Learning Outcomes
INTRODUCTION
At the end of the lesson, the students can:
D- demonstrate a correct understanding of
the meaning, formation of the Gospels and
portraits of Jesus through a brain-test
activity;
M- cite concrete ways on becoming the
portrait of Jesus to others in a chart; and
W- praise and thank God for the gift of
Jesus as Good News through a song ‘For
God so Loved the World’.
BTI
2.2.1 Demonstrate understanding of
learning environments that promote
fairness, respect and care to encourage
learning
CapSoul of the Session
“For even the Son of man came not
to be ministered unto, but to minister,
and to give His life a ransom for many”.
-Jesus Christ, Mark 10:45
The New Testament presents the life
and works of Jesus and the way He was
received by the people who had been waiting
for Him for so long. Jesus Christ’s birth, Public
Ministry, Passion, Death, Resurrection, and
Ascension are narrated and proclaimed in the
New Testament. The New Testament covers
God’s definitive covenant with all people
mediated by His incarnation Son, Jesus Christ.
God’s commitment to all His people, which
Jesus sealed with His own bloody sacrifice on
the Cross, is the focus of the second part of
the Bible.
When you read the Gospels, you read
the result of a process of composition and
formation that took 40-70 years. The history
behind the Gospels is fascinating. Jesus’
Death and Resurrection took place around
A.D. 30, while the first written Gospel
appeared only around A.D. 60-70.
The four Gospels give us clearer and
more complete picture of who He is. The
added quality of the inspired Gospels is that
they are the living Word of God, which
grounds the faith of Christians in this ever-
changing world.
1|Page
ACTIVITY

WORD ASSOCIATION
 The teacher shows a picture of Jesus and the students share any word that they can
associate to it.
 The students type their answer through the public chat.
 The teacher will process the students’ answers and connects the activity to the lesson.

ACQUISITION OF NEW KNOWLEDGE

“MASTER, TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE. WE HAVE COME TO
BELIEVE AND ARE CONVINCED THAT YOU ARE THE HOLY ONE OF GOD.” John 6:68-69

I. JESUS: THE GOOD NEWS

“Reform your lives and believe in the GOSPEL!” (Mark 1:15)
The word “Gospel” usually refers to the written record of Christ’s words and deeds.

Etymology:
Anglo-Saxon: “god” (good) “spell” (to tell)
Greek : “Evangelion” (glad tidings)

The GOSPEL is the Good News of Salvation proclaimed by Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ himself is the GOOD NEWS.
Jesus is THE GOSPEL.

GOSPEL AND GOSPELS

GOSPEL GOSPELS
THERE IS ONLY ONE GOSPEL: THE GOSPELS ARE THE WRITTEN FAITH
JESUS CHRIST (Mk. 1:1) ACCOUNTS OF THE EARLY CHURCH.
• Direct experiences by the followers of the
HE IS GOD’S TOTAL MANIFESTATION OF HIMSELF. historical Jesus
HE IS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. • Eyewitness testimonies that were heard
and recorded
• Collections of oral preaching
• First Christians’ experiences of the Risen
Lord.

THE GOSPELS ARE NOT BIOGRAPHIES OF CHRIST. THE GOSPELS ARE FAITH SUMMARIES DESCRIBING
WHAT THE EARLY CHRISTIANS BELIEVED ABOUT JESUS.

II. Formation of the Gospels

2|Page
The Gospels as we have them today come to us in three stages:

Scripture scholars generally recognize that the Gospels were developed in three distinct stages. They
are the result of a somewhat gradual process of formation and composition. The three can be visualized
as follows:

Stage 1: Stage 2: Stage 3:

The Historical Jesus Oral Preaching of the Early Church The Written Gospels

STAGE 1: The Historical Jesus (Jesus’ Life In Palestine – His Words And Deeds)

