Synoptic Gospels: Jesus' Early Life

The Gospel of Mark Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear?
Although [currently] accepted as the first of four canonical gospel
accounts, Mark’s theological perspective is in no way less complex, as we
shall see.
But first, some general information:
Scholars date Mark as the earliest gospel for several reasons:
1. Because of the reference to the destruction of the Temple in
Jerusalem in 70 CE (Mark 13:2), most scholars believe that Mark was
written some time during the war between Rome and the Jews (66-
74; before or shortly after the destruction of the Temple).
2. Most early dates fall around 65 CE and most late dates fall around 75
CE.
Those who favor an earlier date argue that Mark's language indicates that
the author knew that there would be serious trouble in the future but,
unlike Luke, didn't know exactly what that trouble would entail. Of course,
it wouldn’t have taken divinely inspired prophecy to guess that the Romans
and Jews were on (yet another) collision course.
See Mark 13
Authorship of Mark is anonymous. However, Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, (c. 60-130) who wrote about the follwoing around the
year 120 CE:
“Mark, having become Peter’s interpreter, wrote down accurately whatever he remembered of what was said or
done by the Lord, however not in order.”
However, Papias’ writings have all but been destroyed or lost, the excerpt above comes from Eusebius quoting Papias in 325 CE.

When was Matthew written?
Church tradition indicates that Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 C.E.) was a student of the Apostle John. According to the church’s account, he
was martyred, killed by lions in the arena in Rome. After his arrest and during his transportation to Rome, he wrote seven letters (later,
some obviously spurious additional letters were attributed to him – these are ignored here). The letters of Ignatius, written very close to
107 C.E., quote from several New Testament books. Ignatius uses no Israeli geography, as he is from Antioch in Syria. He uses the Septuagint
and quotes often from the Old Testament, including the Apocrypha. Below are some
verses from Matthew quoted by Ignatius. Note that Matthew is never mentioned by
name.

The Author of Mathew
Eusebius (ca. 260-340) quotes Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis (ca. 60-130):
“Matthew collected the oracles in the Hebrew
language, and each interpreted them as best he could.”
The difficulty with the statement is the apparent claim that Matthew originally
“collected” the book in Hebrew and the Greek text available was a translation
from the Hebrew.
The nature of the Greek in Matthew argues for an origin outside of Palestine
where Greek, not Aramaic, would be the common language. Matthew’s Greek is
too fluid and consistent to be a translated work (at least without major
redaction). With its similarities to the Greek of the Septuagint, the book
provides a strong argument for a Jewish Christian, raised outside of Palestine
(perhaps Syria), as its author
There have been several arguments put forward to account for Papias’ statement:
1. Matthew wrote two gospels, one in Greek, the other in Hebrew or Aramaic (has since ben lost)
2. The gospel commonly known as the “Gospel according to Matthew” is not the gospel to which Papias refers
3. Papais’ information about the authorship of Matthew is flawed.
4. The current version of Matthew has been translated and heavily redacted into a smooth-flowing Greek text.

When was Matthew written?
Most scholars agree that Matthew was written between 70-85CE. This date allows for enough time to pass allowing
Mark’s gospel (~65 CE) to circulate into Matthew’s hands.
Matthew 24:15-16:
"So when you see
standing in the holy
place 'the
abomination that
causes desolation',
spoken of through the
prophet Daniel--let
the reader
understand--then let
those who are in
Judea flee to the
mountains”.
It is possible to read
this last phrase 'flee to
the mountains' in
reference to actual
events. During the
Jewish uprising (63-73
CE) the mountains of
Judea, to which the
rebels fled, were in
Roman hands by the
end of 67 CE.

The Author of Luke-Acts
Irenaeus (180 C.E) states: “Luke, Paul’s companion, put down in his book the
Gospel which Paul preached.”
The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles were written by the same
author. Both books are addressed to Theophilus, and the preface of Acts
explicitly references "my former book" about the life of Jesus. Linguistic and
theological agreements and cross-references between the books indicate
that they are from the same author. Biblical scholars consider the two
books to be a single, two-volume work and often refer to both together as
Luke-Acts.
. . . at which nevertheless he was present, and so he placed [them in his narrative]. (2) The third book of the Gospel is that according to Luke. (3) Luke, the well-
known physician, after the ascension of Christ, (4-5) when Paul had taken with him as one zealous for the law, (6) composed it in his own name, according to
[the general] belief. Yet he himself had not (7) seen the Lord in the flesh; and therefore, as he was able to ascertain events, (8) so indeed he begins to tell the
story from the birth of John. (9)
The author is traditionally identified as Luke the Evangelist. The Apostle Paul
referred to Luke as the beloved physician.
Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you.
Col. 4:14 (likely written ~80CE; Pauline authorship disputed)
The author of the Gospel of Luke described the process by which he prepared
himself to write his gospel in Luke 1:2-3. It implies that the author of the
Gospel of Luke was not an eyewitness to the events that he narrated, but was
dependent on others for his information.
The Muratorian Fragment is the oldest known list of New Testament books. It was discovered by Ludovico Antonio Muratori
in a manuscript in the Ambrosian Library in Milan, and published by him in 1740. Although the manuscript in which it
appears was copied during the seventh century, the list itself is dated to about 170 because its author refers to the
episcopate of Pius I of Rome (died 157) as recent.

