1.) Jesus is portrayed differently in each synoptic gospel, he may be a suffering messiah in Mark, the true messiah of Israel in Matthew, or the true Messiah of Israel. The portrayal of Jesus may change throughout the gospels, but his word remains the same. Jesus was adamant in getting across a message of loving one's neighbor, and not being stuck on tradition or rules. Jesus was an innovative thinker, and created a social uproar amongst the traditional society he preached to. Much like a modern Martin Luther King Jr., Jesus was not liked for the ideas of acceptance and love he taught.

2.) Jesus is hope for tomorrow.

3.) Messiah

This course has changed a lot of what I thought about the gospels, Jesus, and Religion. I always thought that Matthew, Mark, and Luke just wrote the same things with slight variations. I had no idea that the redaction, omissions, and additions of the authors were part of historical-criticism. Historical-criticism helped me see the bigger picture in why the gospels were written in different ways and the communities they were written toward. Also, I had no idea that Q existed and it makes much more sense knowing why some stories were only found in Matthew or Luke. I am glad that I have a better understanding about the synoptic gospels because it helped me expand my views on Jesus and religion.

I always thought the authors of the synoptic gospels portrayed Jesus in the same way, and that he was always thought of to be mighty and powerful. However, when I looked at Jesus in the way he is portrayed in Mark, I see a suffering man. This does not make me think any less of Jesus, it helps me think of him in a different way. Jesus meant something different to each author which helped me learn that his message was what really mattered. Also, I enjoyed focusing on the hardships of Jesus's mission and what it meant for him to stand against the social norm of that time. It makes me think of Jesus in a more relatable way, where before I thought of him as a holy being who I had little in common with.

The way in which we explored the different gospels and views on Jesus helped me strengthen my personal views on religion. I know that there is content in Matthew and Luke that was not found in Mark, and instead of being skeptical I understand that Q is a valid source for Matthew and Luke. This course also helped me understand what it means to be Catholic. I understand that the Catholic church has rules, but not to get so caught up in the rules that I forget the message altogether. For me, I want to do what Jesus taught and act out kindness in my everyday life. Overall, this course helped me gain knowledge not only about the Synoptic Gospels, but about Jesus and the Catholic religion as well.