Biblical Theology Of The Gospels Religion Essay

God breathed His Word and inspired Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to compose the Gospels. Through the Gospels, there are many subjects that are brought to our attending doing them of significance for the audience in those times and go on impacting people ‘s lives through the base on balls of the ages. It is understood that the authors make allusion to the events of the life of Christ. With this apprehension, one of the subjects that is treated by the authors of the Synoptic Gospels is prayer. I believe that supplication is so cardinal to our ain religious transmutation. If a individual wants to turn in a relationship with Jesus Christ, he must make up one’s mind to turn in his apprehension and pattern of supplication. I realized that in my ain life. That the seasons that I have had in my life, I wanted to cognize more about Him, and it is about ever that come back to the topographic point and the pattern of supplication. In this paper, I will handle the subject of supplication through the Synoptic Gospels.

Prayer in the Gospel of Matthew

For Matthew who was a revenue enhancement aggregator and called by Jesus to go one of His adherents, supplication became one of the religious subjects that he observed in the life of Jesus and was able to compose about through the Gospel of Matthew. In fact, in my analysis of the Greek verb IˆI?I?I?IµI?I‡I?I?I±I? that means “ to pray ” I found out that it appears 15 times in the Gospel of Matthew out of 43 times through the Synoptic Gospels, 15/43=35 % . On the other manus, the noun IˆI?I?I?IµI…I‡I® significance “ supplication ” appears merely twice in the Gospel of Matthew out of 12 times in the Synoptic Gospels, 2/12=16 % . Decidedly, God inspired Matthew to compose about the subject of supplication and the importance of praying for our enemies, the topographic points and instructions of supplication, the theoretical account supplication, connexion with fasting, how to walk our lives in supplication, and the graphic illustration of Jesus.

Prayer for Our Enemies

Jesus ‘ instruction on loving our enemies is presenting a new component into ethical behaviour. In my apprehension, merely the adherent who has been born of the Spirit, who knows the enabling grace of Christ, can populate by this criterion. It is the extension of Christ ‘s love, non of natural fondness, but of I¬I?I¬IˆI· , a love which is an act of the will more than of the bosom. Such love unfastened our full lives to temperament, word, and supplication for our enemies. Matthew encourages us to pray for those who have harmed and hurt us ( 5:44 ) . Interestingly, Luke besides records the same transition but in shorter version and emphasizes that we need to bless those who curse us and pray for those who mistreat us ( Luke 6:28 ) . Matthew and Luke wrote about the same issue of loving our enemies. In this sense, I strongly believe that supplication is opening one ‘s life to God. It is ask foring Him to move in our lives. Prayer is non get the better ofing God ‘s reluctance ; it is being willing to accept His will in our lives. Prayer moves the manus of God by giving Him the moral freedom to make in our lives what He has been desiring to make. God, in His crowned head pattern, does non enforce His will upon us. He wants us to be in peace with everyone.

The Places Where to Pray and Instructions

Levi records in the Gospel of Matthew 6:5-8, that supplication is relational, non an exercising of self-realization, instead it is an invitation to God to portion with us. Obviously, there was a hypocritical motivation of praying observed in work forces, and Jesus refers to the manner of Judaic praying, which was to stand in the temples and corners of the streets for human notice and congratulations ( 6:5 ) . The authors Swindoll and Zuck stated in their book Understanding Christian Theology that “ Jesus rebuked the Pharisees who were utilizing supplication as a agency of deriving attending and exhibiting their piousness ” ( 274 ) . I agree with Swindoll and Zuck because it is obvious that Jesus was about to learn them the lesson of supplication. Jesus once more says that they have their wages and they received what they were inquiring for ( 6:5 ) . In contrast, Jesus says that the supplication to God is to be addressed to Him in the secretiveness of Communion ( 6:6 ) . Second, Jesus says that we are to avoid repeat because supplication is non to affect God nor adult male particularly since God knows us wholly that He already knows all of our demands ( 6:7-8 ) . I believe that supplication is relationship and family, non feeling.

