A Bible reading plan for

The Gospels in 30 Days

30 days, about 3 chapters a day

Spend one month walking through the entire life of Jesus. This thirty-day plan reads all four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, at about three chapters a day, roughly fifteen minutes. By the end you will have seen His birth, ministry, death, and resurrection four times over, from four witnesses, and met Him more closely than ever.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”John 1:14 (KJV)

The plan, day by day

  1. Day 1

    Matthew 1-3

    Jesus' genealogy and birth, John the Baptist, and Jesus' own baptism.

  2. Day 2

    Matthew 4-6

    The temptation, the first disciples, and the heart of the Sermon on the Mount.

  3. Day 3

    Matthew 7-9

    The rest of the Sermon, then miracle after miracle of healing and mercy.

  4. Day 4

    Matthew 10-12

    Jesus sends out the twelve and answers His critics.

  5. Day 5

    Matthew 13-15

    The parables of the kingdom, and the feeding of the multitudes.

  6. Day 6

    Matthew 16-18

    Peter's confession, the transfiguration, and the greatness of the childlike.

  7. Day 7

    Matthew 19-21

    Toward Jerusalem, the rich young ruler, and the triumphal entry.

  8. Day 8

    Matthew 22-25

    Hard questions, warnings, and the parables of readiness.

  9. Day 9

    Matthew 26-28

    The last supper, the cross, and the resurrection. The turning point of history.

  10. Day 10

    Mark 1-3

    The action-packed opening of the shortest Gospel.

  11. Day 11

    Mark 4-6

    Parables, the calming of the storm, and power over sickness and death.

  12. Day 12

    Mark 7-9

    Bread for the hungry, the transfiguration, and true greatness.

  13. Day 13

    Mark 10-12

    The road to Jerusalem and the confrontations in the temple.

  14. Day 14

    Mark 13-16

    The last days, the cross, and the empty tomb in Mark's swift telling.

  15. Day 15

    Luke 1-3

    The births of John and Jesus, told with Luke's care for detail.

  16. Day 16

    Luke 4-6

    Jesus' mission announced, and the calling and teaching of disciples.

  17. Day 17

    Luke 7-9

    Compassion for the outsider and the sending of the twelve.

  18. Day 18

    Luke 10-12

    The good Samaritan, teaching on prayer, and trusting the Father.

  19. Day 19

    Luke 13-15

    The lost sheep, coin, and son. Luke's great chapters on grace.

  20. Day 20

    Luke 16-18

    Riches, forgiveness, and persistent prayer.

  21. Day 21

    Luke 19-21

    Zacchaeus, the triumphal entry, and teaching in the temple.

  22. Day 22

    Luke 22-24

    The supper, the cross, and the risen Jesus on the Emmaus road.

  23. Day 23

    John 1-3

    The Word made flesh, the first signs, and being born again.

  24. Day 24

    John 4-6

    The woman at the well, and I am the bread of life.

  25. Day 25

    John 7-9

    Living water, the light of the world, and sight for the blind.

  26. Day 26

    John 10-12

    The good shepherd and the raising of Lazarus.

  27. Day 27

    John 13-15

    The last supper, the new commandment, and the true vine.

  28. Day 28

    John 16-18

    The promised Spirit, Jesus' great prayer, and His arrest.

  29. Day 29

    John 19-21

    The cross, the empty tomb, and breakfast with the risen Lord.

  30. Day 30

    Luke 24

    Look back over thirty days with the risen Jesus, who opens the Scriptures and our eyes to see Him.

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

The four Gospels exist for one reason: to show you Jesus so that you might believe and have life in His name. Thirty days in them is thirty days in His company, watching how He loves the failing, heals the broken, faces the cross, and rises again. Read to meet Him, not merely to finish, and you will come out knowing Him better than when you began.

Who is Jesus? · Begin with Jesus · Ask someone to pray with you

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Questions people ask

How many chapters a day is the Gospels in 30 days?

About three chapters a day. The four Gospels have 89 chapters together (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 21), so thirty days works out to roughly three a day, about fifteen minutes of reading.

What order should I read the Gospels in?

This plan reads them in their Bible order, Matthew, Mark, Luke, then John, which lets you see the same story told by four witnesses. Reading them back to back highlights both what they share and what each one uniquely shows about Jesus.

Is it worth reading all four Gospels so close together?

Yes. Reading them in one month, while the story stays fresh, reveals how the four accounts fit together and deepens your picture of Jesus from four angles. Many people find that a concentrated month in the Gospels brings the life of Jesus alive as never before.

Keep goingThe life of Jesus in 40 daysThe Gospel of John in 21 daysThe parables of Jesus All plans for what you are facing
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