A Bible reading plan for
Advent
4 weeks of readings toward Christmas
Advent means coming, and the season before Christmas is a time to prepare your heart for the coming of Jesus. This four-week plan moves from the ancient promises of a Savior, through the prophets' longing, to the story of His birth, so that Christmas arrives not as a rush but as the fulfillment of a long, holy hope.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)
The plan, day by day
Week 1: Hope
The promise of a child who will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God. Read also Isaiah 11 and Isaiah 40, the long hope of a coming King.
Week 2: Preparation
A messenger to prepare the way, and John the Baptist's call to make straight the path. Read also Luke 1 and Mark 1, the way prepared for the Lord.
Week 3: The Promise Kept
Bethlehem, where the ruler of Israel would be born. Read also Luke 1 and Matthew 1, the announcements to Mary and to Joseph that the time had come.
Week 4: The Coming
The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the angels and the shepherds. Read also John 1, the Word made flesh who came to dwell among us.
A reading plan is a servant, not a master. If you miss days there is no guilt here and no scorecard in heaven. Simply begin again where you left off. The goal was never to finish a list but to meet the One these words are about, Jesus, who is glad to be found by you today.
Where this plan is leading
Advent holds together two comings: we remember how Jesus came the first time, as a child in Bethlehem, and we look forward to His coming again in glory. Both are reasons for hope. As you read these weeks, let the longing of the prophets become your own, and let the wonder of God made flesh, Immanuel, God with us, fill your Christmas with the One it was always about.
Who is Jesus? · Begin with Jesus · Ask someone to pray with you
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What is Advent?
Advent is the four-week season of preparation before Christmas, when Christians remember the coming of Jesus. The word means coming. It looks back to His birth in Bethlehem and forward to His promised return, and it is a time to prepare the heart with hope, longing, and worship.
How do I do an Advent Bible reading plan?
Read passages that trace the promise and arrival of Jesus over the four weeks before Christmas, moving from the prophets' promises of a coming Savior to the story of His birth. This plan offers a theme and readings for each week, so Christmas arrives as the fulfillment of a long hope rather than a sudden rush.
What Bible passages are about the birth of Jesus?
The prophecies in Isaiah 9, Isaiah 11, and Micah 5; the announcements and songs in Luke 1; and the birth accounts in Luke 2 and Matthew 1-2, along with John 1, the Word made flesh. This Advent plan gathers these into a four-week journey toward Christmas.