The word “synoptic” comes from the Greek word SYNOPTICUS which means “seen together.” The Synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark, and Luke. They are very similar in their accounts of the birth, life, ministry, parables, miracles, death, and resurrection of Christ. In other words, they had a “common view” and thus they are called “synoptic gospels.”

Though the Holy Spirit inspired them to write (see 2 Peter 1:21) about similar accounts in the life and death of Christ, they also wrote from a different vantage point with a “different theme.” Matthew wrote of Jesus as the TRUE KING of Israel and thus his gospel begins with these words, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David” (verse 1). This genealogy proves that He came from the Royal Line of David and that He has a right to reign on the “Throne of David” (see 2 Samuel 7:1-13). Mark wrote of Jesus as the PERFECT SERVANT and thus his gospel begins with Jesus at the age of 30 years old being baptized by John the Baptist followed by the beginning of His PUBLIC MINISTRY (Chapter One). Luke wrote of Jesus as the PERFECT MAN and thus his gospel begins with a very detailed account of the miraculous virgin birth of Christ, His circumcision at the age of 8 days, and an account of His childhood at the age of 12 years old (Chapters One & Two). These “different themes” would account for the “different verses” that you speak of, for even when writing of “similar stories” in the life of Christ we often see different words being used in connection with their own theme.

I know you didn’t ask about the gospel of John, but it is well-known that John’s gospel stands out from the other three by omitting many of the miracles found in the Synoptic Gospels. John was not inspired to write of any of the parables told by the Lord Jesus. Instead of concentrating so much on Christ’s birth and earthly ministry, John focused on Him as the “ETERNAL WORD, THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, Who was sent of the Father to die on the cross to provide salvation for lost sinners.” This was “his theme” and thus we read early on in the beginning of his gospel these words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth…For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 1:1, 14; 3:16).

In conclusion we can say that Matthew, Mark, and Luke all wrote accounts of Jesus as if they had all “seen together” (remember, this is what the word “synoptic” means) the events of which they wrote. But as we saw, even when writing of the same events (His birth, miracles, parables, death, and resurrection), there were still some differences (which may seem subtle at times) in describing them that related to the “different focus” they each had on Jesus as the TRUE KING, or the PERFECT SERVANT, or the PERFECT MAN.  (DO)  (654.5)