1. Introduction to the Gospels

2. Objectives:
Students will discuss the similarities and differences between the 4 Gospels
Students will discuss how the Gospels are instrumental in teaching Salvation History
Review the class objectives at the beginning of class.

3. Word of the Week
Holy, Holy, Holy A song of praise sung at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer.
The word of the week will be playing on the TV please direct your class to watch the video playing on the TV in the classroom.

4. What Does “Gospel” Mean?
… of Jesus’ Life, Ministry, Death & Resurrection

5. Matthew Mark Luke John What Are the 4 Gospels?
Called “Evangelists” … from
the Greek “I bring a message” ….
spreading the good news

6. The New Testament
God’s saving works did not end with the prophets; in fact, they were simply preparing the way for one of the most important events in the Bible: the Incarnation.
The New Testament announces the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is both 100% God and man.
The Gospels are the heart of the New Testament.

7. The Gospels The Gospels are the heart of the Scriptures.
© Saint Mary’s Press
The Gospels are the heart of the Scriptures.
The four Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The Gospels bring the Good News of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.
They also herald that Jesus came to fulfill the promises God made to our ancestors, and to overcome the slavery of sin and death.
Image in public domain
(Note: Take time with the bullet on the Incarnation. Question the students to see if they know what the word Incarnation means. They should be clear that it indicates that Jesus, the Word of God, became flesh. Also be sure the students know that the Gospels build on Old Testament themes and point to Jesus as the New Covenant. Finally, the students should know that the word Gospel comes from the Greek word for “Good News.”)

8. The Gospels
The Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are our primary source for information on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
The Gospels aren’t identical, and look at Jesus’ life and teachings from a different perspective.
Still, each one in harmony and without error proclaims the truth that Jesus is the one and only way to the Father.

9. Characteristics of the Gospels
The Gospels are the main source of information about the life and teachings of Jesus (see CCC, 125).
The Gospels are God’s Revelation.
When we encounter Jesus in the Gospels, we encounter God’s most definitive and perfect Revelation.
Each Gospel presents a unique perspective on Jesus.
Image in public domain
(Note: To expand on the content of this slide, ask the students what they understand about the idea that Jesus is God’s most definitive and perfect Revelation. You could ask a question such as, “Why would Jesus be able to reveal God to us in a perfect manner?” This will also help you to determine if any students are failing to grasp the material.)
Image in public domain

10. The Gospels The Gospels recount the amazing actions of God.
The Gospels are not historical biographies but they contain the truth of God’s promises.
The Gospels tell real historical events.

11. Article 53: The Central Place of the Gospels
The Catechism states:
The Gospels are the heart of all the Scriptures.
The Gospels teach us about God’s most definitive and perfect revelation - his Son.
The Gospels tell that God sent his only Son to save people from sin.

12. An Invitation to Faith The Gospels are written so that you know:
Jesus is the Messiah and the son of God.
Jesus is obedient to his Father
He lacks sin
It explains his sacrificial death, resurrection and ascension, revealing his saving work.

13. Article 54: Three Stages in Gospel Formation
Gospels were not written over night, they resulted from experience and passed on through the spoken word and eventually written down.
Biblical scholarship has defined three parts in the formation of the Gospels: the life and teachings of Jesus, oral tradition, and the written Gospels.

14. The Life and Teachings of Jesus
The Incarnate Son of God lived in a particular time and place.
Because he became man and lived, died, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven within a historical context; our ancestors in faith had the amazing opportunity to witness God in the flesh.

15. Oral Tradition
Oral proclamation helped spread the vitally important message of salvation offered to all through Jesus Christ.
This message is known as the Kerygma.
Everything was taught through word of mouth.

16. The Written Gospel
The church was afraid that the word of God could be distorted if not preserved more formally.
Part of the problem was that many of the eyewitnesses to Jesus life were dying or being killed.
So they wrote everything down.

17. Article 55: Why Four Gospels
Each of the many communities of faith had different challenges in interpreting Christianity.
The four Evangelists each belonged to a different type of the community and created their own account of Jesus’ actions and teachings.
Each proclaimed the Paschal Mystery in a unique form to the community in which they belonged.

