See how the one-year timeline is established in the gospels, and how all four gospels fit that timeline.

Answering that question is purpose of the book The Gospels Unified. In this podcast I will introduce to the keys that bring the gospels into harmony.

The greatest key is understanding their chronology. After all, chronology, an accurate timeline of events, is the basis for all history. Another important key is recognizing each gospel has a unique perspective.

Example pages from the book are shown to illustrate these points.

Are you studying the Gospels in particular?

Instead of reading the gospels one after the other, you can read everything that happened, in all four of the gospels, in chronological order, straight from The Gospels Unified.

See how Jesus’ life began as your read the series of events in Matthew and Luke in the order they occurred. Watch his ministry unfold after his baptism by John. Follow his ministry of deliverance through the summer, winter, and spring through to his ascension into the heavens.

Here is the plan in PDF format. Feel free to share it with your friends.

Forty Day Reading Plan For The Gospels Unified

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This series was taught in Jon Nessle’s class on the Gospels, The Four Witnesses of the Messiah. This class is taught live on Tuesday evenings. Contact me in Chat for links to future sessions.

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He lived the grace and love and forgiveness that we all treasure every day. He healed every sickness, cast out every devil, comforted every soul. When the time came, he gave his life to pave the way to the Father for each one of us.

Jesus’ love and teachings continue to touch millions. He taught an inclusive gospel that reaches out to those of all faiths, of all cultures, in all languages, men and women, young and old, at every level of social standing and educational background. He freely poured out his heart and life to all.

The Four Gospels

The series of events in his life is preserved in four unique gospels. Each one contributes to our appreciation of his focused life, his simple yet brilliant teachings, his great love, and the completeness of his sacrifice for us.

Yes, we need all four gospels. We need to see his compassionate leadership in Matthew. Isn’t his life the example for all who oversee others? We need to see his fierce determination to bring deliverance in Mark. Shouldn’t we all be so employed? What about his simple, loving walk as the ideal man in Luke? Shouldn’t we be the same with our fellow men? And what of his oneness with his Father in John? Now that we are redeemed and our sins washed away, shouldn’t we seek that same closeness with our Heavenly Father?

As Christians we want to know our Lord. We want to follow him and walk in his footsteps. We have his example in each gospel. So why join the four together?

When viewed side by side, we find details in each gospel that do not appear in the others. We may think these differences would inspire conflict and doubt. But, no! Rather than bringing dispute they augment, complement, even fulfill one another to present a unified view of Jesus’ life and ministry.

This gives the student yet another perspective on Jesus’ life—the inclusive view, the unified view—a view that resonates with the teachings of the teacher himself, in all their depth and beauty.

Jesus’ life and accomplishments were not given to the few of us, but to all of us. This volume focuses on the records of his life, the four gospels themselves, presented without the frameworks of doctrine that divide and separate us Christians from one another, the gospels from each other, and ultimately obscure the testimony of his life.

Get The Gospels Unified at a discount!

The basis for deciding how to separate Jesus’ life into events was to follow the lead of the Scriptures. Although the events flow from one to the next, there are differences in the focus of the action, in the people involved, in location, or in time. Each divide may not be evident in every gospel but will come to light when they are all viewed together.

We allow the Scriptures to set the divisions because the Bible is the supreme authority on itself. The keys to unlocking its treasures are found within its own pages. That includes the keys to chronology.

The most basic key is that God’s words are pure.

         Psalm 12:6  
         The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, 
         purified seven times. 

Another is that the books of the Bible are God inspired. None are the product of man’s intellect or desire.

         II Peter 1:20-21 
         Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private
         interpretation.
         For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God
         spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 

As we consider these core principles further, certain corollaries emerge:

• If we accept that God is perfect, and that He authored the Scriptures, then we also must accept that God’s Word as originally written was perfect, without errors or contradictions—not only within one book, but between all the books combined.

• If His Word is perfect and divinely inspired, then what is included or not included in each of the individual gospels was by divine design, not man’s judgment.

• If His Word is perfect, then the order of the words in each individual book would also have to be perfect.

Normally the words and actions in each gospel appear in the order in which they occurred. It is amazing how consistently the four gospels agree together on the order of events in Jesus’ life, as well as what occurred during each event. (The critics say this is because one was written first and the rest drew from it. That is man’s unbelief promoting man’s intellect above God’s wisdom.)

