This document provides an overview and comparison of the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew presents Jesus as the promised Messiah and king, while Mark portrays him as a powerful servant. Luke focuses on Jesus as the savior of all mankind and includes more details on women. John's gospel emphasizes Jesus as the Son of God and was written to prove his deity. Each gospel has a distinct audience, author, purpose, content, and characteristics.

1. JovelynGrace V. Godoy
MATTHEW, MARK and LUKE
Gospel
Matthew,Mark, Luke,and Johnare collectivelyknownasthe gospels.The word"gospel"comesfromanOldEnglish
wordthat meant"good tale"or "goodnews."
Todaythe word "gospel"isusedto describe the 4 New Testamentbooksthatpresentthe lifeof Christ.
Ina general sense,gospel isalsousedtodescribe the life andteachingsof JesusChrist.Indeed,the storyof Jesusis
goodnews!
Gospel ofMatthew
MatthewpresentsJesusasthe promisedMessiah,the Kingof the Jews.Matthew containsfivegreatcollectionsof Jesus'
teachings.
Keys
 KeyVerse:Matthew27:37
 KeyWords: Kingdom,Fulfill
 KeyDates: Writtenbetween37-68 A.D.
 Time Period:From5-4 B.Cto 30 A.D.(early) or33 A.D.(late).
Author
Matthewwas a Jew,hiredbyRome to collecttaxesinCapernaum.He wasalsoknownas Levi.Jesuscalledhimtobe an
apostle.
Matthewwasprobablywealthy.He hostedagreatfeastfor Jesus.See Luke 5:27-32 andMatthew 9:9-13.
Audience
Matthewwas writtentoJewswhowere familiarwithOldTestamentprophecy.Jewishcustomswerenotexplainedin
thisgospel.Matthewoftenmentionedthe Lawof Moses.
King of the Jews
Matthewwas writtentoconvince JewsthatJesus wasthe promisedMessiah.The bookopenswitha genealogytoprove
that Jesuswasan heirto KingDavid.
Matthew'sbirthnarrative containsfive propheciesthatwere fulfilled.
Arranged for Memorization
WhenMatthewwas written,peopleoftenmemorizedscripture.Matthew arrangedhismaterial sothatitwaseasyto
remember.
Groupsof threesandof sevensare oftenusedinMatthew.Forexample,there were3gifts,3 temptations,7
parables,and7 woes.See chapters2, 4, 13, and 23.
Handbook of Teachings

2. Matthewis a handbookonthe teachingsof Jesus.Itcontainsfive collectionsof teachingsconcerningthe Kingdomof
Heaven.
The Kingdom'slaw,mission,mysteries, greatness,andfuture canbe respectivelyfoundinchapters5-7,10, 13, 18,
and 24-25.
Did You Know?
Jesuspredictedthe destructionof Jerusalemnearly40 yearsbefore the Romansattackedthe city.He advisedfollowers
to leave Jerusalemwhentheysaw signsthatitwouldbe destroyed.See Matthew 24:15-22 andLuke 21:20-24.
The RomansdestroyedJerusaleminAD70, followinga3-yearcampaign.While Jerusalemwasundersiege,aRoman
general namedCestiusGallusunexpectedly"recalledhissoldiers"1
in68A.D.,enablingthose familiarwithChrist's
prophecytoflee Jerusalem.2
Gospel ofMark
Mark isa fast-pacedgospel thatportraysJesusasthe powerful,sufferingservantof God.
Mark showsthat Jesustaughtwithauthority,asaffirmedby the miraclesHe performed.Jesus'life of service was
completedwhenHe sacrificedHimself onthe cross.
Keys
 KeyVerse:Mark 10:45
 KeyWords: Immediately,Authority
 KeyDates: Writtenbetween40-65 A.D.
 Time Period:From28-30 A.D. (early) or30-33 A.D.(late).
Author
Mark traveledwithhiscousinBarnabusandwithPaul.PeterandPaul favorablymentionedhim.He wasknownasMark
(Latin) andJohn(Hebrew).
Audience
The book of Mark wasprobablywrittenforRomans.Mark oftenexplained Jewishwords,customs,andplaces.He used
Romantime rather thanHebrewtime.Andhe translatedsome wordsintoLatin.
Fast-PacedGospel
Mark isa compact, action-orientedgospel.Markomitsthe birthandgenealogyof Jesus,andmovesstraightintoHis
baptismandministry.
The teachingpassagesinMark seemcondensedwhencomparedtoothergospels
The Visual Gospel
Mark hasa modern,factual reportingstyle.He writesinthe presenttense,andoftenusesthe word"immediately."
Mark is a visual gospel,full of colorful descriptions.Forexample,whenJesusfedthe 5000, the people saton"green
grass" (Mark 6:39).
Gospel ofEmotion
Alongwithvisual details,Markrecordedemotionsandgestures.

