- [Jon] There are four books in the Bible
that are ancient biographies of Jesus:
the Gospel according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
- [Tim] And while individual stories about Jesus and his teachings
are familiar to many people,
these books have way more to offer
if we read them from beginning to end
and see how they connect Jesus' story
into the overall biblical storyline.
- [Jon] So let's talk about how to read the Gospel.
First of all, this word "gospel," what does it mean?
- [Tim] Well, it means good news.
- [Jon] Which raises the question
good news about what?
- [Tim] Well in Mark's Gospel,
Jesus enters the story
announcing that the time is fulfilled.
God's Kingdom has come near, so turn around
and trust this good news.
- [Jon] So the good news is
about God's Kingdom arriving,
but what does that mean?
- [Tim] Well, this is Jesus' way
of summarizing the whole biblical story
that leads up to himself.
- [Jon] The whole story.
Okay, gimme the short version.
- [Tim] Well, the story begins
with God creating a good world
and then appointing humanity
as his representatives to rule it.
But then the humans rebel over and over,
leading to a world of violence and death.
- [Jon] That's a problem.
- [Tim] But God is committed to making it work.
So he chooses Abraham and his family to restart the project.
Then through Moses,
God brings the family into a garden land of abundance
so that he can restore all of the nations through them.
- [Jon] Right, Israel becomes a kingdom
with amazing kings like David,
but eventually, Israel rebels too,
and it leads them into destruction.
- [Tim] But Israel's prophets said
that God wasn't giving up.
He was going to personally come and restore Israel
so that his justice and peace could spread
to all nations and to all creation.
This hope was called the Kingdom of God.
- [Jon] And that's what Jesus said
he was bringing to Israel.
- [Tim] Yes, Jesus' good news
is about God's Kingdom.
The new creation that was arriving to restore humanity
to their role as God's partners in ruling the world.
This is why the Gospel has so many stories
about Jesus liberating people from death and disease,
along with all of his teachings
about generosity to the poor
or forgiveness and loving your enemies.
- [Jon] He was inviting people to live
in God's new world.
- [Tim] Exactly.
So this is one of the main goals of the Gospel,
to show how Jesus is bringing the whole biblical story
to its fulfillment.
- [Jon] So that's why the Gospel authors
are constantly appealing to the Hebrew Scriptures
while telling the story of Jesus.
- [Tim] Yeah, like when Jesus is born in Bethlehem,
Matthew reminds us that this was anticipated
by the prophet Micah.
- [Jon] And he directly quotes from Micah?
- [Tim] Yeah, these direct quotes are really common.
But more often, the Gospel authors weave biblical phrases
into the story without telling you,
so you can discover it for yourself.
Like when Jesus is baptized,
and God announces from the skies—
- [Jon] "You are my son, my beloved,
with you I am well pleased."
- [Tim] Now, if you do some digging,
you'll find that God's statement blends together phrases
from three biblical texts
to identify Jesus as the royal son of David,
the seed of Abraham,
and the servant who's going to suffer
for the sins of his people.
- [Jon] Whoa, that is subtle.
- [Tim] Yes, and the Gospel accounts do this
on every page.
Every book is constantly showing
how all of the biblical stories about Abraham or Moses
and David and all the prophets,
all of it points forward to Jesus.
- [Jon] Now, why are there four different accounts?
Wouldn't one be enough?
- [Tim] Well, the diversity is on purpose.
Each of the four Gospel authors has shaped
and arranged their stories about Jesus differently,
so they can emphasize different things about him.
Matthew presents Jesus as a greater Moses.
So he has grouped Jesus' teachings
into five large blocks,
just like the five books of the Torah.
Luke highlights how Jesus is God's royal servant
from the book of Isaiah
who brings God's light to the nations.
Mark presents Jesus as a new start for humanity,
bringing the mystery of God's new creation
crashing into the present.
And John focuses on Jesus' claim to be Yahweh,
the God of Israel, become human.
To do for us what we could never do for ourselves.
- [Jon] Those are really different from each other,
but they all tell the same basic story,
a man from the region of Galilee
teaching this good news,
but who's ultimately crucified as a criminal.
- [Tim] Yes, all four books of the Gospel
are showing how the arrival of God's Kingdom through Jesus
led him up to the cross,
where he was enthroned as the King of God's new world.
- [Jon] He's given a robe, a crown, and a scepter.
- [Tim] Right.
And as Jesus suffers the consequences
of humanity's rebellion,
he's showing that the power of God's Kingdom
comes through his love and self-sacrifice.
And when he's raised from the dead,
we're watching the dawn of the new creation.
- [Jon] So the Gospel authors
don't just want their readers to know
about the good news of God's Kingdom.
They want them to become a part of it.
- [Tim] Yes, the Gospel is designed to persuade us
to trust and follow Jesus
so that we can participate in the new creation
that he began.