And yet, to say the order of the words is perfect does not imply they are always in order based on time alone. We might think that would be the case, but very few authors adopt that viewpoint. The order of events in any book is what fits the author’s purpose. So it is with the Bible.

For instance, the parable of the sower appears in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In each gospel the interpretation of the parable follows right after, during Jesus’ teaching. Yet the interpretation was not given among the multitudes. The twelve asked about the meaning of the parable later, when alone with Jesus, as Mark 4:10 reveals.¹ The Author placed the explanation directly after the parable, in each gospel, for the readers’ sake.

Why a Chronology?

Time is a major factor when piecing together any sequence of events. Chronology is the basis of all history.2With an accurate timeline in place, we can construct an accurate history.

Without an accurate timeline, our arrangement is always suspect. Chronology is the anchor that keeps us safe from the shallows of needless speculation and endless doubt. From the wide range of suggested birth dates through the guesswork on whether Jesus’ ministry lasted one year, two years, three and a half years, or five to the attempts to squeeze all the events in Passion Week between Good Friday and Sunday morning, the need for an accurate reckoning is clear.

The result of our efforts is 164 distinct incidents or events. Most appear in more than one gospel, giving us more than one viewpoint. These incidents have in turn been divided into smaller bits of action, dialogue, or narration. This approach illustrates how beautifully the four gospels agree, while it reveals the unique contributions of each gospel.

Establishing a Standard

Through the centuries men have attempted focusing on either Matthew, Mark, or Luke as the standard for the sequence of events in Jesus’ life. How can we determine the true order? The answer is in the Scriptures. The introduction to one of the four gospels declares itself to be foremost in matters of chronology.

         Luke 1:1, 1:3–4   
         Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of 
         those things which are most surely believed among us,   
         It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from
         the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
         That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been
         instructed. 

The words “from the very first” in verse three could be better translated “from above.”3 Luke was given the understanding and inspiration to write his Gospel by the Author, God.

The words “in order . . . that” in verse three seem to imply purpose. That is only partially true. The words “in order” are translated from a Greek word meaning “according to the order or succession, consecutively, in connected order.”4 Luke’s Gospel was written with understanding from above to set the true order of events in Jesus’ life. The events in Luke appear in the order they are in for a reason.

Some scholars believe Matthew was the first gospel written. But, a large section of Matthew is not chronological (we will see more on Matthew later). This may have been exploited to sow doubt and confusion. Luke’s Gospel sets the chronological record straight to bring the believers back to a place of security and safety in their beliefs.

There is similar confusion among the believers today. When commentators promote the differences in the gospels and play one gospel against another, they do nothing to build certainty, trust, and safety in the hearts of those who believe.

The good news is, not only are the incidents appearing in Luke’s Gospel noteworthy, the order in which they appear is just as noteworthy. No other gospel declares this. Only Luke sets itself as the gold standard for the chronology of the gospels.

On top of Luke’s testimony, we find confirmation in the Gospel of Mark. The events in Mark closely follow Luke’s order of events, to the point where Mark can be viewed as a second source for the sequence of events where Luke is silent.

In this pairing of Luke and Mark we see the standard set by Moses, reiterated by Jesus, and repeated by Paul. “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (quoted from II Corinthians 13:1).5 God left no room for doubt—He set the chronology in one gospel and established it in a second. Luke and Mark are the two witnesses by which every word of the gospels is established.

The certainty of this timeline of events is significant. Once we recognize that Luke and Mark together set the standard, we realize Matthew’s chapters 8-13 are not chronological, and may be reconciled to Luke and Mark not by adding another year to the timeline, but by viewing those ten sections in their chronological order (see Appendix 4). Likewise, the “additional” Passover feasts in John do not fit  with the timeline.  The feasts mentioned in John 5:1 and 6:4 must refer to other feasts, not Passover.

Luke and Mark have something else in common. Both can be viewed as being written from a sandals-on-the-ground perspective. What would we have seen if we were there, with Jesus, on the streets and in the homes where he ministered? That is the viewpoint they both share.

Matthew and John Add Their Perspective

The Gospel of Matthew covers many of the same events as Luke and Mark, but the order is not the same. The order is not the same because the perspective is different.

