The Synoptics: Matthew, Mark, & Luke

The first three Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are synoptic, meaning that they have the same point of view on a subject; in this case, it is the life of Jesus they are narrating. They all tell many of the same stories. One example of the similarities of the three Gospels is Jesus's baptism, when The Son comes up, out of the water, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him, like a dove, and The Father speaks. Another example is that many parables and miracles, such as the Parable of the Sower and the feeding of the 5,000, occur in all three books. Of the many more I could write about, this one is probably the most significant: Jesus's death and resurrection. In each of them, the Son of Man's death and resurrection is the climax to the Story (although Luke goes into more depth telling it). Because of these three reasons, and many, many more, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the "Synoptics."