Appreciating the Gospel Presentations of Christ

Transcript:Appreciating the Gospel Presentations of Christ:
Appreciating the Gospel Presentations of Christ What does the Father want us to appreciate about His Son? A Survey of the Gospels God’s “good news” to mankind from four unique perspectives Inspired writers: three Jews and one Greek As far as we know, Luke is the only Gentile writer in the entire Bible. Deliberate variations, exclusions, and inclusions in accounts Not a complete biography Gaps in the Lord’s life history What the Father wants us to know of His Son (Heb. 1:2) Why Four Gospels? Perfect representation of God’s Son through four unique vantage points. The number four is the first number that is divisible (4 ÷ 2 = 2). But, God rarely divides four in this way to reveal divine mysteries in Scripture; He normally combines the numbers one and three to create four. By devising a three-and-one Gospel format (the Synoptic Gospels and John), God has upheld the symbolic scriptural meanings of the numbers one and three in representing His Son to the world. The number one represents divine unity and speaks of the Creator. The number three signifies divine fullness and perfection. Four is the number pertaining to earthly order. It is the best number to declare how God’s Son willingly came from heaven to the earth for the purpose of suffering and dying for others. Why Four Gospels? Four represents Earthly Order in Scripture. Four were required to provide perfect presentation of the Son – consistent with OT presentation. Four, in the Bible, is the number pertaining to the earth: Four seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) Four regions and winds (north, south, east, and west) Four divisions of day (morning, noon, evening, and night) Four regions where creatures dwell (upon the earth, under the earth, above the earth, in the sea). Four classes of inhabitants on earth (kindred, tongue, and people, and nation – Rev. 5:9) Four kinds of soil in the world (hard, stony, thorny, and good – Matt. 13) Four phases of the moon (new, half, full, half) The Gospel Application of “Four” Symbolically, four is then used to present God’s Son, coming from heaven to earth (to humanity). One river out of Eden (God’s presence) became “four heads” upon “the whole land” (Gen. 2:10). The four Branches “Unto David righteous Branch, and a King” (Jer. 23:5 – Matthew’s account) “My Servant the Branch” (Zech. 3:8 – Mark’s account) “Behold the Man whose name