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Read the Gospels in 40 Days

Read through the four Gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John--in 40 days.

Duration: 40 days

Matthew 4-6

Jesus and the Devil

(Mark 1.12,13; Luke 4.1-13)

4 ^(A) The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert, so that the devil could test him. ²After Jesus had gone without eating^[a] for 40 days and nights, he was very hungry. ³Then the devil came to him and said, “If you are God's Son, tell these stones to turn into bread.”

⁴^(B) Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say:

‘No one can live only on food.
People need every word
that God has spoken.’ ”

⁵Next, the devil took Jesus into the holy city to the highest part of the temple. ⁶^(C) The devil said, “If you are God's Son, jump off. The Scriptures say:

‘God will give his angels
    orders about you.
They will catch you
    in their arms,
and you won't hurt
    your feet on the stones.’ ”

⁷^(D) Jesus answered, “The Scriptures also say, ‘Don't try to test the Lord your God!’ ”

⁸Finally, the devil took Jesus up on a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms on earth and their power. ⁹The devil said to him, “I will give all this to you, if you will bow down and worship me.”

¹⁰^(E) Jesus answered, “Go away Satan! The Scriptures say:

‘Worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’ ”

¹¹Then the devil left Jesus, and angels came to help him.

Jesus Begins His Work

(Mark 1.14,15; Luke 4.14,15)

¹²^(F) When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he went to Galilee. ¹³^(G) But instead of staying in Nazareth, Jesus moved to Capernaum. This town was beside Lake Galilee in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.^[b] ¹⁴So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said,

¹⁵^(H) “Listen, lands of Zebulun
    and Naphtali,
lands along the road
to the sea
    and across the Jordan.
Listen Galilee,
    land of the Gentiles!
¹⁶Although your people
    live in darkness,
they will see
    a bright light.
Although they live
    in the shadow of death,
a light will shine
    on them.”

¹⁷^(I) Then Jesus started preaching, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here.”^[c]

Jesus Chooses Four Fishermen

(Mark 1.16-20; Luke 5.1-11)

¹⁸While Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two brothers. One was Simon, also known as Peter, and the other was Andrew. They were fishermen, and they were casting their net into the lake. ¹⁹Jesus said to them, “Follow me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish.” ²⁰Right then the two brothers dropped their nets and went with him.

²¹Jesus walked on until he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus asked them to come with him. ²²At once they left the boat and their father and went with Jesus.

Jesus Teaches, Preaches, and Heals

(Luke 6.17-19)

²³^(J) Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news about God's kingdom. He also healed every kind of disease and sickness. ²⁴News about him spread all over Syria, and people with every kind of sickness or disease were brought to him. Some of them had a lot of demons in them, others were thought to be crazy,^[d] and still others could not walk. But Jesus healed them all.

²⁵Large crowds followed Jesus from Galilee and the region around the ten cities known as Decapolis.^[e] They also came from Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan River.

The Sermon on the Mount

5 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down.^[f]

Blessings

(Luke 6.20-23)

Jesus' disciples gathered around him, ²and he taught them:

³God blesses those people
    who depend only on him.
They belong to the kingdom
    of heaven!^[g]
⁴^(K) God blesses those people
who grieve.
    They will find comfort!
⁵^(L) God blesses those people
    who are humble.
The earth will belong
    to them!
⁶^(M) God blesses those people
who want to obey him^[h]
    more than to eat or drink.
They will be given
    what they want!
⁷God blesses those people
    who are merciful.
They will be treated
    with mercy!
⁸^(N) God blesses those people
whose hearts are pure.
    They will see him!
⁹God blesses those people
    who make peace.
They will be called
    his children!
¹⁰^(O) God blesses those people
who are treated badly
    for doing right.
They belong to the kingdom
    of heaven.^[i]

¹¹^(P) God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. ¹²^(Q) Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.

Salt and Light

(Mark 9.50; Luke 14.34,35)

¹³^(R) You are the salt for everyone on earth. But if salt no longer tastes like salt, how can it make food salty? All it is good for is to be thrown out and walked on.

