Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the first four books of the New Testament. They tell us the life of Christ, the Son of God, his death on the cross, his resurrection from the dead and his ascension to heaven. All four books should be studied.

Matthew - Shows Jesus as the Saviour God promised

Mark - Tells about the things Jesus did

Luke - We see Jesus helping with peoples needs

John - Proves Jesus to be really "God's Son"

Our story begins in the days of Herod the King of Judea. A certain priest named Zacharias, whose wife's name was Elizabeth had no children and were older people (Luke 1:5-7). One day an angel appeared to Zacharias saying, "I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God." Their prayer had been heard by God and Elizabeth would bear a son and they called his name John (Luke 1:13-19). This same angel, Gabriel, was sent from God to a "virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary." The angel told Mary not to be afraid that she had found favor with God and would "conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son and shalt call his name Jesus" (Luke 1:27-31).

"He shall be great and shall be called the son of the highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father, David." "and of his KINGDOM, there shall be no end" (Kingdom is Christ's church, Luke l:33)

The angel said "the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). Mary was told also that Elizabeth was to have a child. This was indeed two miracles, (Luke 1:39) "Wondrous Works of God," for Mary had never known a man and was a virgin and Elizabeth was very old. Elizabeth's son was John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus. Mary brought forth her first son (Jesus), they wrapped him in "swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger." Joseph, Mary's husband, was of the lineage of David (Luke 2:4-7). "God was manifest in the flesh" through Jesus (I Timothy 3:16).

Jesus the child "grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him" (Luke 2:40). When Jesus was 12 years old his parents went to Jerusalem. On the way home his parents missed him and returned to search for Jesus and found him in the temple asking questions of the teachers of the law of God. Jesus answered, "I must be about my Father's business." Jesus returned with his parents and was "subject unto them" (Luke 2:49-51). Even God's son needed to be nurtured and guided by parents until he grew up. This is God's will and any rebellion against parents is really fighting God. If we love God, we will obey him.

This seems to be the age when most young people think about God seriously and become aware of personal responsibility of their behavior before God. Jesus was serious about God's business at the age of 12. Not much is recorded about the boyhood of Jesus. Even though he had no sin, he was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan, River "to fulfill all righteousness" at the age of thirty (Luke 3:21-23) (see genealogy from Adam to Jesus, Luke 3:23-38). John's message-should be noted-was one of "repentance," for the forgiveness of sins, to prepare the way of the Lord (Luke 3:3-4). The message of John did not include believing the gospel (death, burial and resurrection) for Jesus had not yet died on the cross.

The Bible says Jesus was tempted in "all points as we are;" therefore, he is able to understand our infirmities" and help and comfort us (Hebrews 4:15-16). Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, the "tempter." (Matthew 4:1). Each time Jesus answered Satan from the word of God, saying, "it is written" (see Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:8) Jesus did not sin. When the devil ended his temptations he "departed for a season " (Luke 4:13), meaning he would be around again. God's angels came and ministered to Jesus (Matthew 4:11). God promises us that he will not allow us to be tempted above what we can bear but will with each temptation "make a way to escape" (I Corinthians 10:13).

The ministry of Jesus was about 3 years. He chose 12 men called apostles to help him. He lived with them, trained and sent them to preach to the lost the "good news of Christ". One day Jesus went into the synagogue and taught the people. He read from Isaiah, in the Old Testament:

"The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, and to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18) (See Isaiah 61:1-2).

Jesus was God's message of love to you and I. He came to save us and free us from Satan's cruel bondage of sin and tell us that God forgives us because of Him. That is the "Good News," the Gospel of Christ. He ate with "publicans and sinners" for he came to call sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13). The people loved Jesus and many followed him. Jesus once fed over 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fishes (Matthew 14:19-21). another "Wondrous Work Of God." Jesus performed some 35 miracles that are recorded and the Apostle John said Jesus did "many other signs ... not written in this book . . . but these are written that you might believe" (John 20:30-31). Jesus performed 9 miracles of power over nature such as "stilling the seas" and proved to all he was truly God's son. His hearings were instant and complete and convinced "unbelievers" as well as "believers." His hearings did not always depend upon the faith of the person on whom the miracle was performed, as in the case of Lazarus whom he raised from the dead.

