The four Gospels were written by four men, three Jews and a Gentile, who tell the story of Jesus. Each starts at a different place in the life of Jesus as they share with the world the remarkable life of the Son of Man who came to seek and save the lost.
As they introduce the Savior to us, they give us insights into His mission as they record the first words Jesus says in their Gospel account. Looking at the first words the Savior utters in each Gospel gives us a compelling vision of His mission upon the earth.
Let’s take a look at what Jesus says in each Gospel in the order we have them in the books. Everything has to do with what He came to do for man and what man’s responsibility is toward His mission. Everything else written in the Gospels tells us how this mission is fulfilled and how we can benefit from the grace He offers each of us.
In Matthew, the markedly Jewish Gospel written to convince the Jews Jesus is The Messiah spoken of by the prophets, Matthew begins at the birth of the Savior and gives us the amazing story of a star and of angels. But the first time we hear Jesus speak in Matthew’s account is in chapter 3.
Jesus appeared on the scene with His cousin, John the Baptizer, for a simple yet profound request. He asked John to baptize Him. His cousin is puzzled because Jesus is the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. He tells Jesus that, if anything, he needs to be baptized by Him. Then Jesus utters the first words that Matthew records from Him:
“But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.” (Matthew 3:15 ESV).
From the beginning, Matthew tells us that Jesus came to fulfill all righteousness. Not just in His baptism but in order that not one dotted I or crossed T would fail from the words of God written of Him. He came to fulfill it all. He came to restore man to God. He came to obey all the Father commanded Him to do. He did not come to be served but to serve.
Jesus came for a purpose, a mission, and everything He would do during the thirty-some years He was among us was to fulfill all righteousness. Matthew captures these words and then shows us Him fulfilling all righteousness in the rest of the Gospel. The author spends a lot of time taking us through the crucifixion events to show us that Jesus was not just willing to get wet in the Jordan by John’s hands, but He was willing to be nailed to the cross by evil and vile men to fulfill all righteousness.
Then, Mark tells us his account of Jesus’ life. Mark doesn’t start at the birth but jumps right into the life of Jesus as He begins His ministry. Chronologically, Mark writes the first biography of Jesus’ life. The other three Gospels came after this short yet powerful life story of Jesus, our King. Mark introduces the world in written form to Jesus. He writes a simple message appropriate to Jews and Gentiles alike.
Mark briefly mentions the baptism of Jesus and the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, as a matter of fact, without going into the details that some of the other authors give us. But Mark chose to record the first words of Jesus when He launched into His ministry and began preaching His good news that the Old Testament has been promising.
“and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15 ESV).
This was what prophets have been foretelling. This is what angels had long to know. The world didn’t know it at the time Jesus preached the message of repentance, but even then, He was laying the foundation to bring the Gentiles back to God. Jesus started with the Jews, but He had His sights set on claiming it all.
Everything Satan and the principalities and powers had claimed, Jesus was taking back. This was His mission. The time had come. The Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. Jesus was the One who was making the crooked straight, bringing light into darkness. In this one opening line that Mark records, Jesus says much more than we often give attention to.
This was a strong clarion call, not just to men but to the evil spirits who had had their way for much too long. Jesus had arrived, and He was taking it all back. Indeed, His kingdom was at hand. It was a proclamation, a promise, and a warning all rolled into one powerful opening statement that Mark chose to record for us. This statement of Jesus is what our hope is founded upon, and Mark wanted Jews and Gentiles alike to hear these powerful words that Jesus said.
Then we move to Luke, the beloved physician, as Paul referred to Him. Luke was a Gentile traveling companion of Paul who also served as a first-rate historian. He wrote two historical volumes that we have as Luke and Acts. In Luke, he writes Volume One, chronicling the life of Jesus the Messiah. He then picks up in Volume Two, where he chronicles the Apostles' acts as they spread the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven and its King to the whole world.
Luke writes these volumes to someone named Theophilus. We don’t know anything about this man, but Luke takes great pains to ensure that this “Most Excellent” man understands the details of Jesus and His Kingdom. Since Acts ends with Paul in prison for two years awaiting trial in Rome, perhaps Theophilus had something to do with Paul’s defense, and Luke was sharing the details of his defense.
Whoever Theophilus was, the Holy Spirit chose to ensure His words were recorded by Dr. Luke and left for us as an inspired testimony of Jesus. When Luke wrote his Gospel, he introduced Jesus through His birth just as Matthew had done, But the first words that Luke records from the King is not when He is in His thirties as the other writers do. Luke introduces us to Jesus as a twelve-year-old boy in the Temple.
Having been left behind by his parents on a family trip to Jerusalem, young Jesus goes to the place He is most comfortable. This was His house, the one He had dwelt in among the Jews for centuries. Everything centered around the Temple, which represented His relationship with man. While in the Temple, Jesus discussed things with the Jewish leaders, and His wisdom amazed them.
After three days of frantic searching for their lost Son, someone must have told Jesus’ parents that some kid was blowing the Jewish leaders away with wisdom beyond His years. So they made their way to the house of God and found Jesus conversing with the wise men. Mary let all her pent-up frustration and relief pour out upon Jesus, telling Him He had made them sick from worry.
Young Jesus then spoke the first words that Luke chose to reveal to us in his Gospel:
“And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” (Luke 2:49 ESV).