Matthew was written to show how certain events fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. The order of the events was secondary. For this reason, their sequence in Matthew chapters 8–13 differs from Luke and Mark. Luke and Mark remain the standard.

Another aspect of Matthew is that it often gives us additional information we would be unaware of by observation. For instance, when Jesus healed the centurion’s servant, Matthew shows him speaking directly with the centurion. Luke, relating the same incident, shows the centurion went to the religious leaders with his request, and they appealed to Jesus on his behalf. He never spoke directly to Jesus.6

So, is Matthew lying? Of course not. Thoughtful analysis is necessary to recognize what Matthew is revealing in comparison to the other gospels—an analysis that is rooted in the laws of language and biblical perspective.

In this instance, Matthew is using the figure of speech where actions are credited to one person that were carried out by others at his request or by his authority, just as one may speak of their president or prime minister’s accomplishments, knowing he has a large staff of people helping him.

Matthew shows the centurion speaking directly with Jesus. Luke shows the centurion speaking to the religious leaders, and them speaking with Jesus on his behalf. Jesus responded to the centurion though them, as one man in authority to another. This figure is common to every language.7

The Gospel of John’s perspective is so different from the other gospels that many consider it conflicting and impossible to harmonize. There is no mention in Matthew, Mark, and Luke of much of what we read in John. When John includes events in the other gospels, we do not see the detail we see in the others. John may summarize a detailed sequence of actions with only one verse. Again, it is written from a different perspective.

         John 20:30–31  
         And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are
         not written in this book:   
         But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of 
         God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.  

John gives record after record of Jesus’ works. It shows the disciples, John the Baptist, the woman at the well, the man born blind, the many he fed from a few loaves and fishes, and many more who believed he was the Son of God, after hearing his teachings and seeing the miracles which he did.8 These are related in John so we also may believe on the Son of God and attain salvation.

While Luke and Mark look to the present and Matthew the past, John looks to the future. In John we learn of the coming spirit by which men will worship God in spirit and in truth. This spirit would be in them an unlimited resource, like rivers of living water. This spirit would guide them into the “all truth” and teach them of things to come.9

As to John’s chronology, the key is accepting the standard set by Luke and Mark. Much of John relates Jesus’ teaching at the annual feasts in Jerusalem. The dates of these feasts are specified in the Old Testament, or commonly known from other sources. Once we recognize the value of the pairing of Luke and Mark, the events of John are easily integrated with the other gospels.

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Mark 4:10: And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of

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But then, how important is chronology? Should we be concerned about a timeline in our study of the Gospels?

The Value of Time

If we think about it, the timeline we envision is a basic assumption that underlies all our thinking. Time is so prevalent in our lives that often it is where we begin our evaluation, perhaps without realizing it.  We assume Jesus’ ministry was three years long or longer. What if it was only one year long?

In The Gospels Unified we determined the timeline of Jesus’ ministry was set by the pairing of Luke and Mark together. The Gospel of John centers around the yearly feasts and is easily integrated into their calendar. Ten sections of the Gospel of Matthew are not chronological and can be rearranged to fit with Luke and Mark.

The result is that all the events of his ministry in all four gospels can easily fit into a one-year timeline. Now the challenge becomes, not the chronology of the gospels, but whether their unique perspectives complement, support, and complete one another to present a unified view of Jesus’ life and ministry.

Where Do We Start?

When we recognize the order of events is key to our studies, we are willing to take a closer look at obvious similarities and differences. We may begin thinking, “How can the records of an event, which are so different in the individual gospels, fit together?”

But A Does Not Equal B !

It is not as simple as in mathematics, where two sets of numbers are only identical if they contain the same elements. That works for mathematics, where the elements are numbers. When comparing two events, the components we need to consider are the time and location, the people involved, what was said, and what was done.

A Simple Example  

For example, consider the records of the last supper. Matthew and Mark are similar, but they also give the least information. Luke begins with introductory remarks made by Jesus before the meal, and includes much that does not appear in the other gospels. Of course, the record in the gospel of John is completely different from Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Luke and John contain more elements, or components, than Matthew and Mark. Also, some components of Luke and John are different, particularly what was said and done. Does that mean there were three last suppers?

We recognize that certain events occurred only once, although they are reported differently in the individual gospels. We glimpse the idea there, even if it is “through a glass darkly.”  