As the people pressed upon Jesus to hear the word of God, he sat down in a boat and taught them (Luke 5:1-3). Let's see the fishhooks Jesus used in "catching men." Standing by Lake Gennesaret, Jesus saw two fishermen washing their nets and told them to "launch out" again, and Simon answering said:

"Master, we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless AT THY WORD I will let down the net" (Luke 5:5).

They were putting up their nets for the day, but did as Jesus suggested. They caught so many fish it broke their nets. They filled both ships and "began to sink" (Luke 5:6-7). Jesus promised a "draught" and that's what they got; he knows where the fish are. The fishook is "faith to launch out." Simon Peter fen down at Jesus' knees, saying, "I am a sinful man, and all were astonished (Luke 5:8). Peter had doubted, but obeyed the words of Jesus and received the blessing. Seeing the power Jesus had, the men eagerly followed Jesus. The words of Jesus still have the same power today; find a need and fill it. The fishook is to "look for opportunities." "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men," said Jesus "and they forsook all, and followed him" (Luke 5:10-11).

Many followed Jesus and were called "disciples" (followers); out of these, Jesus chose 12 men to help him with his work. Another fishook is to "be a follower," an example. The apostles were named "Simon, (whom he also named Peter) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip, and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor" (Luke 6:13-16).

Jesus went throughout the countryside teaching and healing the sick. Jesus healed a leper saying, "be thou clean," and immediately, the leprosy departed him (Luke 5:13). Leprosy was a dreaded disease: no one touched lepers for fear of catching it, but Jesus touched a leper. What a touch of love it must have been from the master's gentle hand. As busy as Jesus was he often withdrew himself into the wilderness to pray (Luke 5:16). "Prayer" is a fishook in catching men. Many had faith in Jesus and he blessed those who had faith in him. One time some men came bringing a man to Jesus with the disease of Palsy. Because of the multitude, they could not get through to Jesus, so they let the man down through a housetop. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto him, "Man, thy sins are forgiven thee." Then to prove he had power to forgive sins, Jesus healed the man. Another fishook is friends who "just won't give-up."

Jesus taught a whole new way of life, like "loving your enemies" and "doing good to them which hate you" (Luke 6:27). Some of his words were hard for the average person to swallow, such as the fishook of "love." It is not our nature to love people who hate us, but Jesus was calling on men to take on a heavenly image. God sends rain on the just and the unjust. Jesus said "for if ye love them which love you, what thank ye" (Luke 6:32); anyone can love a good guy. "Bless them that curse you," and "pray for them which despitefully use you," and if someone hits you on one cheek, offer also the other" (Luke 6:29). Jesus was trying to teach us a better way to handle people, with love instead of hate.

Jesus taught us not to go about "judging" everyone, but to have compassion. (Luke 6:37-42) We are all sinners in need of the grace of God. Our Lord talked and ate with sinners, for he came to call "sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:13). We can never help anyone we already look upon as a hopeless case. The fishook is "hope." Believe in God's power and no situation or person is hopeless. "They that are whole need not a physician: but they that are sick." (Luke 5:31). Sometimes we feel like our sins are so bad God could not possibly forgive us. Jesus told about such a person, a "woman in the city, which was a sinner" (Luke 7:37). This woman must have felt that way, too, for she:

"... stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment" (Luke 7:38).

 

1. Name the first 4 books of the New Testament_______________, _______________, _______________, __________.

2. What was the name of the angel that God sent to announce the coming birth of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ? _____________ (Luke 1:13-19).

3. The Bible teaches that "with God nothing shall be ___________________ (Luke 1:37).

4. When Jesus was 12 and found in the temple by his parents asking questions of the teachers of God's law he said: "I must be about my __________________ business" (Luke 2:49).

5. Was Jesus subject to his parent's authority?______________ (Luke 2:51).

6. The Devil came to tempt Jesus in the wilderness but each time Jesus answered from God's word saying "It ____________________ _________________" (Matthew 4:3-4, Luke 4:4-8, Matthew 4:6-7).

7. Who came and ministered to Jesus after his temptation? ________________ (Matthew 4:11).

8. Jesus came to call "sinners to _______________________" (Matthew 9:13).

9. Jesus once fed over _________________ people with 5 loaves and a few fishes by performing a miracle (Matthew 14:19-21).

10. Did Jesus eat with sinners? ____________________ (Matthew 9:13).

NAME__________________________ LESSON RECEIVED____________________

ADDRESS_______________________ LESSON RETURNED____________________

________________________________ GRADED BY____________ GRADE________

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I will promptly grade them and mail you the other lessons.

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