Gospel Comparisons

The Last Supper:

Similarities:

-Jesus is selfless, and gives and takes care of his people
-everyone who accepted Jesus is in the covenant with God

Differences:

Mark:
Jesus is selfless, gives bread as his "body" and wine as his "blood"
-Jesus will return for the Messiah
-Everyone is in the covenant now that Jesus has shared it with many

Luke:
Jesus is still selfless, but instead of giving bread, he cleans people's feet
-doesn't clean Peter's feet because he knows he will betray him and God
-Jesus takes care of people as an example that they should take care of one another
-if you accept Jesus, you accept God
-Jesus told everyone who would betray him
-Jesus is God
-Jesus' followers will love one another
-prophesies that Peter will deny him thrice

Both these passages by Mark and Luke agree that Jesus was selfless and gave everything he had to his people and took care of them. Also, all Jesus's followers are in the covenant with God. In general, Mark's passage is much shorter and brief. Luke's is more detailed with many specific events. In Mark's Jesus is very simple and generous, but in Luke's Jesus is very selfless and the focus is more on Peter in the passage.


Agony in the Garden:

Similarities:
-both went to the Mount of Olives
-disciples followed him
-Jesus asks them all not to enter into temptation
-Jesus asks got to "remove this cup from me" by God's will
-Jesus finds his disciples sleeping when he returns from prayer

Differences

Mark:

-Jesus prophesized that his followers would betray him and scatter after he is dead. Peter rebukes this saying that he will stay faithful
-he asked Peter, John and James to watch him while he prayed, but when he returned he found them sleeping
-His disciples slept through prayer
-the men were not faithful to Jesus and therefore man is sinful
-they betrayed Jesus


Luke:
-an angel appears to Jesus to strengthen him and Jesus prays in desperation for the angel to save him
-Jesus healed the servant of the high priest who was cut by a sword by one of the disciples
-Peter denied being with Jesus 3 times, like Jesus predicted. He denied being with Jesus so he wouldn't be beaten or punished
-he cried because the prophecy came true and the cock crew
-the next day people held Jesus and mocked him and the elders asked him if he was the Christ
-he didn't answer outright, but said that everyone else said he was

Overall, in both sections Jesus is portrayed as feeling betrayed by his people, when he asks them to watch him pray and finds them sleeping. In Mark's passage, Jesus is angry but ultimately knows the people harm themselves if they are not faithful to Jesus, so Jesus doesn't care as much, since it is not his problem. Since the disciples betrayed Jesus they became sinners, and made the wrong decision. In Luke's passage, the story of how Jesus' prophecy that Peter would deny him thrice is thoroughly recounted. Luke's also goes more into how his disciples go against him and treat him like a thief. Also in Luke's passage, it ends with elders and people of the society interrogate him on whether he is the Christ and the son of God.

Christian Gospels

Introduction Notes:

-"Oral Tradition"- stories people told of recounts of thing Jesus did in his life.
-first was written 40 yrs after his death
-Mark's Gospel ("good news") was the first, probably written by someone else since people dedicated writing to famous people at the time
-Gospels provide an individual's interpretation of Jesus' teachings
-Matthew was the second Gospel
Synoptic Gospels- have same views: Mark, Matthew, Luke
Gospel of John "spiritual gospel"
Mark- affected by failure of Jewish revolt against Rome
Matthew- post war period after Jewish community conflict with Pharisaic Judaism
Luke- demonstrated that Christian beliefs don't contradict their way of life
Passion Narrative- account of Jesus' death, connected to the Eucharist
-gospels show tensions between Christians and Jews
-reflect theological disagreement
New Testament talks about the broken relationship between Christians and Jews