The Four EvangelistsMatthew

Mark

Luke

John

Note on Notes:

• Look for keywords in each bullet

• Write keywords, but make sure your

notes make sense

• Don’t leave out any important info.

• Write quickly, but legibly

What are the Gospels?

• The first four books of the New Testament are known as the Gospels.

• Gospel means “good news”--evangelium

• The Gospels tell the story of Jesus, the Savior of the World.

• Gospels tell about Jesus and the disciples (all his followers) and the Apostles (the chosen 12 Jesus asked to follow Him closely).

What is in the Gospels?

• The Gospels contain:

– Parables (stories that teach a lesson)

– Miracles: (wonders Christ worked for the

people to have greater faith)

– History of Christ’s life

What is in the Gospels?

• The Gospels contain:

– Parables (stories that teach a lesson)

• Examples: The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable

of the Mustard Seed.

– Miracles: (wonders Christ worked for the

people to have greater faith)

• Examples: The healing of the paralytic, the

multiplication of the loaves and fishes.

What is in the Gospels?

• The Gospels contain:

– History of Christ’s life

• How He became Man (Luke)

• His birth

• His life

• His Death

• His Resurrection

Paschal

Mystery

Who Wrote the Gospels?

• The Four Evangelists:

– Matthew the Apostle

– Mark

– Luke

– John the Apostle

• Evangelist means “sharer of the

Good News.”

What are their symbols?

Matthew-A winged man/angel Mark- a winged lion

Luke-A winged ox John-a winged eagle

Where do these symbols come from?

Revelation 4:6-8

Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a LION, the second living creature like an OX, the third living creature with a face like a HUMAN face, and the fourth living creature like a flying EAGLE. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside.

Who is Matthew?

• Job: Matthew was a tax collector. This means

he was not well liked by the people.

• Death: Matthew was most likely martyred.

• Literary Purpose: Matthew wrote his Gospel

so the Jewish people would know that Jesus

was the fulfillment of the Old Testament-the

Messiah they had been waiting for!

Why is Matthew represented by a man?

Matthew focuses on the humanity of Christ showing how humble He is to come as a man at the Incarnation.

Matthew was sitting in the tax collecting

booth when Jesus said,

“Follow me!” and

he left and followed Christ.

Who is St. Mark?

• Job: Mark traveled with St. Paul and helped to spread the Gospel.

• Death: Mark was martyred while being dragged through the streets for preaching the Gospel.

• Literary Purpose: Mark wanted to convert the Greeks (who were pagans-people who didn’t believe in the one God) to Christianity. First Gospel to be written.

Why is Mark represented by a lion?

Mark focuses on Christ as the Son of God and the lion stands for leadership and royalty which Christ was.

Who is St. Luke?

• Job: Luke was a doctor but traveled around with Paul to spread the Gospel and he also wrote Acts of the Apostles.

• Death: We don’t know how Luke died.

• Literary Purpose: Luke wanted to show Christ’s humility through his love of the poor and women-those in society no one cared about.

• Also, we believe Luke knew Mary well which is why we have so much about her in his Gospel.

Why is Luke represented by an ox?

An ox (or a calf) is a symbol that represents sacrifice and Luke emphasized Christ’s sacrifice throughout his Gospel.

St. Luke

Who is St. John?

• Job: John was a fisherman who left everything to follow Christ. He was the youngest Apostle and the brother of James.

• Death: He died in exile on the island of Patmos in Greece.

• Literary Purpose: John is known as “the beloved disciple” and His purpose in writing was to show the deep love God has for man and that Jesus was really God.

Why is John represented by an eagle?

St. John’s Gospel takes us to the heights of greatness-it is the deepest and most symbolic of all the Gospels.

St. John the Apostle

One of these things is not like the others…

The Synoptic Gospels

What are the Synoptic Gospels?

• The Synoptic Gospels are the

Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

• Their Gospels are very similar and

have many of the same stories.

• The word Synoptic means “seeing

with the same eye.”

What about John?

• John’s Gospel is known as the “Fourth Gospel.”

• John knew that we would get the basic stories about Jesus in the synoptic Gospels so he wrote in a way where we would get an even deeper understanding of Christ.

Review

1. Vocabulary: Evangelist, disciple, Apostle, Gospel, miracle, parable, synoptic, Fourth Gospel

2. What do the Gospels contain?

3. Who are the four Gospel writers?

4. What are their symbols and why?

5. What was their purpose in writing their Gospel?

6. What was their job? Death?