Reading a whole Gospel: discovering Jesus in one breath

We know episodes from the life of Jesus: the birth, a few miracles, the cross, the resurrection. But reading a whole Gospel, from the first verse to the last, gives something else: an overall view, with the rhythm, the tensions, the progression. This monthly quest invites you to do so.

What it looks like in your day

A Gospel takes about one to two hours to read, depending on the choice and your pace. You can spread it over the week. Here are a few landmarks:

• Mark (16 chapters): the shortest, direct, full of action. Ideal for starting, about an hour.
• Luke (24 chapters): detailed and warm, attentive to the poor and the outcast. About two hours.
• John (21 chapters): more contemplative, centered on Jesus's identity.
• Matthew (28 chapters): highly structured, with great discourses, including the Sermon on the Mount.

One way to organize the reading: one to two chapters a day for a week or two. For Mark, three chapters an evening is enough to finish in six days. Keep a notebook with three columns: what Jesus does, what he says, how people react.

A few useful questions as you read: whom does Jesus meet? Who opposes him, and why? What makes him angry? What touches him? What comes up often?

At the end, sum up the Gospel in one sentence, and note what you discovered about Jesus.

If you are in a hurry, choose Mark and read in ten-minute blocks. If you are a beginner, Mark or Luke are good ways in. If you are shy, you can do this reading alone, without talking about it.

What the Bible says

Luke explains why he wrote his Gospel, and his method is a lovely invitation to continuous reading:

“It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.”

He had "perfect understanding of all things from the very first" and writes "in order." It is therefore an account made to be read from one end to the other. John, for his part, states his purpose:

“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

These things are written "that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God." Each Gospel wants to lead the reader to meet Jesus. And in the Gospel of Mark, one sentence sums up Jesus's mission:

“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

When you read the whole Gospel, you see this sentence unfold: a Savior who serves and gives his life.

Pitfalls to avoid

Reading to tick a box. If you read fast, just to finish, you miss out. The Gospels call for a little slowness. Better fewer chapters, better read.

Mixing the four Gospels. Each has its own viewpoint and vocabulary. Read one at a time, before comparing them.

Flattening Jesus. He is gentle, but also firm; he weeps and he is indignant; he says surprising things. Don't smooth over what is disturbing.

Reading without context. Jesus's world is that of first-century Palestine: Roman occupation, messianic expectations, religious tensions. An introduction in your Bible can shed light.

Missing the cross and the resurrection. The last chapters are the summit of each Gospel. Take your time reading them.

This month, choose a Gospel. Set yourself a pace, and read it to the end.