Christmas According to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - part 1

Christmas according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

Matthew 1:1-2 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,^[a] the son of David, the son of Abraham. ² Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers.

Mark 1:1-2 The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ² As it is written in the prophets, “Behold,^[a] I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you:Malachi 3:1

Luke 1:1-3  Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, ² even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us, ³ it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² The same was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made.

Most of us are aware that there are 4 gospel accounts of Jesus’ life; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  We may also be aware of the differences in those accounts.  Probably, at no other time of year, are we more conscious of those differences than at Christmas.  If you are in the habit of reading the Christmas story when your family gathers at Christmas, you have to stop and think, “Now where do I find those shepherds and wisemen?”

Well, at our family Christmas gathering this year it came time to do just that.  Traditionally, my father was always the one to read the story, but since his death, that privilege has fallen to my brother and I.  And he wants me to read, and then he gives his commentary.    So this year, I hadn’t given any thought to what part of the story to read, so I was wondering out loud where we had left off last year.

And, to my surprise, Wesley, my 10 year old nephew, spoke up and said that we had read about “all those names of Jesus’ family.”  I don’t know if I was more shocked that he remembered what we did a year ago, or that he had listened a year ago.

Well, the passage he was referring to was Jesus genealogy in Matthew 1.  So we went on this year and read the story of the wisemen and Herod.

But we just can’t cover it all in one sitting.  So that get’s us to the question; Why are there 4 gospel accounts of Jesus’ life?  Why not just one, complete, account? 

I was searching for other’s thoughts on that question and I think I came across an answer in another author’s question.  He asked, “Why are there (only) 4 gospels?  That is a good question.  There could have been a gospel of Peter, Andrew, James, Philip, Bartholomew, even a gospel of Mary. 

You see, the gospels are simply accounts of individuals experience with Jesus Christ.  They are a witness to what those 1^st century witnesses had seen and heard.  So, there could have been many more gospel accounts.

Okay, but why just 4?  Or why these 4?

Well, I’m sure you’ve heard that each of the gospels was designed to reach a different audience; Matthew was written to the Jews, Mark to the Greeks or Gentiles, Luke to the Romans, and John to the world.  And there is some truth to that understanding.

But I believe, the reason for the 4 gospels has more to do with their portrayal of Christ, than it has to do with their audience.  Each gospel is a portrait of Christ, each tells us something different, and essential, to our understanding of Him.

So in today’s message we are going to look at Matthew and Mark, the next message we will look at Luke and John.  And with each we will answer the same two questions; “How is this gospel different from the others?” and “What does that tell us about the Christmas story?” 

As we start with Matthew, I wanted to share with you something interesting that I discovered in my research.  It seems that historically, each of the gospels have been associated with an animal.  A Lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle.  This idea dates back to the earliest of the church fathers.  Now where did they get these four animals?

 Ezekiel 1:9-11 World English Bible ⁹ Their wings were joined to one another. They didn’t turn when they went. Each one went straight forward.

¹⁰ As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man. The four of them had the face of a lion on the right side. The four of them had the face of an ox on the left side. The four of them also had the face of an eagle. ¹¹ Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies.

There is another passage in Revelations that portrays some of the angelic creation as having these kinds of faces.  So I am going to us this symbolism today to talk about the four portraits of Christ in the gospels.  Now these pictures are traditionally applied to the gospels.  This is not Scripture.  But I think they help us to understand and categorize the gospels. 

Here they are;

In Matthew, Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Promised King of the Jews.

In Mark, Jesus is the Suffering and Sacrificed Servant, like the ox.

In Luke, Jesus is called the Son of Adam.  His human life is narrated as grounded in human history.

In John, Jesus nature is described as having descended from heaven like the eagle.

Oh, and before we begin with Matthew, if you should happen to look this tradition up, the tradition of pairing an animal with each gospel writer, you’ll find that I rearranged three of them.  I switched the man, the lion, and the ox.  I can do that, why? Because this is tradition, not scripture.  Well why did you switch them?  Because I think they got it wrong, “the preacher said arrogantly.”   

