). Here is a man who is writing with care and who will be as accurate as it is possible for him to be.” (William Barclay, The Gospel Of Luke, p. 3).

  Jesus in the Gospel of   John  

The Gospel Of John

Source: ^[5]http://www.padfield.com/1999/gospels.html

Unlike the other gospel writers, John clearly states the purpose of his book. After describing the appearance of Christ to Thomas and the rest of the apostles, John writes: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:30-31).

The whole purpose of the gospel of John was to prove the Deity of Jesus Christ. (Messianic prophecy Matthew 16:13-16; Matt. 1:22,23; Matt. 2:5,6; Matt. 2:15; Matt. 1:16-18; Matt. 3:3; Matt. 4:12-16; Matt. 8:17; Matt. 13:34-35; Matt. 21:1-10; Matt. 27:9; Matt. 27:35)

Instead of giving the genealogy of Christ, John goes back into eternity to tell us that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4).

“The humanity of Jesus Christ is genuine, as John makes clear, but it is not an ordinary human life that John discloses. It is that of one who before His incarnation existed with God, as very God (Jo. 1:1, 14, 18), and who came to earth to reveal the Father to men … If we wish to know God, look at Jesus Who has revealed Him in personal bodily form, in human personality, the actual combination or union of God with man.” ^[6]Robertson, Epochs in the Life of the Apostle John, pp. 167, 172

I have always been impressed with the descriptive terms John uses for Christ in the first chapter of his book. Not only was He “the Word” Who “became flesh” (John 1:14), but He is “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He is further described as “the Son of God,” “the Messiah” and “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:29, 34, 45). Nathaniel refers to Him as “Rabbi,” “the Son of God” and “the King of Israel” (John 1:49). Jesus ends the chapter by referring to Himself as “the Son of Man” (John 1:51).

  What the Gospels Teach Us About Jesus   

Source: ^[7]https://www.gci.org/bible/gospels/jesus

It is difficult to summarize in this short space what the Gospels say about Jesus Christ. These four books contain more than 100 pages of information about Jesus, and so much of it seems important. Perhaps we can summarize the Gospels by looking at three questions:

1) Who is this person?

2) What did he do?

3) What does he mean for us today?

WHO IS THIS PERSON?
Jesus looked like an ordinary person. He was born in an ordinary way, in humble circumstances. Like other Jewish boys, he was circumcised. As a firstborn child, he was dedicated at the temple. Two pigeons were sacrificed, showing that the family was poor (Luke 2:24; Lev. 12:8).

Like other children, Jesus grew physically, intellectually and socially. Later, he was known as “the carpenter, the son of Mary” (Mark 6:3). He walked and worked like other people did. He ate, slept and became tired and hungry and thirsty. Later, he died, as all people do.

Jesus did have a special interest in religion. His family went to Jerusalem for the Passover every year, and when Jesus was 12, the temple teachers were surprised at how much he knew (Luke 2:46-47).

His cousin John was also religious — and quite out of the ordinary. John lived in the wilderness, eating strange food and wearing strange clothes. He preached repentance, and baptized people as a symbol of forgiveness. Crowds of people came to rededicate themselves to God. Jesus also came, and he was baptized.

EXTRAORDINARY BEHAVIOR:
At Jesus’ baptism, something extraordinary happened — a voice from heaven, and something like a dove came upon him (Luke 3:22). This was a major turning point in his life. His behavior suddenly changed. He quit his job, moved to the desert and stopped eating for 40 days.

When Jesus came back to the synagogue at Nazareth, he practically claimed to be the Messiah when he said that God had anointed him to preach. He announced that he was the fulfillment of Scripture (Luke 4:16-29).

Jesus began to do some extraordinary things: turning water into wine, feeding thousands of people, healing all sorts of diseases, giving sight to the blind, even raising the dead. He commanded demons to leave, and they obeyed! Repent, he preached, for the kingdom of God is near.

COULD THIS BE THE MESSIAH?
No way, said the experts. They liked Jesus when he was 12, not now. He disrupted temple-related businesses, turned over tables and drove out the animals (John 2:13-17). He publicly criticized the Jewish leaders, calling them blind leaders, snakes, children of the devil, sons of hell (Matt. 15:14; 23:15, 33; John 8:44).

And no one ever taught like Jesus did. What extraordinary things he said about himself! Such as, If you don’t do what I say, you will not be in the kingdom of God. No one comes to God except through me. I am the judge of your eternity. I can forgive your sins (Matt. 7:26; 9:2-6;10:33; 16:27; John 5:22; 14:16).

Moses is not enough, Jesus said. Moses said one thing, but I teach something else (Matt. 5:21-39). He claimed to be greater than the temple, greater than Solomon and Jonah (Matt. 12:5-8, 41-42). He said that people should be more righteous than Pharisees, but he ignored their rules about ritual washings and Sabbath-keeping.

