Synoptic Gospels: Why Matthew, Mark and Luke Read Alike (2026)

The Synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark and Luke, the first three books of the New Testament. They are called synoptic, from a Greek word meaning "seen together," because they tell many of the same stories, often in the same order and in very similar words. John, the fourth Gospel, mostly tells different material.

Perhaps you finished Mark or Matthew, opened the next Gospel and thought, "I have already read this." That is not a mistake. Noticing the repeats is a sign of careful reading.

This guide shows what the three Gospels share and how John differs. It explains what scholars call the "synoptic problem" in plain words. Then it gives a simple way to read all three without getting lost.

What Are the Synoptic Gospels?

The synoptic gospels are Matthew, Mark and Luke. They are the first three books of the New Testament. John comes next, and then Acts.

Together with John, they make up the four Gospels. The word "gospel" means "good news," and the NHEB often writes it out that way. Mark opens with these words: "The beginning of the Good News of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God." (Mark 1:1, NHEB)

The word "synoptic" comes from two Greek parts: syn, meaning "together," and opsis, meaning "seeing." So the meaning is "seen together," or a shared view. Picture three columns of text laid next to each other on a table, with the same scenes showing up at about the same height in each one.

Where the Name Comes From

In 1776 the scholar Johann Jakob Griesbach printed Matthew, Mark and Luke side by side in parallel columns (Wikipedia, Synoptic Gospels). He did not blend them into one combined story, as a harmony does. Seen in columns, their likenesses and differences stood out.

A book laid out this way is called a synopsis. A printed Gospel synopsis still arranges the texts in columns today. The three Gospels that fit those columns so well are the ones known as the Synoptic Gospels.

The Three at a Glance

Each Gospel has its own shape. The table gives one line on each, based on what readers often notice. It is a starting point, not the only way to read them.

Why Matthew, Mark and Luke Read Alike

The three synoptic gospels share many of the same stories, mostly in the same order. Most of Mark, and roughly half of Matthew and of Luke, is shared material. Scholars call the material found in all three the "triple tradition."

The overlap is large. The scholar Robert H. Stein counts 97.2 percent of the words in Mark as having a parallel in Matthew, and 88.4 percent as having one in Luke, as cited in the same Wikipedia article.

The shared outline runs from John the Baptist to Jesus' baptism and testing in the wilderness. Then come his work in Galilee, Peter's answer about who Jesus is, the transfiguration, the journey to Jerusalem, the last supper, the cross and the empty tomb. The table of shared scenes further down gives the references, but first, here are two examples from one scene that you can check yourself.

A Side-by-Side Example: Peter's Answer

In all three Gospels, Jesus first asks his disciples who people say he is. Then he asks them directly. The question is the same in all three: "But who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20, NHEB, excerpt)

Here is Peter's answer in each Gospel. Each quotation is only Peter's words, so each is an excerpt of its verse.

The setting differs a little. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus asks the question in the region of Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13; Mark 8:27). Luke names no place and sets the moment while Jesus was praying alone, with his disciples near him (Luke 9:18).

Now a short reflection, kept apart from the text. The question is the same, and Peter's answer comes in three phrasings. Luke's different setting is itself a small example of how each writer made his own choices.

Matthew's account adds more of Jesus' words to Peter at this point. In all three, Jesus then tells the disciples to tell no one (Matthew 16:20; Mark 8:30; Luke 9:21).

The Same Saying in Nearly the Same Words

The scene continues. Right after Jesus tells his disciples that he must suffer, be killed and be raised (Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22), he speaks about following him (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).

The audience differs slightly. In Matthew he speaks to his disciples. In Mark he calls the crowd together with his disciples, and in Luke he speaks "to all" (Luke 9:23, NHEB, excerpt).

Matthew 16:25 (NHEB): "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it."

Mark 8:35 (NHEB): "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it."

Luke 9:24 (NHEB): "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it."

Look only at the NHEB wording for a moment. Matthew and Luke open with the same ten words, and Mark differs by one, with "wants" where they have "desires." The words "whoever will lose his life for my sake" match in all three.

Each ending is worded a little differently. Matthew has "will find it." Mark has "and the sake of the Good News will save it," and Luke has "the same will save it."

A classic example scholars point to is the narrator's aside that breaks into Jesus' sentence at the same point in Matthew 9:6, Mark 2:10 and Luke 5:24. Many scholars see shared details like this aside as a sign that the three are connected in writing. Others give more weight to a shared oral tradition.

Stories All Three Synoptic Gospels Share

The table below is a sample of scenes found in all three, not a complete harmony. The last column shows whether John tells the same event.

Notice that the same scene often sits in a different chapter in each Gospel. The length changes too: Mark tells the testing in the wilderness in 2 verses, Matthew in 11 and Luke in 13.

The table only samples the shared scenes. For the full sets, see the list of miracles of Jesus and the list of parables of Jesus.

Why Is John Not a Synoptic Gospel?

The Gospel of John tells of the same Jesus, but it chooses mostly different scenes and a different style. EBSCO Research Starters estimates that about 90 percent of John differs from the Synoptic Gospels. So John does not line up in columns with the other three.

Here are the main differences, each with its reference:

• A different opening. John begins before creation, not with a birth or with John the Baptist: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1, NHEB)
• Signs and long conversations. John calls Jesus' miracles "signs" (John 2:11, NHEB). It also builds long conversations and "I am" sayings, such as "I am the bread of life." (John 6:35, NHEB, excerpt)
• Three Passovers. John names three Passover festivals during Jesus' ministry (John 2:13; 6:4; 11:55). During his public ministry, the Synoptics narrate only one Passover, in his last week in Jerusalem.
• A temple scene in a different place. John places a temple scene early (John 2:13-16), while the Synoptics place one in the last week (for example, Mark 11:15). Readers explain this in different ways: some see two events, and others see an arrangement by theme.
• Scenes found only in John. These include the raising of Lazarus (John 11) and the washing of the disciples' feet at the last supper (John 13:5).

