Read with me through the Gospels this fall.
It’s all about Jesus. All things were created through him, in him was life, and “to all who receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God… indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness.” (John 1:12, 16). Jesus is what our faith - our lives - are all about. So it’s important to know Him. To know what He is like.
To that end, I plan to read the four Gospels this fall. I shared my reading plan for this in our worship service yesterday, and it’s my hope that you’ll read along with me.
A few highlights about this plan:
-1-2 chapters a day; a small portion, can be easily done alongside your regular reading.
-6 days a week. Sunday (or another day, if you choose) can be used to catch up on any missed reading, reflect on what you have already read, or read something else.
-11 week plan, finishes the week before the Advent season begins, when we reflect on the coming of Jesus; thus, we will gain an understanding of who this Saviour is that the world desperately needed and longed for, and still does.
Here’s the plan:
Click here to download a printable version
Matthew 1-2
Today’s reading is Matthew 1-2 (Click here to read it). It’s a familiar story. We might think it’s a little early to be reading about Christmas, but this is the beginning of the story of Jesus’ earthly life, so it’s a good place to begin.
What struck me as we begin the Gospels is all the ways Jesus is described in these opening chapters. Keep an eye out for how we’ll see Him as these things as you read on:
Jesus is:
-The long promised, long awaited One through history (Matthew 1:1-17, the genealogy)
-Saviour (1:21 - “you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”)
-God With Us (1:23 “they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God with us.”)
-Humble One (1:25 “she gave birth to a son.” He humbled himself, becoming a helpless baby, a human being like one of us.)
-Rightful king of God’s people (2:2 “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?”)
-The Christ/Messiah - God’s anointed one (2:4 “asked them where the Christ would be born.“)
-Good shepherd (2:6 - “And you, Bethlehem… out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.“)
-Joy giver, worthy of our worship (2:11 - “When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child… they worshiped him.“)
-Son of God (2:15 - “Out of Egypt I called my Son.“)
-Hometown, Nazareth (2:23 - “Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth… that he would be called a Nazarene.“)