The latest possible date for Luke is bound by the earliest papyri manuscripts that contains portions of Luke (late 2nd/early
3rd century) and the mid to late 2nd century writings that quote or reference Luke. Luke is quoted and /or reflected in the
Didache, the Gnostic writings of Basilides and Valentinus, the apologetics of the Church Father Justin Martyr, and was used
by Marcion.
The Date of Luke
Ignatius (~107 CE) quotes Gospel according to Luke
Before 70 CE: Most Excellent Theophilus…
A minority argument for a date between AD 37 and AD 61 for the Gospel typically suggests
that Luke's address to "Most Excellent Theophilus," may be a reference to the Roman-
imposed High Priest of Israel between AD 37 and AD 41, Theophilus ben Ananus.
However, Theophilus was a common 1st century name (think Michael or John in modern
times). Scholars have debated the meaning of Luke’s dedication: Was Theophilus a person
to whom Luke wrote an "apology"? Or does Theophilus (literally, "beloved of God") refer to
the Christian community for whom Luke wrote?
However, most modern scholarship prefers a later date for the Gospel of Luke (75-100 CE)
as this maintains Markan primacy. Furthermore, Luke-Acts has views on Jesus' divine
nature, the end times, and salvation that are similar to the those found in Pastoral epistles,
which are often seen as pseudonymous and of a later date than the undisputed Pauline
Epistles.

The Gospel of Mark
The Messianic Secret in Mark
The problem of the messianic secret in Mark is posed squarely by William Wrede, Das Messiasgeheimnis in den
Evangelien (1902, first translated 1971).
According to Wrede the messianic secret is a prohibition to make known the messianic character of Jesus; seen in Jesus’
actions as he:
1. Commands to silence addressed to the demons which acknowledge his power: 1.34; 3.12.
2. Instructions not to make his healing-miracles public: 1.43-45; 5.43; 7.36; 8.26.
3. Teaches the disciples in private: 4.34; 7.17-23; 9.28; 8.31; 9.31; 10.32-34; 13.3.
4. Commands to silence addressed to the disciples: 8.30 and 9.9.
5. The parable-theory: 4.10-13, by which the parables are said to be intended to obscure the message so
that outsiders may not understand.
The Failure to Recognize Jesus’ True Identity
A theme that pervades Mark’s gospel is the failure of others to recognize Jesus’ identity as the Christ and Son of
God despite his teachings and the performance of signs and wonders.
1. Failure of the Jewish leaders to recognize Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. (2.1; 3.22)
2. Failure of the disciples to fully recognize Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. (4.41; 8.21)
3. Failure of Jesus’ family and friends to recognize him as the Christ and Son of God. (3.21; 6.1-6)

