Bible Reading: 1 John 1:1-4
A church leader once acted out a scene with another adult. The two of them pretended to have an argument. No one in the room had been told that this was going to happen, so when the fight
started, it appeared to be real. As the argument went on, other people, in on the plan, joined the argument. When those “in the know” had finished the disagreement, the others in the room were told that the event was all for show. It wasn’t real.
They were then asked to describe what they had seen. No two descriptions were the same. Every person in the room had seen the same argument, but no two saw it the same way. Each person tried to retell the events as accurately as possible. There were many similarities in each version of the event, and there were some differences in what people saw or how they perceived the argument.
The four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are much like that argument. These four “versions” of the events of Jesus’ earthly ministry are all similar. Writers of all four gospels recorded what they had seen and heard as accurately as possible. However, because each gospel was written by a different man, for a different audience, and from a different perspective, they are not identical. Each saw Jesus’ ministry from his own perspective. Even so, all four gospels are accurate and valid.
One of the gospel writers, John, wrote, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). John, as well as Matthew, Mark, and Luke, recorded the events of Jesus’ ministry because God inspired them to do so. God used these imperfect men who saw with their own eyes and heard with their own ears the work that Jesus did, to put in writing the perfect, infallible word of God, and as Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:16 & 17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Praise the Lord!
“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” 2 Peter 1:16
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your perfect word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Comment and tell me about your verse or verses in the Gospels.