Talk of JESUS . com

Category: 4 Gospels + Good News of the NEW Testament

What are the Gospels?

FOUR Gospels:

GOOD NEWS! (That’s what Gospel means.)

Matthew, Mark, Luke & John begin the New Testament proclaiming the Good News of Israel’s long-awaited Messiah and talk of JESUS Christ.

The four Gospels are first hand witness + proclaiming GOOD NEWS

  • by two Jewish Apostles of the Messiah JESUS, Matthew & John
  • Two gentile (non-Jewish) followers of THE WAY of Jesus Christ, Mark & Luke, who proclaim the GOSPEL recorded from witness of Peter, Paul and other Apostles and disciples of JESUS in the first century.

READ the Good News of the Messiah and Savior Jesus from accounts of His twelve Apostles & others witnessing the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the four Gospels of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

SHARE the Gospel

  • with your Christian friends and those who do not yet believe in JESUS CHRIST.
  • Comment on a Talk of JESUS post and SHARE in your social media world.
  • Even unto the end of the world

    Even unto the end of the world

    The Great Commission

    16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

    +

    Jesus IS. His resurrection after death on the cross proved his place in history and the mercy of God’s intervention in time by His sacrifice for our sins.

    Many events, teachings and miracles were yet to take place between Resurrection Sunday and Pentecost fifty days later, when the risen Christ was taken up into the clouds of heaven in the same manner He will return.

    Matthew 28 [above] closes the Apostle’s Gospel with just a brief outline of the commission of Jesus to all who believe. Matthew witnessed the risen Christ as detailed in other gospels. He makes no attempt of evidence for the truth of the resurrection the Apostle had himself witnessed. Matthew simply presents the great commission of Jesus’ command to go into all the world and preach the Good News (the Gospel).

    Jesus had assured Matthew and the Twelve, “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” KJV

    In troubled times even unbelievers speak of the ‘the end of the age’ or ‘the end of the world.’ We see and hear false fantasy about the terrible coming of the Lord to judge all creation, although the world would leave out God and Jesus Christ from their fantastic explanations.

    Dear believer in the risen Christ, let us examine the comfort of the loving Son, Jesus, who suffered for your sins and for mine. Let us examine the comfort of knowing that Jesus IS. Let us know with certainty that Jesus IS not only with Matthew and the other Apostles; even now, Jesus IS with you and with me.

    Jesus had appeared to Matthew and the others many times. He had eaten with them even after the resurrection. He taught them as He always had, even explaining how His crucifixion had to fulfill scripture of the Old Testament (the Bible before Christ). Jesus IS and the Apostles understood even after Pentecost, Jesus IS. Whatever happens, Jesus IS. I, GOD, have taught you; you, therefore, teach the world what I have taught!

    And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. – Matthew 28:18-20 KJV

    The Apostle John, the only Apostle who would not be martyred for preaching the Gospel, reveals even more witness of how Jesus IS always with him and with the Apostles and with those who believe.

    John 20: ESV

    19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

    20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

    21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

     +

    Again, the great commission to the Apostle John and the Twelve. The reassurance and proof of the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ of God, continues:

    26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said,“Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

    +

    John adds a statement of other proofs he does not present in his Gospel. (Some of these are later revealed by Peter and others to Mark and Luke). No Gospel explains Jesus’ reasons any better than the Apostle John. John closes his gospel stating his purpose.

    The Purpose of This Book

    30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

    Do you believe Jesus IS the Son of God?

    Do you believe Jesus IS with you always, even to the end of the world?

    Acts 1: 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

    15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,

    16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”

    24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

    +

    Peter does not pray to the Father, Peter prays to the Lord. Peter does not pray to a Jesus who was, Peter prays to Jesus who IS One with the LORD GOD, Father and Holy Spirit!

    He is the same Lord Peter addressed as Lord after the resurrection asking, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” [Acts 1:6] Peter prays to Jesus, his personal Lord and Savior – Jesus, his teacher and adviser.

    Peter preached at the festival of Pentecost by the power of the Holy Spirit. The LORD spoke the Good News of the resurrection of Christ Jesus.

    Teachers of the Law and officials of the Temple recognized that no fishermen and common disciples of Jesus could have such power of God and knowledge of scripture. (Some would later become followers of The Way.)

