December 17, 2024 - Good Morning! It’s Tuesday, December 17.
Welcome to Day Seven of our holiday series “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. We begin today’s devotion by focusing on a theological concept called the synoptic gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are in sync with each other, in ways that the gospel of John is not. Here’s a couple of examples.
*97% of Mark is found in Matthew.
*88% of Mark is in Luke.
Since Mark is half the length of Matthew and Luke, some theologians theorize that it was written last, and is sort of a condensed version of the other two. But other scholars believe that Mark was written first, and served as a source for Matthew and Luke. There’s a great amount of information available online about the synoptic gospels - it would make a fascinating self study!
We may never know the truth until we reach heaven, but there’s one thing for sure, Mark was NOT the source for one very important part of Matthew and Luke - the Christmas story. Mark begins his gospel, not in Bethlehem, but at the Jordan River - not with the birth of Jesus, but with His baptism. But we can trace parts of the nativity story to another biblical source - the Old Testament book of Isaiah.
Matthew 1:22-23. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and they shall call Him Immanuel, which means God with us”.
Isaiah 7:14. Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Luke 1:33. And He shall reign over the throne of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
Isaiah 9:7. Of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom from henceforth and forever.
And so the Old Testament prophets, who were looking forward to Jesus, and the New Testament writers, who were looking back at Jesus, combine to share the story of God’s great gift. Mark may not have started his book with the nativity story, but his opening words are certainly connected to the theme of Christmas, and they ring with power today.
Mark 1:1. This is the beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