3. For example,Jesuswas"movedwith compassion"and"touched"aleper(Mark1:41). The rich youngruler"ran"and
"knelt"before Jesuswho"loved"him(Mark10:17-22).
Did You Know?
Early ChristianscholarsbelievedthatPeterinfluencedMark'saccount.In scripture,PeterreferredtoMarkas "my son"
(1st Peter5:13).
AccordingtoPapias,"Mark, whobecame Peter'sinterpreter,wrote accurately,thoughnotinorder,all thathe
rememberedof the thingssaidordone bythe Lord."3
AndIrenaeuswrote,"Mark,the disciple andinterpreterof Peter,himselfalsohandeddowntousinwritingthe things
preachedbyPeter."4
Gospel ofLuke
Luke presentsJesustothe Gentilesasthe saviorof all mankind.Luke containsnumerousreferencestothe activityof the
HolySpirit.Womenare givenspecial attentioninLuke.
Keys
 KeyVerse:Luke 19:10
 KeyWords: Sonof Man
 KeyDates: Writtenbetween59-61 A.D.
 Time Period:From6-5 B.Cto 30 A.D.(early) or33 A.D.(late).
Author
Luke was a Greekdoctor.He was the friendof the Apostle Paul,whoreferredtoLuke asthe "belovedphysician"
(Colossians4:14).Asbefitsadoctor, medical detailsare oftenintroducedinthisgospel (Luke 4:38,5:12, 6:6, 9:39-42,
18:25, 22:44).
Audience
Luke wrote the thirdgospel andthe book of Acts. Bothwere addressedtoa man whose name meant"one wholoves
God." JewishcustomsandplacesinPalestine are oftenexplainedinLuke.
Educated Historian
Luke was an educatedphysicianandaninspiredhistorian.
Luke isoftenconsidered tohave the bestliterarywritingstyle of all New Testamentauthors.Hisaccountwas
compiledfromeyewitnessestothe ministryof Jesus(see Luke 1:2).
Chronological Gospel
Luke'scareful narrative waswritten"inconsecutiveorder"sothathisreader wouldknow the "exacttruth"about the
life andteachingsof Jesus(Luke 1:1-4,Acts 1:1-2).
ChronologywasimportanttoLuke.EventsinLuke were oftenaccompaniedbydatable referencestohistoricfigures
(Luke 1:5, 2:1-2, 3:1-2).
WomeninLuke

4. Luke paidspecial attentiontowomen.The birthnarrative waswrittenfromMary’sperspective.
WomencontributedmonetarilytoChrist’sministry(Luke8:1-3).Womenobservedthe crucifixion(Luke 23:49).Jesus
firstappearedtowomenwhenhe wasresurrected(Luke 24:1-10).
Gospel ofPrayer
Luke revealedthe prayerlife of Jesus.JesusprayedatHisbaptism(Luke 3:21).He oftenprayedinsecret(Luke 5:16,
6:12, 9:18, 9:28-29). He gave thanks before eating(Luke 9:16,22:17-19).
SignificantprayersinLuke include the "Lord'sPrayer"andthe prayerin the Gardenof Gethsemane (Luke 11:1-4,
22:39-46). TwoparablesfoundonlyinLuke highlightthe importance of persistentprayer(Luke 11:5-13,18:1-8).
Did You Know?
Luke was probablyaGreek.He wasthe onlynon-JewishNew Testamentwriter.
Luke isthe onlygospel withasequel –the bookof Acts. Luke wrote the longestgospel account.Luke'swritings
account formore than25% of the NewTestament.
Luke has 18 parablesthatare foundinno othergospel.Forexample,the GoodSamaritan,the LostSheep,andthe
Prodigal Sonare onlyfoundinthe book of Luke (See Luke 10:25-37, 15:4-7, 15:11-32).
Gospel ofJohn
Johnis the gospel of belief,andwaswrittentoshow the worldthat Jesuswasthe Christ,the "Sonof God." Jesuswas
sentby the Fatherto give eternal lifetobelievers.
Keys
 KeyVerse:John3:16
 KeyWords: Believe,Life,World,Father,Son
 KeyDates: Writtenbetween80-98 A.D.
 Time Period:From27-30 A.D.(early) or29-33 A.D.(late).
Author
Jamesand Johnwere the sonsof Zebedee andSalome.Theywerefishermenwhowere businesspartnerswithPeterand
Andrew(Luke 5:10).
Johnwasone of the three whowere selectedtobe withJesusatthe raisingof Jairus'daughter,the transfiguration,
and inthe Garden of Gethsemane.
Inadditiontothe fourthgospel,Johnalsowrote 1st,2nd, and 3rd John,aswell asthe Revelation.
Audience
Thisgospel wasdirectedtowarda Gentile,Christianaudience.JohnfrequentlyexplainedJewishcustomsandoften
describedplacesinPalestine.
John'sPurpose
John’spurpose forwritingthisgospel wasexpresslystatedinJohn20:31, "these arewritten thatyou may believe that
Jesusis the Christ,the Son of God, and thatbelieving you may havelife in His name."