Who is this man? Where did he get these extraordinary ideas?

If Jesus didn’t do any miracles, his teachings might have been ignored as ridiculous. But his miracles gave evidence that he really could forgive sin, he really could bring spiritual light to the blind and he really did have authority from God. This man could not be ignored.

The people saw Jesus’ miracles, and they wondered, Could he really be the Messiah? (John 7:25-31, 40-44). Could this person who criticizes our traditions really be anointed by God?

EXTRAORDINARY SHAME:
Jesus often called himself the Son of Man. Sometimes this phrase meant “an ordinary person.” Sometimes it referred to an extraordinary person — someone “like a son of man” coming with the clouds of heaven, crowned and given great glory (Daniel 7:13-14). Jesus said that he would come in great glory, at the right hand of God (Matt. 24:30). This was such a bold claim that the high priest accused Jesus of blasphemy (Matt. 26:64).

Paradoxically, Jesus also used the phrase Son of Man to predict his own death on a cross (Matt. 20:18-19; 26:2) — but crucifixion was the most shameful way for any Jew to die. “Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse” (Deut. 21:23 (link is external)).

How could anyone have both shame and glory? How could a blasphemer be honored by God? If Jesus were the Messiah, why did he say that the people would reject him and kill him? A dead Messiah made no sense.

That’s why Peter said, Not so, Lord! We will never let this happen to you! But Peter could not stop the envy of the Jewish leaders, nor the injustice of the Roman rulers. Peter was powerless against sin and evil.

And so Jesus, once hailed by the people as a king, was soon rejected, betrayed, deserted, condemned, beaten and crucified. The disciples’ hopes were crushed. Some left town; some planned to return to the fishing business.

The Gospels do not hide the shameful death of Jesus. Indeed, all four books spend a disproportionate amount of space on this tragic event. These books were designed to tell us what Jesus did (Acts 1:1 (link is external), but they give a lot of space to Jesus’ suffering and death. Could it be that his death is part of what he did? Could it be that his manner of death was part of his ministry? What made his death so newsworthy in the eyes of the Gospel writers?

EXTRAORDINARY REVALUATION:
Even in death, Jesus was a controversial figure. One Jewish leader asked for permission to put him in a brand-new tomb. Other Jewish leaders posted a guard.

Early on a Sunday morning, some women came to put burial spices on his body, but they came back with a strange report. There was an earthquake, they said, and an angel rolled the stone away, the guards fainted and Jesus suddenly appeared to the women.

The disciples “did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense” (Luke 24:11 (link is external)). Even after Peter examined the evidence, “he went away, wondering to himself what had happened” (verse 12).

It was not long before Peter became convinced about what had happened. But why? If God wanted Jesus to be alive, why did he allow him to die in the first place? Is this what Jesus was all about?

“Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, Jesus explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (verse 27). The disciples began to learn a new understanding of Jesus — not just his resurrection, but also the purpose of his death, the meaning of his life and most astonishing of all, who he was.

Who was this man from Nazareth? He called himself the Son of Man. Blind men and a Canaanite woman called him Son of David, another name for the Messiah. Demons called him Son of God — but could they be right?

Nathanael, Peter and Martha also called him the Son of God. He accepted that title in front of the high priest, and was condemned for it. The crowds ridiculed him for it, but the centurion said, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Mark, Luke and John begin their books by calling him the Son of God — not a child of God in the same way that believers are, but Son in an unprecedented way.

EXTRAORDINARY PERSON:
Despite appearances, Jesus did not begin in the usual way, Matthew and Luke tell us — he was conceived by the Spirit of God. Even when he was a baby, the Magi worshiped him. His disciples fell on their knees and worshiped him (Matt. 2:11 (link is external); 14:33 (link is external); 28:9 (link is external), 17 (link is external)).

John tells us something even more astounding: that Jesus was, from the beginning of time, the Word of God, who “was with God, and the Word was God.” Through him all things had been created (John 1:1-3 (link is external)). John calls him “God the One and Only” (verse 18). Thomas called him “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28 (link is external)). Jesus said he had the glory of God “before the world began” (John 17:5 (link is external)).

Who was this person? He was God, worthy of worship and honor and absolute obedience.

How could Jews ever come to believe such an idea? Not easily! But the Gospel writers had seen the evidence, and they report to us the evidence that convinced them. They describe for us a Jesus who is both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time.

Well, if Jesus was God in human flesh, what was he doing on the cross? Why does it seem that the focal point of his ministry is an ignominious death? The Gospels do not give us many details why (other New Testament books give us much more). Jesus did say that he would draw people to himself through the cross (John 12:32 (link is external)). His death would be a means of acquiring disciples.

