In Matthew, Jesus came not to destroy the law or the prophets but to fulfill (Matt 5:17). He is a very Jewish Messiah who reinterprets the law and challenges Jewish leaders to adopt a new rule of God. But about his mission boundary, he does not open it to the Gentiles, saying he was sent only to the Jews, rejecting to heal the Gentile woman's daughter. But he changes his mind due to her persistent faith that she also deserves God's food. The message to the Matthean community is a new people of God is through faith seeking God's justice. Jesus was transformed and commissioned his disciples to all nations after the resurrection. The Matthean community, a predominantly Jewish community, needs to open its mission boundary freely to the Gentiles, as Jesus underwent a process of changes.
In Luke, Jesus came to seek out and save the lost (Luke 19:10). They are primarily the Gentiles. In fact, from the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was clear about his mission, which was to proclaim the good news of God to the Gentiles. In his initial sermon at his hometown, Nazareth, he delivered a sermon that unsettled his hometown people. This is because he told them God preferred the Gentiles. That is, Elijah and Elisha were sent only to the Gentiles (a widow at Zareptha and Namaan of Syria) even though there were many widows and lepers in Israel. The message to the Lukan community is Jesus is the Savior/Messiah of the world. This community, largely made up of the Gentiles some of whom are Roman officials, has an interest in spreading the gospel to the whole world.
In John, Jesus came to testify to the truth of God and to give life and light to people living in darkness (John 18:37). For the Johannine community, the fundamental human condition is people dwell in the darkness, which means seeking evil deeds. Jesus came down from heaven and embodied God's truth, delivering the word of God and doing the works of God. He has never claimed that he is God. He always says God sent him to do his work, which is to love his people and to teach them the truth. If they follow him and abide in his teaching, they are truly his disciples (John 8:31-32). They will be made free because they know the truth. As a result, they will live abundantly in Christ. The message to the Johannine community which formed its own community separated from the synagogues is Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. This means the members of the community can feel that they are in the right place. They are children of God, not other Jews.
As we see above, we may see at least four different images of Jesus portrayed by the Evangelists. They may reflect the historical Jesus, but they are not the same as him. Preaching, therefore, needs careful consideration of various images of Jesus in context.
