Chronological Study of the Gospels

Background information and daily reading schedule

Thank you for joining me in this study. In his letter to the Ephesians (chapter 6), the apostle Paul told us what we would need to stand firm in our faith against the schemes of the devil in the evil day and that is the full armor of God, which includes “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” I pray, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that your faith would be increased and strengthened by your study of the Word of God.

This compilation is the result of a women’s Bible study that I teach. We began studying chronologically through the New Testament in 2017 (and we’re still going). I send out a weekly update of our study to those who participate. I have compiled, edited, and expanded those updates.

I follow two Bible reading plans yearly, one chronological and one with a daily Old Testament and New Testament reading. I publish those readings, as well as a daily prayer, here. At the start of 2023, I started summarizing what I was reading, and those summaries can be found here. I’ll link to particular summaries, if relevant, as we go along in this study.

I use the NASB-95 translation of the Bible. I use and recommend blueletterbible.org as a powerful tool for additional study.

The assigned chronological reading plan I follow simplifies, by necessity, by having whole chapters read each day. For the Gospel accounts, however, this usually results in different accounts of the same story being read on different days.

My goal in this study is to look at each account of the same story simultaneously, in order to glean what the Lord is trying to teach us through each. Therefore, our daily scripture readings will be increasingly broken up into verse, rather than chapter, segments, explaining our departure from the assigned chronological reading plan, which starts already on Day 2 and intensifies as we go along.

We start the Gospels on October 1, or Day 274, of the chronological reading plan. I call that Day 1 of this more in-depth chronological study. Below, I list the topics covered on each day of this study along with their scriptural source (book, chapter, verses). I also list what was read in the chronological reading plan on that day. You’ll note the departure between the two plans happens rapidly. If particular scripture was read on a different day in the chronological reading plan than the in-depth chronological study, I note the day that particular scripture was read in the chronological reading plan, partly to demonstrate how much the different Gospel writers differed in their chronology.

I followed various clues in the different Gospel writers’ accounts, but constantly faced the problem of chronology, which then begs the question, “Can we trust the Gospels?” I believe we can, and as we try to piece together chronology, we learn more about the Gospel writers’ different perspectives and goals as they shared about the life of our Lord. Matthew and John were eyewitnesses to the ministry of Jesus. John’s Gospel is very different in content and style to the other three, “synoptic,” Gospels, so I tended to follow Matthew’s chronology.

Day 1: introduction to Jesus and to John the Baptist (John 1:1-18, Luke 1) (chronological plan’s assigned reading for Day 274, October 1: John 1:1-14, Luke 1)

Day 2: announcement, genealogies, and birth of Jesus (Matthew 1, Luke 2:1-38, Luke 3:23-38 [Day 277]) (chronological plan’s assigned reading for Day 275, October 2: Matthew 1, Luke 2:1-28)

Day 3: Jesus’ childhood (Matthew 2, Luke 2:39-52) (chronological plan’s assigned reading for Day 276, October 3: Matthew 2, Luke 2:29-52)

Day 4: the ministry of John the baptist and the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:1-8, Luke 3:1-18, John 1:19-28 [Day 278]; Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34 [Day 278]) (chronological plan’s assigned reading for Day 277, October 4: Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3)

Day 5: Jesus’ temptation by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13 [Day 277]; Luke 4:1-13) (chronological plan’s assigned reading for Day 278, October 5: Matthew 4, Luke 4-5, John 1:19-51)

Day 6: events in Jesus’ ministry between His temptation and entry into Galilee, only covered by John (early calling of disciples, two miracles in Cana, cleansing of temple, Nicodemus, John the Baptist’s last testimony, Samaritan woman at the well) (John 1:35-51 [Day 278], John 2-4) (chronological plan’s assigned reading for Day 279, October 6: John 2-4)

Day 7: healing at Bethesda, arrest of John, early ministry in Galilee (John 5 [Day 281]; Matthew 4:12 [Day 278], Mark 1:14a [Day 277], Luke 3:19-20 [Day 277], John 3:24 [Day 279]; Matthew 4:12-17 [Day 278], Mark 1:14-15 [Day 277], Luke 4:14-15 [Day 278]) (chronological plan’s assigned reading for Day 280, October 7: Mark 2)

Day 8: calling the early disciples in Galilee, Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 4:18-25 [Day 278], Mark 1:16-20 [Day 277], Luke 5:1-11 [Day 278]; Matthew 5-7 [Day 283]) (chronological plan’s assigned reading for Day 281, October 5: John 5)