19. What Do We Know About The Authors?
Matthew
“Levi”
Jewish
Tax Collector
Apostle
Mark
“John Mark”
Jewish
Not 1 of 12 apostles
Peter considered to be major source
Cousin of Barnabas/ travelled w/Paul
Luke
Doctor
Greek Christian
Not 1 of 12 apostles
Companion of Paul’s
John
Brother of James/ disciple Jesus loved
Jewish
Fisherman
Apostle

20. To Whom Were They Writing & When?
Matthew
Specifically to Jews
Probably 55-60AD
Mark
To Gentile Christians in Rome
55-65AD
Luke
Specifically to Theophilus
In general, to Gentiles (Greeks)
About 60AD
John
To Christians (Jews & Gentiles)
throughout the world
Probably 85-90AD

21. Are They Different From Each Other?
Let’s play a GAME !
The tray has 30 objects
I’ll give you 1 minute to look at the tray
Then write down how many objects you can remember

22. Are They Different From Each Other?
What did we learn from the game?
You all saw the same objects but
wrote down different things
It’s the same with the 4 gospel accounts.
The writers saw or were told the same things but wrote them down from a different perspective … a different way of looking at things because different things were important to them

23. The Synoptic Gospels
Matthew,  Mark, and Luke are called synoptic Gospels.
Synoptic comes from a Greek word meaning “seeing the whole together.”
These Gospels are similar in style and share much of the same content.
Many scholars believe that both Luke and Matthew used Mark as a source when writing their Gospels.
Some scholars also propose that Luke and Matthew may have used a second source known as the Quelle, or the Q Source.
(Note: If time permits, or if the students are curious about the Q source, you could do some online research about Q together in class.)
Despite the independence of Matthew and Luke, these two Gospels share in common approximately
two hundred verses that do not occur in Mark. Two hundred verses is a substantial amount of material that
most likely would not have survived for decades in independent oral traditions until the writing of Matthew
and Luke. Because Matthew and Luke wrote independently of each other and share so much non-Markan
material in common, most scholars are persuaded that in addition to Mark’s Gospel, they made use of one
or more other written sources. In German-language New Testament scholarship, the word Quelle (“source”)
designates this non-Markan source material preserved in Matthew and Luke.
Image in public domain

24. Faith Portraits
The Evangelists were said to be guided by the Holy Spirit to create a historical text of the Savior.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called synoptic Gospels (synoptic is a Greek term that means seeing the whole together). They were guided by the Quelle, or Q source, which is a theoretical source of ancient texts shared by early Christians for creating Gospels.
The Gospel of John relied on symbolic language.

26. The Same Truth
All four Gospels are necessary for understanding and comprehending God’s saving love revealed in his Incarnate Son.
The Gospels reveal the mystery of God.
The Gospels point to one absolute truth- Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God and the Lord of all creation.

27. What the Gospels Cover
Matthew, Mark & Luke are similar … called “Synoptic” … “to see together”
Called “Evangelists” … from the Greek “I bring a message” ….
spreading the good news
“Harmonization” of the Gospels

28. Events All 4 Gospels Cover
The 4 Gospels narrate 250 events from the life of Jesus
What is found in ALL 4 Gospels are:
Jesus preaches in Galilee
Jesus feeds the 5,000
Jesus rides into Jerusalem on donkey
Jesus & his disciples have the Last Supper
Jesus is betrayed & arrested
Peter denies knowing Jesus
Jesus stands trial before Pilate
Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified
Jesus is led away to be crucified
Jesus is placed on the cross
Jesus dies on the cross
Jesus in laid in the tomb
Jesus rises from the dead
Most important events in the life of Jesus?
Jesus rides into Jerusalem on donkey
Jesus & his disciples have the Last Supper
Jesus is betrayed & arrested
Peter denies knowing Jesus
Jesus stands trial before Pilate
Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified
Jesus is led away to be crucified
Jesus is placed on the cross
Jesus dies on the cross
Jesus in laid in the tomb
Jesus rises from the dead
Very short list -Majority of events in the last few weeks of Jesus’ life

