How does John fit with the other three Gospels?

Answer 1

A:Not closely. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke agree moderately well with Mark's Gospel because they were based largely on that original gospel. However, John's Gospel was only loosely based on Luke's Gospel and the anonymous author made numerous changes to events portrayed in Luke.

For example, the other three gospels, known as the synoptic gospels, have the Cleasing of the Temple episode at the end of the mission of Jesus, as the trigger for his arrest. Since Johnuses the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus as the trigger for his arrest (John 12:19: "The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. "), it moves the Cleansing of the Temple to the beginning of the mission of Jesus. Some say that there must have been two identical episodes in which Jesus overturned the tables of the moneychangers and said they had made his father's Temple like a den of thieves, but this is illogical.

This is only one of the examples in which the author of John took stories from his two sources gospels, Luke and Mark, and altered their sequence or character to suit his own theology. John also contains new material, some of which seems to have a second-century perspective.

Another Answer:

It fits as another viewpoint of the redemptive work of God done via Jesus. They (Gospels) are the good news from God that is manifested in the life, ministry, trial and torture, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus - our only mediator. The Gospel of John cries out to be the 'read me first' at it states its purpose clearly and succinctly - if you wish to enter eternal life (20:31) and this is not the case with the other three.

One studying/reading these four Gospels would do well in absorbing the main message being sent to their target audiences and not be overly concerned with literary aspects of each. Upon conclusion of reading all, it will become clear how each is a part of the whole.