John's Gospel also states its purpose near the end. The narrator first notes that Jesus did many other signs that are not written in the book (John 20:30). Then comes this closing note:

John 20:31 (NHEB): "but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name."

In its setting, this is the writer's own reason for choosing the signs he wrote down. Many readers find that it helps explain why John reads so differently. If you are still deciding where to begin, this guide on which Gospel to read first compares the options.

The Synoptic Problem in Plain Words

In "synoptic problem," the word "problem" means a puzzle scholars study: how are Matthew, Mark and Luke related, given how much they share and where they differ? It is a question about how the books came together. It is not a claim that something is wrong with them.

Luke's own preface says he was not the first to write. In his opening words to a man named Theophilus, he writes:

Luke 1:1-3 (NHEB): "Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;"

A short reflection, kept apart from the text: Luke's preface itself says that earlier accounts and eyewitness reports existed. Scholars ask how sources like these relate to the Gospels in the Bible today.

Shared by Two, and Found in Only One

Some material appears in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark. Scholars call it the "double tradition," and it is mostly sayings. The Lord's Prayer is one example:

• Matthew 6:11 (NHEB): "Give us today our daily bread."
• Luke 11:3 (NHEB): "Give us day by day our daily bread."

The blessings near the start of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5 and Luke 6 are another example. The site's list of the Beatitudes sets them out with references.

Some material is found in only one Gospel. Matthew tells of the wise men (Matthew 2:1), and Luke tells of the shepherds (Luke 2:8). Mark has neither.

The Main Views Scholars Hold

Scholars have proposed several answers to the synoptic problem. The table sets out the main ones as views, without choosing between them.

According to the Wikipedia article cited above, most scholars today hold that Mark came first, a view called "Markan priority." The two-source hypothesis has long been the most widely held answer, but other views have serious defenders, and no solution is settled. Some scholars also stress the role of oral tradition and memory.

For a longer tour of these theories, Zondervan Academic's overview of the source theories walks through them one by one. Still, you do not need to choose a view to read the Gospels well.

How to Read the Synoptic Gospels Without Getting Lost

The overlaps can feel like repetition at first. A simple order of steps turns them into something worth noticing.

1. Read one Gospel straight through first. Know the story before you compare. Mark is the shortest, so it is an easy place to begin.
2. Read a second Gospel next. When a scene feels familiar, slow down instead of skimming. The repeat is where you start to hear each writer's voice.
3. Compare only a few passages side by side. Pick two or three rows from the table above. Ask three questions: What is the same? What is added or left out? What comes right before and after?
4. Jot one line about what you noticed. A short note is enough, and these tips for Bible study notes keep it simple. For other ways to look closely at a passage, see these Bible study methods.
5. Read John on its own terms. Treat it as a different kind of portrait. There is no need to force it into the synoptic pattern.

Try the Three Questions on One Scene

Take the testing in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). What is the same? In all three, the Spirit sends Jesus into the wilderness, and each account mentions forty days.

What is added or left out? Mark tells it in two verses, names no single test and alone mentions the wild animals (Mark 1:13). Matthew and Luke both describe three tests, but they give the last two in a different order.

What comes right before and after? In Matthew and Mark, the scene follows straight on from Jesus' baptism. Luke places a family line of Jesus in between (Luke 3:23-38).

For side-by-side reading, a printed Gospel synopsis arranges the texts in columns. You can also open two chapters in two browser tabs, such as Mark 1 and Luke 4.

Keeping the Gospels Close Together

How do you keep the three close enough to notice the overlaps? The Gospels First Plan on BibleMate's free web reader is one calm answer. The four Gospels come in its first month, so Matthew, Mark and Luke arrive close together and the repeats are easy to spot.

Each of days 1 to 336 has 5 chapters in all, and each day's page shows its own time estimate. Progress is saved in your browser, with no account.

Want a different pace? This guide to reading the four Gospels walks through another approach, and this post on what order to read the Bible compares order options. If you want the whole New Testament next, a New Testament reading plan is a natural follow-on.

Start Reading the Gospels Today

You do not need to solve the synoptic problem to begin. Pick one Gospel and read it one day at a time. If you miss a few days, you can begin again whenever you return.

BibleMate is on the App Store for iPhone and on Google Play for Android, free to download with optional in-app purchases. Prefer your browser? The free web reader needs no account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is John not a synoptic Gospel?

John chooses mostly different scenes and a more reflective style, with long conversations and "I am" sayings. Because of that, it does not line up in columns with the other three. The section on John above lists the main differences with references.

Why are they called the Synoptic Gospels?

The word comes from the Greek for "seen together." Matthew, Mark and Luke can be laid side by side in columns and read together, as Johann Jakob Griesbach did in his 1776 synopsis. The section "Where the Name Comes From" above tells the story.

Which miracle is in all four Gospels?

Apart from the resurrection itself, the feeding of the five thousand is the one miracle from Jesus' ministry that all four Gospels tell (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15). The site's miracles of Jesus list gives the full set with references.

Which Gospel was written first?

Views differ. Most scholars today hold that Mark came first, a view called "Markan priority." The Augustinian view, which follows the order of the Bible, and the Griesbach view both put Matthew first, as the section "The Main Views Scholars Hold" above shows.

How do you pronounce "synoptic"?

Say it sih-NOP-tik, with the stress on the middle syllable.