The word Synoptic comes from the Greek word “synoptikos”, which means “taking a general or comprehensive view,”. The term was used to describe the first three books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) with the idea that they were giving an account of events from the same point of view. https://www.etymonline.com/word/synoptic

I have found that understanding some of the characteristics of the Gospels helps us to search our Bibles more effectively when studying the life of Christ. Let’s dive in.

The Gospel according to Matthew

The Gospel according to Matthew, focuses on creating a vivid picture of the Life of Christ, based on his experience as an eyewitness to the work of Christ and the knowledge that he would have gotten through his work in establishing the early church. As an inspired Bible author, his historical account of Jesus’ life is a favourite among many.

When studying the life of Christ in the book of Matthew you quickly realize that Matthew does a couple of things that are unique to his inspired writings.

The first is that he looks at the life of Christ as the fulfilment of the Old Testament scriptures. This he does more than the other Gospel writers. The second point of notice is that he makes a lot of parallel observations between Jesus and Old Testament characters such as Moses and David.

This would suggest that Matthew is writing to a more Jewish audience, which makes sense since he does not explain in detail much of the Jewish customs and practices throughout his inspired writings.

The Takeaway

What’s great about The Gospel According to Matthew is that we get to see the close relationship between the Old and the New Testament, he bridges the gap. It helps us to see the lines in which God worked in both dispensations. It also helps us to see and appreciate the accuracy of God’s Word as we can see many prophecies given centuries before fulfilled with such precision. There are many prophecies in the Old Testament that you may have missed or didn’t understand, which Matthew marvellously brings to light.

So, if you would like to look at the New Testament through the eyes of the Old, The Gospel According to Matthew is the book for you.

The Gospel According to Mark

The Gospel According to Mark as it is introduced is inspired to bring to our consciousness the results of the path of those who decide to follow Jesus.

Mark focuses more on the suffering of Jesus and his death. He highlights the saviour’s blood-stained path in working out our salvation. He helps the readers to understand that Christ’s life was all about sacrifice. It was an unselfish life devoted to the well-being of others which ended in great suffering and the horrific death on the cross.

His audience seems to be Gentiles as he presents Jewish culture in a way that a non-Jew would understand.

He also shows intentionally Jesus’ direct conflict with satan. He helps us to appreciate how difficult the arch enemy made Christ’s life, often dogging his steps.

The Takeaway

As Christians, many accept the Gospel without a true understanding of what it means. The Gospel According to Mark helps us to see the suffering that it involves. We can be sure that if the world hated Christ they would hate those of us who decide to have the mind of Christ.

For those who would like to have a bird’s eye view of Jesus’ suffering and death, Mark does an excellent Job. Instead of watching a movie, I would recommend reading his inspired writings.

The Gospel According to Luke

The Gospel According to Luke is addressed to a person by the name of Theophilus. It seems that Luke’s intention in writing to Theophilus is to affirm him in his understanding of the life of Christ and by extension all those who read his inspired writings.

It is believed that Luke was at some point a travelling companion of Paul, and as such while he may not have met Jesus personally, he would have learned of him from those who had first-hand knowledge of the Saviour.

Luke seems to write to a gentile audience just like Mark and he focuses on the authenticity of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. He makes it clear that Jesus is no pretender but the real and true Son of God. He shows that the life Jesus lived confirms his identity and insists that this is clear to see.

In many of the accounts given in the synoptic Gospels, Luke’s emphasis on detail is seen.

The Takeaway

The Gospel According to Luke paints a portrait of the life of Christ in a “matter-of-fact” way. It inspires confidence and hope in the one who is reading the inspired word. It helps us to appreciate the life of Christ even more leading up to his death.

The Gospel According to John

John is the last of the twelve and as such his death would represent a great loss. His inspired writings are very different from the other three and his focus is as well.

John does not present Jesus as a babe in a manger. He does not introduce Jesus in his humble beginnings but he thrust his audience straight into the conflict that surrounded Jesus’ life.

John does not contain most of the historical events as the other three, but he focuses many times, on the personal encounters, that Jesus had with those who did not live such a converted life but whose hearts were open to receiving him. John also does not present many of the parables as recorded in the first three books of the New Testament.

John focuses on showing his audience the divinity of Christ, his connection with the Father, and his oneness with the Father. It is as if John’s inspired writing is to counteract an influence that was seeking to demolish the divinity of Christ. As the last living apostle, he understands that there will be those who must carry out the work without the leadership of those who walked with Christ and so he reinforces, the nature of Christ as the divine son of God.

An outstanding point of notice is that many of the miracles recorded in Mathew, Mark, and Luke show Jesus using touch to perform them, but in John, the miracles recorded show Jesus using the spoken word.

The Takeaway

The Gospel According to John teaches us about the divinity of Christ and his relationship with the Father. For those seeking a clearer understanding of this topic, the Book of John is a great place to start.

John does not chronicle the everyday life of Jesus in great detail as the other Gospel writers, so if that is what you may be looking for, the book of John will not give you the most information. However, the unique perspective of this book does complement the other three, as it shows a side of the saviour that is vital for all to see.

The book of John reaches out to those who did not see Christ and assures them that he was a real person. He inspires the reader to believe.

The Gospels

The Gospels are an excellent source of information on the life of Christ. It’s not just a source of academic knowledge, but it is a source of spiritual strength as it is the inspired Word of God.

I implore all those who have access to them to study them, commit them to their mind and implement their lessons in their daily life. The time is coming when they will not be available as we are told in Amos 8: 11,12

“11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.”

I do pray that when that time comes we will have already hidden the Word of God in our hearts ( Psalm 119:11 ).