Psalm 119:160 - The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
I mentioned Monday that we don't always know exactly what lies behind and between all the words in the Bible. I believe it's so our faith becomes stronger. It's like my husband...he tells me just what he thinks I need to know but not always the details we women love! :-D Just like he stops listening after he's heard only what he needs to hear! I often get, "that's more than I need to know!" "Just the facts!" The four Gospels are like this...some containing more information (like women enjoy).
I really like the movie The Gospel of John. It's the one book in the Bible that is replete with the words of Jesus and can offer anyone a close look at His birth, death and resurrection and His teaching. A friend of mine and I once watched the whole movie and at the end said she didn't like it because there was no mention of the thief on the cross whom Jesus pardoned/saved at the last minute. It certainly doesn't devalue John's account. The truth is only Luke spoke of it! When you put the four books together you get a rounded out account.
You and I know that even in our own lives each person sees things differently. Ask witnesses of an accident and you will probably get various recountings of what they each saw. Doesn't make them wrong.
When it came to the birth of Jesus, and for an historical account, God gave each of these men the words to write. Each apostle/disciple came at it from a different view with some points being identical but often written to target a specific audience for their understanding. Matthew was a tax collector, John a fisherman. Luke, a doctor, and Mark, whose occupation was never mentioned, were followers of Christ (and considered disciples), but were not counted as one of the 12 in the inner circle. Mark's role in this documentary was to put into writing the words of Peter, or the words God gave to Peter. Read all four accounts and you get a different view.
Rather than go on with this diatribe, you might find this short animation amusing and educational. Some people find details interesting (have I mentioned especially women). There are two truths, however, that are the most important...the acknowledgment, acceptance and belief of what we know to be God's truth in His word and faith in that truth.
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