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Joshua Maloney
History 201
Andrew Crislip
19 September 2021
Essay 1: Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Messiah
The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John all tell the same story of Jesus Christ, but
with key differences between them. Although each Gospel tells the same story, they all paint
Jesus Christ in a different manner. The authors of each of the Gospels use these differences to
portray a story that is more easily believable, and to characterize Jesus in certain ways to
emphasize their points about what the reader should believe about Christianity, not necessarily
Jesus himself. It is important to analyze these key differences so that we may better understand
each author’s purpose. I have chosen to focus on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ
and how each Gospel portrays it.
The Gospels were written based on mostly oral stories, the source called “Q”, and the
Old Testament prophecies. Matthew and Luke’s Gospels take significant material from the
Gospel of Mark, but change certain things; these three are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels.
Much of these Gospels are taken from the source known as Q. The death of Jesus Christ is not
one of those things. Each author has different events around Jesus’ death that symbolize different
points of view. In each of the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus is characterized to fit the Jewish prophecy,
and most of the events are the same. In John, however, Jesus is characterized as God and his
story is used to inspire belief for Christianity.
The Gospels of Mark and Matthew have very similar accounts of Jesus’ death. In the
Gospel of Mark, Jesus is a very confusing man, often speaking in parables that no one
understands. Mark paints Jesus as a healer and miracle worker, who is very secretive and
confusing, telling those he helps not to tell others of his work. There is also a strong emphasis on
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Jesus being the son of God and his purpose is to suffer for all mankind. In the events leading up
to Jesus’ death, Mark makes a point to mention “they offered him wine mingled with myrrh; but
he did not take it.” (Mark 15:23) Myrrh is a numbing agent and Jesus’ refusal to take this
numbing agent only further helps drive home Jesus’ suffering. Before his death in Mark, Jesus’
clothes are taken and he is ridiculed by the Jewish elders, and the robbers are crucified next to
him. Mark also makes a point to highlight that Jesus is crucified in the third hour, and from the
sixth hour to the ninth hour there was darkness until his death. The other Synoptic Gospels only
mention that there was darkness from the sixth to ninth hours. Jesus’ last words are "My God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34). This is the only time Jesus does not refer to
God as his father. This is most likely to illustrate Jesus’ suffering by depicting Jesus as desperate
and helpless in his dying moments. After his death, Mark makes a point to include that the
centurion says, "Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39) after witnessing the
crucifixion and the tearing of the curtain of the Temple. The curtain was used to keep the Temple
separated from those who were not deemed to enter. This symbolizes Jesus suffering and dying
for all people, so that they may also find salvation through him. Mark depicts Jesus as a figure of
authority throughout his Gospel. It makes sense that when Jesus is risen in Mark’s story, the
women who find the tomb empty are scared to tell others.
In Matthew, Jesus’ character is shaped to fit the Jewish prophecy more than any of the
other Gospels. He is depicted as the King of the Jews. Just as Mark tries to shape Jesus to fit the
role of the son of God and a suffering servant, Matthew shapes Jesus to be the king of the Jews
who brings new law, and tries his best to make Jesus fit into the role of the chosen Jewish
messiah. Matthew shows Jesus in opposition to the Jewish elders because he claimed to be the
savior of Jews and Gentiles alike. Most of what Matthew says about the death of Jesus is the
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same as Mark however there are a few differences. In Matthew, Pilate emphasizes that Jesus has
done nothing wrong and it takes more convincing than in the other Gospels for him to sentence
Jesus to crucifixion. He even says that he is innocent of his blood, to which the Jews reply that
the blood will be on them and their children's hands. This is to emphasize the opposition of the
Jewish elders against Jesus. Jesus is mocked and repeatedly called the king of the Jews before his
death. At the moment of his death not only does the curtain tear, but there is also an earthquake,
the tombs open to create a more dramatic setting before the centurion declares that Jesus was the
son of God. After his resurrection in Matthew, Jesus says to his disciples "All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe
all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."(Matthew
28: 18-20) Matthew makes these Jesus’ last words before he ascends to heaven to show that
Jesus was the savior for “all nations” and his purpose on Earth was to establish a new covenant.
The Gospel of Luke is also similar to the other Synoptic Gospels but it differs the most.
Throughout Luke Jesus is depicted as a very compassionate and merciful savior. His last
moments are used to illustrate this. Mark and Matthew use the robbers crucified on Jesus’ sides
as another source of ridicule, while Luke uses them as another way to show Jesus’ compassion
for all. He says to them "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."(Luke 23:43)
Jesus’ last words are also different in Luke, he says: "Father, into thy hands I commit my
spirit!”(Luke 23:46). This does not depict Jesus as suffering, but instead as prepared for this
moment and ready to give up his spirit to God. He has clearly predicted that this will happen
earlier in the Gospel. This characterization from Luke illustrates Jesus as committed in faith and
blessing all people until the very end.
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The Gospel of John differs from the others in that it has a completely different purpose
and was written the longest after the events of the story. John depicts Jesus as God amongst men,
and the purpose of his Gospel is mostly to inspire belief in Christianity. Throughout the Gospel
of John, it seems as though Jesus is completely in control of his destiny and he is truly all
powerful and divine. He performs many miracles throughout the story, even raising the dead.
This is why in John’s Gospel, when Pilate asks Jesus, “Don’t you realize I have power either to
free you or to crucify you?” He replies “You would have no power over me if it were not given
to you from above.”(John 19:10-11) Jesus’ final words, “It is finished,”(John 19:30) also serve
the same purpose. Most noticeably, Jesus also speaks to his disciples and Thomas before he
ascends to heaven at the end of the Gospel that stands out. First, he tells his disciples to “Receive
the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them,
they are not forgiven.”(John 20:23) Jesus is literally saying that in him is the Holy Spirit of God
and because he can give them this, they can also forgive the sins of man, which was believed was
something that only God can do. Then he says to Thomas, “because you have seen me, you have
believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”(John 20:29) One of the
final lines of the Gospel, this perfectly defines Jesus as God in the flesh is in John’s Gospel and
helps inspire readers to believe and have faith, which is the purpose of John’s entire story.