Feast of the Four Evangelists

A Dictionary/Bible Study/Bookmark activity (and more) for all ages

Many special remembrances in the Armenian Church calendar fall outside of the Sunday School year or on other days of the week. (Two of the 5 major feast days take place in the summer; past Bulletins have suggested ways of preparing for and following up on these feast days.) Don't neglect them!

Spend some class time discussing the four gospel writers. Have students look them up in age-appropriate Bible dictionaries and share their findings. Write the Evangelists' names on the blackboard in English and Armenian: (Matthew Mah-tay-os), Mark (Mar-gos), Luke (Ghoo-gahs), John (Hov-hah-ness) and have a recorder write phrases or words under each name as information about them is shared.

Ask the class questions about the gospels themselves that require a closer look, e.g. Which is the shortest? Which has the most chapters? Which gospel starts with the words "in the beginning"?  Which ends with "I am with you always, to the end of the age"? Have them look up John 11:35 for the shortest verse in the Bible.

[35] Jesus wept.

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Synoptic Study

Follow this with a brief study of the three similar gospels, called the synoptic gospels, meaning "seeing together" as follows:

Assign class these three readings:

Matthew 4:1-11

Matt.4 Verses 1 to 11

[1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

[2] And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry.

[3] And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."

[4] But he answered, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

[5] Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple,

[6] and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, `He will give his angels charge of you,'

and `On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

[7] Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, `You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"

[8] Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them;

[9] and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."

[10] Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! for it is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"

[11] Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.

Mark 1:12-13

Mark.1 Verses 12 to 13

[12] The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.

[13] And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.

Luke 4:1-13

Luke.4 Verses 1 to 13

[1] And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit

[2] for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry.

[3] The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."

[4] And Jesus answered him, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone.'"

[5] And the devil took him up, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,

[6] and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.

[7] If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours."

[8] And Jesus answered him, "It is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'"

[9] And he took him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here;

[10] for it is written, `He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,'

[11] and `On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

[12] And Jesus answered him, "It is said, `You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"

[13] And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Now discuss 1) what the readings are about, 2) how they differ and 3) how they are the same. This can be facilitated if you write each gospel's name on the board and make notes under each as the readings are discussed.

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A Gospel Symbols Bookmark

Discuss the following with your students; adapt for your age group.

Did you know that at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in NYC, the four evangelists preside over every liturgy? Well, in a way. Just at the point where the dome rises up from the cathedral's center, four beautiful triangular stained-glass windows depict each of the gospel writers. Their symbols are repeated on the handles of the bronze cathedral doors.

The origins of these symbols can be found in a vision described in the Book of Revelation (4:6-7).

Rev.4 Verses 6 to 7

[6] and before the throne there is as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And round the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:

[7] the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle.

The writer sees four rather awesome creatures around the throne of heaven; each has six wings and are covered with eyes and they were occupied in praising God day and night. 'The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle." While these were not specifically references to the gospel writers, early Christians saw each as an appropriate image for one of the evangelists. Matthew became the winged man, since his gospel begins with the genealogy of Jesus, that is, his human history; he also dwells on the humanity of Jesus. Mark became associated with the lion, an image linked to the wilderness, referred to in Mark's opening verses.  Luke's symbols became the ox, a symbol of sacrifice in the Jewish and pagan world. And John's symbol became the eagle, a bird that can soar higher than any other, just as John's theology and poetic imagery are lofty and inspiring.

Make copies of the "Four evangelists' bookmark" and have students color with crayons or markers. This can be laminated and used as their Bible bookmarks for the year.

You can also have students color in the ornamental capital letter taken from an Armenian manuscript from the Gospel of St. Matthew (from the out-of-print A Picture Book of Armenian Miniatures, Der Bedrosian, NAASR, 1968)