GOD SPEAKING "BY HIS SON" (Heb. 1:2)
The proclamation of the KING and the KINGDOM.
The Rejection of the KINGDOM and the Crucifixion of the KING.
(Alternation.)
| A1 |
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MATTHEW. The Lord presented as Jehovah's KING. "Behold THY
KING" (Zech.9:9). "Behold . . . I will raise unto David a
Righteous BRANCH,* and a KING shall reign and prosper"
(Jer. 23:5,6; 33:15) Hence the royal genealogy is required
from Abraham and David downward (Mat. 1:1-17): and He is
presented as what He is - before MAN (relatively) - the highest
earthly position, the King. |
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B1 |
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MARK. The Lord presented as Jehovah's SERVANT. "Behold MY
SERVANT" (Isa. 42:1). "Behold, I will bring forth My Servant THE
BRANCH"* (Zech. 3:8). Hence NO genealogy is required:
and He is presented as what He is - before GOD (relatively) - the
lowest earthly position, the ideal Servant. |
| A2 |
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LUKE. The Lord presented as Jehovah's MAN. "Behold THE MAN Whose
name is THE BRANCH"* (Zech. 6:12) Hence the human genealogy is
required upward to Adam (Luke 3:23-38): and He is presented as what He
is - before MAN
(intrinsically) - the ideal man. |
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B2 |
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JOHN. The Lord presented as JEHOVAH HIMSELF. "Behold YOUR GOD"
(Isa.40:9). "In that day shall Jehovah's BRANCH* (i.e. Messiah) be
beautiful and glorious" (Isa. 4:2). Hence NO genealogy is required;
and He is presented as what He is - before GOD (intrinsically) -
Divine. |
*There are twenty-three Hebrew words translated "Branch"
in the Old Testament. This word (zemach) occurs twelve times; but in the
passages here quoted it refers specially to the Messiah, and forms a
link which connects the four characteristics of "the Branch" with the
four presentations of the Messiah, as set forth in the subject-matter
of each of the four Gospels respectively.
In Jer. 23:5,6 and 33:15, Christ is presented as "the Branch", the
KING raised up to rule in righteousness. This forms the
subject-matter of MATTHEW's Gospel.
In Zech. 3:8, Christ is presented
as "the Branch", the SERVANT brought forth for Jehovah's service.
This forms the subject-matter of MARK's Gospel. He is seen as
Jehovah's servant, entering at once on His ministerial work without
any preliminary words.
In Zech. 6:12, Christ is presented as "the Branch" growing up out of
His place. This is the characteristic of LUKE's Gospel, in which this
growing up forms the subject-matter of the earlier (and separate)
portion of the Gospel, and brings out the perfection's of Christ as
"perfect man".
In Isa. 4:2, Christ is presented as "the Branch of Jehovah" in all
His own intrinsic beauty and glory. This is the great characteristic
of the subject-matter of JOHN's Gospel.
The Four Gospels thus form one complete whole, and are not to be
explained by any "synoptic" arrangement.
The four are required to set
forth the four aspects of the LIFE of Christ, as the four great
offerings are required to set forth the four aspects of His DEATH.
No one Gospel could set forth the four different aspects of the life
and ministry of the Lord Jesus, as no one offering could set forth
all the aspects of His death.
Hence, it is the Divine purpose to give us, in the four Gospels, four
aspects of His life on earth.
God has so ordered these that a "Harmony" is practically impossible;
and this is the reason why, out of more than thirty attempts, there
are scarcely two that agree, and not one that is satisfactory.
The attempt to make one, is to ignore the Divine purpose in
giving four.
No one view could give a true idea of any building; and no one Gospel
"Harmony" can include a complete presentation of the Lord's life on
earth.
Through failure to recognize this fourfold Divine presentation of the
Lord, the term "Synoptic Gospels" has been given to the first
three, because they are supposed to take one and the same point of
view, and thus to differ from the fourth Gospel: whereas the
difference is caused by the special object of John's Gospel, which is
to present the Lord from the Divine standpoint. John's Gospel is thus
seen from the Structure above to be essentially one of the four, and
not one standing apart from the three.