¹⁴^(S) You are the light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, ¹⁵^(T) and no one lights a lamp and puts it under a clay pot. Instead, it is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶^(U) Make your light shine, so others will see the good you do and will praise your Father in heaven.

The Law of Moses

¹⁷Don't suppose I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets.^[j] I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning. ¹⁸^(V) Heaven and earth may disappear. But I promise you not even a period or comma will ever disappear from the Law. Everything written in it must happen.

¹⁹If you reject even the least important command in the Law and teach others to do the same, you will be the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. But if you obey and teach others its commands, you will have an important place in the kingdom. ²⁰You must obey God's commands better than the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law obey them. If you don't, I promise you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

Anger

²¹^(W) You know our ancestors were told, “Do not murder” and “A murderer must be brought to trial.” ²²But I promise you if you are angry with someone,^[k] you will have to stand trial. If you call someone a fool, you will be taken to court. And if you say that someone is worthless, you will be in danger of the fires of hell.

²³So if you are about to place your gift on the altar and remember that someone is angry with you, ²⁴leave your gift there in front of the altar. Make peace with that person, then come back and offer your gift to God.

²⁵Before you are dragged into court, make friends with the person who has accused you of doing wrong. If you don't, you will be handed over to the judge and then to the officer who will put you in jail. ²⁶I promise you will not get out until you have paid the last cent you owe.

Marriage

²⁷^(X) You know the commandment which says, “Be faithful in marriage.” ²⁸But I tell you if you look at another woman and want her, you are already unfaithful in your thoughts. ²⁹^(Y) If your right eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body, than for your whole body to end up in hell. ³⁰^(Z) If your right hand causes you to sin, chop it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one part of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

Divorce

(Matthew 19.9; Mark 10.11,12; Luke 16.18)

³¹^(AA) You have been taught that a man who divorces his wife must write out divorce papers for her.^[l] ³²^(AB) But I tell you not to divorce your wife unless she has committed some terrible sexual sin.^[m] If you divorce her, you will cause her to be unfaithful, just as any man who marries her is guilty of taking another man's wife.

Promises

³³^(AC) You know our ancestors were told, “Don't use the Lord's name to make a promise unless you are going to keep it.” ³⁴^(AD) But I tell you not to swear by anything when you make a promise! Heaven is God's throne, so don't swear by heaven. ³⁵^(AE) The earth is God's footstool, so don't swear by the earth. Jerusalem is the city of the great king, so don't swear by it. ³⁶Don't swear by your own head. You cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷When you make a promise, say only “Yes” or “No.” Anything else comes from the devil.

Revenge

(Luke 6.29,30)

³⁸^(AF) You know you have been taught, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” ³⁹But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you. When someone slaps your right cheek,^[n] turn and let that person slap your other cheek. ⁴⁰If someone sues you for your shirt, give up your coat as well. ⁴¹If a soldier forces you to carry his pack one kilometer, carry it two kilometers.^[o] ⁴²When people ask you for something, give it to them. When they want to borrow money, lend it to them.

Love

(Luke 6.27,28,32-36)

⁴³^(AG) You have heard people say, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.” ⁴⁴But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. ⁴⁵^(AH) Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. ⁴⁶If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for this? Even tax collectors^[p] love their friends. ⁴⁷If you greet only your friends, what's so great about this? Don't even unbelievers do that? ⁴⁸^(AI) But you must always act like your Father in heaven.

Giving

6 ^(AJ) When you do good deeds, don't try to show off. If you do, you won't get a reward from your Father in heaven.

²When you give to the poor, don't blow a loud horn. That's what show-offs do in the synagogues and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward.

³When you give to the poor, don't let anyone know about it.^[q] ⁴Then your gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret and will reward you.

Prayer

(Luke 11.2-4)

⁵^(AK) When you pray, don't be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward.

⁶When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private and will reward you.

