When is the stated story not the whole story? Almost always!

When the Bible states that Jesus healed everyone present, ever wonder how much detail we are missing in these stories? Perhaps 99% is missing, as the Gospel writers pack three years of Jesus' ministry into a relatively short portion of Scripture.

That is, 3 years x 4 Gospel writers = 12 years X 365 days/yr = 4380 days. All squeezed into just 78 chapters of the four Gospels combined.

This comes to about two-hundredths of a chapter available to cover each day in Jesus' three years of ministry. Not much time. Obviously, MOST details will have to be skipped. (Part 1 of this blog series is here.)

Now when they come to cover the 6 hours of Jesus’ crucifixion (i.e. 1/4 of a day), and if you combine how much time the four Gospel writers spent on these 6 hours, it comes to about 2 full chapters. Wow! This is a ton more detail about these six hours of Jesus' life, especially when compared to the fact that an average of two-hundredths of a chapter was used by the Gospel writers to cover each of the other days in Jesus' 3 years of ministry. So 2 hundredths of a chapter per day compared to 2 chapters for just one day when describing Jesus' crucifixion! Several hundred times more emphasis and detail is provided about the day Jesus died than was given to any other day of Jesus’ ministry.

Still, none of the four Gospel writers provide ALL the details of these 6 hours, even though they spend way more space detailing the crucifixion story than they spend on any other one day of Jesus' ministry! Let's watch the story build as each Gospel writer adds additional insights.

29 details about the death of Jesus

Mark lays out 15 points (Mark 15:21-41)

1. Simon of Cyrene bore Jesus’ cross to Golgotha.
2. Jesus would not take wine mixed with myrrh.
3. Lots were cast for His garments.
4. Crucified on the third hour.
5. The inscription "THE KING OF THE JEWS."
6. Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left.
7. People passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, "Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!"
8. Chief priests and scribes were mocking Him.
9. Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.
10. When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour.
11. At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" which is translated, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"
12. Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down." And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last.
13. And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
14. When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"
15. Women looking on from a distance.

Three additional points brought out by Matthew (Matthew 27:32-52)

1. And the earth shook and the rocks were split.
2. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
3. And coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Five additional points brought out by Luke (Luke 23:32-49)

1. But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."
2. But the other criminal rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?” And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."
3. And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."
4. "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last.
5. All the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts.

Six additional points made by John (John 19:16-37)

1. Jesus went out, bearing His own cross.
2. Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews'; but that He said, 'I am King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."
3. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be.
4. When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!"
5. Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
6. Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

John's summary is that this is still not the FULL story

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written" (Jn. 21:25).

So the Bible itself is declaring that a tremendous amount of detail has been left out in the Gospel stories of the miracles and healings Jesus did. So let's not assume we are reading the full story, since Scripture clearly says we aren't!

When people tell stories, the entire story is not told for many reasons

1. Lack of time
2. Not knowing all the events
3. Having events discolored through emotions (for example, fear or greed)
4. Tell only the part that you feel is important
5. Only telling the part that you feel best glorifies God
6. Outright dishonesty
7. We see through a glass darkly (lack of insight and understanding)

Journaling

Lord, what do You want to speak to me about the way I receive, handle and judge based on the stories I read and hear?