Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. — Y’shua of Nazareth [Matthew 24]

“The Synoptic Gospels” are four very different renditions of the same saga. They tell versions of a story about a young Jewish man named Yehoshua/‘Y’shua (commonly known as Jesus) of Nazareth, who leads a few members of a Jewish reformation movement (first lead by John the Baptizer) to teach “the lost sheep of Israel”how to best honor God, and to teach others how best to honor God, as Y’shua did.

He was called Rabbi because he became known as one with wisdom, and someone who could interpret scripture. He had 12 students called disciples whom he taught to teach others in the way that he did. They would become the ambassadors/apostles, to carry on the work.

What made Y’shua different from other rabbis was that he followed God’s instructions exactingly, but not according to the traditions of the Rabbis. That is because, as he taught, rabbinic traditions sometimes prevented followers from honoring God according to God’s own instructions. The rabbinic traditions had polluted the purity of God’s instructions through their misinterpretations of, and addendum to, scripture. Y’shua’s way of following God was perfect throughout His life and grueling death; therefore, he provided the only perfect pattern for all to follow — his “way”.

He healed people of many ailments and conditions and raised a few from being dead to alive. The more miraculous things he did, the more people followed his movement until he had great crowds that came, mostly for the healing, but with the healing he taught them about the correct way to follow God and that those who did would be part of the Kingdom of God.

Because of His teachings on the purity required to honor YHWH properly, and the miracles He performed, people believed him to be the Messiah that the prophets foretold would come. They expected that along with his teachings, he would lead the Jews in revolt against Rome for Israel.

He was arrested over trumped-up charges of political insurrection brought by the Jewish leadership who saw his popularity as a threat to their authority and the system of control they held over the Jewish people. The Roman government carried out the sentence of death that the Jewish Leadership insisted be imposed.

Within three days, YHWH resurrected Y’shua from death to life and He spent the next month or so teaching his disciples more. The last time they saw him he was flying through the air and taken up in a cloud while he “blessed” them.

The Text

Some of the text in Matthew, Mark, and Luke are somewhat inconsistent with the Tanakh; however, most of John is obviously theological exposition and more in line with Greek philosophy than simply telling the most accurate story of the life and ministry of Y’shua.

Luke is the most compelling version of the story because it is easier to read. It has a better sense of chronology, and the writer plainly explains his purpose and sources. Obviously, there were many stories and renditions of stories available about the upstart movement, and the writer sought to only pass along that which was verifiable from reliable sources to someone He seemed to care about – Theophilus. Theophilus means “friend of God.”

There are obvious and irreconcilable inconsistencies, numerous competing theological claims, and contradictions between the gospels. Most of the time when the Gospels quote the Old Testament it does not match the Old Testament verbatim, or it does not match the context of the Old Testament scripture.

Regardless of these problems, there is a core saga that can be understood regarding this movement.