The first three of the Gospels are sometimes referred to as the "Synoptic Gospels" because each provides a brief summary of the highlights of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Their similarities have prompted some people to wonder why three separate books were written to describe the life of a single person, but there are also marked differences among them. For example, Matthew and Luke describe the time of His birth while Mark does not. This has raised questions about their internal consistency, although it is possible to harmonize all three into a single unified story.

The Gospel of John is dealt with separately, because it is written discoursively rather than synoptically. Moreover, there are other differences. The Synoptic Gospels deal with Messiah's ministry primarily to the multitudes, many of whom were in an attitude of unbelief, whereas much of Messiah's ministry in John deals with His inner circle of disciples. In addition, John relates personal discussions in Jerusalem, whereas the Synoptic Gospels emphasize happenings primarily in the northern regions of Israel.

There are also fascinating distinctions between the Synoptic Gospels.

Matthew places more emphasis on Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled with His coming. Moreover, the Old Testament Law and its provisions are given most prominent "billing" in this Gospel. Even the genealogy placed at the beginning of the book is careful to focus only on the kings of Judah. Closer study shows that these themes are prominent because it is written primarily to the Jews who would identify with these things and would be expecting the Messiah to come in the kingly line of Judah to fulfill certain Old Testament prophecies.

Conversely, Mark records very few prophecies except ones that pertain to the Gentiles There is hardly any mention of the Old Testament Law, and no genealogy at all. Jesus is never referred to as the King but is rather presented as the Servant of God. However, this little Gospel features Him as a Servant with the power of God containing the accounts of more miracles performed by Him than any of the others. These facts have led many to the view that Mark must be intended primarily for a Gentile audience, people who would have little knowledge of the Old Testament but would be impressed by His supernatural abilities.

The Bible identifies all of humanity broadly as either Jews or Gentiles, so we are momentarily perplexed by the need for the Gospel of Luke. It too avoids the mention of fulfilled prophecies except ones that pertain to the Gentiles, and like Mark, places no emphasis on the Law. However, it does have a genealogy like Matthew, but one that is markedly different in two respects. The Luke genealogy begins with Adam rather than Abraham, then following king David, substitutes a set of names completely different from the kings of Judah. Either Luke was guilty of incredible sloppiness in his homework, since the genealogical records of the descendants of king David were stored in the archives at the Temple in Jerusalem, or we are being given a truth in this genealogy overlooked by casual reading.

As we continue to ponder this matter, it is noticed that "Jeconiah" is one of the kings listed in the Matthew genealogy. However, God placed a curse on this man in the Old Testament, declaring that,

Consequently if God remembered that curse, Messiah could not have been a descendant of Jeconiah for that would have violated its provision. Nor was He, because Joseph, a descendant of Jeconiah, was not the biological father of Jesus. Thus Jesus was in the "legal" line of the kings of Judah, but not in the "biological" line of Jeconiah.

However if this is so, where is the biological genealogy that brought forth the Messiah? There remains only one possibility; surely it has to be the remaining one in Luke that goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. Moreover, this conclusion is consistent with that curious prediction alluded to earlier in the book of Genesis when God cursed the serpent with the statement,

This prophecy was questioned in ancient times by the Rabbis because genealogies in the Bible typically recorded the male line rather than the female one, but here was an exception to the rule. This enigmatic prophecy had to remain a mystery until Jesus was born of the virgin Mary without knowing Joseph, thereby making Him the "seed" of the woman and fulfilling this Old Testament prediction!

Accordingly, the Luke genealogy targets Jesus as the One who had the proper credentials to fulfill that earliest prophecy in Genesis, a human being albeit with God as His Father. This would mean that He was born in the likeness and with the nature of God Himself, not in the likeness and with the nature of fallen Adam as the rest of the human race. As such, the book of Luke depicts Jesus as a perfect human being, yet the compassionate Friend of sinners.