The Gospels basically have their roots in the words and works of Jesus of Nazareth and in His
interactions with His disciples and other groups with which He came in contact. We can for example,
date the historical Jesus from 6-4 B.C. – 30 A.D. The reason scholars date Jesus’ birth before 4 B.C. is
because Denis the Little recorded Herod the Great’s death as occurring in that year. If the story of the
slaughter of the Holy Innocents is to be accepted at face value, Jesus had to be born shortly before
Herod’s death (see Mt 3: 16-23). The death of his death near Passover in the month of Nisan (the Jewish
lunar month roughly equivalent to our last week in March and first three weeks in April) is generally held
to be the year 30 A.D. John’s Gospel especially hints at that date (see Jn 18:28; 19:31). Certainly it had to
be within the 10-year span of Pontius Pilate’s rule from 26-36 A.D. Thus Jesus died in the reign of Pilate
at three o’clock in the afternoon on a Friday (Mt 28:46), probably in 30 A.D.

Jesus came to live among us. His whole life was a revelation of God. Through Jesus, God lived
among us and made Himself known to us. Jesus’ actions are God’s actions. Jesus’ words, instructions
and parables are God’s words to us.

Before Jesus went back to His heavenly Father He gave the following instructions to His
disciples: Go into the world and proclaim the good news to all creation. (Mk.16:15).

Also Charpentier, Etienne on How to Read the New Testament,1981-1982, pp 10-11, Jesus was
born in the reign of Herod, in all probability six years before the beginning of what we call the Christian
era. He lived, in Nazareth, as a pious Jew, practicing the Law in accordance with the spirit of the
Pharisees, who were the most religious of the Jews.

About 27 or 28, his baptism by John the Baptist inaugurated the two or three years of his public
life. He chose disciples and, with them, proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of God: by his words,
and even more by his actions and his life. He never wrote anything. (That’s not quite right. He did write
something once, on the sand…)

He was condemned by the religious authorities and crucified by the Romans, almost certainly on
7 April 30.

STAGE 2: Oral Preaching of the Early Church (The Early Christian Communities)

Written Gospels were not at the top of the list of activities of the early Church. After the Easter
experience and the giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the apostles and disciples were burning with
zeal to spread the good news of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. Led by Peter, and later by Paul, there
was a burst of missionary enthusiasm which preached the message of Jesus throughout the Roman
(Mediterranean) world. Part of the early preaching, incidentally, was that Jesus was to return in glory

3|Page
very shortly, during the very lifetimes of the apostles. Thus, it did not make much sense to write down
eyewitness testimony in these early years if the world was to end soon. What would be the point of it?
(St. Paul, for example, writes in 1Thes. 3:6-15 of the unwillingness of some Christians to work because of
their belief that Jesus would soon return in His full glory. Paul’s rather strong reply is that those who
remain idle should not be supported by the rest of the Christian community).

The community’s memory of Jesus was kept alive by making collections of his sermons,
parables, his great works (miracles) and key sayings. These collections─later to be used by the
Evangelists─were used in the early liturgies, in the preaching and instructions for the new converts. With
eyewitnesses and close disciples still alive and testifying to what they had seen and experienced, no one
really thought to write a biography of Jesus.

St. Paul gives us a clue why the first generation of Christians eventually had to write down in an
organized way the “good news of Jesus” Writing to the Galatians in the years between 52-57 A.D.,
makes reference to the distortion taking place in the preaching:

Some who wish to alter the gospel of Christ must have confused you. For even if we, or an angel
from heaven, should preach to you a gospel not in accord with the one we delivered to you, let a curse
be upon him! I repeat what I have just said: if anyone preaches a gospel to you than the one received,
let a curse be upon him! (Gal. 1:7-9)

The Gospels had to be written so that the Christian community could measure the preaching of
certain teachers against the authentic tradition and remembrance of Jesus.

A second practical reason why written Gospels had to result was that the eyewitnesses were
beginning to die or be martyred. The early Christians were in fact wrong about their belief in the early
return of Jesus. Again, to preserve the authentic testimony, the Good News of Jesus was committed to
writing. Thus, we are brought to the third stage – the stage of the written Gospels themselves.

