439. The four Gospels follow closely in the tradition of the books of history we saw in the Old Testament-words spoken and deeds done. Little is told of the inward thoughts and motivations of the various people in the stories. The Gospels tell how Jesus was a descendant of David, which was an essential requirement of the Messiah, according to the prophecies of Scripture.
440. Matthew was written by a former tax collector named Matthew. His book covers the lineage of Jesus and also tells the story of much of his ministry, including the Beatitudes.
441. The Beatitudes are a well-known portion of Scripture from Christ's Sermon on the Mount in which he blessed certain types of people. Matthew 5 records that Jesus blessed the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake-all of which describe the people who would populate the Kingdom of God. However the actual word beatitude doesn't appear in Scripture. It's from the Latin word for "blessed" and was made popular by the Vulgate.
442. The parables are the stories Jesus used to convey spiritual truth. They were essentially comparisons-"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field" or "Everyone who hears these words and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built a house." While his concrete images made the parables memorable, they also puzzled who could not always follow Christ's meaning.
443. Mark is a Gospel that details Jesus' service to those he called and preached to. Jesus' portrayal as the great servant can be found in this Gospel, which was written by someone we know very little about.
444. Luke opens his Gospel by saying that "many" had attempted to write an account of Jesus' life and ministry, but that he himself is doing so because God has given him "perfect understanding of all things from the very first" (Luke 1:3 KJV). God not only gave the Gospel writers firsthand exposure as eyewitnesses to the events of Jesus' ministry, but also perfect understanding. Luke is especially forthright about Christ the man.
445. John, perhaps the most famous book of the whole Bible in terms of its saving message, is a description of both Christ's deity and his redeeming work for sinners. The Gospel was written by the "disciple whom Jesus loved," John.
446. John was compelled to address the question of how a flesh-and-blood man could also be a divine being as Jesus was. The notion of gods having sex with humans was commonplace in many pagan traditions, especially among the Greeks. But to make it clear that the birth of Jesus was God in the flesh, the Gospels described the virgin birth. Other pagan writings did not.
447. The four Gospels therefore tell of all aspects of Jesus: Matthew of his right to be called "King," Mark of his title as "Greatest Servant," Luke of his completely human nature, and John of his being the Savior of the world-God's only Son.
448. The Book of Acts was written by Luke, also the author of Gospel of Luke. He begins with a salutation to Theophilus and makes reference to the "first account I composed" (the Gospel of Luke). Luke's two books could be titled, "The Acts of Jesus" and "The Acts of the Apostles." They comprise a two-volume history of New Testament times. The events in Acts take place over several decades. As the books of Moses established the historical framework for the Old Testament, so the Gospels and Acts establish the framework for the New Testament.
