A good knowledge and previous reading of the Gospels will increase your enjoyment and appreciation...

A good knowledge and previous reading of the Gospels will increase your enjoyment and appreciation

of this presentation- Many of the slides are worthy of added thought and

Meditation.CLICK TO ENJOY!

YW H

F O U RGOSPELS

THE ?

N

S

EW

Matthew

Mark

Luke John

With two extra dimensions

Mark was

Lukewas

John was

Aservant

Adoctor A

fisherman

ATax collector

Matthew was

Matthew was what we might call a disappointed Jew. For 4000 years the

Jews had hoped for their Messiah. Matthew had obviously given up on that

hope and opted for current coin. He became a tax collector for the Roman

occupying forces.

SoWhen Jesus came

Matthew saw Jesus as a

King

Mark was a humble servant or a present day

unqualified labourer

SoWhen Jesus came,he saw Jesus as a

Servant of Jehovah

Was a Doctor, and being in touch with fellow human needs, he saw the humanity of Jesus. He saw a spiritual Doctor who had come to heal the sicknesses of

his fellow man.Though we will discuss the many implications of Luke’s view later, for now, we determine that Luke saw Jesus

as a

Man

John is expressly different from the others.

The other three are known as the synoptic gospels, for they are all

written in order of time, but John has a different View.

His writing is unique, His contributions are of

specifically chosen incidents in the life of Jesus

and more significantly chosen, are the words which he spoke.

Just as Matthew and Mark saw Jesus

from opposite directions; e.g. KING – SERVANT

so also John saw Jesus from opposite

Luke’s view.Luke saw Jesus as a Man but

John saw Jesus as

Son of God

We shall now look at two scriptures which record visions that two people had

hundreds of years apart.Over four hundred years before Christ,

Ezekiel had a vision and 40 years after Christ John had a vision of the throne in heaven

Here then are the scriptures of this….

Ezek 1:4-10And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.

Ezekiel’s amazing vision

And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle

GOSPELS

THE

“As for the likeness of their faces,

and the face of

and they four had the face of

they four also had the face of

they four had the face of

a lion, an ox a man, an eagle.

Matthew Mark Luke John

When we see how these four points of view are confirmed by other scriptures, Even the most ardent opponent of the scriptures would have to admit that the disciples could not possibly have connived to fulfil the prophetic pictures.

Here is the second vision

Rev 4:6-7And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne,

and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast

like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

Lio

nMat

thew

king

Mark

servant

Luke m

an

Calf / ox

Man

Eagl

eJo

hnGod

So in John’s vision we have a similar foursome

In the Old Testament, we read of the history of the Jewish religion.

One of the ceremonies practiced was that of anointing with oil when

someone became either

a KING, a PROPHET or a PRIEST.

MATTHEW MARK LUKE

All three had a dual ministry………….

No-one in the Old Testament held all three ministries

The word “One” being the most Significant word.

King Saul attempted to be all three and was immediately scrubbed from the prophetic tapestry

MATTHEW MARK LUKE JOHN

Tax collector

Servant Doctor Fisherman

They saw Jesus as;

KING SERVANT MAN GOD

Kinglike

David

Prophet like

Moses

Priest like

Melchizadek

John & Ezekiel had a vision of

LION OX MAN EAGLE

Summary so far

Click For

Part Two

The Prophets said he would be

GOSPELS

THE

His royal lineage is traced back to King David

The “all powerful” King commands his disciples to preach the Message of the Kingdom;

“Make disciples and TEACH MY COMMANDS”

Matthew ends; Matt 28:18-20

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew begins;Matt 1:1

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Mark Begins:With three “references” from three previous

Servants of God.They were all Prophets;

Isaiah, Malachi and John the Baptist.

Mark endsWith disciples “working” and Jesus (the servant)

(still) “working” with them

The MAN Christ Jesus became our Saviourand High Priest. (see Hebrews) The first essential qualification of a priest is that he is one of the people.

in the temple with a priest who is dumb through unbelief

with the disciples in the temple Rejoicing and praising God

Luke begins

Luke ends

John begins;

Exactly where you would expect to begin writing about God…..

John ends;

How could you end writing about God?That would be impossible. Every book in

every library of the world would not contain all that could be written

John 1 v 1.“In the beginning”

We present Jesus as

GOSPELS

THE

From this pyramid view we see that thethree synoptic gospels are all based on John.