The disciples faithfully carried out this mission. After they had received the Holy Spirit they
started to preach about Jesus and all he had done and said.

According to Charpentier, Etienne on How to Read the New Testament,1981-1982, pp 10-11

the resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost enabled the disciples to begin to
discover the mystery of Jesus. These disciples remained Jews, but they formed an amazing group within
Judaism: they were the witnesses to the Risen Jesus.

The disciples sought to be faithful in two directions: to Jesus, and to the life which raised a great
many questions.

It was an attempt to answer these questions that they began to recollect what they
remembered of Jesus. However, they did this in the light of the resurrection. These memories were
focused on three points:

1) The disciples preached, to proclaim the Risen Jesus: first to the Jews and then to the

Gentiles. Here we have the announcement of the faith of the first Christians;

2) The disciples celebrated their Risen Lord, in the Liturgy and above all in the

4|Page
 Eucharist. The Eucharist determined the form of many memories of Jesus;

3) The disciples taught the newly baptized, and in order to do so recalled the actions and the words of
Jesus.

Others soon joined the first disciples: Barnabas, the Seven (including Stephen and Philip), and
above all, Paul. Paul was converted round about AD 36, and went on to bring the Good News to Asia
Minor, to Greece, and finally, to Rome. From that time Gentiles were able to enter the Church without
first becoming Jews: that was decided at the ‘Council of Jerusalem in AD 50.

Between 51 and 53 Paul wrote letters to various communities. Throughout this period, official
Judaism gradually began to reject the Christians.

In AD 70, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. Pharisees who met at Jamnia (or Jabneh, the
Hebrew spelling – the place is South of Modern Tel Aviv) gave Judaism a new life, which has continues
down to our own time.

STAGE 3: The Written Gospels (The Evangelists)

There is only one real gospel (“good news”), and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ – he is the
good news. But the Church recognizes four authentic, inspired written communal faith expressions of
this good news. These faith expressions we call the Gospels. Three of these Gospels: Mark, Matthew
and Luke are called synoptic Gospels. Scholars noted that when Matthew and Luke composed their
Gospels, they relied on a version of Mark’s Gospel. If you line up Mark─Matthew─Luke in parallel
columns, you would note that there are many similarities, indeed that they can be “read together”
(syn─together; optic─look at). Hence, the term “synoptic Gospel.”

The following chart gives a bird’s-eye view of the composition of the four Gospels. The version
of the Gospels will differ slightly because they were composed by different men writing at different
times and in different places. But they also present varying points of view because of the particular
audiences being addressed. Each Gospel is tailored to the particular concerns of a particular kind of
community. They all present the good news of Jesus, but adapt their presentation to the religious needs
of the intended audience. With these points in mind, please study the following diagram. It is worth
noting that the authorship of each Gospel is still disputed. What is given below is the generally accepted
(or most commonly held) theory of authorship.

According to Charpentier, Etienne on How to Read the New Testament,1981-1982, pp 10-11,

four Theologians bore witnesses to Jesus, bringing together Traditions which had already been edited in
various ways. Round about AD 70 the Gospel according to St. Mark put down in writing what was
almost certainly the preaching of Peter in Rome. It seeks to show that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God, especially through his actions and above all his miracles.

The Gospel according to St Luke was written about AD 80 or 90, for communities principally
made up of former Gentiles. It shows how in Jesus God has visited his people and manifested his loving-
kindness towards them.

Luke wrote a second volume, the Acts of the Apostles, in which he shows how the Good News,
carried by the Apostles under the guidance of the Spirit, began to spread all over the world.

5|Page
 The Gospel according to St. Matthew was probably produced about AD 80 or 90 also, in a
community of former Jews who had become Christians. Matthew attacks the Pharisees of Jamnia and
shows how Jesus fulfills the Scriptures.

In their enquiry into the mystery of Jesus, Matthew and Luke go back to his childhood, which
they present in the light of his life and resurrection.

The Gospel according to St. John is a very profound meditation on Jesus as the Word of God.
Written perhaps between AD 95 and 100, it shows how the crucified Jesus is still alive today and gives us
his Spirit. Through the signs performed by Jesus, we must believe if we are to see.

