God has given us one book that can change the entire direction of our lives, the Bible.

And in this study, journeying through scriptures, we will take a brief big-picture look at every book of the Bible, tracing God's unfolding story

from Genesis to Revelation. Our prayer is that this journey will stir your heart to open God's

word daily. Let's join Scott Pauli for today's study.

Have you ever looked at four portraits of the same person taken from different vantage points, giving you different perspectives? Well, that's what you have when you come to the first

four books of the New Testament. They are four portraits, if you will, of the same person,

and that person is the Lord Jesus Christ.

They are variety in unity.

Now, they are different.

Matthew writes primarily to the Jewish mind.

Mark writes to the Roman mind.

Luke writes to the Greek mind.

John really writes to everybody, to all of mankind.

The first three gospel records, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are commonly referred to as the synoptic gospel records, and because they give a synopsis.

You see the whole thing, a comprehensive view. And basically, these three books cover the same

ground. John, who writes the fourth and final gospel record, writes much later, and his record is more interpretive.

He gives a great deal of spiritual insight on many of the events and records found in the first three gospel records.

Now, why have four?

Well, it would be like looking at four sides of a pillar.

They all stand together to support one main character, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

You remember that four is the number of the earth.

There are four points of the compass and four dimensions and four seasons and four parts of the day

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