What Are the Gospels?
The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament.
The word Gospel means good news. When coupled with Christianity it means the good news of Jesus and His resurrection.
These books tell us about Jesus’ birth, His life on earth, His death, His resurrection, and His ascension into Heaven. They show us some of the miracles He performed. They also share a lot of the wisdom and parables He gave us while here.
The books are:
Matthew – Matthew was a tax collector. This book was written somewhere between 75 and 90 A.D. It’s main purpose was to prove to the Jewish people that Jesus is the Messiah they were waiting for. It also helped them understand that the Old Testament law no longer applied because Jesus fulfilled it. It explains that because of this, Jesus’ teachings and way of doing things is how things should now be done. Lastly, Matthew explains how the kingdom of heaven is both present and future reality.
You can read about Jesus calling Matthew in Matthew 9:9. It is also mentioned in Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27 – 28. In these passages the tax collector is called Levi, but many scholars believe these men named Levi and Matthew are the same person. Both were tax collectors. Both were sons of Alphaeus. The story of Jesus calling the tax collector is virtually identical in all three books. Some scholars think Levi was his Hebrew name and that Matthew was his Greek name. Others think Jesus began calling him Matthew when he called him to follow Him. Whichever the case, Levi and Matthew are very likely the same person.
Mark – Written by Mark, who was often called John Mark. This book was written around 65 A.D. Written for Gentiles, it’s main purpose was to encourage Christians who were suffering for their faith. Mark spends time explaining Jewish customs and laws so the Gentiles would better understand their Jewish brothers and sisters. He also sometimes uses Roman words instead of Jewish words.