Day 9: healing of the leper, centurion’s slave, demoniac, and Peter’s mother-in-law; and raising of widow’s son (Matthew 8:1-4 [Day 284], Mark 1:40-45 [Day 277], Luke 5:12-16 [Day 278]; Matthew 8:5-13 [Day 284], Luke 7:1-10 [Day 284]; Matthew 8:14-17 [Day 288], Mark 1:21-45 [Day 277], Luke 4:31-44 [Day 278]; Luke 7:11-17 [Day 284]) (assigned reading for Day 282, October 9: Matthew 12:1-21, Mark 3, Luke 6)

Day 10: cost of discipleship, stilling the sea, demon cast into swine (Matthew 8:18-22 [Day 288]; Matthew 8:23-27 [Day 288], Mark 4:35-41 [Day 288], Luke 8:22-25 [Day 287]; Matthew 8:28-34 [Day 288]; Mark 5:1-20 [Day 288]; Luke 8:26-39 [Day 287]) (assigned reading for Day 283, October 10: Matthew 5-7)

Day 11: healing of the paralytic, calling of Matthew, questions regarding fasting and eating grain on the Sabbath (Matthew 9:1-8 [Day 289], Mark 2:1-13 [Day 280], Luke 5:17-26 [Day 278]; Matthew 9:9-13 [Day 289], Mark 2:14-17 [Day 280], Luke 5:27-32 [Day 278]; Matthew 9:14-17 [Day 289], Mark 2:18-22 [Day 280], Luke 5:33-39 [Day 278]; Matthew 12:1-8 [Day 282], Mark 2:23-28 [Day 280], Luke 6:1-5 [Day 282]) (assigned reading for Day 284, October 11: Matthew 8:1-13, Luke 7)

Day 12: healing in the synagogue on the Sabbath, withdrawal from the Pharisees [Day 282] (Matthew 12:9-14, Mark 3:1-6, Luke 6:6-11; Matthew 12:15-21, Mark 3:7-12) (assigned reading for Day 285, October 12: Matthew 11)

Day 13: choosing the twelve disciples, sermon for disciples [Day 282] (Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-16; Luke 6:17-49) (assigned reading for Day 286, October 13: Matthew 12:22-50, Luke 11)

Day 14: healing of synagogue official's daughter and woman with hemorrhage (Matthew 9:18-26 [Day 289], Mark 5:21-43 [Day 288], Luke 8:40-56) (assigned reading for Day 287, October 14: Matthew 13, Luke 8)

Day 15: healing of blind man and mute man, beseeching the Lord of the harvest, instructions for the twelve (Matthew 9:27-38 [Day 289], Matthew 10 [Day 289], Mark 6:7-13 [Day 290]; Luke 9:1-6 [Day 290]) (assigned reading for Day 288, October 15: Matthew 8:14-34, Mark 4-5)

Day 16: questions from John the Baptist, Jesus’ tribute to John the Baptist, call to the weary and heavy-laden (Matthew 11:1-6 [Day 285], Luke 7:18-23 [Day 284]; Matthew 11:7-24 [Day 285], Luke 7:24-35 [Day 284]; Matthew 11:25-30 [Day 285]) (assigned reading for Day 289, October 16: Matthew 9-10)

Day 17: home of pharisee Simon, women, debtors, unforgiveable sin, family, sign of Jonah (Luke 7:36-50 [Day 284]; Luke 8:1-3 [Day 287]; Matthew 12:22-37&43-45 [Day 286], Mark 3:20-30 [Day 282], Luke 11:14-28 [Day 286]; Matthew 12:46-50 [Day 286], Mark 3:31-35 [Day 282], Luke 8:19-21 [Day 287]; Matthew 12:38-42 [Day 286]; Luke 11:29-36 [Day 286]) (assigned reading for Day 290, October 17: Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9:1-17)

Day 18: Jesus’ parables (Matthew 13:1-3a,10-17,34-35 [Day 287]; Matthew 13:3b-9&18-23 [Day 287], Mark 4:1-20 [Day 288], Luke 8:4-15 [Day 287]; Mark 4:21-25 [Day 288], Luke 8:16-18 [Day 287]; Mark 4:26-29 [Day 288]; Matthew 13:24-30,36-43,47-50 [Day 287]; Matthew 13:31-32 [Day 287], Mark 4:30-32 [Day 288], Luke 13:18-19; Matthew 13:33-35 [Day 287], Luke 13:20-21 [Day 299]; Matthew 13:44-46 [Day 287]; Matthew 13:51-52 [Day 287], Mark 4:33-34 [Day 288]) (assigned reading for Day 291, October 18: John 6)

Day 19: Nazareth, martyrdom of John, feeding 5000, walking on water, return to Gennesarat (Matthew 13:53-58 [Day 287], Mark 6:1-6 [Day 290]; Matthew 14:1-12 [Day 290], Mark 6:14-32 [Day 290], Luke 9:7-9 [Day 290]; Matthew 14:13-21 [Day 290], Mark 6:33-44 [Day 290], Luke 9:10-17 [Day 290], John 6:1-14 [Day 291]; Matthew 14:22-33 [Day 290], Mark 6:45-52 [Day 290], John 6:15-21 [Day 291]; Matthew 14:34-36 [Day 290], Mark 6:53-56 [Day 290]) (assigned reading for Day 292, October 19: Matthew 15, Mark 7)