This illustrates the fact that John incorporates the views of the other

three writers

John 15:12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

John 13:14-15If I then, your Lord and Master,

have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one

another's feet.For I have given you an

example, that you should do as I have done to you.

John 11:35

Jesus weptWhy should Jesus weep, if he knew within afew minutes he was to raise Lazarus from the grave. Surely it could only be because others all around were weeping. This is a very human trait, we are all part of each other as a race.When others laugh we laugh, when others cry we feel sad, and often weep.

Click For

Part Three

The First main event recorded byMatthew after the baptism

was THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

(chs 5-7)

These commands are unique. No other religion or human organisation

holds such rules.

The events of one Sabbath day – Ch 1.

1. Morning: WORSHIP.

2. Afternoon: FELLOWSHIP

3. Evening: Witness on the streets

Worship interrupted by unclean SPIRIT.

Fellowship over a meal with his disciples and family members was delayed because someone who should have been serving

was sick of a fever.

When Worship and Fellowship were completeThe outdoor witness (healing) was affective

Luke ch 4. Jesus’ first Sermon.The Divine Diagnosis of

Man’s fatal disease called SIN

Bruised

Bankrupt (Spiritually poor)

Blind ……………………MIND

Bound ………………….WILL

Broken hearted………HEART

These are the symptoms.

Wine is the symbol of God’s abundant Life The wedding a symbol of His love for us.

1. The OLD WINE ran out.

3.The water-pots were filled.

The miracle took place as the “water” was POURED OUT.

The Flesh is an in-taking life, the New Life in the SpiritIs an out pouring life. It is God’s life, who gives and gives

And gives His abundant grace.

2. Jesus must be obeyed.- “Whatever He says- do it”

4. The water was poured out.

=The failure of the flesh to satisfy

= The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Him= We must surrender our all

= Be ready to serve

The WATERPOTS of STONE were filled with WATER

In scripture Stone symbolises the LawWater is used to symbolise the Word of God

The New wine symbolises Life in the Spirit

The Law was meant to bring Life, but failed to satisfy because the people had no power, or life to keep it.The Word of God is no longer a dead letter, but is a living Word, written on our hearts. The “water” has changed to “wine” –”These men are filled with new wine”

3 days buried

3 hours light

3 hours darkness

3 Marys

3 prayers in Garden 3 judges

3 crosses

3 inscriptions

3 languages

3 Denials

In Matthew it is

The King of Glory entered the Enemy head-quarters and took away his power of death

The Kingdom of God advanced against the Kingdom of darkness

In Mark it is

An ox is sacrificed after yearsof service.

Jesus gave everything he had.His clothes to the soldiers

His mother to JohnHis Spirit to his Father

In Luke it is

Zech 13:1In that day there shall be a fountain

opened ….. for sin and for uncleanness.

Jesus took the disease in his own body and produced the only antidote for the

disease of Sin- His Precious Blood.

In John it is

There is no struggle in John.The cross is an agreement between Father and Son. Like Abraham & Isaac, “they went both of them together”No garden dilemma- “If it be possible, etc.”No “My God my God why have you forsaken me?

“The cup that my Father has given me, shall I not drink it”

The Garden Scene.

When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, he asked them

who they were looking for. They said “Jesus of Nazareth”

Jesus replied, “I AM HE”. He took on his divine mantle.

The soldiers fell backwards to the floor.From a humorous angle we can imagine Jesus

asking the question again as they lay there looking up

at him.He could have had them falling down all day, but

the second time he took on his human mantle and

submitted to them.And they took away their God, bound with ropes.

Being a disappointed Jew and preferring to live for the present, Matthew, who was called

Levi, became a servant of the Roman occupying forces, and took taxes from his own

people.As such he was despised by the majority of

the Jewish people.

It was evitable therefore that Matthew would see Jesus as the promised Christ, the King of the JewsAs a Jew he was well aware of emptiness of the earthly Kingdom. But Jesus came and spoke of

another kingdom, other than the Kingdom of the Jews. He also spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven.

In many cases the Kingdom of heaven is contrasted with the earthly kingdom of the Jewish religion.

This makes the book confusing at timesSometimes Jesus addresses the Jews of His day, sometimes he speaks to those who dwell in His

Kingdom- his disciples.

