Matthew’s Gospel was aimed at a Jewish audience. Its purpose was to witness that Jesus was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. Matthew emphasizes the words of the Lord regarding the Kingdom of Heaven. This was done to counter the popular Jewish belief of the day that the Messiah would be a military leader who would overthrow the current Roman occupation and re–establish the throne of David. Matthew stresses thorough subjection and obedience to the sovereign AUTHORITY of the Lord Jesus. Consistently with this, Matthew insists upon thorough subjection and obedience to the sovereign authority of the Lord Jesus, not to law, but to One higher than law.
Written from a Jewish point of view, Matthew preserves admirable continuity with the Old Testament. It presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the long-awaited Messiah of Israel; His genealogy therefore is traced to David and Abraham. This genealogy is that of Joseph, therefore establishing official title to the throne.
But Matthew is also the only book of Scripture that uses the phrase "the Kingdom of Heaven." This shows us that, while under law the authority of the Kingdom of Yahweh had been committed to the Jews, and Jerusalem therefore had been its headquarters, yet because of Israel's utter failure, God was revoking this, and His kingdom now would have its headquarters in heaven. He had once spoken on earth among the Jews: now He was speaking from heaven. For this reason, Matthew often speaks of the kingdom of God as "the kingdom of heaven."
Mark’s Gospel describes in detail Jewish customs and is therefore thought to be aimed at a non–Jewish audience (in particular, Romans). Mark describes in very lifelike terms the miracles of Jesus, and details the crucifixion and death of Jesus. It is thought that Mark was the first of the four Gospels and was dictated from the Apostle Peter, because some events contained in the book are unique to Peter. Mark stresses the SERVANT character of the Lord Jesus, who is to be followed as the Example by those who are saved by His grace.
Mark provides a fast-moving, energetic account of the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. His language is direct and simple, and his description of events is in chronological order, that is, in the order in which they actually happened. None of the other Gospel writers follows this order, but each uses an order that is appropriate to his particular theme. But the lowliness and humility of the Lord Jesus shines out beautifully in this Gospel, as rapidly passing from one scene to another, He meets the need of unnumbered souls, at the perfect time and in perfect manner. Mark frequently uses words like "immediately," straightway," and "forthwith."
Mark portrays Jesus as the perfect Servant of God. His death, too, is the sacrifice of One perfectly devoted to the will of God, a service to meet the deepest needs of the souls of men. The sin-offering character of His sacrifice is seen here not simply that He has borne our sins, but that He has taken the full judgment against sin, the dreadful root of sins, the very principle of all that has opposed God. And He has served God in absolute devotion in this matter, even to the dread necessity of being abandoned by God in those hours of unalleviated agony.
Luke’s Gospel gives us the most complete look at the life of Jesus. Luke, a Gentile writer writing to Theophilus, also a Gentile, uses eyewitnesses as sources for his writings. He stresses Jesus’ humanity (since Luke was a doctor himself) and compassion as well as the power of the Holy Spirit and of prayer. It is the GRACE of the Lord Jesus that we see clearly in Luke. Jesus’ grace was not only to Israel, but to Gentiles as well. This will be seen strikingly here in the parables and miracles of Jesus.
Luke gives us the most complete look at the life of Jesus. He uses eyewitnesses as sources for his writings. He stresses Jesus’ humanity and compassion as well as the power of the Holy Spirit and of prayer.
In Luke Christ is presented beautifully as "the Son of Man," every part of the book combining to set forth the reality and perfection of His manhood. Here we have His birth announced and described, His increasing in wisdom and stature, His accessibility as One tenderly interested in the welfare of mankind, His "desire" of eating with His disciples, His forgiving words from the cross, His demonstrating to His disciples the reality of His bodily resurrection, His ascension bodily to heaven.
John’s Gospel was written much later than the other 3 gospels, during a time of growing apostasy. John’s purpose is that men would believe that Jesus is the Son of God and consequently the Redeemer of all who believe in him. John cites eight signs to establish and prove this point, culminating in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. John is the only one of the four Gospels that does not cite any parables; instead, John emphasizes Jesus as God in the flesh. In John the Lord Jesus is manifested as Himself the Creator, the eternal, only begotten Son of God, sent from the Father to fully reveal His glory. The Lord Jesus is stressed as the LIGHT and LOVE of the eternal God.
John was written in order that men may believe that Jesus is the Son of God and consequently the Redeemer of all who believe in him and the things concerning the Kingdom of God. John cites eight signs to establish and prove this point, culminating in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. John is the only one of the four Gospels that does not cite any parables; instead, John emphasizes Jesus as the manifestation of God.
In John the Lord Jesus is manifested as Himself the Creator, the eternal, only begotten Son of God, sent from the Father to fully reveal His glory. This is much more than authority, service, or grace, but the light and love of the eternal God. He is here the Object of our adoring worship.
The Gospel is not therefore synoptic (that is, providing a general view of the Lord's life and works on earth), as are the other three, but draws special attention to His person and to His words, as witnessed even by His enemies: "Never man spoke thus, as this man speaks" (John 7:46).
The miracles and parables here recorded also provide clearest witness to His personal divine glory. It is here that we find those famous words from Jesus’ lips, "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58). And the seven "I Am's" of John's Gospel are well known.