The Gospel of Mark
In his capacity as narrator, Mark opens his Gospel by speaking directly to readers: "The beginning of the good
news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1.1).This short sentence is packed with important information
concerning Jesus: it identifies Jesus as the long-awaited Christ (christos, "Messiah") and Son of God. With both
these titles, Mark taps into Jewish expectations of a kingly deliverer who would rid Jews of foreign domination
and reestablish Israel by reestablishing God's reign in Jerusalem. The Greek word for Christ, christos, translates
the Hebrew word for Messiah, (masiah), and both literally mean "anointed one," referring primarily (though
not exclusively) to Israel's kings in the Old Testament. "Son of God" also could refer to Israel's king, as indicated
by one of the most prominent Old Testament texts that created messianic expectations for the Christ and/or
Son of God: 2 Samuel 7.
Mark's presentation of Jesus' identity as the Christ/Messiah and Son of God, however, is more complex
than Mark 1.1 initially indicates. To understand Mark’s theological perspective, readers must understand
exactly what type of Christ and Son of God Jesus is, because he was not the type that Jews like the author(s) of
Psalms of Solomon expected.
Keith, Chris (2011) "The Markan Portrayal of Jesus' Identity," Leaven: Vol. 19: Iss. 1, Article 6.
In the 50s CE, Paul described the idea of a crucified Messiah as "a stumbling block to Jews and
foolishness to Gentiles" (1 Cor 1.23). If Paul's description is at all indicative of the conception in the broader
Greco-Roman world, it is safe to say that the author of Mark's Gospel wrote from a context where Jesus'
true identity was a matter of considerable debate-some people accepted Jesus as Christ; some found this
identification confusing; others found it laughable.
Who is Jesus in Mark?
From the Narrator to the Reader: Jesus is the Christ and Son of God
17. 21ff: And gird him with strength, that he may shatter unrighteous rulers, And that he may purge Jerusalem from nations that trample (her) down to destruction. Wisely, righteously he
shall thrust out sinners from (the) inheritance, He shall destroy the pride of the sinner as a potter's vessel. With a rod of iron he shall break in pieces all their substance, He shall destroy the
godless nations with the word of his mouth; At his rebuke nations shall flee before him, And he shall reprove sinners for the thoughts of their heart. And he shall gather together a holy
people, whom he shall lead in righteousness, And he shall judge the tribes of the people that has been sanctified by the Lord his God.
In fact, it is not until the reader fully understands Mark’s “Crucified Christ” that Mark’s “Messiah” becomes
clear. But more on that later.

Matthew’s Messiah
As in Mark, Matthew’s gospel declares that Jesus is the Christ at the onset and functions to demonstrate how and why
Jesus is the Messiah (Christ).
Unique to Matthew:
“the son of David”—Israel’s greatest King
“son of Abraham”—The father of the Jews
2 Samuel 7:4, 13-17
4 But that same night the word of the Lord came
to Nathan: 5 Go and tell my servant David: Thus
says the Lord: …13 He shall build a house for my
name, and I will establish the throne of his
kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and
he shall be a son to me. When he commits
iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as
mortals use, with blows inflicted by human
beings. 15 But I will not take my steadfast love
from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put
away from before you. 16 Your house and your
kingdom shall be made sure forever before me;
your throne shall be established forever. 17 In
accordance with all these words and with all
this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
Genesis 12:1-2
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from
your country and your kindred and your
father’s house to the land that I will show
you. 2I will make of you a great nation, and
I will bless you, and make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.

Jesus’ Early Life in Matthew
Jesus’ early life mirrors Israel’s early history
In Matthew, Jesus is portrayed as the New Moses who will establish a new Israel (note the 12 disciples = 12 tribes).
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every
sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his
brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean,
and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles,
and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom
of heaven has come near.’
Matthew 10: 1-7

Early Life “Fulfillment Citations” in Matthew
Matthew continually looks back in order to look forward, as it is steeped in Old Testament quotations, known as formula
citations, which function as evidence of Jesus’ messianic identity.
22All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they
shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’
Matthew 1:22-23
5and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have
called my son.’
Matthew 2:15
16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem
who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what had been spoken
through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be
consoled, because they are no more.’
Matthew 2:16-18
23There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, ‘He will be called a
Nazorean.’
Matthew 2:23
13He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14so that what had been spoken
through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 ‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the
Gentiles— 16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.’
Matthew 4:15-16

Luke: From Jew to Gentile, The Rejection in Nazareth
Unlike Matthew and Mark, Luke begins Jesus' public ministry with the story of Jesus speaking in a synagogue in his
hometown. In his sermon, Jesus presents himself as a prophet. The Jews were offended by his words and tried to kill him.
This story summarizes Luke's narrative: The gospel is first offered to the Jews who reject it; then is it taken to Gentiles.
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the
prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring
good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's
favor." 20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them,
"Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this
Joseph's son?" 23 He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, 'Do here also in your hometown the things that we
have heard you did at Capernaum.'" 24 And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel
in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except
to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." 28
When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built,
so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Luke 4:16-30
Jesus responds by launching into an extended sermon, not found in the other gospels, in which he recounts two familiar stories from Jewish
Scriptures about prophets who were sent by God, not to the Jews but to the Gentiles.
These are the stories Jesus uses to explain how he fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah. His message is clear: he too is a prophet of God who will be
rejected his own people in Israel. Because of this rejection, Jesus’ message will be taken to the Gentiles.
In response, the Jews try to throw Jesus off
a cliff. Jesus escapes, leaves his hometown
and takes his message elsewhere. For Luke,
this reactions marks the beginning of the
fulfillment of the sermon Jesus just
preached: the prophet of God opposed by
his own people who will eventually call for
Jesus’ death.