The Disciple ‘s Model for Prayer

Matthew is the lone author who includes the five discourses on the Sermon on the Mount ( 5-7 ) . Placed at the centre of the Sermon on the Mount, it is a focal point of religion. It is an look before God. It is faith in action. This supplication is Jesus ‘ theoretical account of supplication. In fact, it is besides recorded in Luke 11:1-4, and in fact, Luke gives more inside informations about the topographic point and the status of the adherents. It seems to me that Matthew inserted the Lord ‘s Prayer as a continuance of the old transition in Matthew 6:5-8. I will handle the Lord ‘s Prayer harmonizing to the eyes of Luke in the subdivision “ Prayer in the Gospel of Luke. ” Under this treatment, there is an of import sub-theme worthy of being remarked which is the “ Kingdom of God. ” This phrase of the land of God is found at the terminal of the supplication recorded by Matthew ( 6:13 ) .

In my analysis on the Gospel of Matthew, I found that the Gospel of Matthew was written with a focal point on His Kingdom. Significantly, the word “ land ” comes from the Grecian word I?I±I?I?I»IµI?I± , which appears 55 times in the Gospel of Matthew, 55/126=44 % . For His Kingdom to come agencies to see the full reign of God and a desire for the fulfilment of the Godhead intent ( 6:10 ) . The Kingdom is His and has precedence for us ; the power is His and sustains our trust and regard ; and His glorification is everlastingly.

Fasting

Matthew 6 records Jesus ‘ instructions about praying and fasting. The Grecian verb I?I·I?I„IµI?I‰ that means “ to fast ” appears 8 times in the Gospel of Matthew out of 20 in the Synoptic Gospels, 8/20=40 % . In the gap words of Matthew 6:16, Jesus states that fasting is a portion of spiritual exercising. In this sense, Richard Foster wrote in his book Celebration of Discipline, “ fasting is the voluntary denial of a normal map for an intense religious activity including supplication ” ( 51 ) . I believe that whatever the signifier may be such as dieting or sexual abstention, Jesus ‘ accent in this transition is to avoid a ritual pattern for virtue in the eyes of others ( 6:16-18 ) . Alternatively, we are to fast for the interest of religious enrichment including supplication.

The Walk of Prayer

I believe that the walk with God is a walk of supplication, a life in family. As we pray, we need to understand the sort of God to whom we are praying. Mathew emphasizes on three bids, jussive moods in the Grecian, I‘a?°I„Iµa?-I„Iµ , I¶I·I„Iµa?-I„Iµ , I?I?I?I?IµI„Iµ that means to inquire, seek, and knock ( 7:7 ) . Jesus follows with two illustrations from the relationship of male parent and boy ( 7:9-10 ) . In these two illustrations is observed that a male parent whose boy has asked him for staff of life will non react with a rock, nor, when asked for fish will alternatively give him a snake. In other words, a male parent will non mock a boy in his petitions. He concludes with the inquiry, “ How much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! ” ( 7:11 ) . The same instruction is besides found in Luke 11:9-13, and both authors highlight the goodness of the Father towards His kids.

The Example of Jesus in Prayer

Jesus lived a life style of supplication. There are two clear cases as groundss that Jesus prayed in the Gospel of Matthew. The first grounds is when Jesus prayed after a important accomplishment in His ministry such as the eating of the five 1000. The narration of Jesus walking on the H2O is recorded in the Gospels except in Luke ( Matt. 14:22-33 ; Mark 6:45-52 ; John 16:16-21 ) . However, Matthew says that Jesus made His adherents get into the boat and travel before Him ( 14:22 ) . On their going He went up on the mountain incline to pray ( 14:23 ) . As flushing arrived He was entirely with God in supplication, while the adherents in the boat were caught in a storm and driven with the air current ( 14:24 ) . However, Jesus did non move at one time, but continued in supplication, allowing the adherents struggle ( 14:25 ) . It is noticed that His walking on the sea was to acquire to the adherents, to convey them to the world of His presence ( 14:26-27 ) . From Mark we learn that Jesus appeared to be walking on by them, holding fulfilled His intent of encouragement by His presence ( Mark 6:45-52 ) . But Matthew adds the history which Peter may hold refrained from associating to Mark. Sing Jesus walking by, Peter cries out ( 14:28 ) . Interestingly, Peter was a fisherman, he knew the sea, and he had the ultimate trial of religion to travel on Jesus ‘ word entirely ( 14:29 ) . The consequence of Jesus ‘ life style of supplication is victory as the Father prepared Him for the following miracle and ministry. The 2nd grounds of the life style of supplication in Jesus ‘ life is when He prayed at the Garden of Gethsemane, which will be treated under the subdivision “ Prayer in the Gospel of Mark. ”

