“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

Each of the four Gospels tells us something important about the life and significance of Christ.

A common illustration people sometimes use to make the point is of a press conference. Imagine four news outlets attending the same announcement. They all witness the same thing. In their coverage, they highlight the same central details, but tend to emphasize something unique that they think is of special interest to their particular audience. For example, a newspaper may emphasize how the announcement will impact young people, and a television station may emphasize how it will impact the economy.

The Gospels are like that. And it’s one of the reasons all of them are important, not just one or two of them. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why all of the biblical books are important. They all reveal something critical about the larger story of redemption.

The movie Vantage Point chronicles the assassination attempt of President Ashton while making a speech in Spain. At first, the only hard evidence they had about what transpired came from bits of footage someone captured on a camcorder. As the movie unfolded, other bits of evidence surfaced. It wasn’t until all the pieces were put together that they could comprehend the full scope of what had happened.

I say this to encourage you to read through the Scriptures in their entirety. Just as each of the Gospels highlight something significant, the same is true for the other books in the Bible. 

It’s easy to pick favourites and neglect everything else. (For example, I love the psalms. I could just read them over and over.) But God intended for us to read more than just one or two books. Let’s note the word “every” in Proverbs 30:5: “Every word of God proves true…” (ESV)

If you make a habit of working through the different books of the Bible, wonderful. If you don’t, let me encourage you to widen your horizon.

Every word of God proves true—not just then, but for now, and for you.

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Notes and extra content:

–“Think bigger.” Part 1 in a new teaching series on Mark. September 8, 2024. Click here.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV, unless noted.