Through the Bible in 66 Days - Matthew

 

The Gospel in Matthew – Meeting the King Who Came to Save

The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, but it also serves as a bridge to the Old Testament. It stands with one foot in the promises of the Old Testament and the other in the fulfilment found in Jesus Christ. 

Matthew wants his readers―especially Jewish readers―to see that Jesus is the promised King, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, and the Saviour of the world.

But Matthew is not just a history book. It is a Gospel―good news. It tells us who Jesus is, why He came, and how we can know God through Him.

1. Jesus in History – A Real Man in a Real World

Matthew begins with something many modern readers skip: a genealogy. But this is not a dry list of names. It is Matthew’s way of saying, “You can check this. Jesus is rooted in real history.”

He traces the Lord Jesus through Abraham and David (Matthew 1:1).

This shows:

• Jesus is a Jew, descended from Abraham.

• Jesus is the rightful heir to Israel’s throne, descended from David.

• Jesus fulfils God’s promises to both men.

But Matthew also shows something unique. Jesus has a family tree, yet He is sinless. We all come from Adam and inherit his sin (Romans 5:12), but Jesus was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:23). This means He entered the world without the sin that marks every one of us. As the angel said, “that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit”.

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Malachi

 

THE GOSPEL IN THE PROPHECY OF MALACHI

The book of Malachi is the last voice of the Old Testament. After Malachi, God was silent for four hundred years―until John the Baptist cried out in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord" (Mark 1:3).

Malachi exposes the people's heart condition, their questions, their excuses, and their distance from God. But it also points forward to the only One who can cleanse, restore, and save―the Lord Jesus Christ.

Malachi ends with a curse (Malachi 4:6).

The New Testament ends with a blessing (Revelation 22:21). The difference is possible through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

1. GOD LOVES US ― BUT WE DOUBT HIS LOVE

Malachi 1:1–5

Malachi begins with God's declaration: "I have loved you, says the LORD." But the people answer: "How have you loved us?" This is the human heart. We question God's love while enjoying His mercy every day.

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Haggai

 

Consider Your Priorities

The book of Haggai is only two chapters long, but it carries a message that cuts right to the heart. God speaks, and within three months the whole nation changes direction (Haggai 1:1; 2:20). When God speaks clearly, people move.

Haggai’s message can be summed up in one simple challenge:

“Consider your ways.”

In other words: Think. Stop. Look at your life. Are your priorities right?

That’s not just an ancient question. It’s a gospel question. The Lord Jesus says the same in the New Testament: “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)

Haggai helps us face six questions that still matter today.

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Zephaniah

 

When God Says “Enough!” — The Gospel in Zephaniah

If you’ve ever heard someone say, “That’s it! I’ve had enough!”, you know the tone. It’s the moment when patience runs out, and something has to change. When we open the little book of Zephaniah, tucked away near the end of the Old Testament, we hear that same cry — not from a frustrated parent or a weary friend, but from God Himself.

Zephaniah lived during the days of King Josiah, a time when Judah was trying to recover from years of spiritual disaster. The nation had drifted far from God. Violence, corruption, idolatry, and injustice filled the land. And into that mess, God sent Zephaniah with a message that shook the nation: “The great day of the LORD is near” (Zeph. 1:14).

It’s as if God says, “I’ve had enough. I’m dealing with this.”

The Day of the Lord — God Steps In

Zephaniah repeatedly speaks of the day of the Lord — a moment when God steps into history to judge sin and put things right. Sometimes that “day” refers to a near event (like the fall of Jerusalem), but it mainly points forward to the final judgment at the end of time.

Zephaniah doesn’t give us all the details, but he makes one thing very clear: God takes sin seriously.