In His infinite wisdom, God has provided four Holy Spirit inspired historical narratives that reveal four perspectives of Jesus. They are known as “The Gospels.” Of the many writings supposing to be authoritative history, only these four can be confirmed as authentic, God-inspired records of Jesus’ life on earth. Closely guarded and authenticated, they were passed along among the devoted leaders of the early Church of Christ much like a family history is preserved through generations committed to protecting its heritage and integrity.
The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the Promised King that the Jews had been expecting and so targeted the converts of Judaism. It was written as early as A.D. 50.
The Gospel of Mark presents Jesus as the suffering servant of the Lord. Mark 10:45 and seems to target Roman believers, particularly Gentiles. It was written about A.D. 140.
The Gospel of Luke, like Mark, presents Jesus as ???? and, like Mark, seems to target a mainly non-Jewish audience. The most likely date of this Gospel is A.D. 60-61.
The Gospel of John is the one which most presents Jesus as the Son of God. It was written around A.D. 80-90.
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 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.” John 20:30-31(ESV)
“Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” John 21:25 (ESV)
“The True light, which enlightens everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:9-13 (ESV)
The way to know the truth of Jesus’ life is by reading the four Gospels which were written for us. In these we see Jesus as a young man who had a family and friends and enemies and lived in a wide variety of circumstances. We see in His personality an unwavering patience and boldness, sharp intelligence, and an understanding of people and the world that was beyond extraordinary. He was a man of great compassion with a single-minded purpose – to seek and to save the lost. Within that purpose He demonstrated His power and authority to save through astonishing miracles and life-changing teaching. He revealed God as One who feeds the hungry, heals the sick, and delivers the hopelessly possessed. Jesus also had power to interrupt nature, which He did to assuage fear. In the end He revealed God as a Father who was willing to give the ultimate, most precious thing He had in order to save humans forever.
Jesus, God’s Son, willingly and purposefully allowed Himself to be arrested, brutalized, humiliated, crucified and killed. None of us can come close to understanding what took place spiritually for Jesus during those hours of His crucifixion. It is described in the Gospels, but it is beyond what we can imagine. He fulfilled His promise and rose from the dead and left the tomb 3 days later.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “For, I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (ESV)
This typical looking tomb is believed by many to be the actual location of Jesus’ burial. The alternate possibility is inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
More than 300 Old Testament prophecies describing Jesus’ first coming were fulfilled to the letter. The portrait which had been painted in prophecy became a clear picture in the reality of Jesus’ life, crucifixion, resurrection and promise to return. It is undeniable that He is the Son of God.
After His last meeting with the Disciples in the upper room,
Jesus would be going to the garden to pray.
Sweating drops of blood, He prayed for the Father’s will
to be done, fully knowing what was going to happen to Him
when the soldiers came to take Him back to Jerusalem.
As it is with knowing any person, their history and outward activities can provide only a partial understanding of their inward nature. That is why God didn’t stop with historical narratives and testimonies about Jesus and what He taught. In a much beloved section of Scripture in the Gospel of John, God brings us into the most intimate time and place of Jesus’ earthly life that reveals His most personal nature. It is the passage detailing Jesus’ final hours before His crucifixion which He spent with His closest followers, the Disciples. The passage is found in John 13-16 .
This Scripture brings us into the upper room with Jesus and the Disciples as they share their last Passover meal. It is here that He explains to them that He is going to be crucified. He reassures them of what is next for them as they live on without His physical presence. They would have to absorb the most grievous reality they could imagine – losing Him. What He was facing was beyond terrible. Consider the level of love and compassion that was required for Him to put Himself aside and comfort them. Yet, that was only a hint of the selflessness required to voluntarily die, hanging on a cross of crucifixion.
Nothing brings us closer to knowing Jesus than reading about Him in the Bible. The following excerpts are intended to inspire a reading of the entire life-giving passage.
In the culture of Jesus’ day the washing of feet was considered a very dirty job. Wearing sandals in the bustling city streets of those unhygienic times would have been like going bare-footed in the sand, dirt, litter, food and animal waste. In polite society feet had to be washed before entering a home, usually by the lowliest servant.
“Now, before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside His outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. … When He had washed their feet and put on His outer garments and resumed His place, He said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. John 13:1-5,12-15 (ESV)
By washing the disciples’ feet Jesus demonstrated His absolute love for them and willingness to meet their most base, embarrassing needs. He taught them that even though they will have been fully cleansed of their sin through their belief in Him as Savior, that the daily life in the world would necessarily result in a need for every day cleaning of their most effected parts. He taught them that He would wash their feet and that they would need to be humble to wash one anothers’ feet. In Luke’s gospel we are told that just prior to this event the Disciples had been arguing about who would be greatest in Christ’s Kingdom… (Luke 22:24)
After washing their feet, Jesus carefully explains to them what was next going to happen. This had to be crushing news. With deep empathy, He explains how He will equip them to proceed without Him any longer walking alongside them. He included detailed warnings and instructions about living in a world that would always be opposed to the Truth. He promised that they would have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them to remind them, teach them, and guide them just as He had been doing. He promised His ongoing participation with them as they would be welcome to pray to Him for their needs and as He would pray to the Father on their behalf. He explained how the obedience that would result from their love for Him would empower them with His continued presence, peace, joy and strength.
That passage, from John 13:16 through 16:33, includes far-reaching instruction that describes the life of a true follower of Christ, even for today. It brings us fully into His experience, His mission, His fellowship with God, and His ultimate victory.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:1-3 (ESV)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him. Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world? Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my work, and my Father will love him , and we will come to hiim and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. John 14:23-24
“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send i my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid.” John 14:25-27 (ESV)
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have dept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:7-11 (ESV)
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But, take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (ESV)
KNOWING JESUS – His Prayer to the Father
Once Jesus had completed His instructions, warnings and promises of comfort and protection, He prayed openly before the disciples what is known as His “High Priestly Prayer.” It presents an astonishingly deep look into the heart of our wonderful Lord. He had completed all but the last acts of His earthly mission… to seek and to save the lost. His prayer reveals so much.
Jesus, as God the Son, was all-knowing and all-powerful. We might assume that He would have no need to be praying to God the Father for anything. He would already have known everything the Father knew and was in full alignment to do the Father’s will. He had already said so in many passages of Scripture.
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