In Revelation, John – whether the same John, or another one – presents Jesus as the goal of
history.

In the meantime, John, Peter, James, Jude and other disciples wrote letters to various
communities.

In AD 135, after a second rebellion, the Romans decimated the Jews. For centuries the Jews
were not allowed to enter Jerusalem. Christians had already left Jerusalem and were settled all round
the Mediterranean basin.

In order to preserve the message of Jesus as preached in the first Christian communities, some
zealous disciples wrote it down. The authors were inspired and guide by the Holy Spirit to do this work.

The Gospels, in fact, the whole Bible, have been entrusted to the Church. Guided by the Holy
Spirit, The Church must explain and interpret it so that all people may discover and understand God’s
word and truth.

Matthew (A.D. 65)

Matthew was a tax collector. When Jesus called him, Matthew get up and follow me, Matthew
followed Jesus and became a disciple.

Matthew was very familiar with Palestine. He has a very thorough knowledge of the Old
Testament and of the practices and customs of the Jewish people. This made him a good teacher.

Purpose: Mt. wrote his Gospel for the Jews. The Jews were familiar with the promises made by God in
the Old Testament. In His Gospel, Mt. wanted the Jews to understand that God’s promises had been
fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He presented Jesus as the new Moses, pointing out that Jesus belonged to the
house of David.

Characteristics: Mt. did not follow the sequence of events of Jesus’ life. He gave more attention to Jesus’
words and instructions together in the five central sermons. The rest of he material in his Gospel was
arranged around these five sermons.

Matthew referred frequently to the Old Testament, because he wanted the Jews to believe that
God’s promises in the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus.

6|Page
- Link between Old and New Testaments

- Jesus is the true Messiah, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies

- A Jew writing to fellow Jews

- Systematic use of Jesus’ sermons

- Key chapters: 5-7 – Sermon on the Mount

Mark (65 A.D.)

Mark had not been a disciple of Jesus, nor had he met Jesus in person. He was a convert to the
Christian faith.

He belonged to a Jewish family. Mk was born in Cyprus but later transferred to Jerusalem where
he was converted. Soon afterwards he joined the disciples on their mission tours, first with St. Paul and
later with St. Peter.

Purpose: Mk wrote his Gospel for the persecuted Christians of Rome. He presented Jesus to them as the
suffering servant of God. This served to console hem and gave them strength in their sufferings and
trials.

Characteristics: Mk’s Gospel is the shortest of the four. It focuses its attention on the deeds of Jesus. He
arranged the materials according to the regions in which Jesus worked. He introduced Jesus in two
stages. In the first part of his Gospel, he described Jesus’ marvelous deeds. In the second part, he makes
us understand the true mission of Jesus.

- The gospel of action (emphasizes works more than words)

- Writing to Romans

- Starts with John the Baptist

- Short and rugged gospel

Luke (A.D. 75)

Luke belonged to Greek family in Antioch. He was physician by profession and was a well-
educated man. He was converted to Christianity at the time when his hometown became the center of
missionary activity. He joined St. Paul in his missionary journeys. He stayed with Paul when Paul was
prisoner in Rome.

Purpose: Lk. Wrote his Gospel for Greek converts. He presumed that they had already catechetical
instruction and intended to confirm and further explain it.

Characteristics: Lk’s Gospel follows Jesus on his journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. It stresses that
salvation is universal, intended for all mankind. Lk’s Gospel speaks of Jesus’ kindness towards all people.
It also brings the joy and happiness which the Good News brigs

- Written for Theophilus, a Roman official

- Christ is savior of every person, not Jews only

7|Page
- Reflects doctor's heart

- Great joy

- Gospel of prayer

John (A.D.90-100)

John’s Gospel came much later than the synoptics and was only written in the year 95.

John was the disciple whom Jesus loved most. He was the son of a well-to-do fisherman. Before he
became one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, he had already been a disciple of john the Baptist.

