Day 312: Conclusion to the Old Testament (2025)

The Gospel of Luke is the third Gospel in the New Testament and provides a detailed account of Jesus Christ's life, ministry, death, and resurrection. Luke, who was not an eyewitness to Jesus' ministry but carefully investigated everything from the beginning, wrote this Gospel to give believers an accurate and chronological understanding of Jesus' life. The book emphasizes Jesus' mission to seek and save the lost (Lk 19:10) and highlights his interactions with various groups, including the poor, outcasts, and marginalized. It also situates Jesus' life within the broader context of the Roman Empire, contrasting Jesus with the Roman Emperor Augustus to emphasize Jesus' role as the true savior of the world.

This book provides an in-depth analysis of 1 Maccabees, a key text in the Apocrypha. John R. Bartlett examines the historical and cultural background of the Maccabean period, the political and religious developments, and the literary structure of the text. The guide is designed for scholars and students interested in understanding the significance of 1 Maccabees within the broader context of Jewish history and biblical studies.

The Book of Proverbs is a wisdom literature book that addresses various aspects of life, including wealth creation, sexuality, friendship, marriage, and child training. It is divided into several sections, each with distinct themes such as the invitation to acquire wisdom, contrasting the wise and the fool, and moral discourses on justice, the wicked, and the rich and poor. The book emphasizes the fear of God as the beginning of wisdom and personifies wisdom as a guiding force in creation and human life. Contributions come from King Solomon, Agur, Lemuel, the men of Hezekiah, and other anonymous wise individuals.