The Old Man’s Gospel
In Sunday School we are studying the Gospel of John. There are four gospels in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each has its own “flavor,” reflecting the author’s perspective.
Matthew wrote to his fellow Jews. His message goes like this, “Listen, all you kinsmen, we have been looking for the Messiah for hundreds of years. When He came, our Jewish mindset kept us from knowing Him. Jesus is the Messiah.” Matthew’s gospel is organized and teachable. Perhaps he hoped it would one day be taught in the synagogues.
Mark was the first gospel written. Mark was likely young when he wrote and was hoping to get the message of Jesus out simply and quickly. His writings are filled with facts but little comment. Still, one must wonder when Mark quoted Jesus saying, “You don’t put a new patch on an old garment.” Maybe he believed his Jewish brothers needed to hear that.
Luke was a physician. Dr. Luke was not a Jew. His gospel is a letter to a friend, Theophilus. He told Theophilus he was writing to tell him the truth about Jesus. Chapter 15 of Luke’s gospel gives us Jesus’ picture of our Heavenly Father. The chapter ends with the story of a father loving two wayward sons.
The fourth gospel---John, I choose to call the old man’s gospel. It was written several decades after the death and resurrection of Jesus. By first century standards, John was an old man when he wrote. John was a righthand disciple of Jesus and knew Him well. We know he had read the previous three gospels because he quoted from them. Personal experience teaches me life looks different when viewed through the lens of many years. John gives us Jesus’ beautiful summary of the gospel in John 3:16: God so loved the world; He gave his Son for us.
We often tell new Christians or folk just beginning to study the Bible, “Start with the gospel of John.” As I studied the book again for Sunday School, I realized why we say, “Begin with John.” John said it himself, “Jesus is the Word.”