John witnessed some special events in the life of Jesus, such as the transfiguration.

Purpose: John wrote his gospel for Christians who were already familiar wit the synoptics. He wanted to
give to mature Christians a more profound insight into the personality of Jesus.

Characteristics: John did not repeat what could already be found in the other gospels. In the conviction
that God is love, he stressed in a very special way Jesus’ teachings on charity. This fourth gospel
furthermore contains many reflections on the mysterious personality of Jesus, on His unity with the
Father and the Spirit and on Jesus’ divine origin.

- Written to everyone

- Established deity of Christ

- Not so much on what Jesus did as what kind of person He was

- Great themes: light, life, love, truth, the Father-Son relationship

- John 17 -- High Priestly prayer

Gospel Comparison

* Matthew is longest; Mark is shortest

*Only Matthew and Luke tell of Jesus' birth and childhood

• Geography of ministry:

– Matthew and Mark: Galilean ministry

– Luke: ministry in Perea

– John: ministry in Judea

1. The Testimony of the Acts of the Apostles (A.D.80-85)

Acts

This book gives a great source of information about the two key leaders of the Christian
movement, Peter and Paul. Both men were dedicated for spreading the messages of Jesus.

8|Page
 The central message of acts is stated in chapter 1:8 “You shall receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.”

This writing reveals the existence of Jesus and the spread of his message, especially by Peter and
Paul.

- Church history (acts of some of the Apostle – primarily Peter and Paul)

- Paul’s 3 missionary journeys

- Key chapters

– Acts 2 – Day of Pentecost

– Acts 15 -- pivotal decision

2. The Testimony of St. Paul’s Letters

1. The Letter to the Romans (A.D. 57-58) – stresses the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.

- Righteousness of God and salvation through faith

- Established Paul's credentials with church he had never visited

– missionary fund-raising letter

- Luther / Wesley

2. The 1st Letter to the Corinthians (A.D. 57) – gives advice to the Corinthians on chastity and marriage.

- Serious problems and disorder in a divided church

- Immorality

- Order in services 13:1; 14:33

- Key chapter: 1 Corinthians 13 -- love chapter

3. The 2nd Letter to the Corinthians (A.D. 57) – urges financial support for the suffering Jewish Christians
in Jerusalem.

- Paul defends his ministry as an Apostle and as founder of Corinthian church, profound concern for
young Christians 4:5

- 5:20-21

4. The Letter to the Galatians (A.D. 54-55) – speaks of his concern about Galatian Christians backsliding
to strict Jewish laws.

- Settle the debate: Must one submit to Jewish law, including circumcision, to become a Christian? (5:1)

9|Page
5. The Letter to the Ephesians (A.D. 62) – discusses the mystery of salvation and the mystery of the
Church.

- A prison epistle

- The grandeur of the Church

– Body of Christ 1:23, 4:16

– Temple of God 2:20-22

– Bride of Christ 5:23-32

6. The Letter to the Philippians (A.D. 62) – warns against false teaching.

- A prison epistle.

- Beware of legalism

- Live joyfully in Christ in the midst of adverse circumstances

7. The Letter to the Colossians (A.D. 62) – emphasizes that Christ is the main path to salvation.

- Prison epistle

- Against Gnosticism (superior knowledge)

– Believed in a ladder of deities

– Asceticism (isolation from the world and all luxury)

- The deity and all-sufficiency of Christ

8. The 1st Letter to the Thessalonians (A.D. 51) – tells of Christ’s second coming.

9. The 2nd Letter to the Thessalonians (A.D. 52) – warns against imminent second coming of Christ.

10. The 1st Letter to Timothy (A.D. 63) – gives advise to Timothy about handling wrong ideas of some
Ephesians.

- Care of the church at Ephesus

- Emphasizes godliness in a minister of Gospel

- Beliefs and feelings about Church administration 4:12

11. The 2nd Letter to Timothy (A.D. 63) – asks Timothy to protect his community against false teachings.

- Paul's final letter

- His dying shout of triumph

- Tells Timothy to stand by his faith and to live by high convictions

10 | P a g e
- “Last words from death row”

12. The Letter to Titus (A.D. 62) – offers advice to Titus to help Christianize the area.

- Warns against counterfeit Christians

- Qualifications for church leaders

- Concerning churches at Crete

13. The Letter to Philemon (A.D. 62) – asks him to be merciful to his runaway slave Onesimus.

- Letter from prison

- On behalf of a runaway slave, Onesimus

3. The Testimony of the General Letters

a. The Letter of James (A.D. 60’s) – states that faith must be accompanied by good works.