I.                    Matthew

You see, Matthew was originally paired with the man, or angel.  But I couldn’t help but wonder, why didn’t they pair Matthew with the Lion?  The whole gospel portrays Jesus as the Promised Coming King.  In the 3^rd verse of the 1^st chapter, His lineage is traced to the tribe of Judah.  Jesus is called, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.”  Why did they pair a man, instead of a lion with Matthew?  Well, in my humble opinion, I think it may have happened because the original pairings took place by just reading the introductions to the gospels.   And Matthew begins with a genealogy, so the original commentator took that to be a very human thing.  John begins by telling us that Jesus is God, and so naturally the eagle is the animal that soars above the earth.  Then they were left with an ox, and a lion, and they paired the lion with Mark, and the ox with Luke. 

In some ways, it felt almost random to me, “the preacher said arrogantly about the early church fathers sermons.”

Well, I paired Matthew with the lion, for reasons I just laid out.

Two questions; How is Matthew different than the other gospels?  What does that tell us about the Christmas story?

A.     How is Matthew different than the other gospels?

Matthew portrays Jesus as the Promised Jewish King.

From the very first verses, Jesus is genealogically tied to the coming prophesied King of the Jews. 

Matthew 1:1-2 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,^[a] the son of David, the son of Abraham. ² Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers.

He was born a King.  And not just any king.  He is born in the tribe of those whom God gave the office of royalty.  When did that happen?  Clear back when Israel, the man, was dying.  He gathered his 12 sons around him and gave them each a blessing.  And this is what he said to Judah.

Genesis 49:9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? ¹⁰ The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. The obedience of the peoples will be to him. ¹¹ Binding his foal to the vine,     his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. ¹² His eyes will be red with wine,  his teeth white with milk.

In short, what Israel was saying to Judah, and his brothers was that out of the tribe of Judah would come the kingly line.  And that that line of kings would continue in Judah “until he comes to whom it belongs.”  There will be a final King come out of the line of Judah.  David came out of the line of Judah, and God further promised him that not only would this Promised King come through the lineage of Judah, but that He would also come from the lineage of David. 

So when Matthew begins his gospel by saying that Jesus is “the Son of David,” descended from Judah, he is proclaiming that Jesus is the Promised King.

The book of Revelation says this about Jesus;  

Revelation 5:4-6 World English Bible ⁴ Then I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look in it. ⁵ One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome: he who opens the book and its seven seals.” ⁶ I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain,  Jesus is the Lion, and the lamb.   

And not only is He the King, He is the Jewish King. 

1.     Matthew’s account is very Jewish.

Going back to the genealogy, you can’t get more Jewish than to say that Jesus descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel)

Matthew 1: The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,^[a] the son of David, the son of Abraham. ² Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers. 

And I could spend hours talking about all the Jewish elements of the gospel of Matthew, but this one really distinguishes the gospel.

2.     Matthew quotes the Old Testament a lot.

77 references, 43 verbal quotes (compared to 52 references in Luke, 31 in John, and 30 in Mark)

You know some of those quotes from the Christmas story.  Matthew quotes;

Isaiah 7:14 World English Bible ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel

Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

Matthew is painting a portrait of Jesus as the Promised Jewish King.  Jesus being King, and the “Kingdom of Heaven” are common themes in Matthew.

“King” or “kingdom” is used 73 times in Matthew as compared to Luke 55times, Mark 31 times, and John 16 times.

Let me just share with you some of them.

Matthew 2:2 “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.”

By the way, what better way to portray Jesus as King, than to have the wisemen, eastern kingmakers, show up on the Jerusalem scene, asking where the King of the Jews has been born?

Matthew 16:28 Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.

Matthew 20:21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom.

Matthew 27:11 Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “So you say.”

And notice something here about the difference between the gospels.  Matthew and John both record the truth.  But Matthew leaves out a part of the conversation with Pilate here. 

In Matthew’s account, Pilate asks, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  And Jesus says, “So you say.”

But in John’s account, when Pilate asks, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  Jesus says, “Do you say this of yourself, or on behalf of someone else?”  Then Pilate responds, “Am I a Jew?! Your own people have brought you to me.”  Then Jesus gives this answer, “My Kingdom is not of this world, or else my servants would fight to keep me from being turned over to you.”