Jesus said that his death had been predicted in the Old Testament (Matt. 26:24 (link is external); Mark 9:12 (link is external); Luke 24:46 (link is external)). So we can look to the Old Testament to learn more. But where does the Old Testament predict someone sent by God to die for others?

In Luke 22:37 (link is external), Jesus pointed the way by quoting a specific prophecy that “must be fulfilled in me.” He quoted from Isaiah 53, which describes a servant who carries our sins, suffers and dies, brings forgiveness, and is honored by God. Jesus saw himself as that servant. He is the one who would “give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28 (link is external)).

As a ransom for many, as a sin-bearing sacrifice, Jesus accomplished more in his death than he did in all his miracles. This is the reason he came (John 12:27 (link is external)). There was no other way to achieve his purpose (Matt. 26:42 (link is external)).

What then are we supposed to do with this person? How is he relevant to us today?

John tells us that he wrote his Gospel so that we would believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing we may have eternal life through him (John 20:31 (link is external)). We can have eternal life only by being forgiven, and it is only through the death of Christ that we can be forgiven. It is to him we must respond. We should fall to our knees and confess, My Lord and my God.

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In lacus faucibus vitae etiam augue rhoncus lacus neque rutrum maecenas odio faucibus in tempus imperdiet donec praesent. Tempus laoreet turpis odio, a commodo himenaeos nisi, velit augue pretium netus eleifend pulvinar metus pellentesque! Maecenas himenaeos nisi justo ullamcorper dapibus mollis aliquam, in sollicitudin senectus hac phasellus venenatis convallis elementum habitant himenaeos. Phasellus class habitasse mattis suscipit ipsum est convallis vulputate taciti eu. Vestibulum diam non sagittis orci velit, curabitur cras neque metus imperdiet diam elementum lectus scelerisque class eleifend. Vivamus cras fames massa dapibus nulla habitant primis porttitor ornare suspendisse ac. Sollicitudin vehicula nostra amet et aptent nisl, porttitor mi eros adipiscing lectus vitae elementum nisi iaculis sodales; Platea dolor, lectus litora tempor, aptent nec aliquam vel congue senectus sed. Sapien interdum, hac quisque tristique, ut torquent hendrerit. Suspendisse nec lectus nullam, fusce proin justo, faucibus taciti tristique.

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In lacus faucibus vitae etiam augue rhoncus lacus neque rutrum maecenas odio faucibus in tempus imperdiet donec praesent. Tempus laoreet turpis odio, a commodo himenaeos nisi, velit augue pretium netus eleifend pulvinar metus pellentesque! Maecenas himenaeos nisi justo ullamcorper dapibus mollis aliquam, in sollicitudin senectus hac phasellus venenatis convallis elementum habitant himenaeos. Phasellus class habitasse mattis suscipit ipsum est convallis vulputate taciti eu. Vestibulum diam non sagittis orci velit, curabitur cras neque metus imperdiet diam elementum lectus scelerisque class eleifend. Vivamus cras fames massa dapibus nulla habitant primis porttitor ornare suspendisse ac. Sollicitudin vehicula nostra amet et aptent nisl, porttitor mi eros adipiscing lectus vitae elementum nisi iaculis sodales; Platea dolor, lectus litora tempor, aptent nec aliquam vel congue senectus sed. Sapien interdum, hac quisque tristique, ut torquent hendrerit. Suspendisse nec lectus nullam, fusce proin justo, faucibus taciti tristique.

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In lacus faucibus vitae etiam augue rhoncus lacus neque rutrum maecenas odio faucibus in tempus imperdiet donec praesent. Tempus laoreet turpis odio, a commodo himenaeos nisi, velit augue pretium netus eleifend pulvinar metus pellentesque! Maecenas himenaeos nisi justo ullamcorper dapibus mollis aliquam, in sollicitudin senectus hac phasellus venenatis convallis elementum habitant himenaeos. Phasellus class habitasse mattis suscipit ipsum est convallis vulputate taciti eu. Vestibulum diam non sagittis orci velit, curabitur cras neque metus imperdiet diam elementum lectus scelerisque class eleifend. Vivamus cras fames massa dapibus nulla habitant primis porttitor ornare suspendisse ac. Sollicitudin vehicula nostra amet et aptent nisl, porttitor mi eros adipiscing lectus vitae elementum nisi iaculis sodales; Platea dolor, lectus litora tempor, aptent nec aliquam vel congue senectus sed. Sapien interdum, hac quisque tristique, ut torquent hendrerit. Suspendisse nec lectus nullam, fusce proin justo, faucibus taciti tristique.

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