What do you think of when you hear the name Jesus? Peace, love, and acceptance? A man who sacrificed himself for humanity? Or do you think of a humble carpenter who only wanted to help people? What if I told you that Jesus wasn’t just one person, or even one religion.
Each of the four gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—paints a unique portrait of Jesus Christ. Each provides special insight into who he is and what he accomplished. The Gospels exhibit both unity and diversity, bearing witness to the same Jesus (unity) but viewing him from unique perspectives (diversity). In most of the portrait Jesus is a king who surpasses his ancestor David with a kingdom that is eternal and embraces all people of every age. He is also a priest, offering perfect sacrifice to God; and the unique mediator between God and humanity, being himself both God and human.
That he was actually a whole race of people, who were all part of an advanced civilization that lived on Earth thousands of years ago. And that these beings walked among us in peace and harmony until they were attacked by the people in power at the time—the Romans. This isn’t some crazy conspiracy theory; it’s actually backed up by science! In fact, there are four different portraits of Jesus in the Gospels:
The first is Jesus as an ordinary man with extraordinary powers; another is his resurrection from death; the third is his ascension into Heaven; and finally there’s a fourth portrait—that of him as God Incarnate. I’ll show you how all four of these ways of viewing Christ are supported by archaeology and science.
4 Portraits of Jesus in The Gospels
1. Jesus as the Miracle Worker
In the Gospels, Jesus is portrayed as a miracle worker who performs various miracles to show his power and authority. These miracles include healing the sick, raising the dead, and calming the storm. One of the most famous miracles attributed to Jesus is the feeding of the 5,000, where he multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish to feed a large crowd.
2. Jesus as the Teacher
Jesus is also depicted as a teacher in the Gospels, imparting wisdom and knowledge to his disciples and followers. His teachings often revolve around love, forgiveness, and the Kingdom of God. One of the most famous examples of Jesus as a teacher is the Sermon on the Mount, where he delivers the Beatitudes and other important teachings.
3. Jesus as the Savior
Another portrait of Jesus in the Gospels is as the Savior who came to earth to save humanity from sin. Jesus is portrayed as the sacrificial Lamb who willingly gave his life on the cross to atone for the sins of all mankind. This concept of Jesus as the Savior is central to Christian belief and is a recurring theme throughout the Gospels.
4. Jesus as the Son of God
Finally, in the Gospels, Jesus is portrayed as the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. This aspect of Jesus emphasizes his divine nature and his close relationship with God the Father. Jesus is often referred to as the Son of God in the Gospels, highlighting his unique and special status as the Messiah and the Redeemer of the world.
Overall, these four portraits of Jesus in the Gospels illustrate the multi-faceted nature of his identity and mission on earth.
The 4 Gospels and Their Themes
Matthew: Jesus as the son of David who establishes the kingdom of heaven. Mark: Jesus as the Son of God who suffers to ransom others. Luke: Jesus as the Savior of the world who seeks the lost. John: Jesus as the Lamb of God who brings eternal life through a new exodus.
Passivity (Matthew 8:1-8; Mark 1:40-45)
In Matthew 8:1-8, Jesus and his disciples are in the boat crossing over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee when they encounter a leper asking for healing. The man says to Jesus, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” At that moment, Jesus says to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” In Mark 1:40-45 we see a similar story with another man who has been healed by Jesus and wants to follow him on his journey. But here, Jesus tells this man that he must first go home and bury his father before following him.
In both these stories, Jesus has all the power necessary for healing or changing circumstances but does not use it at all because he knows that if he did so, it would interfere with God’s plan for these people’s lives and their relationships with others (and perhaps even their relationship with him). This is what we call passivity or nonviolence as an expression of faith—to know exactly what needs doing but not do anything about it out of love or respect for God’s will and your neighbor’s choices.
Power (Luke 5:17-26; Luke 7:1-10)
The Gospel of Luke presents Jesus as a healer. He heals the sick and drives out demons, but also heals people in ways that symbolize his power to bring salvation. In Luke 5:17-26, after healing an epileptic man, Jesus tells him to “sin no more” (v 26). This is significant because in Jewish law an epileptic was considered unclean and was not allowed to participate in religious activities like going to the Temple or being around other people. But now this man is restored to full participation in life with God’s grace through Jesus’ healing touch.
In another episode from Luke 7, Jesus has compassion on a Roman centurion’s servant who has been ill for eight years (7: 1-10). The centurion asks for help because he believes that if he sends word ahead then someone will come down from Jerusalem before Jesus arrives; but instead of sending him away as unworthy, Jesus heals him instantly (7: 3). This story shows how far God will go—even across cultures—to show His love and forgiveness when we come to Him with faith and humility (7: 2-4).