⁷^(AL) When you pray, don't talk on and on as people do who don't know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. ⁸Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask.

⁹You should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
help us to honor
    your name.
¹⁰Come and set up
    your kingdom,
so that everyone on earth
    will obey you,
as you are obeyed
    in heaven.
¹¹Give us our food for today.^[r]
¹²Forgive us for doing wrong,
    as we forgive others.
¹³Keep us from being tempted^[s]
    and protect us from evil.^[t]

¹⁴^(AM)^(AN) If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you. ¹⁵But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Worshiping God by Going without Eating

¹⁶When you go without eating,^[u] don't try to look gloomy as those show-offs do when they go without eating. I can assure you that they already have their reward. ¹⁷^(AO) Instead, comb your hair and wash your face. ¹⁸Then others won't know you are going without eating. But your Father sees what is done in private, and he will reward you.

Treasures in Heaven

(Luke 12.33,34)

¹⁹^(AP) Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. ²⁰^(AQ) Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. ²¹Your heart will always be where your treasure is.

Light

(Luke 11.34-36)

²²Your eyes are a window for your body. When they are good, you have all the light you need. ²³But when your eyes are bad, everything is dark. If the light inside you is dark, you surely are in the dark.

Money

(Luke 16.13)

²⁴You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Worry

(Luke 12.22-31)

²⁵I tell you not to worry about your life. Don't worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn't life more than food or clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth much more than birds?

²⁷Can worry make you live longer?^[v] ²⁸Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don't work hard to make their clothes. ²⁹^(AR) But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth^[w] wasn't as well clothed as one of them. ³⁰God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. God will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith?

³¹Don't worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” ³²Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these. ³³But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.

³⁴Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.

Footnotes

4.2 without eating: The Jewish people sometimes went without eating (also called “fasting”) to show their love for God or to show sorrow for their sins.
4.13 Zebulun and Naphtali: In Old Testament times these tribes were in northern Palestine, and in New Testament times many Gentiles lived where these tribes had once been.
4.17 The kingdom of heaven will soon be here: See the two notes at 3.2.
4.24 thought to be crazy: In ancient times people with epilepsy were thought to be crazy.
4.25 the ten cities known as Decapolis: A group of ten cities east of Samaria and Galilee, where the people followed the Greek way of life.
5.1 sat down: Teachers in the ancient world, including Jewish teachers, usually sat down when they taught.
5.3 They belong to the kingdom of heaven: Or “The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.”
5.6 who want to obey him: Or “who want to do right” or “who want everyone to be treated right.”
5.10 They belong to the kingdom of heaven: See the note at 5.3.
5.17 the Law and the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
5.22 someone: In verses 22-24 the Greek text has “brother,” which may refer to people in general or to other followers.
5.31 write out divorce papers for her: Jewish men could divorce their wives, but the women could not divorce their husbands. The purpose of writing these papers was to make it harder for a man to divorce his wife. Before this law was made, all a man had to do was to send his wife away and say that she was no longer his wife.
5.32 some terrible sexual sin: This probably refers to the laws about the wrong kinds of marriages that are forbidden in Leviticus 18.6-18 or to some serious sexual sin.
5.39 right cheek: A slap on the right cheek was a bad insult.
5.41 two kilometers: A Roman soldier had the right to force a person to carry his pack as far as one kilometer.
5.46 tax collectors: These were usually Jewish people who paid the Romans for the right to collect taxes. They were hated by other Jews who thought of them as traitors to their country and to their religion.
6.3 don't let anyone know about it: The Greek text has, “Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”
6.11 our food for today: Or “the food that we need” or “our food for the coming day.”
6.13 tempted: Or “tested.”
6.13 evil: Or “the evil one,” that is, the devil. Some manuscripts add, “The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen.”
6.16 without eating: See the note at 4.2.
6.27 live longer: Or “grow taller.”
6.29 Solomon with all his wealth: The Jewish people thought that Solomon was the richest person who had ever lived.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)