The Gospels

By David Maas
{THE FOUR GOSPELS}

[Click on the title below to open an article]

{MARK}
  1. In the Beginning - {PDF Copy} - (In the ministry of Jesus, the kingdom of God arrived, commencing with his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist – Mark 1:1-3)
  2. The Forerunner - {PDF Copy} - (John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah, the herald of the Good News of the Kingdom of God – Mark 1:4-8)
  3. Rend the Heavens -  {PDF Copy} - (The Spirit of God and the voice from heaven confirmed the calling and identity of Jesus – the Son, Messiah, and the Servant of Yahweh)
  4. In Spirit and Fire - (At his baptism, the Spirit of God descends on Jesus, equipping him for his messianic mission – He is the one who baptizes in the Spirit) - {PDF Copy}
  5. The Kingdom Herald - {PDF Copy} - (After his baptism, the Spirit drove Jesus to the Wilderness to be tested by the Devil. But he overcame and succeeded where Israel failed)
  6. Servant or Caesar? - {PDF Copy} - (Satan offered Jesus unlimited political power to achieve his messianic mission if only he acknowledged the Devil as his overlord)
  7. Arrest and Fulfillment - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus commenced proclaiming the Kingdom following the arrest of John as opposition appeared even at the start of his mission – Mark 1:14-15)
  8. Authority Over Ritual Purity - {PDF Copy} - (The touch of the Son of Man cleanses a leper; the forbidden contact does not render Jesus “unclean”)
  9. The Son of Man has Authority - {PDF Copy} - (He is the Son of Man foreseen by Daniel, the one with absolute authority from Yahweh over the earth)
  10. Authority Over the Sabbath - {PDF Copy} - (In response to the Jewish leaders that opposed him, Jesus demonstrated that he is Lord even of the Sabbath Day - Mark 2:23-3:6)
  11. Revealed on the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (The Son of Man is revealed and comprehended only in his sufferings and death for others on a Roman Cross)
  12. Seed and Sower - {PDF Copy} - (The Son of Man sows the seed of the Gospel in the world where it is growing into the Kingdom of God until the consummation of the age – Mark 4:1-20)
  13. Kingdom Parables - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus taught several parables concerning the Kingdom of God, its paradoxical growth, and its status in the world - Mark 4:21-34)
  14. Who is this Man? - (No one recognized who Jesus was except the demons cast out by him. Only in his sacrificial death is his identity be understood) -  {PDF Copy}
  15. Cost of Discipleship - {PDF Copy} - (To be the disciple of Jesus means taking up the cross and following in his footsteps, even if it results in impoverishment or death - Mark 6:7-30)
  16. Two Women Restored - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus healed two women, restoring both to a state of ritual purity – Mark 5:21-43)
  17. On the Way - (On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus explains to his disciples just what it means to be the Messiah of Israel) -  {PDF Copy}
  18. Son of Man - Imminent Death - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus explains that he is “on the way” to Jerusalem where he will be arrested, tried, and executed per the plan of God)
  19. His Triumphal Arrival - {PDF Copy} - (At the end of his journey, his destination was the Temple in the center of the city – Mark 11:1-11)
  20. Jesus and Tradition - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus undermined the religious rationale for dietary restrictions. With the Messiah’s arrival, the old rituals lost their relevance)
  21. Embracing the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (To be the Messiah of Israel meant suffering and death for others, and Jesus summoned his disciples to follow that same path – Mark 8:31)

{MATTHEW}
  1. His Name is Jesus! - {PDF Copy} - (The name ‘Jesus’ means ‘Yahweh saves.’ In the Nazarene, the salvation promised to Israel has arrived in all its glory)
  2. Law and Prophets - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus came to fulfill all the things that were promised and foreshadowed in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Law and the Prophets)
  3. His Absolute Authority - {PDF Copy} - (At the conclusion of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus claimed absolute authority for his words. Disciples ignore them at their peril – Matthew 7:21-28)
  4. In the Temple - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus gave his last discourse on Olivet following his final and symbolic departure from the Temple – Mark 12:41-13:4)
  5. Rumors of War - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus warned of coming deceivers who will mislead many and disseminate false information about the future and his return)
  6. Lord of All - {PDF Copy} - (The New Testament applies messianic promises in the Psalms to the PRESENT reign of Jesus who has all authority in Heaven and on Earth)

{JOHN}
  1. The Living Word - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is the Word made flesh in whom the glory of God is revealed, the same word by which God created all things)
  2. The Light of the World - (Jesus is the only true light in the world, a light that shines all the brighter in the darkness, and this light means life for men and women) - {PDF Copy}
  3. The Logos - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is the Logos, the Word become flesh, the true tabernacle where the glory of God is revealed and resides – John 1:14)
  4. True and Greater Temple - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is the Greater and Final Temple foreshadowed by the ancient Tabernacle and the later Temple building in Jerusalem)
  5. Interpreting the Father - {PDF Copy} - (The fullness, grace, and truth of God are found only in the Word made Flesh, Jesus, who alone has seen the unseen God – John 1:14-18)
  6. Grace and Truth - {PDF Copy} - (The fullness, grace, and truth of God are found only in the Word made Flesh, namely, Jesus of Nazareth)
  7. The True Tabernacle - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is the True and Greater Tabernacle in whom the presence and glory of God reside and manifest for all men to behold – John 1:14)
  8. His Glory Manifested - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is the Word made flesh, the True Tabernacle where the glory of God is manifested, and He now resides – John 1:14)
  9. The House of God - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is the true and only way of access to the Father, the Greater Bethel, and the House of God – John 1:47-50)
  10. The Final Temple - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is the True and Final Sanctuary in which the glory of Yahweh dwells, the substance foreshadowed by the ancient Temple – John 2:13-22)
  11. Living Waters - True Worship - {PDF Copy} - (In Samaria, Jesus revealed that the presence of God no longer is limited to specific locations or man-made structures – John 4:20-24)

Alpine Path - Photo by Kalen Emsley on Unsplash
[Photo by Kalen Emsley on Unsplash]

POPULAR POSTS

Ekklésia - Assembly of God

By David Maas
Image
The New Testament usage of the term “ assembly ” is based on the language and imagery of Israel when the nation was assembled before Yahweh for worship in front of the Tabernacle. The Greek noun rendered “ church ” in many English translations is  ekklésia . It means “assembly, congregation, convocation.” In secular Greek, it could refer to an “assembly” of citizens gathered to conduct matters of state. However, that is not the sense found in the Greek New Testament.
Read more

The Mission

By David Maas
Image
Jesus tasked his disciples with announcing the same message that he preached to the people of Israel to every nation on the Earth, which he summarized as the “ Good News of the Kingdom of God .” In the man from Nazareth, God’s rule was and is being established but in unexpected and paradoxical ways. By the day of his return, he will have established his complete sovereignty and subdued all his “ enemies ,” including “ Death .” Until then, his Body is called to proclaim his message to one and all.
Read more