29. So What is the Good News?

30. So What is the Good News?
LIFE and DEATH
of JESUS

31. Tradition Catholic Church believes in both
Scriptures & Tradition as major sources
of understanding Jesus & his message
Same Holy Spirit that guided the authors
of the Scriptures continues to guide the
church as it moves through history
These teachings & practices in the
Catholic Church is known as its
Tradition
Total Truth = Scriptures + Tradition

32. Four Images of Jesus
Mark: The Suffering Servant of God: Jesus is the Paschal Lamb who redeems the human family.
Matthew: Teacher and Prophet: Jesus teaches and proclaims the radical redemption of God.
Luke: Compassionate Healer: Jesus restores humanity to the right relation with God.
John: Incarnate Word of God: Jesus is the Word of God in the flesh.

33. The Gospel of Matthew Who was Matthew?
Jewish Christian well versed in the Hebrew Scriptures
Approximate Date of Authorship:
AD 85
Intended Audience:
Mixed community of Jewish Christians and Gentiles
Issues Addressed:
A possible rejection and even some persecution of Jews for their belief in Jesus
Image in public domain

34. Matthew’s Image of Jesus
Matthew wanted his Jewish Christian readers to know that believing in Jesus was a continuation of their tradition.
Matthew highlights Jesus as the fulfillment of many Old Testament hopes and prophecies.
He validates the community’s link to the covenant promises of the past, while justifying their new devotion to Christ and his mission.
Jesus is presented with clear ties to Jewish ancestry. The genealogy at the beginning of the Gospel is one example.
Image in public domain
(Note: Ensure that the students understand what a genealogy is. If time permits, have the students go through the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Ask them if they notice anything in particular. Point out that within Jesus’ genealogy are men and women, people who are wealthy and people who are poor, indicating that Jesus came to save all.)

35. What Happened to the Gospel Authors?
MATTHEW
For 15 years, preached the gospel in Hebrew
to the Jewish community in Judea
Later spread the gospel to the Ethiopians,
Macedonians, Persians & Parthians
Said to have died a natural death in either
Ethiopia or Macedonia
However, the Catholic and Orthodox
churches hold the tradition that Matthew
died a martyr

36. The Gospel of Mark Who was Mark?
Gentile Christian who may have been a disciple of Peter
Approximate Date of Authorship:
AD 65–70
Intended Audience:
Non-Jewish Christians
Issues Addressed:
Members of the community being persecuted (even to death) for their beliefs
Image in public domain

37. Mark’s Image of Jesus
Mark includes an aura of secrecy in this Gospel known as the messianic secret.
Those who should recognize Jesus as the Messiah fail to do so.
Mark emphasizes the humanity of Jesus.
Central to Mark’s Christology is the image of Jesus as the Suffering Servant.
True discipleship must imitate Jesus in both his ministry and his suffering.
Image in public domain
(Note: To add to the notion of the messianic secret, Mark has the demons recognize Jesus in situations where his followers fail to recognize him. Another thing the students may find interesting about the Gospel of Mark is that at the beginning the disciples are depicted as models of faith, due to their leaving everything behind and following Jesus. However, as the Gospel unfolds, they are sometimes portrayed unfavorably and as lacking faith. This will add to a fuller picture of the Gospel.)

