“Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left…” – Matthew 27:38
“One of the criminals who were hanged, railed at Him…but the other said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.'” – Luke 23:39, 42-43
“And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry His cross…” – Mark 15:21
“…but standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved, standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!‘ ” – John 19:25, 26
The first part of our story in the New Testament begins with four versions of the life and ministry of Jesus. They are called the Gospels which means Good News. I have been asked before, “Why are there four Gospels?” “Why don’t we just pick the best one and use that?”
This is a good question. Have you ever been telling a story along with someone else and, as you are telling it, they chime in with, “Don’t forget to tell them about…” or they add a detail that you didn’t see? Likewise, the four Gospels bring four perspectives of the life of our Lord. God is speaking through four different personalities to give us a very full picture. Much like a modern day news event, the more witnesses that are interviewed…the more well rounded the story becomes. It is like the difference between a 2-D and a 3-D picture (in this case 4-D)!
For example, Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience and frequently ties the events of Jesus to the prophesies of Scripture to show that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah. Mark tells the story with a hurried excitement and sometimes leaves out details to keep the story moving. Luke is our researcher trying to present an “orderly account” (Luke 1:3) and John is concerned that we see Jesus as the Good Shepherd…God in the flesh…The Savior of the world!
To illustrate even more, the above Scriptures are all taken from the telling of the crucifixion. Each of the writers contributes details that the others may or may not give. Matthew tells us about the other criminals but Luke remembers that they talked to Jesus and He talked back to them. Matthew tells us about Simon of Cyrene but Mark tells us he is the father of someone you might know. All the Gospels tell us Mary was present at the cross but only John heard Jesus speak to her…and him.
These are just a few examples concerning one event! The four Gospels together add living color to our story. It comes alive on a deeper level. It is the Apostle John chiming in with, “Hey Mark, don’t forget the part where He…”. It’s Luke saying, “And what about the story of John the Baptist’s dad?”…and so on.
So, how does this apply to our story? First, we must recognize that there is more to our story than we know. God is at work all around us! Some of the details are nuggets that we take into our hearts and it shapes the way we live that day. Other details we miss or do not see, but other people do. They chime in and say, “Hey, remember what God said about that?” or “When that happened to me this is how God helped me”. And, all of a sudden we realize that our story is part of The One Story and we are a part of the greater tapestry of God’s mighty work!
This should also make us aware that part of our responsibility is to share our story. To give witness to the things that God has done for us. Telling it in our own words…through our own personality…bringing in the details of how God has blessed you.
O Believer, what has God done for you? Would you share it today? It may just add some living color to someone else’s story. Today, your testimony may be the 3-D glasses that bring clarity to someone’s perspective.
Your story + my story + their story = The One Story