How to Start Reading the Gospels
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Are you looking for tips on how to read the gospels?
The gospels are some of the most significant books in the Christian Bible, primarily because they detail the life and story of our Savior, Jesus.
In this article, I’m sharing a brief outline of the gospels and tips for how to read the gospels, and resources for how to study the gospels.
What are the gospels?
What do we learn when comparing the gospels?
What should we read after the gospels?
Find out in this article!
What are the Gospels?
The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament that narrate the life of Jesus; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John When we read the Gospels we learn about:
- Messianic Prophecy (specific prophecy about the birth of Jesus)
- Jesus’ birth
- Jesus’ life, ministry, miracles, and teachings
- His death and resurrection
- What salvation means according to Jesus
- “End time prophecy” – what Jesus taught about His final return and His coming Kingdom
Obviously, this isn’t an extensive list. There is so much to learn from the Gospels. The Bible Handbook is a great resource for summarizing each of the gospels (as well as other books of the Bible) individually, exploring themes, historical context, purpose, genre, takeaways, and more.
What Order should you read the gospels in?
In my opinion, the best order to read the Bible in for the first time is chronological order. It’s the best way to grasp God’s story from beginning to end.
I’d say the same for the Gospels. Reading the gospels in chronological order gives such a full picture of the life of Jesus. You catch details you wouldn’t have caught before and hear his story from the perspectives of different people.
I love this Bible’s arrangement of the Gospels in chronological order! I’ve used this Bible to read through the Gospels since 2019. No other arrangement does it justice. We use this arrangement in our Facebook group also as a Bible study guide and reading plan.
The Four Gospels Summary
In this section, I’m going to give a brief outline of the gospels by book. As mentioned earlier, there are four books of the Bible categorized as gospels. The word Gospel comes from the Greek language and it means “good news.”
A lot of people wonder why these portions (as well of the rest of the New Testament) were written in Greek instead of Hebrew. The simple answer is that the writers of the gospels, though primarily Jews, wrote these accounts to share in the communities where Greek was the primary language. The wrote in a language that the majority would understand. Since the gospels are accounts of the life of Jesus from the perspective of the authors (or speaker – back then it was common for one person to speak and another person to scribe their words) each one is presented with a slightly different emphasis; yet they all relay the same story.
How to Read The Gospels: Suggestions for Matthew
Of all four gospel books, Matthew is probably the most analytical. It’s a thorough collection of Jesus’ teachings, parables, and the explanation of His parables. It also elaborates on some of the more heated exchanges between Jesus and Jewish leaders.
Why the debate? Well for years the Jewish people had done things by the books. They were given specific instructions for how to live their lives. Most people refer to this set of instructions as the law. The word used to describe them in Hebrew is Torah, which actually means teaching. Anyways, just like most imperfect people, society had gotten to the point where they were following the rules but missing the heart behind them. When Jesus came on the scene and began correcting the people’s application of God’s teachings – it caused an uproar.
Matthew writes for an audience of people who knows the “law” but haven’t quite settled on how to walk it out. Matthew writes with intention of preparing the people for “the Kingdom of heaven.”
When studying Matthew keep a close eye on Jesus’ teachings and example.
Pay attention to the discussion about the Kingdom of heaven.
The Purpose of The Gospel According to Mark
Scholars believe that the gospel of Mark was written primarily for the benefit of new believers in gentile nations (the word gentile simply means without God). Of all the gospels it is the most simple and to the point. Though it doesn’t contain as many details as Luke or Matthew it is still complete. Of the four gospels, Mark is the most straightforward. You won’t see nearly as much jargon but will find his narrative short and to the point.
Learn more in Follow Me: A Study on the gospel of Mark
How to Read The Gospel According to Luke
When comparing the gospels and their authors we notice one big difference between the four of them. While Matthew, Mark, and John were written by people of some of Jesus’ Jewish disciples; the gospel of Luke was not.
It’s widely believed that Luke was a Greek skeptic (and doctor) who went as far as conducting his own investigation into the life of Jesus to ensure that the gospel message he was hearing was true. Through his investigation, he found enough evidence to be convinced of the truth of Scripture and the gospel and went from being a Greek skeptic to being a Greek follower of Jesus. Luke studied under the apostle Paul and did missionary work alongside Paul, Peter, James, and John.
The gospel of Luke is a favorite around Christmas because it emphasizes the story of Jesus’ birth. The fact that it’s made up of 25 chapters makes it the perfect Advent Bible reading tradition (a chapter a day until Christmas Day).
When studying the gospel of Luke keep your eyes on Messianic prophecy and how Jesus fulfilled them.
What You Need to Know About The Gospel According to John
One thing that sets John apart when comparing the gospels is that John writes from an eternal perspective. The gospel of John is the only one of the four gospels that shows Jesus’ life beginning at the onset of eternity.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
John 1:1-3
John ends with the risen Jesus forgiving Peter and commissioning him to take care of the believers in his sphere and spread the gospel to the gentiles (people far from God).
The gospel of John is full of symbolism but also accounts for the life, miracles, and testimony of Jesus. Explore it all in depth through Come and See: A Study of the Gospel of John
What Do We Learn When Comparing the Gospels
When reading and comparing the gospels you’ll notice there are differences in each one. We have to remember these are real people giving their account of events as they saw or experienced them. The history may be shared from different perspectives, but even then, it’s amazing how each person’s testimony supports the other. And more importantly, it’s amazing how each testimony confirms and celebrates the truth of the gospel. That’s one thing that’s especially beautiful about the Behold Bible Study series. I love how the gospels are weaved together to paint a picture of the fullness of God’s love for us.
What to Read After the Gospels?
Maybe you’re wondering what book of the Bible to read after you’re done with the Gospels. My suggestion – keep reading the New Testament!
Acts record the disciple’s direct response to the resurrection of Jesus and the good news of the gospel. If you’re curious what the lives of the first Jesus followers looked like, read Acts.
The cool thing about the remainder of the New Testament is that the authors of those letters spend quite a bit of time connecting the Old Testament to the New Testament. If you’re new to studying the Bible, this is a great way to get introduced to the content of the Old Testament. It may wear the name “old” but trust me; it’s relevant!
Tips for How to Read the Gospels
- Stay focused on the big picture. The gospels may be comprised of four books, but they are all telling one story. Instead of isolating them, try reading them together.
- Look for consistent themes, keywords, and repeat principles.
- Use a concordance to trace keywords back to their original language (you’ll be surprised how much depth original language adds to our understanding).
- Look for connections between the Old Testament (instructions of the law) and the New Testament (Jesus’ application of the law).
- Take it a day at a time.
- Take notes to keep your thoughts in order. I use these Bible study worksheets to keep track of questions, takeaways, and notes, and to create visual Scripture trails.
- Use this Bible to continue with your plan of reading the Bible in chronological order!