Even at this young age, Jesus knew who He was and what His mission would be. We aren’t given all the details about what He knew at this young age, but even at age twelve, Jesus knew He had a business to be about. It was centered on His Father’s will and everything in Him knew that this is where He must be. It was obvious to Him that this is where He should be.
There was no intent of disobedience in Him when He made His way to the Temple. In fact, it was out of obedience to His Father that compelled Him to go to the House that He had dwelt in since the days of Solomon. This was His home on earth, and this is from where His Father’s business emanated.
Jesus would later say that He didn’t come to do His will, but the Father’s will Who sent Him. Even at age twelve, Jesus understood this, As He grew into manhood, His Father’s business would cause Him to sweat great drops of blood that would lead Him to the cross.
Finally, the disciple Jesus loved wrote His Gospel toward the end of the first century. It was one of the last books written before the Spirit's revelation to man ended. John looks back over many decades to tell his story of the Messiah. When he begins, he makes it clear that Jesus was no ordinary prophet. He was God. He was the Creator. He existed with the Father before time began.
After introducing John the Baptizer’s ministry, John the Apostle writes that some of the Baptizer’s disciples left John and started to follow Jesus. John had told them Jesus was the Messiah, the One he had been preparing the way for. Jesus was the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.
Upon hearing Jesus was the One they had all been waiting for, they left John and started to follow Jesus. It is here that John records the first words from Jesus’s mouth in his Gospel:
“Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” (John 1:38 ESV).
In this simple scene, we see the universal action that Jesus will teach as the bedrock of the Gospel story. No one can come to the Father but through Him. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. These early disciples did what we are all called to do. They left their former life to follow the one true Author of life. They left everything to follow Jesus.
As we look at the first words spoken by Jesus in each of the Gospels, we see an amazing story spoken of Jesus’ mission and our responsibility to it. While I cannot say that the Spirit intended us to see this specific lesson, it is there nonetheless. Jesus came as Messiah with a mission. He was faithful to that mission of seeking and saving the lost. He established His Kingdom and opened the door to all of mankind, providing a way to the Father for all who would seek it.
The first words of Jesus in the Gospels tell a simple yet powerful message of love and grace, of purpose and conquest. They show us that our King is powerful enough to not only conquer the powers and principalities that enslaved men but to utterly defeat them in a way that shields us from their enslavement.
Indeed, the four Gospel writers give us the Good News wrapped up in these four first statements Jesus spoke in each of their accounts.
One day, well into eternity, we will never remember the results of any election we may fret over today.
I am reading 2 Corinthians in my daily Bible reading. Paul spends much of his time defending his apostleship, and he is humiliated as he has to give evidence of his apostleship because he fears it comes across as boasting. Listen to the pains he takes in having to make his defense to these people he loves so much:
“I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!” (2 Corinthians 11:1 ESV).
And
“I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.
What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool.
Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.
For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!” (2 Corinthians 11:16-19 ESV).
And
“To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast of that.” (2 Corinthians 11:21 ESV).
And
“Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.” (2 Corinthians 11:23 ESV).
Paul goes through the humiliation of boasting in the fruits that testify to his authenticity as an apostle and servant of Jesus. If the apostle Paul was falsely accused and his motives impugned, how much should it surprise us when this happens to us?
It's bad enough when these attacks come from people in the world, but it is doubly painful when it comes from our own brothers and sisters in Jesus. The very ones who should extend grace to us are often the first to lob the stones at us. They may often attack without even calling to talk to us first.
They follow the mob who gathers, work themselves into a frenzy, and call for our blood. This seems to be what Paul had to deal with, and he had to deal with it in a very public way that people for 2000 years would read about.
Only by staying quiet about our faith will we escape ridicule and attack. So, remember that we are in good company when it comes our way. Not only did they do this to Paul, they did it to our Lord and King.
When you hear people calling for the blood of a brother and sister, take a few moments to investigate before joining the mob. Sometimes, there may be truth behind the attacks, but often, we give into the mob and join our voice to theirs as we tear down the reputation of another child of God.
Shouldn't our love for others dictate that we at least seek all sides before grabbing our pitchforks and running into the night? Slowing down and showing a little prudence and benefit of the doubt rarely made matters worse, while attacking without investigating more often leads to permanently broken relationships and reputations being needlessly destroyed.
If you were a member of the church at Corinth, would you be in the group of people calling to silence Paul, or would you be in the group who sat down with him to hear his side first?
It is not only by the grace of God we are able to store up goods in our closets and pantries,
It is also by His grace that we wake up each morning with them still there.
There are some things I am looking forward to forgetting...
My pain and the side effects that come with age.
The worry about a loved one who is going into surgery.
The dread of an upcoming meeting I want to avoid having.
The regret for making the wrong choice that brings consequences I'll have to bear.
The pain from a friend's words taken the wrong way.
Being powerless while I watch a loved one take the wrong path.
What it's like to be hungry, cold, lonely, and homesick.
Somewhere in eternity, when I am with Jesus, I suppose I will forget what these things were ever like. Perhaps the time is coming when I will no longer be able to describe what these things are like.
Yeah, there are some things I am looking forward to forgetting.
I wonder if Jesus ever read Genesis 1:1 and thought to Himself with a nostalgic smile, “That is a good memory.”