A Harmony Of The Gospels (book review)

HarmonyFor anyone who wants to read the four New Testament gospels with greater insight, I highly recommend A Harmony Of The Gospels For Students Of The Life Of Christ by A.T. Robertson.

Dr. Robertson wrote: “The purpose of a harmony is not to teach theology, but to make available for men of any faith the facts in the Gospels concerning Jesus of Nazareth.” And that’s exactly what this book does.

It is one of the more interesting ways I have ever read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. When I followed the outline in Robertson’s book, instead of reading each gospel straight through, I read them in chronological order. For instance, in reading about John’s message announcing the soon-arrival of Jesus, I was reading Mark 1:7-8, Matthew 3:11-12, and Luke 3:15-18.

In other words, you will be reading the four gospels in chronological order as the events unfolded in Christ’s ministry. Right alongside each section of study are Dr. Robertson’s fascinating and insightful notes. Reading the gospels this way really brought out details that you may have missed when just reading through the gospels in a more traditional manner.

You don’t have to be a scholar to use this book, you just need to be desirous to learn more about Jesus.

She Did What She Could

She Did What She CouldIt is one of the most beautiful scenes in the Bible: Mary, a woman set free by the power of Jesus, anoints Him with her fragrant perfume. The Bible says that the people sitting around Jesus were “indignant at the waste” of perfectly good perfume. Some may have even thought, “What’s the point?”

But Jesus responds, “Leave her alone, she has done a beautiful thing to Me. She did what she could” (Mark 14:1-9).

Apparently Mary was not a woman of great wealth, but she did what she could. And Jesus said it was beautiful.

I cannot feed all the hungry people in the world, but I can feed one hungry student in Cedar Springs.

I cannot share the gospel with every unreached people group on the planet, but I can give a few dollars a month to a missionary who is reaching a tribe in northern India.

I cannot undo all of the injustice done to women, but I can support the W.A.R. Chest Boutique who is is helping rescue women from slavery.

I cannot counsel every woman contemplating an abortion, but I can volunteer at Alpha Family Centers whose counselors are lovingly counseling women to choose life.

I should never allow the largeness of the situation or the smallness of my resources to paralyze me from acting. I can be like Mary who did what she could.