38. What Happened to the Gospel Authors?
MARK
Around 43AD, founded the church
of Alexandria (Egypt)
Became the first bishop of
Alexandria & is considered to be
the founder of Christianity in
Africa
Martyred around 68AD
In 828AD, relics believed to be the body of St. Mark were stolen from
Alexandria by 2 Venetian merchants & taken to Venice where a basilica
was built (St. Mark’s Cathedral)

39. The Gospel of Luke Who was Luke?
Gentile convert to Christianity, and the author who wrote not only the Gospel of Luke but also the Acts of the Apostles
Approximate Date of Authorship:
AD 80–90
Intended Audience:
The audience of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles is identified as Theophilus, meaning “lover of God.”
Image in public domain

40. Luke’s Image of Jesus
Luke paints a picture of Jesus as the compassionate Savior who welcomes all.
Much of Jesus’ ministry and preaching is directed toward the plight of the anawim.
Luke emphasizes the presence of women in the ministry of Jesus.
The final groups given special attention in the Gospel of Luke are those who are sick and sinners.
Image in public domain
(Note: Add to the information on this slide that anawim is the Hebrew word for “the poor and marginalized.” Also apparent in Luke’s Gospel is that Jesus’ message of salvation was not confined to a particular religious or social group but rather to anyone who was open to hear and heed the Good News.)

41. What Happened to the Gospel Authors?
LUKE
According to a 4th Century document,
Luke “a native of Antioch, by profession a physician. He had become a disciple of
the apostle Paul until his martyrdom.
Having served the Lord continuously,
unmarried & without children, filled with
the Holy Spirit, he died at age 84”
His tomb was located in Thebes (Greece) from where is was transferred to
Constantinople in 357AD.
The remains were brought to Padua, Italy sometime before 1177AD
In 1992, a scientific investigation confirmed that these were the remains of
an individual of Syrian descent who died between 130 & 400AD

42. The Gospel of John
The  Gospel of John is not one of the synoptic Gospels.
Who wrote it:
Many people credit this Gospel to a man named John, “the [disciple] whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23), but the actual author is unknown.
Many believe the author was a member of a Christian community founded by the Beloved Disciple.
Its tradition and teachings represent the whole Johannine community rather than just one individual.
Approximate Date of Authorship:
AD 90–100
Image in public domain

43. Characteristics of John’s Gospel
Twofold purpose:
To evangelize both Gentiles and Jews
To strengthen the faith of the local community as well as Christians everywhere
Two books in one Gospel:
In the first half of the Gospel, Jesus teaches mainly through signs that reveal his identity.
These signs are found in John 1:19—12:50 and are known as the Book of Signs.
The second half of the Gospel focuses on the Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension— the events that glorify Jesus.
This is known as the Book of Glory and is found in John 13:1—20:31.
Image in public domain

44. John’s Image of Jesus
The  synoptic Gospels emphasize the humanity of Jesus.
The Gospel of John emphasizes the divinity of Jesus.
John uses high Christology—a term used to describe how John proclaims from the very beginning that Jesus is God, the Eternal Word of the Father. 
(Note: The students should be informed that Christology means “the study of Christ.” For further discussion you could ask the students what some advantages and disadvantages are of using high Christology when learning about Christ and his mission.)
Image in public domain

45. What Happened to the Gospel Authors?
JOHN
Believed to be the “beloved disciple” of
Jesus … only apostle who was not martyred
One of the pillars of the Jerusalem church
after the death of Jesus
Tradition holds that he lived to an old age
and died in Ephesus (near 100AD)

46. Closing Prayer
May the love of God be able to overshadow you, be beneath you to uphold you, before you to guide you, behind you to protect you, close beside you and within you to make you able for all things, and the Lord your faithfulness with the joy and peace which the world cannot give— neither can it take away. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, to whom the glory now and evermore. Amen.
Closing prayer

47. QUESTIONS 1. Why are the Gospels the heart of all the Scriptures?
2. How were the Gospels developed and formed?
3. Why are Mark, Matthew, and Luke called synoptic Gospels?
4. What is the primary difference between the synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John?
5. What is the overall message of the Gospels?

48. ANSWERS
1. The Gospels the heart of all the Scriptures because they are our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Savior. 2. The Gospels (meaning good news) tell the good news that God sent his only son to save his people from sin. 3. These Gospels are similar in style and share much of the same content. 4. The Gospel of John was written much later than the synoptic Gospels, it used more symbolic language to express the true identity of Jesus. 5. The Gospels point to the one and absolute truth – Jesus Christ is the divine Son if God and the Lord of all creation.