The Gospel Writers- Matthew, Mark & John

Matthew was a converted customs agent and one of the original twelve apostles. He writes a detailed account of Jesus' life. Matthew shows that the events of Jesus' life were powerfully foretold by the Prophets hundreds of years prior to His coming. Writing to Greek speaking Jews, Matthew shows them that Jesus is the fulfillment of their dreams and their history. Matthew's theme is Jesus, The King of the Jews.

Mark: Though he was not among the original apostles, Mark gained much personal insight and information from Peter, with whom he shared a special closeness. Mark writes to Romans with an unflinching sense of immediacy. He uses the work "immediately" at least forty times in his account, stressing the urgency Jesus felt, knowing that this would appeal to Roman thinking. Mark's them is Jesus the Messiah, The Servant of Jehovah.

John writes more concerning the things Jesus said rather than what he did. As the eldest of the four writers, John probably read the other accounts many times and therefore became more intent on communicating the heart of Jesus than His works. Ninety percent of the content in John's gospel is not found in the parallel accounts. John's gospel is the only book in the Bible written primarily for the non-believer. John's theme is Jesus, The Son of God. John wants his readers to know that Jesus Christ is unlike anyone who ever walked on the planet.

Genealogies listed by Matthew and Luke: Matthew lists Joseph's family line to make a strategic point that Joseph was not Jesus' father. The Jew have always stressed the importance of understanding their uniqueness, of knowing where and from whom they have come. Critical to know here, is that Matthew and Luke are showing, in different ways, that Jesus was the stepson of Joseph, not a biological son. They both seem to be saying to their readers, "whatever else you may be thinking, let's agree on this as a beginning thesis: Jesus is fully qualified to be the Messiah. He fits every standard proclaimed by God through the voice of the Prophets. He is the legitimate candidate. (From:When the Good News get even Better)