So two kingdoms are seen

The Sermon on the Mount comprises the Commands

of the King for those in His Kingdom

.The number 2 is of great significance in this gospel

Many things are recorded twiceMatthew says that two blind men and two men possessed with

devils, come to Jesus, but the other gospels record only 1.AND the story of the blind men is in twice

Every chapter has at least one set of two, sheep/goats etcCh 1 is about the real King. Chap two about false King-Herod.

Only Matthew records three wise men (kings)

Many parables begin, “the kingdom of God is like…”

Mark was a servant and saw Jesus as a Servant. Servants of God in the Old Testament were called Prophets.No long speeches- more action.It is the shortest gospel, thought to be the first written.

The whole Gospel is a story of activity. The story is about what Jesus does.

No birth nor family lineage, are recorded

The words “Immediately” and “straightway”

are used often. (A.V.) Why would this be?

Because a servant who obeys when he feels like, could hardly be an obedient servant

Very significantly the gospel begins and ends in the temple. Why is this significant?

In chap 1 we read of the Priest who was struck dumb because of his unbelief. The Jewish

priest-hood had failed.Unbelief was a besetting sin of the Jews.

Because Jesus came to be our High Priest.

1 Tim 2:5For there is one God, and one mediator between God

and men,- the man Christ Jesus;

The basic essential of a priest is that He is one of the people

Luke was a Doctor and saw Jesus as a “doctor” come to meet the needs of mankind. Jesus the Man is emphasised. Luke was a gentile and therefore could give an objective view of the Jewish religion. It was empty and dead. It begins in the temple, probably on the day of atonement; There is a significant story about The Emperor Pompeii, who on visiting Jerusalem wanted to enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple. The Jews pleaded with him not to defile the place by entering. However, being the Emperor he felt he could go anywhere, so he entered. When he came out he uttered some telling words “There’s nothing there” How true that was.! Their religion was bankrupt.

Luke was a Gentile, and as such had a more objective view of the Jewish religion.He saw the poverty of the Jewish religion.

He sees the Humanity of Jesusas a divine doctor with compassion for the

suffering of his fellow man. He came to produce a cure for the disease called SIN

Luke is the gospel of the temple and the priesthood.

.

Luke gives us a different genealogy than Matthew;

Matthew traces his royal lineage but Luke endorses his Human lineage by giving the genealogy of Mary.For it was prophesied in Gen 3:15 that the “seed of a woman”would bruise the serpents head.

Note also that this lineage traces the family line back to Adam

The Book of Hebrews points out that Jesus was in fact the true fulfilment of all the

Jewish religion and rituals. He was the Lamb of God, the one true sacrifice for sin.

Luke is also the gospel of prayer. (Altar of Incense) Prayer is a very human thing.

In Luke. Jesus is our brother, our friend, but most of all he is our Saviour.

John begins as Genesis does – “In the Beginning”He calls Jesus “The Word”.

This is peculiar to Johns’ writings.Three words are used throughout the Gospel;

LIFE: LIGHT: LOVE.These thee words illustrate the character of God.They are three things which science never has

and never will fathom.

John 1, can be seen as a spiritual version of Genesis ch 1.The New Creation is in progress.

In verses 12-13- The true Children of God.

The basic message of John’s Gospel is New Life;John ch 3

“You must be Born again.”John 10:10;

“I am come to give life, and Life more abundantly”

When a baby is born it comes to LIFE in the womb.As all seeds planted in darkness, it comes out to the LIGHTIt then is taken to the mother’s bosom, to know LOVE

Other scriptures confirm that all things came into being by

THE WORD:

Heb 11:3Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.Ps 148:4-5Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.

Scripture also confirms thatall things will end by

THE WORD

II Th 2:8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming

Rev 19:11And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white

horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.13-15 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth:

Gods Word

questions

contradictionsfog

mysteries

experiences lies

falsehoods

Omissions:There is no record of his birth, or human family.

There is no temptation, no Transfiguration, no struggle in the garden, no “My God MY God why have you forsaken me”

Selections.There are many incidents recorded by John which the other

writers miss.As Son of God, he creates in a moment, by speaking, what evolutionists say would take millions of years to evolve.-

e.g. Lazarus’s dead brain cells. As He will on the day he calls the dead and decayed bodies from their graves. (ch 5)

Ch 5-8 record His significant dialogues with the Jews.Jesus sets his case to convince them of who He was.

He offers as evidence, the Testimony of John, the Scriptures, and His miracles which were the works of His Father.

Heb 9:28So Christ was once offered to bear the

sins of many; (NEXT DAY)

and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto

salvation.