Prayer in the Gospel of Mark

Mark is the shortest of the Synoptic Gospels. Harmonizing to Blomberg in his book Jesus and the Gospels, “ of 92 transitions that Mark and Luke have in common, Mark is longer 71 times. Of 104 he portions with Matthew, he is longer in 63 ” ( 99 ) . Undoubtedly, Mark adds vivid inside informations in many of his narrations than the other authors did non include in their narrations. In respects to prayer that is the subject of this paper, Mark uses the verb IˆI?I?I?IµI?I‡I?I?I±I? in 9 occasions out of 43 in the Synoptic Gospels, 9/43=21 % . There are three cases of supplication that I will discourse in this subdivision including supplication in purdah, supplication of religion, and Jesus praying at Gethsemane. Blomberg noticed that “ Mark ‘s portraiture of the adherents is that one of their frequent failure and misinterpretation ” ( 133 ) . I perceived the same about the adherents in the cases that I will handle except by the one of supplication in purdah.

Prayer in Solitude

After a successful twenty-four hours in which He casts out devils and heals the sick, Jesus is exhausted. Jesus needs purdah ( 1:35 ) . Long before the daytime on the forenoon after His twenty-four hours of success, He goes entirely and prays. When His adherents find Him, they need the intelligence that everyone is looking for Him ( 1:37 ) . He answered Simon and the adherents that they needed to travel frontward through unfastened doors and into wider skylines ( 1:38-39 ) .

Prayer of Faith

Mark records a clear illustration of praying with religion. In fact, this narration is besides found in the Gospel of Matthew 21:20-22. Mark gives more inside informations about this narrative. The narrative says that after passing another dark in Bethany, Jesus and His adherents are on their manner over the Mount of Olives on the same way that had taken them to Jerusalem the twenty-four hours before ( 11:19 ) . Peter notices that the fig tree that Jesus has cursed ( 11:20-21 ) . Dry leaves ad dead subdivisions tell him that the roots have withered ( 11:21 ) . When he calls the fact to Jesus ‘ attending, Jesus begins with the power of God, lead to prayer, progress to faith, and terminal with forgiveness ( 11:22-26 ) . He begins to speak about taking a mountain into the thick of the sea by the power of God and the supplication of religion ( 11:23 ) . Then Jesus turns the sight of the shriveled fig tree into a lesson on the power of supplication. He turns instantly to the ideas about traveling mountains and says, “ all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you ( 11:24 ) . I enjoy reading this transition because Jesus ‘ learning about supplication complements the creativeness of His instruction. Jesus encouraged His adherents to pray with religion, and if they ask with religion, they will have. Another of import instruction from this transition is to forgive people who have harmed and hurt us before we go to prayer ( 11:25-26 ) . If merely we would understand His instruction and follow His illustration, the head of Christ and limitless power of God would be incredibly released in us.

