The tour of the New Testament begins this week with a consideration of the Four Gospel Accounts: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. People new to the Christian Faith are often surprised to learn that there are four narrations of Jesus’ life, ministry, death and resurrection. And yet, each of the four provides a unique perspective of this special person pointed to in all of the Old Testament.

We are ready this week in our excursion through the Bible to step over the bridge from the Old Testament to the New Testament. And as we do so, I want to emphasize the continuity between the two Testaments.

Last week we briefly discussed the five Books assigned to the section known as the Major Prophets. This week we will consider the final section of Old Testament known as the Minor Prophets. These twelve Books are: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

In our whirlwind tour of the First Testament, we have briefly visited the five Books of the Law, the twelve Books of History, and last week the five Books of Poetry and Wisdom. This leaves two final divisions: the five Books of the Major Prophets, and the twelve Books of the Minor Prophets.