In John, the portrait of Jesus is as God in flesh.  And ultimately, Jesus coming will culminate in Jesus a new heaven and a new earth.  He’s telling Pilate that these little squabbles about who controls this or that little piece of real estate, are far beneath His Majesty and ultimate end.

But in Matthew, with a Jewish audience, it was important to show that Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies about the prophesied Jewish King, who, by the way, will sit on a throne in Jerusalem when He returns.  So, when Pilate says, “Are you the King of the Jews?  Jesus reply simply says, yes.

Matthew 27:37 They set up over his head the accusation against him written, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

B.     What does that tell us about the Christmas story?  Jesus was born the King.

1.     Kings were ordained by God.

Daniel 2:21 He changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding.

2.     We owe obedience to governing authorities.

Romans 13 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God.  Jesus is the King of Kings; Perfect in all He does

3.     We owe our highest devotion to Jesus, the King of the Jews, and our King

Oh, Worship the King, The King is Coming, Majesty, We will Glorify the King of Kings, Crown Him with many Crowns, Lead on oh King Eternal, Joy to the World the Lord is com, let earth receive her King, The Birthday of a King, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, glory to the newborn King

II.                 Mark

A.     How is Mark different than the other gospels? And what does that tell us about the Christmas story?

You might say, hold on, there is no Christmas story in Mark.  No manger, or shepherds, no Mary and Joseph, no wisemen, no story of the birth of John the Baptist.  Mark goes straight into the preaching of John the Baptist in the wilderness, announcing the coming of the Messiah.

Mark 1:1-2 The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ² As it is written in the prophets, “Behold,^[a] I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you:Malachi 3:1

Well that gives us a clue as to how Mark will paint his portrait of Christ.

As Jesus could be called the Promised Jewish King in Matthew, He can be called the Suffering Servant in Mark.  And servants or slaves don’t have birthdays.  That is, they don’t celebrate the birth of a servant.  A servant is only valued for his utility, his or her usefulness.  And a servant at birth is probably at his/ her least useful time in life.  They are just another mouth to feed until the can do some work.

That’s why I chose to pair the ox with the gospel of Mark.  Remember that Scripture portrayed certain of God’s angel’s as having the faces of four different animals.  It is not only found in Ezekial, but Revelation as well;

Revelation 4:6-8 Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the middle of the throne, and around the throne were our living creatures full of eyes before and behind. 7 The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy[a] is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!”

Now it is fascinating how the Bible describes an ox.  And it is amazing how that description coincides with Mark’s portrait of Jesus.  There are really just three characteristics of an ox emphasized in Scripture; It is a slave, it is strong, it is a sacrifice.

It is a slave. 

No ox is autonomous.  No ox in the Bible is free.  An ox is always owned by someone, and serves them at their whim.

Deuteronomy 25:4 You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain

Exodus 23:12 “Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant, and the alien may be refreshed

And that’s how Mark portrays Jesus.  He has lowered Himself to being a servant to all men.

Philippians 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross

Jesus said that He came, not to be served, but to serve.  He even wrapped a towel around Himself and washed the disciples feet.

And Mark, in particular, portrays Jesus as a Servant. 

41 times the word “immediately” is used.

Mark 1:12 Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness

 Mark 1:21  They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught

Mark 5:2 When he had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him out of the tombs.

Mark 5:29 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

There’s not a lot of teaching in Mark.  No Sermon on the Mount, some familiar parables are missing.  In this gospel Jesus is running around doing, doing, doing.  

A second characteristic of an ox in Scripture is strength. 

Numbers 23:22 God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.

Oxen are working animals.  They have boundless energy for labor. 

And Jesus is portrayed that way in Mark.  His strength, His power is matchless.  He is running around healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons, cleansing leprosy. 

Right away in Mark’s gospel, He has throngs of people gather for healing.

Mark 1: ³² At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by demons. ³³ All the city was gathered together at the door. ³⁴ He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons. 

Now the third characteristic of an ox is that it is used as a sacrifice for sin. 

Deuteronomy 18:3 This shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give to the priest: the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the inner parts.

