The Gospels require the understanding of the Old Testament Prophecies to be fully understood.
Christ as King: Psalms 72,; Isa 9:6-7; 32:1; Jer 23:5; Zech 9:9; 14:9
Christ as Servant: Isa 42:1-7; 52:13-15; 53
Christ as Man: Gen 3:15; 22:18; Isa 7:14-16; 9:6
Christ as God: Isa 9:6; 40:3-5; 47:4; Jer 23:6
The Gospels tells us When and How Christ came
The Epistles tells us Why and For What Christ came
Nuggets from Dr. William H. Griffith:
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Preparation |
In the Old Testament, God makes ready for the coming of the Messiah |
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Manifestation |
In the four Gospels, Christ enters the world, dies for the world and founds His Church |
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Appropriation |
In the Acts and the Epistles, the ways are revealed I which the Lord Jesus was received, appropriated and applied in individual lives. |
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Consummation |
The outcome of God’s plan is revealed in the book of The Revelation |
The Book of Matthew:
Christ is presented as the King (of the Jews), it is written primarily to the Jew, for He is the Son of David. The genealogy is to Abraham only and the book is concerned with the coming of a Promised Savior. If the Jew was to be impressed it would have to be by one of his own race, that is why Levi/Matthew is the human writer. For the Jew, the teacher must know Old Testament Scripture and the promise of the Messiah. Jesus came to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament but He was rejected as the Messiah. Matthew contains more quotes from the Old Testament than the other three Gospels.
The Ascension is not recorded in the Gospel of Matthew because (get ready for this) Christ is presented as the King of the Jews, the Jews were looking for an earthly reigning King from the son of David and not a Heavenly reign
The Book of Mark:
Christ is presented as the Servant, it is written primarily to the Romans. There is no genealogy because men especially Romans were not interested in the genealogy of a servant. There are more miracles in Mark because the Romans cared little for words and more for actions or deeds. The Book of Mark is concerned with the life and power of a Perfect Savior. The Romans knew nothing about the Old Testament Scripture and were not interested in prophecy or the fulfillment of it. But they were concerned about a remarkable Leader in Palestine. He had claimed more than ordinary authority and had extraordinary powers. To them God is Able; God can meet everyone’s need.
The Book of Luke:
Christ is presented as a man (perfect man), it is written to the Greeks and is concerned with the Grace of a Perfect Savior. His genealogy goes back to Adam, the first man to reflect the humanity. This book was written by a Greek doctor to his own countrymen who were lovers of beauty, poetry and culture. The Greeks believed in large ideas. The Greeks of Jesus’ day was a type of student and idealist who was seeking after truth and believed that truth is the means of true happiness.
The Book of John:
Christ is presented as God, the Third Person of the GodHead, it is written to all that will believe with the purpose of leading men to Christ. John is concerned with the possession of a Personal Savior. Everything illustrates and demonstrates His Divine Relationship. The "all men" of John’s day were like the masses today who need Christ.
There is no genealogy in the Gospel of John. (Guess why)