Reading John

The last gospel is also perhaps the most peculiar. It is clearly a gospel set apart from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and that's why it isn't included in the Synoptic Gospel grouping. The gospel takes a more dynamic tone, one that is more personal, yet more colorful.

The gospel was written by the disciple John, a person who was clearly close to Jesus. He is labelled as a disciple whom Jesus loved. Because of this, it seems John really focused on Jesus' identity. He was extremely descriptive in his signs related to the mission, discourses, and miracles of Jesus. John also seems to really focus on the gift of Jesus, and the true impact of His sacrifice.

John's Gospel account is extremely powerful, and is recommended by many to be the first Gospel account to read for new converts. It depicts Jesus perfectly, and is completely focused on the totality of His mission.

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Reading Luke

Probably my favourite gospel account, Luke is one of the most descriptive books of the New Testament. It was written by Luke, as a part one of the two part series (with Acts being part two). Luke was closely partnered with Paul in his missionary journeys, serving as a doctor, and as a worker with the Gentiles, specifically the Greek believers. This two part series was written to a specific person, Theophilus, who was probably someone in a high political position who had great wealth. This Theophilus was also most likely Luke's patron. Past that, not much is known about the intended audience of Luke's two part series.

Luke was definitely a scholar, and that shines through in his Gospel. His usage of the Greek language is extremely sophisticated, and the detail included is rich with information.

The focus of Luke's Gospel is on the power of salvation. Everything is focused on the power of the spirit, and how God orchestrated everything to provide the gift of salvation. Luke emphasizes that this gift is provided through the power of God, universally to all people. 

Rediscovering the Bible

Reading Mark

While Mark is the shortest Gospel account of the four, it is most likely the earliest written, and earliest accepted account. The book is believed to have been written by John Mark, who actually has an interesting story that is woven throughout the New Testament. His mother's house in Jerusalem served as a meeting place for believers, where Mark first met Paul and Barnabas, and joined them on part of their first missionary journey. He did desert the two part way through the voyage, but was accepted back by Barnabas to Cyprus. Paul meanwhile did not accept Mark back, at least not right away. By the end of Paul's life, he did indeed welcome Mark back into the ministry, and actually praised him for his work. 

It is believed that the Gospel of Mark was actually the first written account of Jesus' ministry, most likely around late 50 or early 60 AD. This would mean that the first account of all of Jesus' miracles, sermons, and actions would have been a mere 20 years after His death and resurrection. It is also believed that Matthew and Luke wrote their gospels using Mark as a major source.

Because Mark was merely intending to write down a quick account that would serve as a refresher of Jesus' life, his aim was more on short episodes focusing on what Jesus did rather then say. However, with this focus, Mark also seems to draw a lot on the theme of suffering and persecution. 

With that in mind, a picture clearly painted throughout the book is regarding the gift of God. This certain account was written to encourage believers, and remind them what they are suffering for, which is indeed a gift from God; Jesus and the gift of salvation. The sacrifice of Jesus, the new covenant, and the chance to be redeemed in His sight is all a gift of God to His people. We didn't do anything to deserve this gift, anything to merit the present, instead it came from the grace of God, because of His undying love for us. 

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