Jesus praying at Gethsemane

Mark records the history of Jesus praying at Gethsemane with simpleness but gives inside informations about the events. This narrative is besides found in Matthew 26:36-46 and Luke 22:39-46. In readying for the inevitable cross, Jesus retreats to His usual topographic point of supplication in the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives ( 14:32 ) . He takes His adherents Peter, James, and John with Him to the topographic point of supplication, trusting that their denial will be delayed until the really last minute. Mark states that “ Jesus began to be grieved and distressed ” ( 14:33 ) . Harmonizing to Millard Erickson in his book Christian Theology, “ Jesus felt the necessity and importance of His mission and consciousness of what it would imply disturb His psyche. He was evidently in battle and emphasis, and seemingly did non desire to be left entirely ” ( 725 ) . The lone manner that I can depict this minute is that panic stroked His psyche as He faced for the first clip the world of immorality ( 14:34 ) . Mark tells us that Jesus realized that He must decease entirely and that His friends would deny Him, and His Father would go forth Him.

Leaving Peter, James, and John behind to maintain ticker, Jesus goes a short distance, falls on His face and pleads before His Father for release from this state of affairs and imbibe the cup of enduring ( 14:35-36 ) . Harmonizing to Henry Barclay in his book The Gospel Harmonizing to St. Mark, he dissects the Grecian words I„a?? IˆI?I„I®I?I?I?I? I„I?a?¦I„I? mentioning to the Cup of the Passion that comes farther on, in the incident of Simon and Malchus ( John 18:11 ) , and the Cup corresponds to “ the hr ” in verse 35 ( 344 ) . Something worthy of highlighting is the fact that Jesus fell on the land, prayed, and claimed “ Abba Father ” in Gethsemane ( 14:36 ) . Interestingly I found in my analysis of the same history that both Matthew ( 26:39, 42 ) and Luke ( 22:42 ) omit the word Abba. Walwoord and Zuck in their book The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures stated that “ Abba was a common manner immature Judaic kids addressed their male parents. It conveyed a sense of familial familiarity and acquaintance. The Jews, nevertheless, did non utilize it as a personal reference to God since such a familiar term was considered inappropriate in supplication. Therefore Jesus ‘ usage of Abba in turn toing God was new and alone ” ( 180 ) . In my apprehension is that Jesus falls back into the love and will of the Father as the manner in which He can accept the agony into He has entered. Mark clearly states that Jesus ‘ autonomy is peeled away to the point of making His will ( 14:36 ) .

In add-on, the narrative Tells us that Jesus had to look into on His adherents who were watching for Him but they fell asleep ( 14:37 ) . What it truly astonish me is the fact that returning from supplication, Jesus is in full control of His head, emotions and will and His adherents who were stronger than Him minutes before when He fell grieved and distressed, they fell asleep. They had broken down. Jesus asked Simon, “ Simon, are you kiping? ” ( 14:37 ) . Of class, he was kiping. Jesus digs no deeper and asked them once more to watch and pray ( 14:18 ) . Then Jesus returns to pray once more. I believe that supplication is ne’er simple, speedy and easy. The monetary value is excessively high, the issues are excessively great, and the consequences are to be seen. On the 3rd clip that Jesus returns from supplication and finds His adherents kiping, He knows that the hr of His treachery has come ( 14:40-41 ) . Jesus commands His adherents to lift and travel because the clip has come ( 14:42 ) . He had self-respect and heroism of a individual who goes to his decease with award.

Prayer in the Gospel of Luke

In my analysis of the Gospel of Luke, I infer that he was the lone one of the Gospel authors who did non cognize the physical Jesus. He was non present during our Lord ‘s three-year ministry and did non witness His decease and Resurrection. His beginnings for this Gospel are eyewitnesses of these events. He visited the people who really saw the physical Jesus such as His household, His adherents, and His friends. These are the beginnings of his information. The 2nd and 3rd poetries of the first chapter of the narrative state us that Luke is describing these events “ merely as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and retainers of the word, it seemed suiting for me every bit good, holding investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to compose it out for you in back-to-back order, most first-class Theophilus. ”

Luke uses the verb IˆI?I?I?IµI?I‡I?I?I±I? 19 times out of 43 times in the Synoptic Gospels, 19/43=44 % . Blomberg states that “ supplication is the focal point of three fables to Luke, and characteristics distinctively in critical minutes in Christ ‘s ain life. Prayer features more frequently in Luke than in the other two Synoptic Evangels ” ( 169-170 ) .