Adventures in the Gospels

Some interesting pieces of information about Jesus can be discovered in the writings of non-Christian authors in the period shortly after his time on earth. We even find out from hostile historians in the ancient world that Jesus certainly existed, and that a movement was founded by his followers.

So a thinking person can’t opt for the definition of Jesus Christ in a Communist Russian Dictionary as ‘a mythical figure who never existed’.  The Bible itself tells us that many people wrote about Jesus; that was true not just of Christian writers, but non-Christian ones too.

For example, amongst the non-Christian writers, Josephus, the Jewish historian (AD 80), mentions Jesus and the execution of Jesus' brother James.  Tacitus, the Roman historian (AD 110), mentions the time and place of Jesus' execution. And, Pliny, the Roman politician (AD 110), mentions the practices of some of Jesus’ followers.

Now, although these non-Christian references to Jesus and his followers provide some historical 'grounding' for the story of Jesus, they do not provide us with the detail we need to assess the importance of Jesus for our lives.

We must turn to some other even more ancient documents to discover this. Our only comprehensive knowledge of Jesus comes from the ancient biographies of his life. As John Stott remarked in his book Understanding the Bible, “strictly speaking they are not biography but testimony” (p. 114-115). Like four honest witnesses to the same incident or four photographs of the same thing from different angles, the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, tell the same story about the same person, Jesus Christ, yet each with their own distinctive features and emphases.

The Gospel of Matthew is known for its lengthy record of Jesus' great ethical teachings.  The Gospel of Mark is famous for its short, punchy style.  Mark plunges straight into Jesus’ public ministry, heralded by John the Baptist. The Gospel of Luke is famous for its emphasis on Jesus' friendship with 'non-religious' people. The Gospel of John is known for its profound insight into the nature of Jesus. John reaches into a past eternity, to the pre-existence of Jesus as ‘the Word’ with God in the very beginning.

A ‘gospel’ is an official and joyful pronouncement about a king and his achievements.  So when Mark begins his book, ‘The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God’ (Mark 1:1, E.S.V.), he is saying ‘this is not my opinion, this is an official and joyful pronouncement about the king: Jesus, the Son of God’. But more than that, Mark is making a provocative, even a treasonable, claim. 

You see, there were lots of gospels in the Roman empire, lots of things that people proclaimed, lots of announcements that people thought were important. An inscription like that was uncovered dating from 25 years before the birth of Jesus.  The empire had emerged from a period of conflict to enjoy a time of peace under the rule of the emperor Augustus.  In tribute, the inscription says, ‘The birthday of the god [Augustus] marked for the world the beginning of the gospel, the good news, through his coming.’

But ‘a gospel that elevates man and dethrones God is not the gospel’ (Will Metzger). Mark’s opening statement in his Gospel declares that the real authority in the world is Jesus, and the true gospel is about him, not any blasphemy about a mere man like Augustus or any other human ruler.  Because Jesus is far beyond any human emperor: he is the very Son of God himself. This is THE GOSPEL from heaven itself and it comes to us afresh. It is not a morality code. It is not a set of truths to believe. It is a PERSON: the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Therefore, to sum up, the Gospels are explanations of the good news about Jesus which is preached, heard and believed. And the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the central parts of the Gospels.

“Adventures in the Gospels” has been written for children aged 7-11 years old to help them discover the beauty and majesty of Jesus Christ for themselves. The books have been strikingly illustrated by Silvana Di Marcello.

Children can learn about Christ’s miraculous birth in Bethlehem, and follow his powerful ministry throughout Galilee in the first volume, thus introducing children to Jesus’ life and purpose.

The second volume completes Jesus’ journey as he teaches through the parables such as the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. The story moves towards the climax of the Gospel – Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. This volume helps children understand Jesus’ wonderful and amazing gift of salvation and the hope He brings.

With all our hearts, let’s encourage our children to embark on this incredible adventure and meet the beautiful Lord Jesus Christ personally.