Compare John 1 v 29 Behold the Lamb of God that takes away

the sin of the worldwith v 36 (Next day)

“Behold the Lamb of God”

John 1:39Come and see.

John 7:37Come and drink.

John 21:12Come and dine.

( One of the Remnant- see Romans 11 1-5)

( the Fig tree was a symbol of Israel

He addressed Jesus as;

Jesus compares the new Kingdom blessing with

1st day FATHERS DAY Begins with Creation

2nd Day HOLY SPIRIT’S DAY Begins with Pentecost

3rd day LORD’S DAY

Begins with a Marriage

(John 2:1)

Jesus, at His first coming was an essential part of the Father’s day- (No Son- No Father)

NO TEMPTATION(for God cant be Tempted)

BUT….We have three incidents,

not recorded in other GospelsWhich all link with the Temptation

Changing water into wine

Cleansing of the temple

Nicodemus – Born again into kingdom

Changing water into wine

He was tempted to use His powers to please his own needs,

by changing stones into bread.But He DID NOT PLEASE HIMSELF

Cleansing of the temple

He was Tempted to throw Himself off the Temple. In so doing He would have pleased the Jews. For

The prophecy said ;“He will suddenly come to His Temple”

BUT HE DID NOT PLEASE THE PEOPLE

NICODEMUS- YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN

Jesus was offered all the Kingdoms of the world.This was an easy way to gain a Kingdom- Without a cross.BUT HE DID NOT COMPROMISE WITH EVIL

Nicodemas was arguably one of the best in theDevils Kingdom, but Jesus said;

“Marvel not that I say unto you, if you want to enter myKingdom, you have to be born into it”

(See ch 1 v 13)

All concerning their relationship to men

WRITING

THE WORD

(of the Father)

LIGHT

WINE

THE BLOOD

(Of the Son)

LOVE

WINE

WATER

THE SPIRIT

(The Holy Spirit)

LIFE

OIL CORN

The Father’s Heart “ from the bosom of the Father”

(John 1:18)

The Father’s Hand- “None shall pluck then from my father’s

hand”(John 10:29)

The Father’s House; -“In my Father’s house are many

mansions”(John 14:1)

(Father’s don’t exist without children)

These are signposts to his character;

Feeding 5000. – Bread of LIFE

Man blind from Birth - LIGHT of the World.

Raising Lazarus. – The Resurrection and the Life.

The Miracles,

(John calls them signs)

“Jesus wept.- Then said the Jews, Behold how he LOVED him!

A Man

A Prophet

The Son of God

His eyes were opened spiritually; First he saw Jesus as a..

Then he said “He must be a…

Finally he worshipped Jesus as

The Bread of Life. The Resurrection and the Life.The DoorThe Way, the Truth, The Life.The Good ShepherdThe True VineThe Light of the world.

(The Name of Jehovah God)

Ezekiel 1:8. also Rev 4:7 – We have seen where these faces

apply to the gospels.The children of Israel also used

these faces on their banners when they marched. They were set out in camp in four groups of three. (N S E & W – around the tabernacle) One tribe led the

other two and held a banner with one of these faces on it .

PROPHET PRIEST & KING- A priest like Melchizedec (Psalm 110 most inspired)

-How did David know of conversation before world began?- Jesus says that David was “speaking in the Spirit)

Job was probably the nearest to having all three “ministries”He was a Prophet, a Priest and a Prince among his people.

Finally when we preach the gospel and present Jesus we present him as a King, an Example, Saviour / (friend& brother) and as GodMan needs a king to rule over him. We are not free we serve Satan (sin) or God; better to be a slave of Christ than a fool of the devilWe need an example to show us how to serve God by serving our fellow man- obedience and humility being of greatest importance.We need a Saviour- a high priest, who is also the sacrifice for our sins. He intercedes for us daily. While he lives – we live.Man needs a God to worship. Religion proves it. Man is incurably religious and will in that religion worship and sacrifice. Whether it be a cow in a field or a turnip on a stick or a shiny new car all men have their gods and sacrifice to them. There is only one true God and he is the God of Jesus Christ.He is God come in the flesh. NB - only way to see humanity and divinity is like two sides of a coin, separately face on. – cant see them together. Don’t ever try. Both truths need the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to see them properly.God came as a Son to reveal himself as a Father. A Father does not exist in a vacuum. A father of necessity needs a son. Jesus in Johns gospel makes it very clear that he had come to reveal the Father.