The first three gospels in the New Testament – Matthew, Mark and Luke – have a number of striking similarities. Many of the events recorded are the same, and the basic structure is very similar in each of them. That said each of them has their own style and emphases.
Scholars believe that Mark’s gospel was the earliest to be written, and that Matthew and Luke made extensive use of his gospel in writing their own. Matthew and Luke share some material that is absent from Mark. Each of them has some material that is unique to his gospel.
The three synoptic gospels (synoptic means with the same eye) appear at first sight to tell Jesus’ life story, but it’s not quite that simple. Matthew and Luke begin with stories about Jesus’ birth. They agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and that his earthly parents were Mary and Joseph, but little else. The stories of the angels and shepherds appear in Luke, the magi in Matthew. Mark has no account of Jesus’ birth and begins with an account of his baptism by John. Both Matthew and Luke begin their record of Jesus’ ministry with the baptism. Then the story continues with accounts of healing, miracles and teaching.
The synoptic gospels are united in revealing a Jesus who taught in parables. Parables are short stories using real life activities which reveal a truth about God or a right way to live.
The synoptic gospels all follow a general pattern – Baptism of Jesus → Teaching, healing, miracles → Jesus in Jerusalem → Passion and death of Jesus → Resurrection of Jesus. Each of them tells that story in his own unique style.
Luke is also the author of the Acts of the Apostles, the book which follows the four Gospels in the New Testament.
Acts is an account of the earliest days of the Christian Church. It begins with a story of the Ascension of Jesus and continues with the account of the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and compelled them to proclaim their faith in Jesus as Crucified and Risen. There are accounts of remarkable numbers accepting their message.
The first few chapters tell mainly of Peter and his ministry. The later chapters tell the story of Paul, beginning with his miraculous conversion of the road to Damascus and ending with him in the city of Rome. The book as a whole tells of the remarkable rise of Christianity, but also recognises the challenges it faces to grow as it spreads its message throughout the Roman Empire in the face of indifference, hostility and persecution.