    Acts 2:

    17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh… 

    21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

    22 “Men of Israel, hear these words:

    Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

    24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it…”

    +

    No fisherman or tax collector (like Matthew) has such power to persuade, even with scripture if God has not ordained it and anointed these men with the fire of the Holy Spirit. How could an unlearned fisherman know or understand the power of such scripture? How could God choose such lowly men as Prophets to speak His very Word?

    Only in Christ Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

    +

    36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

    37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

    +

    What will you do, learned twenty-first century man? What must you do, educated twenty-first century woman? What shall we do in this day, now that we have read, heard and understood the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Good News for all men and women until the end of the world?

    +

    38 And Peter said to them,

    “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

    39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

    +

    Yes, the promise is for not only the Nations (the gentiles), but for the generations; for we are ‘the children far off, those whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’

    Matthew, John and the Gospel writers offer witness and many proofs; yet it is by faith the Lord calls you.

    +

    40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

    41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

  • Resurrection of Judgment

    Resurrection of Judgment

    Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

    John 5:28-29

    We hardly marvel at anything, least of all the worldly about resurrection to the Judgement of God.

    PIA17563 NASA

    Psalm 19 RSV

    The heavens declare the glory of God,
        and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
    2 Day to day pours out speech,
        and night to night reveals knowledge.
    3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
        whose voice is not heard.
    4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
        and their words to the end of the world.

    The GOD of all Glory, Creator of all things, in the beginning – the LORD over all until the end of the expanse of time: GOD, THE LORD has created man in His image; He IS Father of all men, Spirit of Eternal Life and the Existing Son of all Righteousness, given in the flesh for the sins of man!

    And just as it is appointed for man to die once,

    and after that comes judgment, 

    so Christ,

    having been offered once to bear the sins of many,

    will appear a second time, not to deal with sin

    but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

    Hebrews 9:27-28

    Are you, after considering the terror of punishment Jesus suffered for you on the cross, eagerly waiting for Jesus?

    You will see the LORD. You will be resurrected to the Judgement! Do you have forgiveness for ALL of your many sins?

    By the grace of the Cross, I do; and my sins are many. GOD our Father put my punishment on Jesus His Son!

    We will either die as all men before us (women too, of course) OR the Lord will return on the clouds of heaven at an unexpected moment before the time of years takes toll of our failing flesh. We will be judged: either with the grace of forgiveness or judged by the shortcomings of our sins.

    Are you eagerly waiting the Judge who suffered for the sins of mankind on the Cross?

    “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” – Revelation 1:8

    The words of Christ Jesus, who was raised from the dead: the One Who IS:

    Matthew 16: 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

    27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father,

    and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

    Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

    30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

    44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

    Hebrews 10:

    “The Lord will judge his people.”

    31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

    Revelation 6:

    15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks,

    “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne,

    and from the wrath of the Lamb,

    17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

     

  • I AM the Resurrection and the Life

    I AM the Resurrection and the Life

    “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

    John 11:

    The Word Became Flesh

    John 1 (ESV)

    1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

    Genesis 1:

    In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

    26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

    Genesis 2: 7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

    9b The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

    16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

    Genesis 3:

    22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

    Genesis 5:5  Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

    +

    If there is one time in our mind we really would like to question the indisputable inerrancy of the Bible it is probably a quote of the devil’s question in the garden:

    He said to the woman, “Did God actually say…?” – Genesis 3:1b

    Follow Satan’s deceiving question with whatever evil your mind may conceive, but the premise is false answer of Satan.

    4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die… 

    Walk up to Eve or Adam and ask either of them if what Satan has assured them as enticement to sin is true?

    Yes, every one of us knows that we will surely die! Therefore, what is our hope? (And I remind us now that the Bible is God’s guaranteed word.)

    God IS, the LORD exists before time and measurement of creation; God IS, the LORD remains after the time of creation can no longer be measured. This is unfathomable to our limited created mind (which now has the knowledge of good and evil). This is why we must believe by faith.

    Have you ever considered how different our world would be without sin? Have you ever dared to think what it would be like to NEVER die, while living in a Paradise of God’s love?

    Consider the resurrection by faith: that the LORD who created all things, the LORD who created each particle of your flesh and bones, your brain and body, your heart and soul; that the LORD who made you can make you eternal!

    We can be raised from the dead to a life God intended! Praise our Lord Jesus Christ!

    Evidence of Christ’s resurrection is well-documented, yet still not believed by those not saved from death by their own sin and disobedience. They do not want to believe God. By their own will many will not bow down to any, even God the LORD!

