We are now a quarter of the way through our series on the Twelve Days of Christmas! So far we have talked about the Three French Hens (Faith, Hope, and Charity), Two Turtledoves (Old and New Testament), and the Partridge in a Pear Tree (Jesus Christ). Now for Day Four my True Love gave to me Four Calling Birds.
So what does a calling bird do?
Well it announces an arrival. Birds are notorious for reacting to anything that enters into its perceived area. Think about how hard it is to get one to come near you in the park. Unless you have food on you, Twenty isn’t coming near you.
As we have seen previously, each day will always cohesive with a particular lesson that people are meant to learn about the Christian faith. Today we’ll be discussing how these Four Calling Birds are the Four Gospels.
Four Calling Birds
As stated, the Four Calling Birds are the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each of these Gospels share the same message (who Jesus is, and what he came to do, and his death, burial, and resurrection). However, each is different and they all share different scenes and views of Jesus’ ministry. Each also has a different audience that the Gospelmis geared towards.
Matthew: Matthew is one of the apostles (those 12 disciples who were the closest to Jesus during his ministry). Matthew was a Jewish man who writes for a Jewish audience. He gives special attention to how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament and how he is a direct descendent of David, highlighting his kingly ancestry.
Mark: Mark is credited as being the first of the four Gosplels written – primarily because his gospel is the shortest. Although not an apostle himself, Mark is referenced in different places in scripture (specifically in Acts) and later by Paul in one of his letters, and is also referenced as been a close associate of Peter. Peter, who was an apostle, had Mark with him in almost an assistant like capacity for a time, and the Gospel bearing Mark’s name can be credited as Peter’s account. As we read through all the Gospels, the shortness of Mark and the feeling of being rushed is consistent with how we are introduced to Peter.
Luke: Luke, like Mark, was not an apostle, but was a close associate of Paul. Luke was a Gentile, or non-Jewish person, who became a Christian and traveled with Paul during the early days of the Church. As a doctor, Luke was very much someone who was analytical and wanted the details. This is reflected as you read his Gosple, which shows several details that aren’t recorded in the other Gospels. Luke’s audience is also specifically a man named Theophilus – this same gentlemen is also the recipients of the book of Acts, which is also written by Luke and outlines the history of the early Church. As such, Luke’s Gospel is geared towards Gentiles, and so there is a lot of background that goes into setting the stage for who Jesus is, and why he is more worth to be king than even Caesar.
John: John is unique amongst the four Gospels. The other three are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels – meaning that they happen in a mostly chronological order. John is a gospel of theology. He really focuses in on the last days of Jesus’ life and ministry, and really focuses in on the fact that Jesus is God, and was following the plan that was set forth from the beginning of time to redeem those who believe in him, and accept the free gift of salvation. John was an apostle, and although not named in his work he appears as the Beloved Disciple.
All of these are different, but they all call each person to faith. They all have different writing styles, and they all show a different side of who Jesus was, and are directed to different audiences. Hut at the end of the day, they are all calling each person to a relationship with Christ. They each share who Christ is, offer proofs of who he is and why he is who he says he is, and offers the gift of salvation to all who believe.
Road Trippin With Rachael 
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