Prayer (Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12)
- Prayer. This is another way of describing Jesus’ prayer life, which was a source of strength for him and gave him guidance through his ministry. When he needed strength, he prayed for it; when he needed guidance, he prayed for it; when he wanted forgiveness from those who had sinned against him and his ministry, he went to God in prayer as well. Prayer was also a means by which he could communicate with God without being interrupted by others who might seek his attention at that moment. Jesus’ ability to use this time wisely has been noted as an indication of maturity beyond his years: “None of you can become my disciples if you do not give up all your possessions” (Luke 14:33).
Purity (Matthew 5, Luke 6)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus begins teaching his disciples. He starts with the words, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
Jesus wants us all to be like him, so he is telling us that we can have a pure heart if we follow God and do what he commands. We cannot be pure on our own; only God can give us this gift.
This is why it’s important to pray and read the Bible daily—to know what God wants from us and how he expects us to behave toward other people and toward ourselves.
Jesus displays a lot of range.
- Jesus is a real person.
- Jesus displays a lot of range: He’s complex, multifaceted, and has many different sides to him.
- One side of Jesus is that he’s human—but not just any human. He’s also divine; he’s God incarnate in the flesh. As such, his thoughts, words and actions have been recorded in the four Gospels to give us an idea of who he was as a man—and what it means for us today.
What Are the Gospels, and Why Are There Four of Them?
When people talk about “the gospel,” there’s only one thing they mean: the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the four books of the Bible that record almost everything we know about Jesus. If we want to learn about the things Jesus said and did, we have to turn to these ancient texts, believed to have been written by eyewitnesses or people who spoke with them during the first century.
So why are there four separate versions of the story of Jesus? Or maybe you’re wondering, why are there only four, if he was such an influential figure?
What does the term “gospel” mean?
While Jesus probably spoke Aramaic, the New Testament was written in Greek. The English term gospel comes from the Old English godspell, a translation of the Greek noun euangelion.
Euangelion means “good tidings” or “good news,” and it eventually became a term for the good news about Jesus Christ.
In the New Testament world, this term accompanied announcements about victory in battle, or the enthronement of a Roman ruler. An inscription for the birthday of the Roman emperor Augustus reads, “Good news [euangelia] to the world!”
In the Old Testament, “good news” sometimes referred to God’s deliverance of his people:
- “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news . . . who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” —Isaiah 52:7 NIV
- “‘You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”’” —Isaiah 40:9
- “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.’” —Isaiah 61:1
- “Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.’” —Psalm 96:2.
Euangelion soon became a technical term for the good news about Jesus Christ. In 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Paul writes that “our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” This is one of the earliest New Testament letters, and Paul uses euangelion for the oral proclamation of the good news about Jesus Christ.
Eventually, euangelion was used to describe the written versions of the good news about Jesus Christ. Mark introduces his work with the words, “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1, emphasis added). The church eventually came to call all four of these accounts gospels.
The term “gospel” tells us how the early church viewed these works. These weren’t dry historical accounts of the life of Christ, but written versions of the greatest news ever shared. The gospels were meant to be proclaimed . . . and believed.
The genre of the gospels
How we classify a text determines how we read it and what we can expect from it:
- When we pick up the newspaper, we expect to read news.
- When we pick up a tabloid, we expect gossip.
- A novel is a story, and we know it’s fiction the moment we begin reading.
In order to answer questions like “why are there four gospels” and “why are there only four gospels,” we need to know the type of literature we’re dealing with.
The gospels are historical literature
Three things tell scholars that the gospels are historical literature:
1. They have a history of composition. The authors drew on traditions and sources available to them to compile their works.
2. They’re set in a specific historical context. Each of the four gospels take place in first-century Palestine during the Roman occupation.
3. They are meant to convey historically-accurate information. The details included in the gospels, the way the writers organize them, and the similarities in composition implies a conscious effort to include the correct information. John and and Luke explicitly state their intentions, and Luke leaves no doubt that he intends to write history:
“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” —Luke 1:1–4
Luke claimed to be writing accurate history. We could question whether he was a reliable historian, or whether his sources were reliable, but the point is that his intentions were historical.
Whether or not these events actually happened confirms or denies the truth of Christianity. Christianity rises or falls on the historical accuracy of key gospel events:
- Jesus’ words and deeds
- His death on the cross
- His resurrection
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” To some degree, we have to consider these historical literature—but that’s not all they are.
The gospels are narrative literature
The gospels are not merely collections of reports or sayings of Jesus. They’re also narratives with plot, characters, and setting. While all four gospels are concerned with the same historical events—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—they present different versions of these events. They portray characters from different perspectives, sometimes using the same event to highlight something different about Jesus. They develop plot in different ways, occasionally rearranging the order of events. They emphasize different settings, including accounts not recorded by the other writers.
But the gospels aren’t just a collection of stories, either.
