“Why are there four Gospels, and what happened to the gospel that was given to Christ?”

December 2024 – Grace & Truth Magazine

QUESTION: Why are there four Gospels, and what happened to the gospel that was given to Christ?

ANSWER: The meaning of the word “gospel” is “good news or “glad tidings.” While some may use this word to refer to the whole New Testament because it is full of good news, the word is usually used only for the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. God desired that we would have the life of Christ recorded for us in the four books, which in no way contradict. Rather, they verify one another. All four were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

The main purpose of The Gospel According To Matthew is to prove to mankind in general and to the Jews in particular that Jesus, who was born of the Virgin Mary and was killed by the Jews, was indeed the promised Messiah of whom the prophets spoke hundreds of times in the Old Testament. Therefore we find many times in this gospel the expression “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by … the prophet” (for example, Mt. 1:22 NKJV). Also in this book we have the genealogy of Christ back to Abraham and to David the King to prove to the Jews that Jesus was the Promised One, the legal heir of the throne (vv.1-17). But the Jews did not believe in Him, and they rejected the King and the Savior promised by God.

The Gospel According To Mark records primarily the many ministries, or service, that Christ did. Although He is the King, He said about Himself that He came “not … to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45). He is presented in this gospel mainly as the servant of God and man – the One who willing gave Himself to death on the cross to pay the price for sin.

The Gospel According To Luke, written by a physician, proves that Christ, though He came to the Jews, came not just for them but for the whole world. Therefore we find in this book the genealogy of Christ all the way back to Adam, the father of the whole human race (Lk. 3:23-38). Luke, the writer, told us that Christ came to seek and to save the lost (19:10). Christ Himself revealed that there is great joy in heaven when one sinner repents. He showed us the joy of God at the return of a sinner by using the parable of the prodigal son, a story about the joy of a father at the return of his lost son (15:11-32).

The Gospel According To John was written by John, the disciple of Christ. It proves that Christ came from heaven and became Man for our sakes. The book tells us that God loved the whole human race and sent Christ to die for us so that “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16). It also shows that Christ, though He became Man, was from eternity (1:1-2).

The Gospels were not just written simply by men, but all of them came by God (2 Tim. 3:16). When we study these books with reverence and a desire to know the truth, the Holy Spirit will give us a more perfect knowledge about the Lord Jesus Christ our Redeemer (Jn. 16:13).

Contrary to what some people may think, there was not another gospel given to Christ. Christ is the good news – the Savior of sinners – presented in the four Gospels by the Holy Spirit. The gospel described as the “gospel of Jesus Christ” in Mark 1:1 is the good news as told by Mark. Remember that “gospel” means “good news,” and the expression “gospel of Jesus Christ” is not another book but the good news of salvation that can only be found in Him.

Do you want to know the good news of the Bible? Read the Gospels and ask God to use them to reveal the Savior to you. In this way you will come to the knowledge of salvation.

Answered by Rafique