- 1:27 Good works and pure religion

- The necessity of a living faith

- Exposes subtle sins

– pride, gossip, aloofness, materialism and practical atheism

- Proving your faith by your works

b. The 1st Letter of Peter (A.D. 60’s) – It teaches the value of suffering, and it is a sermon on the
importance of the sacrament of baptism.

- The Christian attitude or frame of mind in the midst of suffering

- Emphasis on holiness

c. The 2nd Letter of Peter (A.D.100-110) – warns against the false teacher. in particular, Petere reminds
his people that the parousia will come.

- Affirms Second Coming

- Cries out against evils of heresy and teachers of error

- A prediction of apostasy

d. The Letter of Jude (A.D. 90’s) – is an exhortation against a group of heretics within the Chruch who
are creating problems. The most interesting features of this Letter are the characteristics of an
institutional church.

- The faith once for all delivered to the saints

- A great doxology

- Immoral character of heretics

11 | P a g e
e. The 1st Letter of John (A.D. 100-110) – It speaks about the Gnostic heresy which believed that the
physical world was inherently evil. It condemns the Docetist heresy which denied the reality of Jesus’
body.

- A letter written from Ephesus

- If we are His, we will love one another and live righteously

f. The 2nd Letter of John (A.D.100-110) – It warns the Church against Docetism. it also indicate that the
Christian church is a definite and separate group in the world.

- Denounces false and heretical teachers

- Walking in truth and love

g. The 3rd Letter of John (A.D. 100-110) – It condemns the man Diotrephes who is challenging the
authority of the lawful authority of the Church (probably0 John the elder.

- Vast difference between good and bad behavior

- Emphases:

– Prayer

– Faithful work in the Church

– Christian integrity

- Hospitality toward itinerant ministers, v 11

h. The Letter to the Hebrews (A.D. late 60’s) – speaks of the superiority of Jesus to persecuted Jewish
Christians.

- Written to persecuted Christian Jews tempted to deny their faith

- Better: The superiority of Christ and faith in Him

- Key chapter: Hebrews 11 -- Faith chapter

The Book of Revelation

- The grand finale

- Visions about the future

- Ultimate triumph of Christ and the New Heaven and New Earth

III. Portraits of Jesus

`1. Mark: Jesus is the SUFFERING MESSIAH

12 | P a g e
 In the Gospel according to Mark, the evangelist wanted to make clear to the persecuted
Roman Christians that, like them, Jesus Himself also suffered. Mark meant to console the
suffering Christians, but he was also intent on teaching what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus,
that is to follow Him unto the Cross.
In this interesting, though, that throughout Mark’s Gospel we see Jesus trying many
times to keep His true identity a secret. Jesus instructed His disciples, the persons He healed,
and even the demons not to reveal who He was. Jesus’ consistent effort to conceal His identity
as Messiah is called the messianic secret. “He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He
ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it” (Mk 7: 36)
EVANGELIST: JOHN MARK- believed to be the chronicler of Peter
DATE OF COMPOSITION: After Peter’s death, probably around 65 A.D.
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Persecuted Christians
THEMES: Jesus is the Christ
Jesus is the Suffering Servant
The Messiah and the Suffering Servant are one and the same.

