The Chronological Life of Jesus Christ – Lesson 1 – The Authors

Luke 1:1-4

¹Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, ²just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. ³Therefore, 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, ⁴so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

If all of human history were a book, Jesus would be the main character. Time Magazine named Jesus the “Man of the Millennium” and elaborated that he was the most influential person “not merely in these two millenniums but in all human history.” H.G. Wells admitted, “I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easly the most dominant figure in all history."

Although secular history recognizes the existence and influence of Jesus – and although there are other apocryphal (fictitious or legendary) accounts about Jesus – almost everything we know about him comes from just a few reliable resources. That is what Luke (one of the reliable resources) is getting at with in the introduction to his account about Jesus.  

Luke – who was a historian – is saying a lot of people attempted to record what Jesus did and said. But some of what was being told about Jesus wasn’t accurate. So Luke took it upon himself to investigate the life of Christ, separate fact from fiction, and then write an accurate account about Jesus. (He wrote this account to a man named Theophilus, though Theophilus may also be a code name for a group of people since Theophilus means “God Lovers”).

All in all, there are four accurate accounts about Jesus. These are the Gospels known as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So before we begin our journey looking at the life of Christ, let’s take a moment to look at these four accounts and the four men that wrote them.

Brief Overview of the Four Gospels

The first three gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are sometimes called the 'synoptic' (same view) gospels. This is because they each cover similar sayings and actions of Jesus – though they each have much uniqueness from each other too. The fourth gospel, John, records many other sayings and actions not covered in the other three accounts.

Some people say that the four gospels contradict each other. That isn’t true at all. They each have their own perspective, style, details, and emphasis, but they all tell the truth about Jesus.

Regardless of differences, all four gospels present Jesus as both the Son of God and son of man. They all record His baptism, the feeding of the 5,000 from five loaves and two fishes, Mary's anointing of the Lord Jesus, His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, His betrayal, trial, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection.

The goal of this blog in 2007 is take the four gospels and harmonize them and put the events they record in chronological order. In other words, it will take the four gospels of Jesus and create a single story line.

A Few More Details About Each Writer and His Gospel

Matthew was one of the first twelve disciples of Jesus (Matthew 9:1; 10:1-4) and an eye-witness; he records more of Jesus' teaching concerning God's heavenly kingdom than the other writers, for example the entire Sermon on the Mount.

Mark was Peter's son (I Peter 5:13, possibly spiritual son), who wrote down what Peter (Peter was one of Jesus’ closest disciples) said about the life and teachings of Jesus. Mark's gospel is a record of Peter’s eye-witness account.

Luke was a doctor, historian, and a co-worker with the apostle Paul (Colossians 4:14; Philemon v24). Because some spurious stories about Jesus were circulating, Luke decided to interview local eye-witnesses and people who had followed Jesus closely.

John was one of Jesus’ closest disciples and an eye-witness to the life of Jesus. (John 19:35); John lived to be older than any of the other writers. It is therefore likely that he was familiar with their accounts and wanted to supplement theirs with additional teachings and miracles by Jesus which had a bearing on the situation towards the end of the first century AD.

 

                                                                   

GOSPEL According to...	MATTHEW	MARK	LUKE	JOHN
Author	tax collector & apostle (Mark   3:18;  Matt 9:9; 10:3; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13)	"John Mark of Jerusalem" (Acts 12:12; 15:37;  Col 4:10; Phlm 1:24; 1 Pet 5:13)	physician & companion of Paul (Col 4:14; 2 Tim 4:11; Phlm   1:24)	John, son of Zebedee;  one   of 12 apostles (Mark 1:19; 3:17; cf. John 21:2)
Number of Chapters	28	16	24	21
Literary Features	five major discourses;   well-organized sections of    collected pericopes	quick action ("and   then"; immediately."); loosely connected episodes	stories often in pairs (esp.   Male/Female characters); many extra parables	"Amen, Amen, I say to   you.";  irony;  paradox;  double-meanings
Main Titles for Jesus	Son of David, Son of Abraham;   Great Lawgiver and Teacher (like Moses); Emmanuel; King of Jews	Christ/Messiah & Son of God;   Suffering Son of Man; Eschatological Judge	a great Prophet (in   word & deed); Lord (of all nations); Savior (esp. of the poor)	Divine Logos (Word made Flesh);   Son sent from Father; Passover Lamb; "I Am." / "Equal to God"
Jesus' Major Actions	teaching disciples;   decrying religious hypocrisy	miracles; overcoming evil   powers;  arguing with religious authorities	healing sick & impaired people;   forgiving sinners & debtors	speaking God's words;  doing   God's works;  revealing God and himself
Teachings about Discipleship	be righteous; forgive always;   live ethically (Golden Rule); fulfill God's laws, esp.  charitable deeds	persevere in faith despite suffering;   follow Jesus "on the way" to the cross; be ready for his return	leave everything to follow Jesus;   share with poor; accept everyone, esp. outcasts, women, enemies	see, believe, know, remain in   Jesus & God, despite hostility; love one another; be in unity; serve   humbly

 

Comments

[Danika]

Keep up the good work.