The gospels are theological literature
The gospels have an agenda. They record historical events, but they’re also theological documents. Through the narrative of Jesus’ ministry, the gospels instruct and encourage believers, and attempt to convince unbelievers. This is why we call the gospel writers evangelists (from euangelizō, “to announce good news”). They are proclaimers of the good news about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the coming of the kingdom of God.
Notice John’s statement of intent in John 20:30–31:
“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
The recognition that the gospel writers are theologians in their own right is one of the most important contributions of recent gospel research. Each evangelist has a story to tell and a perspective to emphasize. Each brings out unique aspects of Jesus’ identity. See how each gospel introduces his work:
| Matthew 1:1 | Mark 1:1 | Luke 1:3 | John 1:1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” | “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” | “Since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account.” | “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” |
Mark emphasizes Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. Matthew jumps into Jesus’ Jewish ancestry, focusing on how Jesus fulfills the promises made to Israel. Luke tells us he wants to write an accurate historical account. John introduces Jesus as the pre-existent divine Word, the self-revelation of God.
Seeing the gospel writers as theologians has important implications for the way we read their accounts. We ought to read each gospel seeking to discern these theological themes.
Are the gospels ancient biographies?
There’s a consensus growing among scholars today that while the gospels are unique, they also have a lot in common with Greco-Roman works, especially the genre known as “biographies” (bioi), or “lives.” These works were written to preserve the memory and celebrate the virtues, teachings, or exploits of famous philosophers, statesmen, or rulers. Examples of this genre are Plutarch’s Parallel Lives, Suetonius’s Lives of the Caesars, and Jewish philosopher Philo’s Life of Moses. Since the gospels arose in the Greco-Roman world of the first century, it helps to compare them with other writings of this era to identify common literary features and narrative techniques.
At the same time, we have to remember that the gospels are unique. They arose in the context of the needs and concerns of the early Christian communities. And they weren’t written to memorialize the teachings of a great leader. The gospels were written to proclaim the good news of salvation and to call people to faith in Jesus Christ, the risen Lord and Savior.
So what genre are the gospels?
The gospels are historical narrative motivated by theological concerns. Their intention is to convey accurate historical material about Jesus and also explain and interpret these salvation-bringing events. The gospels were written not by detached, uninterested observers but by evangelists, “proclaimers of good news,” announcing the good news of Jesus Christ and calling people to believe in him.
Why do we have four gospels?
Each of the four gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—paints a unique portrait of Jesus. They show us the same Jesus but portray him from different perspectives.
What are these four unique portraits?
1. Matthew presents Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment of Old Testament hopes.
2. Mark portrays him as the suffering Son of God, who offers himself as a sacrifice for sins.
3. Luke’s Jesus is the Savior for all people, who brings salvation to all nations and people groups.
4. In John, Jesus is the eternal Son of God, the self-revelation of God the Father.
Having four gospels gives us a deeper, more profound understanding of who Jesus is and what he did.
Why did the church keep four gospels in the canon?
But why did the church retain all four in the canon of Scripture? Matthew, Mark, and Luke are so similar—is it worth keeping all of them?
The most famous early attempt to synthesize the four gospels into one is the diatessaron (“through four”), compiled by the church father Tatian around AD 170. Tatian brought portions of all four gospels together into one story. There have been many attempts to synthesize the gospels into a single story since then, but in the end, the church recognized each gospel as a unique literary account and an inspired, authoritative work of the Holy Spirit.
Why are there only four gospels?
There are more than four ancient documents which claim to be gospels, or which contain stories of Jesus, including works like the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Peter, and a number of “infancy gospels”—fanciful accounts of Jesus’ birth and childhood. So why aren’t they included in the Bible?
The value and historical reliability of these “apocryphal gospels” is highly debated. These gospels may preserve an occasional authentic saying or story about Jesus, but there are three reasons scholars find them unreliable:
- They were written too late to be reliable accounts
- They were falsely written under an assumed name (pseudepigraphic)
- They’re dependent on the canonical gospels
The greater value of these later gospels is in providing information about the first three centuries of church history, especially the second-century movement known as Gnosticism. Some people claim that the orthodox church suppressed and silenced apocryphal gospels, which depict the “real Jesus”—but the argument doesn’t hold up under critical scrutiny. Like most modern scholars, the church rejected these later writings because they failed the test of historical veracity and because they lacked the spiritual power and authority that indicated the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
In short, there are other “gospels,” but they didn’t make the cut.
Key takeaways
The gospels we have were carefully vetted against a body of early church literature—and the four gospels in the Bible are the most historically accurate, divinely inspired accounts of Christ.
The good news of Jesus Christ is only good news if it’s true.
For two millennia, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John have been used to inspire billions of people to believe in Jesus and the salvation he brings. Each of them has unique things to show us about his life and ministry and what it means to follow him. And each of them has stood the test of time.