2. Matthew: Jesus is the MESSIAH AND KING

The portrait of Jesus as the Messiah and King prophesied in the Old Testament is the
focus of the gospel of Matthew. Whereas Mark showed Jesus avoiding being proclaimed the
Son of God, Matthew portrayed Him being recognized and proclaimed as the Messiah by his
apostles.
Matthew also highlighted Jesus’ Jewish heritage by opening his Gospel with genealogy,
which reached back to Abraham (Mt. 1:1-17). Matthew did this to confirm to his Jewish-
Christian audience that Jesus indeed was the Messiah -King that had been promised them.
Through Jesus, the salvation the Jews longed for was finally realized.
Matthew explained that “to follow Jesus” is to learn Jesus’ way of life as He is the
Teacher greater than Moses. Matthew also stressed the importance of being formed into a
Church or ecclesia (Mt. 16:18; 18:17), a name for the Christian community not found in any
other Gospel.
EVANGELIST: Author is unknown. Probably Matthew was used as a source. The original text was
a collection of sayings compiled in Aramaic by the Apostle Matthew.

DATE OF COMPOSITION: The original Matthew was written around 50AD but was lost. The
existing text is the Greek translation written sometime 85 A.D. after the fall of
Jerusalem.
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Jewish converts to Christianity
THEMES: Jesus is the New Law-Giver
Jesus is the Messianic king promised to the Jews.

13 | P a g e
3. Luke: Jesus is the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD
Luke wanted to bring to the Gentile community the good news that Jesus was the Savior
not just of a chose few but of all people, especially those considered outcasts of Jewish
society. Hence, Luke portrayed Jesus as being full of mercy and compassion, often crossing
social, religious and political barriers to reach out to the poor, the outcasts, the sinners and
the women.
Luke’s Gospel is different from the others because it shows the significant role of
women in Jesus’ ministry and it gives attention to Mary, the mother of Jesus , in the infancy
narratives. Aside from this, Luke’s Gospel notes Jesus’ prayer life and His being “filled with
the spirit”.
EVANGELIST: Luke, the “beloved physician”; the secretary of Paul
DATE OF COMPOSITION: c.75 A.D.
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Gentile converts to Christianity
THEMES: Jesus is for Jews and Gentiles alike.
Jesus is the compassionate savior who identifies himself with the poor and the outcast.

4. John: Jesus is the SON OF GOD and THE WORD OF GOD MADE MAN.
John’s Gospel emphasizes the divinity of Jesus, who is described in symbolic images and
titles such as “the word of God enfleshed” and “the Light of the World”.
John begins his gospel with a prologue: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling
among us, and he saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son” {Jn 1:1,14). The Divine
portrayal of Jesus in John is so strong that even in the account of His Passion, Jesus is
depicted not as a beaten, tormented victim but as a glorified King, calm and fully in charge
of His identity.
Commentators call John’s chapters on Jesus’ Last Supper, Passion, Death, and
Resurrection the “Book of Glory” and the first twelve chapters narrating Jesus’ public life
the “Book of Signs”. John concludes with this passage: “There are also many other things
that Jesus did, nut if there were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world
would contain the books that would be written”.
Jesus revealed God in His words and deeds. The portrayal of Jesus as the uniquely divine
human person- the Son-of-God-made-man- presumed the basics of the Christian faith and
reflected the truth of Jesus’ nature and person more deeply.
EVANGELIST: Most probably the JOHANNINE COMMUNITY

14 | P a g e
DATE OF COMPOSITION: c.90-100 A.D.
INTENDED AUDIENCE: The Christian Churches in the Roman Empire; Christians who were
already familiar with the Synoptics

THEMES: Jesus is Divine

Jesus is the center of all religious beliefs and practices
Jesus is superior to all the prophets

