The presentation of the glorious person of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be properly told in a single account. He is the King of the Jews, the perfect Servant, the Son of Man and the Son of God. In the words of another, “The fullness and virtue that rests on our adorable Lord was made up of different odors (Ex. 30). It is the office of one evangelist after another to tell out the different excellencies and perfections in Jesus, the Christ of God” (J. G. Bellett). By divine inspiration Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell out these four aspects of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this article we will look at the first two.
Matthew the Publican—Christ the King
Matthew presents Jesus as the King of Israel. The genealogy begins with King David establishing Jesus’ right to the throne. Matthew quotes as many as eighty Old Testament Scriptures to substantiate this theme.
When Jesus called him, Matthew was employed by an earthly monarch, collecting taxes from his own people. Cæsar, a wicked man, was king (John 19:1515But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. (John 19:15)), ruling over God’s people Israel where their sin had put them. Matthew tells of the true King of Israel, the Son of David, whom he now served.
Wise men from the East came to another wicked king, Herod, to find and worship Him who is called “King of the Jews.” The scribes knew He was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:22But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)). Herod would have killed the young child Jesus, but God preserved Him by sending Him to Egypt. By this another Scripture was fulfilled, “Out of Egypt have I called My Son.”
Matthew tells of the behavior suited to those entering His kingdom in the beatitudes in chapters 5-7. He gives similitudes of the kingdom in chapter 13; the rejection of their King and that Jesus would build His church are in chapter 16. The kingdom glory is displayed in chapter 17.
The Pharisees tried to catch Jesus in His words by asking, “Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?” He reminded them of their subjection to Cæsar and responsibility to God with the simple statement, “Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matt. 22:2121They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. (Matthew 22:21)). Their utter rejection of Messiah, God’s anointed King, culminates in their most awful statement in chapter 27:25, “His blood be on us, and on our children.” For this they will reap the “great tribulation” (Matt. 24:2121For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21)).
Jesus’ ascension is not mentioned in Matthew’s Gospel. Rather, the eleven are told to go into the world and disciple all nations, a command that will be fulfilled when the gospel of the kingdom is preached after the rapture of the church (Matt. 24:1414And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14)).
Mark, a Restored Servant—Christ the Perfect Servant
“John, whose surname was Mark” is referred to in Acts 12:1212And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. (Acts 12:12). Paul and Barnabas took this young man (raised in a godly home) with them on a missionary journey as their servant. It was his privilege to help those serving the Lord. In a short while he abandoned the work and returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:5-135And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister. 6And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: 7Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 12Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. 13Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. (Acts 13:5‑13)). Perhaps he could not handle the adversity they faced.
Though Mark as a servant failed, he tells of Jesus, the perfect Servant, who never failed. God graciously took this man and made him useful in the very field in which he had failed. How encouraging to us!
In Acts 15 Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.” Barnabas insisted on taking his nephew, John Mark, with them. Paul considered him unsuited because he had “departed from them... and went not with them to the work” (vs. 38).
Mark gives no genealogy, for a servant doesn’t need one; he has only to do as he is directed. Mark’s Gospel is given in chronological order.
Jesus was busy all day, “and at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.... He healed many that were sick of divers diseases.... And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and... prayed” (Mark 1:32-3532And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. 33And all the city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. 35And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. (Mark 1:32‑35)). He thus expressed His dependence as a servant.
With the exception of the need of the donkey, Mark does not designate Jesus as Lord until after His resurrection when He “was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (ch. 16:19). Then He, as Lord, worked with His own as they “went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen” (Mark 16:2020And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (Mark 16:20)).
T. A. Roach