The Value of Perspective

As an illustration, picture a room having an observation window on each of its four sides. Someone looking in from one window could see things differently than one looking in from another. From one perspective factors are hidden that are obvious in another.

Added to the different physical viewpoints are those of the individuals. Actions will stand out for some viewers that others dismiss. When asked to describe what they saw, one could take a completely different tack than another, so it sounds like they are talking of two different things, when in fact they are describing the same action.

When it comes to the gospels, the four viewpoints illustrated above are all of God, Who sees all and knows all. He could have given us just one gospel that included everything Jesus did. The fact that He gave us four different gospels indicates a purpose, a design is involved. What is included or not included in the individual gospels was by His design, not man’s judgment. We see more of the design by examining how the gospels complement one another.

Other Biblical Considerations

When weighing Biblical records, there are several factors we should consider. The perspectives of the particular gospels. Eastern culture and customs. Figures of speech. The different names used for people and places. Whether one record is giving a straightforward sequence of actions while another is merely summarizing.

We will continue this study with an example in our companion post, The Three Blind Men of Jericho.

We will be comparing the similar records found in Mark and Matthew. Do the two accounts complement or contradict one another? 

Is there something written in one gospel that contradicts, disputes, or conflicts with what is written in the other? Or could one be giving us additional, complementary information?

         Mark 10:46-52
         And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a 
         great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the
         highway side begging.
         And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say,
         Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
         And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a
         great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
         And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind
         man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
         And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
         And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto
         thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
         And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And
         immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Now compare Mark's record to that in Matthew. Are they contradictory or complementary?

         Matthew 20:29-34 
         And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 
         And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus
         passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
         And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they 
         cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 
         And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto
         you? 
         They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
         So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their
         eyes received sight, and they followed him. 

Matthew is talking of two men while Mark speaks only of one. Mark names the person, Matthew does not. In Matthew Jesus calls the men over, in Mark he has others bring the man to him. In Matthew he touches their eyes, in Mark he just tells the man his faith has made him whole.  Matthew and Mark must be speaking of two different healings.

But wait, both of these occurred while Jesus was leaving Jericho. Time is one factor we should consider. If we believe Jesus’ ministry was three or four years long and the order of events reported in the gospels is inconsequential, that is one thing. But since we believe his ministry was one year long, we recognize the order of events is important. So, we will take a closer look at the similarities and differences in these records.

The Blind Men

         Mark 10:46
         And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a
         great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the 
         highway side begging. 

         Matthew 20:29-30a
         And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
         And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side . . .

Both records occurred as Jesus was leaving Jericho with a great number of people. Some mark the difference between “going out of Jericho” in Mark and “departing” in Matthew. The same Greek word is used in both verses, it is just translated differently. There is no difference there. Translation is another factor in our consideration.

Perhaps the biggest sticking point is that one gospel speaks of one man, and even names him. The other speaks of two. This appears to conflict, but does it? In at least one other incident we see a similar pattern. When healing the men in the tombs, Matthew reports two possessed men were delivered while Mark and Luke only mention one.

From a logical perspective, if there were two men, there was also one, correct? And Mark does not say there was only one man present, although it clearly focuses on Bartimaeus. Could not that be considered complementary information to Matthew’s record?

Crying for Mercy

         Mark 10:47-48
         And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say,
         Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.  
         And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a 
         great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 

         Matthew 20:30b-31 
          . . . when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, 
         O Lord, thou Son of David. 
         And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they 
         cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 

In both records we see the blind men called out for mercy, were told to be quiet, and cried out the more. We see the same action with a blind man as Jesus was entering Jericho in Luke 18:35-43. The fact that they acted the same here is no basis for judging identity.

One record uses the phrase “Jesus, Son of David” and the other “Lord, Son of David”. Many were telling them to hold their peace. Couldn’t they have used both phrases as they earnestly sought his help? Could there be another reason “Lord” was reported in one gospel and “Jesus” in the other?

Jesus' Invitation

         Mark 10:49
         And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind
         man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. 

         Matthew 20:32a
         And Jesus stood still, and called them . . .

In Mark Jesus commands the man to be called to him, but in Matthew he called them himself. This is an example of the figure, used many times in Matthew, where actions are attributed to the one in authority (Jesus) that are actually carried out by those in his company. 