    Evidence of the resurrection, which some of the Jews did not believe, is presented in scripture even before the Cross of Christ Jesus.  Some always refuse to obey God in spite of the evidence of scripture.

    Is faith by evidence of scripture so far beyond the evidence seen only by your eyes which can deceive?

    By Faith

    Hebrews 11 English Standard Version (ESV)

    Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

    By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him.

    By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

    By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

    Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ by faith, when you know ‘you will surly die’?

    1 Kings 17:

    18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!”

    +

    Is that what you think of Easter? Is that what you think of all the hope of the empty tomb of Jesus? Where is your faith?

    +

    20 And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?”

    21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.

    23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.”

    Indeed, the Son lives! He IS resurrected from the dead.

    Ezekiel 37:

    tomb and crosses
    He is risen!

    The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me,“Son of man, can these bones live?”

    What do you think: When you run to the place where the body should be, do you have faith in the resurrection?

    5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath [It is the same word as in the beginning, Gen. 1:2] to enter you, and you shall live.

    6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

    7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.

    +

    Is that what you say of the body that has died?

    “There is no breath in them. They are dry bones forever.”

    The Prophet Ezekiel is witnessing creation of a man by the Spirit of God! – resurrection from the bones of men who have died!

    It was a battle for Jerusalem where faithful men died defending the Holy City of the LORD.  Faithful fallen followers of God, who wept over Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!

    +

    Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”

    10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

    +

    Resurrection at the command of the Living GOD! Men dead, given life from the dust of our bones!

    Do you hearken to the upward call of the Voice of the Living One?

    Resurrection! Do you believe this?

    This is 600 years before Christ Jesus. This is the same time even Jews persecuted their own Prophets. This is the time of Jeremiah who they threw into a pit to die. This is a time when Daniel would interpret handwriting on the walls for Kings who had destroyed Jerusalem in 607 BC; a time when the faithful were led as captives into Babylon, as before Moses had led Israel from the slavery Egypt.

    It is the LORD who brings floods on all of the earth. It is the LORD who parts the sea before the Hebrews to pass over. It is the LORD who commands spirit into the lifeless body, which lies in the tomb of hopelessness.

     Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son

    Luke 7:

    11 Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.

    13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”

    15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

    16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and“God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

    +

    I have sat through memorials for my mother and for my wife…

    They lay in the grave without sinew to embrace me in the flesh; lifeless rest, without spirit to have compassion on me… Is there hope for these?

    Yes! I say. In Christ they live. By their faith, their bones will hearken to the upward call of Jesus, when at last He will return once more on the clouds of Heaven… and then the Judgment.

    Even with evidence of the Prophets and witness of Jesus, the Son of Man raising a boy from the coffin and giving him back to his mother: many refused to believe. Yet the work of the resurrection is never finished until Jesus says, “It is finished.”

     John 11 (ESV)

    The Death of Lazarus

    Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha… 5 Now Jesus loved [agapaō] Martha and her sister and Lazarus…

    8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” …

    14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

    +

    Not a lot of faith here from a disciple who knew Jesus raised the boy at Nain from the dead. Fear and doubt: how easily we forget our faith in the Lord when our flesh is at stake. We are just like him though; for we would want to put our hands in the wounds of the nails.

    We pray for Jesus to heal the inevitable sickness leading to death of a loved one, when their true sickness is the sin of our souls.

    17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother…

    21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

    23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

    24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

    25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

    27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,who is coming into the world.”

    … 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

    … 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

    … “Lazarus, come out.”

    44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.

    Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

    The Plot to Kill Jesus

    45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

    47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

    +

    Jesus Christ is not the only one to ride into Jerusalem in triumph. The Table of Sacrifice for the Temple is prepared. The proof of the resurrection, even in the person of Lazarus, is evidence!

    “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD,” shout some.

    Then when it is time for the Sacrifice, many flee. Many betray the Lord to hold onto their comfortable sins. They shout, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him.“

    Like a Lamb he is led to the slaughter, scourged for the punishment of our sins, and nailed to a tree with the curse of our unrighteousness.

    “Crucify Him! Crucify Him,” we witness by the fruit of our quick run from the Cross after we worship most Sundays. Yet He loves us so much.

    Christ died for our sins.

    For the Tomb will be empty…

    And so will be yours…

    The Savior returns.

    +

    Do you believe this?

    +