11 Tips To Help You Read The Gospels In The Bible

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Reading the Gospels is an important part of Christian living. It helps us as followers of Jesus get closer to him by hearing about his life and teachings. As Christians, it is our goal to become more ‘Christlike’. What better way to work towards that goal than to model our lives after how he lived His in the Gospels?

When reading the Gospels, here are a couple of tips to keep in mind:

1. Pick One Gospel, and Read It All the Way Through

Each Gospel writer had a different goal and style of writing. Bouncing between each of the Gospels during your first readthrough can be confusing and a lot more intimidating than it needs to be.

I would suggest, if it is your first time, picking one Gospel and reading that from start to finish first. Get to know the life of Jesus from start to finish. If something interests you, take notes! That way you can always go back afterwards and study it more deeply.

My recommendation would be to start with the Gospel of John. John’s Gospel is unique because it was written a bit after the other three Gospels, and its focus is presenting the life of Jesus in such a way that you can see that he is Lord and salvation is found in him. John’s Gospel is also one of the shorter ones, with Mark being the shortest.

2. Treat the Gospels Like a Story

Because the Bible is the inspired Word of God, we often get really intimidated. We feel like we need to pause verse-by-verse to achieve a full understanding before proceeding.

Instead, I would encourage you to treat the Gospel writings like a story. Each of the authors is writing a narrative, they are including some events of Jesus’ life and not others for a reason. Pay attention to that!

Treat reading the Gospels as kind of like watching a movie. If we see something we do not initially understand, we do not replay the same scene repeatedly in hopes of understanding. Instead, we keep on watching with the hopes that the writer will answer our questions. Treat the Gospels with the same curiosity!

3. Pay Attention to All the Characters (Not Just Jesus)

Each of the people in the Gospels plays an important role. Remember the Gospels are written by an author with a goal in mind, pay attention to how each person interacts with each other and with Jesus. Pause and ask yourself, “How does Jesus respond?” We often can find ourselves in similar shoes with similar questions as many of the people in the Gospels, that is the point! Lean into that and try and integrate it into your own walk with Jesus.

4. Look for Repeated Themes

Just like we see themes emerge in books and movies, the Gospels are no different. As you read, pay attention to what themes crop up, as well as what repeated language is used. For example, John uses the contrasting words “life and death” repeatedly throughout his writings, pay attention to that! What do you think John is proposing by using these contrasting terms?

5. Compare the Gospels

In the Bible, the Gospels tell us similar stories of Jesus, but they are not identical. Each of the four states the “climax” of Jesus’ life – his death and resurrection. However, they vary in what other events they tell outside of those major events. For example, only Luke tells of Jesus’ ascension (Luke 24:51), with Mark only hinting at it in his Gospel (Mark 16:19).

When reading the Gospels, if you see an event of Jesus’ life that you want to hear about, check to see if it is in another Gospel! Many Bibles have “cross-references.” These tell you if a similar event is happening in another place in the Bible, or if it was predicted in the Old Testament. Using cross-references is a helpful way of seeing how interconnected the Bible is.

If your Bible does not have cross-references, then simply search it up online! For example, if you are reading about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem in Matthew 21, simply search that up online and you will find that all four Gospels give their own account of it (Mark 11, Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19)!

6. Seek Life Application

When reading about the life of Jesus, look for life application! The Gospels are not simply a textbook that we ought to memorize. Rather, they are filled with teachings about love, kindness, patience, and forgiveness. Ask yourself how you can implement the teachings of Jesus into your own life.

If you are already a follower of Jesus, reading about his life can also help grow your relationship with him. Reading about Jesus’ ministry on earth can help us recognize the ways that Jesus is active in our own lives today.

7. Take Notes and Journal

We can often become so entrenched with the beautiful story of Jesus when reading the Gospels that we can forget some of the details that we read just a chapter or two ago. Writing down our reflections and observations in a journal can help us better retain the information long-term.

Next time you sit down and read your Bible, pause for a moment or so and jot down your thoughts on what you just read. Note any observations you made as to what is going on in the story. Where is Jesus going? Who is he with? Who is fighting or rejecting him?

Then, note any personal application moments that you can take with you into everyday life. Write down meaningful lessons that Jesus taught and how you will implement them into your own life. Write down verses that are impactful for you. This can be open-ended, the purpose of this is so that the next time you open your journal, you will be reminded about the impactful moments last time and be able to keep Jesus front and centre each day.

8. Use Commentaries and Study Guides

Scholarly Bible commentaries and study guides can provide historical, cultural, and theological insights that enrich your reading of the Gospels. A great place to start is a simple study guide that provides some insights and response questions that accompany your readings. There are tons of resources like these for the Gospels, or any other book of the Bible.

A great resource to explore alongside the Gospels is N.T. Wright’s “For Everyone” series. Wright includes the full text in each of the books, followed by his insightful commentary and questions to ponder for our everyday lives. He also breaks up the Gospels into short chunks to follow along with. I would encourage you to incorporate it into your reading plan!

9. Read the Gospels in Community

Reading the Gospels with other people is a fantastic way to gain insights and understanding. The Gospels can be incredibly dense, with lots of moving parts and deep theology being unveiled. Discussing what you just read with others is a helpful way of putting your reflections into words while also hearing other people’s perspectives.

Reading Scripture in community is not a new theme in the Bible either; we see continuously that understanding the Bible is a communal exercise, not an individual one. For example, in Ephesians 4:11–13, the Apostle Paul highlights that fellow believers are to build each other up and equip each other so that they can grow in faith and knowledge. This calling still applies to us today, so reach out to friends, family, or your local church to help grow your faith and knowledge of Jesus!

10. Pick a Focus Before Reading

If you have read the Gospels before, perhaps you are looking for something more targeted for where you are in your journey with Jesus. Each time we go through our Bibles, we do not need to start at the beginning of the book and read it from cover to cover. Instead, think about reading a specific part of the Gospels. Two notable sections of the Gospels are the Sermon on the Mount and Passion Week.

The Sermon on the Mount is a sermon given by Jesus to his disciples on Mount Sinai in Matthew 5–7. Jesus’ sermon ranges a wide variety of topics but essentially boils down to how we love our God well, and how we love each other well. Going through the Sermon on the Mount can be incredibly encouraging and convicting even if you have read it a hundred times before.

Passion Week (or Holy Week) is the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry leading up to his crucifixion. Each of the Gospels includes Passion Week with their perspectives. A great way to explore Passion Week in the Bible is to read a particular event from each of the Gospels. For example, how do the perspectives of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John change how we understand the Last Supper (Matt 26:17–30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-38; John 13–17)?

11. Keep Reading!

The Gospels were not meant to be the kind of book that you read once and then let sit on your bookshelf forever. They were designed to be read over and over again (and then read some more). As you continue to read the Gospels, you will begin to see new connections within the story, and even between Gospels. On that note, check out my article outlining what the Gospels are and why they are important.

More importantly, as you continue to read the Gospels over the years, you will begin to see how they can connect to your own life today. While written over two thousand years ago, the Gospels can be incredibly relatable. As our life seasons change, we are able to relate to the Gospels in new ways. Doing so only deepens our relationship with Jesus and helps us experience more and more of who he is.

My prayer for you is that this article has only encouraged you to explore the gospel. There is incredibly good news in Jesus! And I pray that you find it as you explore the writings about him.

Remember, you do not need to become a master in one day (or in one decade!). Just begin reading the story of Jesus with a curious mind and an open heart and let Jesus guide you the rest of the way.