Why are there four Gospels instead of one?

TL;DR:

The four Gospels provide complementary, but distinct, perspectives on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Together, the four Gospels offer a fuller picture than a single account could.

Each Gospel was written for a particular audience, highlighting different aspects of Jesus' life and work.

Matthew was written primarily for the Jewish people to prove that Jesus is the long-expected Messiah, the promised King, the Son of David (Matthew 9:27; 21:9). Matthew quotes extensively from the Old Testament to demonstrate how Jesus fulfilled the words of the prophets.

Mark was an eyewitness to the events in the life of Christ as well as being a friend of the apostle Peter. Mark wrote for a Gentile audience, emphasizing Christ as the suffering servant (Mark 10:45).

Luke, the only Gentile author of the New Testament, composed his Gospel for a Gentile audience. Luke's intent is to show the universality of faith for all who believe and how a Christian’s faith is based upon historically reliable and verifiable events (Luke 1:1-4).

John emphasizes the deity of Christ, presenting Him as the Son of God from the very beginning (John 1:1). John also highlights the humanity of Jesus. The purpose of John is that we may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (John 20:31).

from the old testament

Old Testament prophecies point to Jesus. Isaiah 53 is called the “suffering servant” passage and emphasizes Christ as suffering servant, as Mark would later do in his gospel account.
Isaiah 7:14 is a prophecy about the virgin birth, and Micah 5:2 predicts the place (Bethlehem), details which Luke and Matthew include.
Isaiah 9:6 also references Christ’s birth, but emphasizes His deity by calling Him “Mighty God.” This parallels John’s focus on Jesus as a Person of the triune God.
Isaiah 11:1 indicates that the Messiah would “a shoot from the stump of Jesse,” which shows that Jesus would come from David’s line (Jesse was David’s father), a fact that Matthew emphasizes.

from the new testament

Matthew’s emphasis is that Jesus is the promised King, the “Son of David,” who would forever sit upon the throne of Israel (Matthew 9:27; 21:9).
Mark emphasizes Jesus as the Son of Man, who came to earth to serve and give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 8:31, 10:45).
Luke, as a historian, wrote an orderly account of the life of Christ based on eyewitness reports (Luke 1:1-4). Luke includes some parables that are unique to his account, such as the Good Samaritan (10:25-37).
John was written "so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31). John opens his account by expressing Jesus’ deity.

implications for today

The Gospels are not journalistic reports, but rather ancient biographies concerning the life of Jesus and arranged to communicate specific points about God and His relationship with humanity. Just as a single event can be viewed from multiple angles, the four Gospels provide different perspectives into Jesus' life.

Taken together, the four perspectives provide a more complete picture of the person and work of Jesus Christ. In addition, the multiple attestations of these accounts from very early sources provide stronger evidence for the truthfulness of their claims. The Gospel accounts were written in different locations at different times by four different authors. While they sometimes record the same events with different details, their message is consistent, indicating a level of truthfulness and accuracy that strengthens their testimony. The four Gospels present a comprehensive view of Jesus as the Messiah, Savior, and divine Son of God.

understand

The four gospels contain similar accounts, agreeing on the main points of Jesus’ life and works.
Because each account has a different focus and, in some cases, a different audience in mind, some minor details may differ among them.
Taken together, the four gospels provide a reliable, comprehensive account of the life and work of Jesus Christ and show that He is the Messiah.

reflect

How does understanding the emphasis of each gospel impact the way you understand Jesus?
What is your favorite gospel passage and why?
How do all four gospels help to provide you with a better picture of Jesus?

engage

Which gospel might be the best starting point for a new believer and why?
What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about the gospels, and how can we help clarify them?
How can Christians best respond to those who emphasize the minor differences among the details of the gospels?