ListenDaily – 10 December 2010: Surprises for Christmas! #5
Scripture: Matthew 1:1-2,16; Mark 1:1-3; Luke 1:26-28; John 1:1-5
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers...the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Matthew 1:1-2,16
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" "a voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' Mark 1:1-3
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Luke 1:26-28
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:1-5
All four Gospels do not tell the Christmas story. This 'Christmas surprise' may not be a surprise at all to many of you, but it may to some. After reading a hack job on the Gospels written in a popular weekly news magazine, I felt this is important.
Imagine four books on a table in front of you. One is the actual engineering diagrams for the construction of the vehicle. One is
a 'do-it-yourself' book for shade tree mechanics. One describes complete vehicle overhaul for professionals. And the last is the
user's manual.
Which book is correct? Which one is wrong?
Silly questions, right? They are all correct, they just have a different readership in mind.
And so it is with the four Gospels.
Matthew was written to the Jews. Note the genealogy. It's as if to say. 'Look, this Baby, this Man, fits in exactly with the teachings of the prophets, he fulfills all that we have been looking for!'
Mark, in contrast, was written to a largely Roman audience. The Romans of the time were interested in action -- think of the gladiators -- the games. The old Jewish prophecies meant little if anything to them. So Mark jumps straight in. They didn't want to know about babies and cattle stalls, they wanted action!
Luke's writing, which includes the book of Acts, was a contracted piece. He was commissioned to find the details of this Christianity business. His audience was primarily the philosophy discussing, logic seeking Greek pepole. As with the Romans, the prophecies meant little. But the details -- the details were the story.
John is a completely different story all together. John's audience knew the story. They were the early church...John was a 'how to live' book for new believers.
So these four books, all written about Jesus, are all true, all accurate, and without the so-called contradictions that so much of the academic and popular media world would put on them.
We, however -- we who are 'in the world but not of the world', have a responsibility to gain knowledge -- to know when the world is trying to dupe us, to weaken our faith, and to make unbelievers less open to the Gospel.
Questions:
1. Any new news for you here today?
2. What do you think of this perspective?
3. Why does the world treat the Word off God this way?
May we know what we should know. Jim
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