5. The DifferentGospel
The gospel of Johnis verydifferentfromthe gospelsof Matthew,Mark,andLuke (the synoptics).Eventsrecordedinthe
synopticgospelswere setprincipallyinGalilee.Bycontrast,mostof John'sgospel wassetinJudea.
While the teachingsof Jesusinthe synopticscame primarilyinthe formof sermonsandparables;JohnpresentedHis
teachingswithinthe contextof conversationsthatJesushadwithothers.
Seven"I am" Claims
Jesusmade sevengreat"Iam" claimsinJohn.These are reminiscentof God's"Iam" statementinExodus3:14. See John
6:35, 8:12, 10:9, 10:11, 11:25, 14:6, and 15:1.
"Signs" inJohn
MiraclesinJohn are referredtoas "signs."The signsare givento confirmthe deityof Jesus.The sevenprincipal signs
fromthisgospel are in John2:1-11, 4:46-51, 5:1-9, 6:1-14, 6:16-21, 9:1-7, and11:1-46.
Deity ofJesus
Johnemphasizedthe eternal nature anddeityof Christ.Thisgospel revealsagreatdeal aboutthe relationshipbetween
the Father,Son,and HolySpirit.Some of the deepesttruthsaboutGodcan be foundinwithinthe fourchaptersof the
upperroomdiscourse (John14, 15, 16, and17).
Did You Know?
The publicministryof Jesuslastedforapproximately3½ years.We know thisbecause Johnrecorded3Passoversduring
Christ’sministry(John2:13,6:4, and 11:55).5
The mothersof Johnand Jesusmayhave beensisters(John19:25).
Some of the most memorable eventsinthe lifeof Jesusare presentedonlyinJohn.Forexample,onlyJohnrecorded
the weddingfeastatCana,the womanat the well,andthe raisingof Lazarus (John2:1-11, 4:1-42, 11:1-12:11).
1
Josephus, Flavius. Wars of the Jews 2.19.7 (circa 75-80 A.D.).
2
Eusebius. Church History 3.5 (circa 315 A.D.).
3
Papias. Exegesis of the Lord's Oracles via Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.39.15 (circa 140 A.D.).
4
Irenaeus. Adversus Haereses 3.1.1 (circa 180-199 A.D.).
5
Hoehner, Harold W. Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1977.

6. Gospelsat a Glance
Thischart showssome of the unique characteristicsandkeydifferencesbetweenthe gospelsof Matthew,Mark,Luke,
and John.
Writing Matthew Mark Luke John
Audience Jews Romans Greeks Gentile Christians
Author Tax collector and
apostle. Also known
as "Levi."
Missionary with
Barnabus and Paul.
Called a son by
Peter.
Greek doctor who
travelled with Paul.
Wrote Acts as
sequel.
Fisherman, apostle,
and elder. Wrote 5
NT books. Died at an
old age.
Date Written 37-68 A.D.
Probably written after
Mark.
40-65 A.D.
Probably the 1st
gospel written.
59-61 A.D.
Probably written after
Mark and Matthew.
(Luke 1:1-3)
80-98 A.D.
The last gospel
written.
Content Matthew Mark Luke John
Depiction of
Jesus
King of the Jews Powerful Servant of
God
Perfect Savior of
Man
Son of God
Key Words Kingdom, Fulfill Immediately,
Authority
Son of Man Believe, Life, World,
Father, Son
Key Verse Matthew 27:37 Mark 10:45 Luke 19:10 John 3:16
Characteristics Evidence to prove
Jesus was the
promised Messiah.
Fast paced and
visual.
Careful and
historical.
The gospel of belief.
Fast Facts Matthew Mark Luke John
Miracles 29 23 23 10
Parables 31 13 37 3
Sermons 10 5 13 8
Times the OT
is Quoted
45 23 23 14
Notes Handbook of
teachings about the
Kingdom.
All but 4 chapters
present at least 1
miracle.
Has more parables
than any other
gospel.
Teachings are
presented as
conversations.
Size Matthew Mark Luke John
Chapters 28 16 24 21
Verses 1,071 678 1,151 879
Words Over 23,000 Almost 15,000 Over 25,000 Over 18,000
Size Notes 3rd largest NT book 5th largest NT book 1st largest NT book.
Acts is 2nd with over
24,000 words.
4th largest NT book.