Summary Composition of the Four Gospels

o Synoptic Gospels - Syn – together ; Optic – look at (Mark, Matthew, Luke)

o (The Gospel of Mark) Jesus began His Public Ministry in the towns and villages of Galilee. He
spoke in synagogues, in private homes, and on the lake shore. He characterized Himself as
the Servant of God

o (The Gospel of Matthew) Jesus spoke many times as a teacher. Jesus’ emphasizes the idea
about the Kingdom of Heaven and His Messiahship

o (Gospel of Luke) Jesus humanity is emphasized. Jesus is mentioned as a friend of sinners,

outcasts and the generally rejected members of society. It speaks about Jesus’ parent, his
birth, his boyhood and manhood. More than half of the stories about Jesus tell how he
healed the sick of diseases

o (Gospel of John) Different in content, plan and structure from the synoptic Gospels. It was
written to complete the Synoptic accounts which were already in existence by the time John
wrote his work. It presents Jesus as the “Son of God”

Important Keypoints

 The principal non-Christian sources for the proof of Jesus’ existence are:

 (Roman Writers) Suetonius, Pliny the Younger and Tacitus.

 (Jewish Writer) Josephus

 The Principal Christian sources of Jesus’ existence are:

 Four Gospels

 Acts of the Apostles

 Paul’s Letters

 Early writings of the Church

 The Synoptic Gospels are:

 (Matthew, Mark and Luke) written between 60-90 AD. They reveal the sayings, parables,
sermons, miracles and stories of Jesus.

15 | P a g e
  Mark’s Gospel characterizes Jesus as the Servant of God. Matthew’s Gospel emphasizes Jesus’
Messianism. Luke’s Gospel primarily Jesus’ Humanity.

 John’s Gospel (90-100 AD) speaks of Jesus’ Divinity and His central message of Love.

 The Acts of the Apostles speaks of early Christianity’s major leaders, Peter and Paul, and their
spreading of Jesus’ message throughout Palestine and Asia Minor (Greece and Turkey).

 The key theme of Paul’s letters are: Jesus is Lord; Jesus is Savior of Jew and Non-Jew; Jesus
fulfilled the Old Law; Jesus is the head of all followers who are Christians.

APPLICATION
(A Portrait of Jesus)

1. Which of the Gospel portrayals of Jesus do you find most relevant to you today?

2. How would you become this portrait of Jesus to others? Provide three concrete ways.

Write your answer in the chart.

Portrait of Jesus How do you become this portrait of Jesus to others?

Provide three concrete ways

ASSESSMENT

(Let’s have a brain-test!)

Match column A to column B. Type the letter of your answer on the space provided.
Answers may be repeated.
Column A Column B
1. It is the passing of traditions and faith A. Stage 1: Historical Jesus
using the words of mouth from B. Stage 2: The Oral Preaching of the
generation to generation. Early Church

16 | P a g e
 2. Jesus preached the Good News through C. Stage 3: The Written Gospels
His words and deeds. D. Mark
3. It refers to the compilation of faith the E. Luke
words and deeds of Jesus by the four (4) F. Matthew
evangelists. G. John
4. The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke H. Acts of the Apostles
5. Portrays Jesus as the universal Savior. I. Synoptic Gospels
6. Portrays Jesus as the Messiah.
7. Portrays Jesus as the Suffering Servant.
8. Portrays Jesus as King.
9. Portrays Jesus as the Son of God.
10. Portrays Jesus as the Word-made-man.

CLOSING PRAYER
End the session with a song entitled “For God so Loved the World”.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5fijeozgXc)

REFERENCES

James Finley and Michael Pennock. JESUS AND YOU: DISCOVERING THE REAL CHRIST, Ind: Ave Maria
Press, 1977

Francis E. Gigot (transcribed by Douglas J. Potter). GOSPEL AND GOSPELS

www.newadvent.org

Felix Just, S.J.

TEN STAGES OF NT FORMATION AND TRANSMISSION
http://clawww.lmu.edu/faculty/fjust/Bible/NT_Canon.htm#Evangelists

Frago, E., et al. (2013). Called to Meet Christ in Scripture, Church, and Sacraments. Quezon City. Sibs
Publishing House

Fr. Etienne Charpentier. (1997) How TO READ THE NEW TESTAMENT, Quezon City: Claretian
Publications.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5fijeozgXc
Catechism for Filipino Catholics: Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. (1997). Manila,
Philippines: ECCCE World and Life Publications.

17 | P a g e