Why are the Gospels Important in the Bible?
The Christian Bible is made up of sixty-six books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Perhaps at the centre of it all are four books found in the New Testament – The Gospels.
The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These four gospels provide four different accounts of Jesus’ life. The Gospels are important in the Bible because they show us God’s ultimate revelation through Him becoming flesh to be with us and sacrifice Himself for us.
The Gospels are central to Scripture because we view everything God has done in light of the Son’s work on the cross. We view the stories of Moses and Abraham from the OT in anticipation of Jesus fulfilling the Mosaic Law and Abrahamic Covenant. Similarly, we view the Apostle Paul’s understanding of the church in light of Jesus founding the Christian church. All Scripture points back to Jesus.
Each of the Gospels was written with a specific audience and purpose in mind, understanding this fact will change the way you read these incredibly important books.
What Does “Gospel” Mean in The Bible
In the New Testament, the word “gospel” shows up repeatedly as the Greek word “εὐαγγέλιον” (or, euangelion). More literally translated, euangelion can mean “a reward for good news,” or put more simply, “good news.”1
This, of course, when read in light of what the “gospels” are telling us is the good news of Jesus Christ, his life on earth and his defeat over death.
What makes euangelion so important in the Scriptures is how it appeared in the Old Testament. In ancient times, the Jewish people who read Greek Bibles would recognize the word “εὐαγγέλιον” used in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah prophesied the coming of Jesus, saying he would bring “good news” (Isa 61:1). Jewish readers would immediately recognize the reference to the prophecy and would read on as the gospel authors prove that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy.
Check out this fantastic video illustrating this point called “What Is The Gospel” from N.T. Wright.
Why The Gospels Are Important In The Bible
The Gospels are a central part of the Bible and of the Christian faith. They present a beautiful and persuasive image of who Jesus is and why we, as fallen people, need to follow him. Without the Gospels in the Bible, there is no complete fulfilment of the promises in the Old Testament for a Saviour, nor is there definitive redemption over sin and death. Put simply, without the gospel message, there is no good news to celebrate, no promise of eternal salvation, no personal relationship with the living God.
It is important to note, however, that the other books of the Bible are just as valuable as the gospels. All books of the Bible, every word within them, are the inspired Words of God. Every Word that God breathes is inherently perfect; therefore, no book of the Bible can carry more importance or value than another.
For example, without the prophetic words of the prophets found in the Old Testament, Jesus has no way to fulfil a promise. The world would not be ready and waiting for a saviour to come and dwell among them.
Also, Jesus frequently referenced the Old Testament writings throughout his ministry. For example, Jesus taught on the law of “an eye for an eye” found in Exodus 21:23. For a deeper understanding of this passage, check out my article breaking down what Jesus meant by “an eye for an eye”.
Without the Old Testament, we also do not know the fullness of God. The Old Testament shows God as our Creator and our Father quite clearly. If limited to just the Gospels, we still see the three persons of God, but not in their fullness.
What Are The Four Gospels About?
Each of the four Gospels are unique. While they each record the life and teachings of Jesus, they do so in unique ways with specific objectives in mind. For example, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke each present “snapshots” of what Jesus did during his time on earth in the flesh. In contrast, the Gospel of John provides a portrait of who Jesus is in his fullness, not just limited to his time on dwelling on earth in the flesh.
Storytelling is a creative process that no two people go about in the exact same way. When telling a story, we have particular people we want to emphasize, we have a certain understanding of how events unfolded, and so on. The writers of the four gospels are no different in this regard. Each of them is recording the same life and teachings of Jesus, but they do so in unique ways with specific objectives and audiences in mind. This makes each of the four gospels unique – making us as the reader, understand why each author of the gospel is presenting Jesus in a certain way.
Below is a chart that helps us get a snapshot of who the author is, who their audience is, when they wrote it, and why they wrote it. Keeping these four things in mind while reading the gospels helps us achieve a better understanding of what we are reading, and as a result, better understand the life of Jesus.
| Gospel | Author | Audience | Date Written | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew | Matthew, son of Alphaeus, a Jewish-Christian, former tax collector | New Christians from a Jewish heritage. Extensive use of Old Testament signals the audience is assumed to have a Jewish faith. | c ~ 50 AD | To provide a biography of the life of Jesus. To recount His teachings and the days surrounding His crucifixion. |
| Mark | Mark, also known as John, was a friend of the Apostle Paul, his life was recorded throughout Acts and the epistles. | Gentile readers. Those who were not fully aware of Jesus fulfilling prophecy in the Old Testament. | 57-59 AD | A historical recounting of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Stresses the importance that Jesus is for all people, not just the Jewish nation of Israel. |
| Luke | Luke, a physician, and friend of the Apostle Paul, Luke also wrote the Book of Acts | No specific audience (see purpose). | 58-60 AD | A historical work, Luke sought to provide an extensive account of Jesus’ life for all people. |
| John | New Christians from a Jewish heritage. Extensive use of the Old Testament signals the audience is assumed to have a Jewish faith. | Unbelievers. People with no faith background. | 85-95 AD | To establish that Jesus is Lord, and faith in Him provides eternal life (Jn 1:1; 3:16). Argumentative writing to establish Jesus’ divinity. |
| Notes | All Gospels have anonymous authors. These are estimates of who they are generally. The exact authors are not as clear as the Pauline epistles (Letters of Paul) | The audience refers to who the author intended to read their work. | The exact dates these gospels were written are heavily disputed. Please refer to the sources linked below. | The purpose refers to the ultimate goal behind the authors’ writings. |
Why You Should Read The Gospels
If you are new to the Bible, it can be really intimidating to figure out where and how to start. Reading the Gospels is a fantastic place to start. Each of the Gospels shows you why Jesus is so important to each of our lives. The Gospels also share many of the teachings that Jesus gave during his time on earth with us.
If you are looking for a good starting point in your journey, I recommend starting with the Gospel of John. John’s Gospel is unique as it was written after the other three and his writing style is centered around proving that Jesus is Lord and that we can find salvation in Him.
When you start reading, my encouragement would be to keep going! Try not to get stalled on each verse by trying to understand everything all at once. Just like when we watch a movie, we don’t pause and rewind over and over again; we put that thought in the back of our minds and expect the writer to answer those questions later on. The Gospels should be treated the same way! The writer (John) is trying to tell you a story about Jesus! Don’t get hung up on one sentence or paragraph; let the writer unfold the story in front of you as you keep reading.
Once you finish the entire book and something is still lingering then feel free to go back and investigate! Take notes (written or mentally) and keep exploring! One of the beautiful things about the Bible is that it can be endlessly explored and wrestled with.
In the Book of Matthew, Matthew 5:13-16 specifically, Jesus calls us “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”. Understanding why Jesus calls us this and how it applies to us today will help us live as Christ intends. Check out my article looking into what Jesus said about salt and light and what it means for you.
- William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 402. ↩︎
Brady Ash
Brady grew up in the church and is now serving as an Assistant Pastor at his home church. He has worked in various leadership positions in church production and is now pursuing his M.A. in Christian Leadership from Dallas Theological Seminary.
