Journal Entry/Exercise

The purpose of this week's Journal exercise is to begin reviewing for next week's test. We have seen how Mark is the first gospel and how both Matthew and Luke take the text of Mark and add to it, reinterpreting Jesus in the process.

All three gospels present Jesus as God's messiah who announces to the world the coming of God's kingdom on earth and who through his life and death helps usher in God's kingdom. But the specifics as to what it means to be the messiah and what most characterizes life in God's kingdom differs between the three gospels.

Your Journal exercise is to find a passage from Mark, and then a different passage from Matthew, and then a third passage from Luke. The passages that you choose should illustrate a SPECIFIC theme of Mark, Matthew, or Luke.

So first select your passages, and then briefly tell me how your selected passage illustrates a unique theme from that gospel.

For example, of pssible themes to look for: Mark's themes of the Crucified Messiah and need for Sacrificial Faith, as well as the Messianic Secret.

Or Matthew's view of Jesus as royal messiah, preaching Higher Righteousness, and calliung for a proper understanding of forgivness.

Or Luke's view of Jesus as messianic prophet, denouncing priviate wealth and power, and announcing an upcoming Divine Reversal. (It is unlikely that your chosen passages will have all of these themes in it, so please identify the theme illustrated by your chosen passage.) Contrast the Synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew, Luke) in terms of their respective portraits of Jesus and specific understanding of salvation. (We will do this in a Journal exercise.)