Another example of this is the healing of the centurion’s servant in Matthew 8. We see in other records that Jesus did not minister to those outside the nation of Israel. Why would this Roman centurion be any different? The companion record in Luke 7 shows that the centurion went to the elders of the Jews, and they asked Jesus to heal his son. Jesus never spoke directly to the centurion.

In both instances, the figure was used in Matthew and the literal given in Mark or Luke. Rather than being a contradiction, this is consistent with what we see elsewhere in the gospels.

Reported in Only One Gospel

         Mark 10:49b-50
         And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth 
         thee. 
         And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. 

This information does not appear in Matthew. Does that contradict, or does it complement Matthew’s record?

The Blind Men's Request

         Mark 10:51
         And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto 
         thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

         Matthew 20:32b-33
         And Jesus . . . said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 
         They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 
 

Some would insist these are different occasions based on the men’s requests. But are they truly contradictory, or just reported differently? It is possible that both phrases were said. Not everything that occurred is reported in every gospel, only what serves the Author’s purpose.

Also, one record may be offering a summary of the dialogue or action in place of the literal conversation. Again, it comes down to the Author’s purpose.

The Healings

         Mark 10:52
         And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And
         immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. 

         Matthew 20:34
         So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their
         eyes received sight, and they followed him.

In Mark Jesus speaks that his believing has healed him, while in Matthew he touches their eyes. Again, not everything is reported in every gospel.

In the healing of Simon’s wife’s mother, Luke reports he stood over her and rebuked the fever. Matthew reports he touched her hand. Mark reports he took her by the hand and lifted her up. We know all three records are of the same healing, because of the surrounding context in Mark and Luke, but not every action was reported. There are many examples like this in the gospels.

Immediately

The word “immediately” is an issue if we think it means “in the next split second.”  When we scan its uses in the gospels, we find there is often a short period of time involved.

When Jesus called Peter and Andrew as they were fishing, it says they immediately left their nets and followed him. Do you imagine they did so without one word to the others in the ship?

In the parable of the sower, the seed that fell on stony ground immediately sprang up because it had no deepness of earth. Was that by magic? Rather we see “immediately” indicates a shorter period of time than the seeds planted in the earth.

Perhaps the reference here is to the immediate healing that occurred, and not the short time between the healing and the preceding action. There is room for Jesus to both speak and act to bring forth healing for these men, and still have their sight immediately restored. Neither gospel reports both actions, but they may supplement each other to give a more complete picture of what occurred.

Four Gospels

This illustrates a point we should recognize about the gospels. We have been blessed with four God-inspired records of Jesus’ life. Each has a unique viewpoint, which we see expressed in their approach to what occurred. We achieve a more complete view of these events as we learn how the gospels fit together, how they complement one another.

This exercise shows us that determining whether two records are identical or merely similar is not a cut-and-dried affair. There are many factors to be considered. The men’s actions and Jesus’ response are common to many records in the gospels. Most of the apparent differences could be explained by checking the words used in the Greek texts, recognizing patterns and figures common to the gospels, and accepting that not every gospel reports every detail of an incident.

The Deciding Factors 

Did Jesus heal three blind men of Jericho that day, or only two? We began thinking these two records could not be speaking of the same incident. In the end, we did not find anything definitive where we could proclaim “These could not be the same record.” But neither can we say without doubt, “These are speaking of the same incident.”

In the greater context of Jesus’ journey towards Jerusalem the time and location appear to be identical. That, combined with the considerations given above, led us to show them as one incident in The Gospels Unified.

It all fits together

Since the launch of the promotional website for The Gospel Unified two short years ago, maintenance has been a challenge. Besides changes to keep up with revisions to the web software and keeping up with best practices in security, the incessant attacks by those trying to steal from me and hijack my work for their purposes are daunting.

Lately I found myself facing yet another complete rebuild and decided, “Hey, enough is enough.”

One of the blogs for writers I follow, Dan Blank on WeGrowMedia, has been raving about SubStack for a while. He just passed the one-year mark since moving to this platform. It is designed for writers to publish their material and communicate with those that share their interests.

WOW! That is all I want to do. Bye, bye web site!

Finally, a way forward with less fiddling and more writing and listening and sharing with all of you.

My first priority is moving my current post to this site. Then I will post some new material and inform those of you on my mailing list.

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