Matthew’s gospel is focused on a Christian Jewish audience. Once a tax collector, and now a disciple, Matthew writes from first-hand experience of Jesus’ teachings. Many believe that Matthew may have used the gospel of Mark as a resource for his gospel. His purpose for this gospel was to appeal to the Jews and to nurture their faith in Jesus as their messianic King. He begins this gospel with the Jewish genealogy of Jesus’ life from his presence on earth to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people.
Matthew uses birth narratives to introduce the birth of Jesus to Mary, his mother, and Joseph (his stepfather) to emphasize the importance of Jesus as a man. God sent his perfect Son to be King so that his promises of blessing would be fulfilled. The gospel of Matthew constantly references Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Lord and how He will save His people. In one of the most memorable sermons (Sermon on the Mount), Jesus tells the people the rewards of righteousness. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted…” (Matthew 5:3-4 NIV). Crowds were intrigued by Jesus’ teaching and followed Him; Jesus wanted to bring righteousness to them, not a kingship.
While many followed because they believed who He was, many had difficulty with the challenges of righteousness. This moment is similar to Mark who stressed the failures of Jesus’ disciples at a crucial moment of His ministry. Judas betrayed him in Matthew, and he committed suicide over this failure; Peter, James, and John failed to keep watch with him in Gethsemane; Peter repeatedly denied that he even knew Him; and all of Jesus’ disciples deserted Him.” Mathew shows the difficulties in following Jesus because being called to be God’s people includes hardship, danger, and suffering as the path to glory. This is an area where people have a misconception that if you follow Jesus, your life will always be pleasant, without stress and without worry. People believe that they will never endure hardship, pain, or suffering. This is simply not true. Matthew’s message is that there is no other way to glory than through Jesus, the Messianic King. Through Jesus the Messiah, God has brought salvation to his people Israel, and this offer of salvation now extends to all people everywhere.
Like Mark, Luke did not get a first-hand account of Jesus’ teachings. Although Luke may have referenced Mark, he joined the ministry of Paul and was able to glean the messages of the gospels. Luke wrote to Theophilus, a Gentile Christian, and a wider audience. His focus was to show Jesus was the Messiah who had walked the earth in human form and returned to the Father in divine form. Luke wanted his audience to be aware of Jesus’ genealogy that extends from His presence to Adam.
The most important theme of the gospel of Luke is salvation. Jesus was on earth to offer deliverance from the tyranny of evil and God’s judgment against sin. There was nothing that the people could do because everything was in God’s control. Even though Luke’s gospel was directed to a wider audience, his gospel brought marginalized groups to the forefront: Gentiles, sinners, women, and the poor. There was no discrimination, and these groups were granted the right to inherit God’s kingdom.
As in all of the gospels, the authors present Jesus as the Son of God; however, the gospel of John does not repeat the parables, but it offers the perspective that Jesus, the Son of God, reveals the Father. Each gospel may offer some of the same stories, a different order, and a different perspective, but they share the commonality of Jesus and his purpose for being here for us.
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