The Role of Prophets in the Jewish Tradition (and in Luke)
The ancient Jewish nation had many different ideas about the nature of the office of the prophet, and the one that seems to predominate today
is that a prophet functioned as a sort of ‘fortune teller' whose job was to dazzle everyone by predicting the future. That this view of a prophet
predominates probably has a lot to do with the gospel of Matthew and the way the author attempted to tie Jesus to Jewish history and Jewish
prophecy by insisting that various events were ‘fulfillment of prophecies' with stunning accuracy.
Actually the function of a Jewish prophet was more complex. The prophets critiqued conventional religious practices and dogma, attacked the
conventional religious interpretation of certain events as described in the bible, critiqued Biblical manuscripts, and were also critics of the Torah
law.
A few prominent examples include:
1. The prophet Samuel was at the forefront in the appointment of David (1 Sam 8-12; 15-16)
2. Gad is described as "David's seer" (in 2 Sam 24:11 cf. 1 Crone 21:19).
3. Nathan's relationship to the king illustrates best the prophet's role: on building the temple (2 Sam 7); the Bathsheba affair (2 Sam 12) and
during Adonijah's rebellion when David was old, Nathan's advice and criticism sway the king. Nathan is active too in the move to anoint
Solomon, while his father still lives (1 Kings 1).
From a Christian point of view, it should be pointed out that less than 2% of Old Testament prophecy is messianic. Less than 5% specifically
concerns the New Covenant age. And less than 1% concern events still future to us. The prophets did indeed announce the future, but it was
usually the immediate future of Israel, Judah, and the surrounding nations they announced – not the distant future. One of the keys to
understanding the Prophets, therefore, is to recognize that for us to see their prophecies fulfilled, we must often look back on times that were
still future to them, but for us are past.

Luke’s Jesus as Prophet in Birth * 76 And you [John the Baptist], child, will
be called the prophet of the Most High; for
you will go before the Lord to prepare his
ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to
his people by the forgiveness of their sins.
78 By the tender mercy of our God, the
dawn from on high will break upon us, 79
to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death, to guide our
feet into the way of peace." 80 The child
grew and became strong in spirit, and he
was in the wilderness until the day he
appeared publicly to Israel.
Luke 1:76-79
Mary as a Type of Hanna
The Growth of Jesus as a Prophet
The prophetic character of Jesus is seen in Luke even before
the rejection in Nazareth; in this gospel, Jesus is born as a
prophet. Note how the birth narrative of Jesus follows the
typology of the birth narrative of Samuel and John the
Baptist (who is called a prophet in Luke’s text). In each
instance, a devout Jewish woman miraculously conceives to
the joy and amazement of her family. In the case of Mary
and Hanna, each woman responds in song, praising the God
of Israel (note the similarity of the language in the two
hymns).

Jesus as Prophet in Luke
Luke depicts Jesus as a prophet sent by God. Hebrew prophets were opposed, rejected, and often killed by the people to
whom they were sent. In Luke's Gospel, Jesus is born as a prophet, performs miracles as a prophet, and realizes he will die
as a prophet.
Jesusemphatically depicted as a prophet in Luke, and at times the author seems to have in mind the promised prophet like
Elijah. The author of Luke chooses to begin Jesus’ adult teaching and healing activity with Jesus reading a passage from
Isaiah (61:1-2; Luke 4:14-21). Jesus then goes on to explicitly identify himself with the prophet mentioned in Isaiah, an
anointed prophet who will preach good news to the poor, bring freedom to captives, and give sight to the blind. This
emphasis on Jesus as a prophet to the socially downtrodden or marginalized continues throughout the gospel, beginning
with Jesus healing the blind, casting out demons and hanging out with social outcasts, “sinners” and tax-collectors. Luke
preserves or presents many teachings of Jesus focused on supporting the poor and condemning the rich, and this reversal
theme is explicitly linked to his role as a prophet.
Jesus, like Elijah (in 1 Kings 17:17-24), raises from
the dead the widow’s son, and those who
witness this call him a “great prophet” (Luke
7:11-17). Almost immediately after this, Luke
presents John the Baptists’ followers asking Jesus
who Jesus is. Jesus’ answer once again echoes
the Isaiah passage: “Go tell John what you have
seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the
lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf
hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good
news brought to them” (7:22).

Synoptic Gospels: Jesus' Early Life

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