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Dear Jim,
As a new believer, back in the 1980s, I found myself desperate to understand how the various books of the New Testament had come about. In particular, I felt I needed to be able to explain how the four Gospels related to one another, and why there seemed to be some glaring inconsistencies between these foundational documents which claimed some measure of authority over believers.
A classic example of such inconsistency is the differing Palm Sunday accounts.
The Gospel of John (Chapter 12) says, “Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it…” as he entered Jerusalem.
The Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 21) tells the story somewhat differently:
“The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. (Vv. 6-8)
In the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 19), another element is shared:
33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.
And what about the Gospel of Mark (Chapter 11)? His account (considered the oldest of the Gospel writings) doesn’t refer to a conversation with the colt’s owner, but rather “bystanders” who questioned them. And, like Matthew, says cloaks were spread on the road along with leafy branches.
My newly forged faith was shaken by such misalignment. Was it a colt or a donkey? Was it one donkey or two? Were the disciples confronted by its owner or not? Did the cloaks go on the road along with the branches or not? If the Bible was trustworthy, why would there be such disagreement? Wouldn’t the authors of the Gospels each agree on which details were important?
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