The contents of these three Synoptic Gospels is here outlined:

• The Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1-28)

• The coming of Messiah (Matthew 1-4)

• Jesus’ genealogy and advent in the line of Abraham, David, and the kings of Judah (Matthew 1-2)

• Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist and temptation by Satan (Matthew 3-4)

• The ministry of the Messiah (Matthew 4-27)

• In Galilee (Matthew 4-18)

• In Judea (Matthew 19-27)

• His presentation as the King (Matthew 19-25)

• His rejection as the King (Matthew 26-27)

• The triumphant resurrection of the Messiah (Matthew 28)

• The Gospel of Mark (Mark 1-16)

• The introduction of Christ’s ministry (Mark 1)

• His title

• The preparation of His ministry

• The ministry of the Messiah

• In Galilee (Mark 1-7)

• Beyond Galilee (Mark 7-9)

• Between Galilee and Judea (Mark 10)

• In Judea (Mark 11-15)

• His presentation as the King (Mark 11)

• His rejection as the King (Mark 11-15)

• The triumphant resurrection of the Messiah (Mark 16)

• The Gospel of Luke (Luke 1-24)

• The coming of Messiah (Luke 1-4)

• Birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1)

• Conception and birth of Jesus (Luke 1-2)

• Jesus’ early life (Luke 2)

• Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist (Luke 3)

• Jesus’ genealogy in the line of Abraham, David, and the "seed of the woman" (Luke 3)

• Jesus’ temptation by Satan (Luke 4)

• The ministry of the Messiah (Luke 4-22)

• In Galilee (Luke 4-9)

• Between Galilee and Judea (Luke 10-19)

• In Judea (Luke 19-23)

• His presentation as King (Luke 21)

• His rejection as King (Luke 22-23)

• The triumphant resurrection of the Messiah (Luke 24)

If Matthew presents Jesus Christ as the King to the Jews, while Mark and Luke depict Him as a Servant with perfect humanity to the Gentiles, what remains to be known about this unique personage?

The answer to this question appears quickly in this book as it begins with the statement,

Hence we discover that Jesus Christ was none other than God in the flesh!

As if to reinforce this amazing declaration, John proceeds to document seven assertions where Jesus made direct connections between Himself and the "I AM" of the Old Testament. When Moses was brought into the presence of God at the burning bush before returning to Egypt, he inquired of God His name, then God said to Moses,

So in John, Jesus is recorded as saying,

The book of John is set apart from the Synoptic Gospels for still another reason.

Jesus spent much of His time addressing the multitudes in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. However in John, He spent many hours confiding with His inner circle of disciples in a series of discourses. They were of an attitude of belief, so He explained things to them not disclosed in the first three Gospels. For example, only in John did He share details of the coming Holy Spirit and His indwelling role in the life of a believer. The word "believe" appears almost 100 times in this Gospel, causing it to be coined the Gospel for believers. Consequently, the Gospel of John, like the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, is a "doorway book", standing at the entrance into an "inheritance" about to be realized for those who will "believe" that God has accomplished His finished work of redemption through the person of Jesus Christ.

John may be conveniently organized around certain special Set Seasons set up under the Law and thereafter in the Old Testament:

• Prologue and beginning of Jesus’ public ministry (John 1-2)

• Season of the first Passover (John 2-3)

• Cleansing of the Temple (John 2)

• Discourse on the New Birth (John 3)

• Subsequent travels in Judea and Galilee (John 3-4)

• Season of a following Pentecost (John 5)

• Jesus heals the infirmed man who rises, takes up his pallet, and walks

• Season of a following Passover (John 6)

• Jesus feeds the "5000"

• Season of a subsequent Tabernacles (John 7-10)

• Jesus contests with the Jewish leaders and forgives a woman caught in adultery (John 8)

• Jesus restores sight to a man blind from birth (John 9)

• Season of a following Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication) (John 10)

• Jesus declares His Oneness with the Father

• Season of the final Passover (John 12-20)

• Jesus’ anointing and presentation as the King (John 12)

• The Last Supper (John 13-17)

• Jesus’ betrayal and arrest in Gethsemane (John 18)

• Jesus’ crucifixion and burial (John 19)

• Jesus’ resurrection (John 20)

• Jesus with His disciples back in Galilee (John 21)

REDEMPTIVE PLAN