Oxen and sheep were brought to the temple as a sacrifice of atonement for sin.  And Mark’s gospel particularly emphasizes that Jesus came to die.  Mark’s gospel is only 16 chapters long.  It is the shortest gospel.  But almost half of those 16 chapters, begin leading Jesus to the cross.  Right in the middle of the book we are at the final weeks of Jesus life, and Jesus tells His disciples that they are going up to Jerusalem, where He will be arrested, beaten, tried, and crucified.  

Jesus, in Mark comes as a Servant to men.  He comes as a Suffering Savior.  If Matthew elevates the birth of Jesus as the Lion of the tribe Judah, destined to rule, Mark portrays Him as the Lamb born to be sacrificed for the atonement of sins. 

That’s why Christmas is both a celebration of a coming victor, and a mourning of the coming cross.

B.     What does that tell us about the Christmas story?

In order to answer that question, I wanted to point to two more things that are a part of Mark’s portrayal; dumb disciples and the messianic secret.

Now these are not entirely unique to Mark, but he emphasizes them more than the other gospel writers.

Dumb disciples

Mark 4: ³⁹ He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” ⁴¹ They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

¹⁶ They reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.”

¹⁷ Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened? ¹⁸ Having eyes, don’t you see? Having ears, don’t you hear? Don’t you remember? ¹⁹ When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”

They told him, “Twelve.”

²⁰ “When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”

They told him, “Seven.”

²¹ He asked them, “Don’t you understand yet?”

And when Peter, James and John were on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus, and saw Him manifest Himself in the Shekinah glory of God, as they came down from the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of man be risen from the dead.  And it said they reasoned among themselves what “rising from the dead” meant.

Mark portrays the disciples as clueless. 

And he also emphasizes something else more than the other gospel writers.  He emphasizes the “Messianic Secret.”  What is the “Messianic Secret?”  It refers to occasions when Jesus told people to keep His identity or power a secret.  Here are some examples;

²⁵ Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”

Mark 5: ³⁶ But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” ³⁷ He allowed no one to follow him, except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. ³⁸ He came to the synagogue ruler’s house, and he saw an uproar, weeping, and great wailing. ³⁹ When he had entered in, he said to them, “Why do you make an uproar and weep? The child is not dead, but is asleep.”

⁴⁰ They ridiculed him. But he, having put them all out, took the father of the child, her mother, and those who were with him, and went in where the child was lying. ⁴¹ Taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha cumi!” which means, being interpreted, “Girl, I tell you, get up!” ⁴² Immediately the girl rose up and walked, for she was twelve years old. They were amazed with great amazement. ⁴³ He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and commanded that something should be given to her to eat.

Mark 7:³² They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him. ³³ He took him aside from the multitude, privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue. ³⁴ Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” ³⁵ Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly. ³⁶ He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it. ³⁷ They were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak!”

Now why is He telling everyone to keep His power secret?  Why is He so exasperated with the disciples ignorance.  I think it is the message that Mark is trying to convey.  Jesus is the suffering servant.  He has come to die.  But they are hung up on the idea of His coming kingdom, His power.  But He knows that if the only message they get from Him is the coming Kingdom, the power, vanquishing demons and disease, they will never hear the Suffering Servant message.  So He tells people to keep the miraculous quiet, He chides the disciples for their lack of comprehension.  Here’s some verses that help clear that up.

Mark 8: ²⁷ Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?”

²⁸ They told him, “John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others, one of the prophets.”

²⁹ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

³⁰ He commanded them that they should tell no one about him. ³¹ He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² He spoke to them openly.

He has no problem speaking to them openly about His death.  But He wants the title of Christ to be kept a secret.  Why?  Because of human nature.  When the Jews thought of the coming Christ, their minds went immediately to the throne of David, power over enemies, poverty and famine and disease ended, in other words, the golden age. 

But they forgot that the Christ was first the suffering Servant and sacrifice. 

And that’s where we leave you today.  At Christmas we like the glamour and glitz part.  We like the baby Jesus, the gold frankincense and myrrh.  We like the tinsel and gift giving that go along with a birthday party.

But God gave us four gospels, and Jesus portrait is not complete without all four depictions.  Jesus is King, Savior, Man, and God.  We have to take Him for all that He is.

Let’s pray