Day 20: difficult teaching in Capernaum regarding the “bread of life” (John 6:22-71 [Day 291]) (assigned reading for Day 293, October 20: Matthew 16, Mark 8, Luke 9:18-27)

Day 21: arguments, healing, and feeding 4000 (Matthew 15:1-20 [Day 292], Mark 7:1-23 [Day 292]; Matthew 15:21-28 [Day 292], Mark 7:24-30 [Day 292]; Mark 7:31-37 [Day 292]; Matthew 15:29-31 [Day 292]; Matthew 15:32-39 [Day 292], Mark 8:1-10 [Day 293]; Matthew 16:1-12 [Day 293], Mark 8:11-21 [Day 293]; Mark 8:22-26 [Day 293]) (assigned reading for Day 294, October 21: Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9:28-62)

Day 22: Peter's confession and the Transfiguration (Matthew 16:13-28 [Day 293], Mark 8:27-38 [Day 293], Luke 9:18-27 [Day 293]; Matthew 17:1-13 [Day 294], Mark 9:1-13 [Day 294], Luke 9:28-36 [Day 294]) (assigned reading for Day 295, October 22: Matthew 18)

Day 23: events and teachings immediately after Transfiguration, including importance of forgiveness (Matthew 17:14-21 [Day 294], Mark 9:14-29 [Day 294], Luke 9:37-43a [Day 294]; Matthew 17:22-23 [Day 294], Mark 9:30-32 [Day 294], Luke 9:43b-45 [Day 294]; Matthew 17:24-27 [Day 294]; Matthew 18:1-11 [Day 295], Mark 9:33-50 [Day 294], Luke 9:46-50 [Day 294]; Matthew 18:12-35 [Day 295]) (assigned reading for Day 296, October 23: John 7-8)

Day 24: Jesus in Jerusalem, including woman caught in adultery (John 7-10:21 [Day 296 & Day 297]) (chronological assignment for Day 297, October 27: John 9-10:21)

Day 25: sending out the seventy, Good Samaritan, Martha & Mary, prayer, more arguments (Luke 9:51-62 [Day 294]; Luke 10:1-42; Luke 11:1-13; Luke 11:37-54) (chronological assignment for Day 298, October 25: Luke 10-11, John 10:22-42)

Day 26: teachings on worry, persecution and readiness; call to repentance; Sabbath healing; more teaching (Luke 12-13) (chronological assignment for Day 299, October 26: Luke 12-13)

Day 27: Sabbath healing, parables including the prodigal son, and discipleship tested (Luke 14-15) (chronological assignment for Day 300, October 27: Luke 14-15)

Day 28: unrighteous steward, money, law, divorce, rich man & Lazarus, stumbling blocks, forgiveness, faith, ten lepers (Luke 16-17:19) (chronological assignment for Day 301, October 28: Luke 16-17:10)

Day 29: second coming foretold; parable of the persistent widow, and the Pharisee & the tax collector (Luke 17:20-Luke 18:14 [Day 303]) (chronological assignment for Day 302, October 29: John 11)

Day 30: Jesus in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Dedication, followed by travel to Judea beyond the Jordan (John 10:22-42 [Day 298]; Matthew 19:1 [Day 304], Mark 10:1 [Day 304], Luke 9:51 [Day 294], John 10:40 [Day 298]) (chronological assignment for Day 303, October 30: Luke 17:11-18:14)

Day 31: teaching on divorce, Jesus blesses the children, the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:1-12, Mark 10:1-12; Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17 [Day 306]; Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, Luke 18:18-30 [Day 306]) (chronological assignment for Day 304, October 31: Matthew 19, Mark 10)

Day 32: parable of laborers in the vineyard, suffering foretold, healing of blind in Jericho (Matthew 20:1-16; Matthew 20:17-28, Mark 10:32-45 [Day 304], Luke 18:31-34 [Day 306]; Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 10:46-52 [Day 304], Luke 18:35-43 [Day 306]) (chronological assignment for Day 305, November 1: Matthew 20-21)

Day 33: salvation of Zaccheus, parable of money usage (Luke 19:1-27) (chronological assignment for Day 306, November 2: Luke 18:15-Luke 19)

Day 34: the raising of Lazarus, Mary anoints Jesus (John 11 [Day 302]; Matthew 26:6-13 [Day 313], Mark 14:3-9 [Day 313], John 12:1-11) (chronological assignment for Day 307, November 3: Mark 11, John 12)

Day 35: Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-27 [Day 305], Mark 11 [Day 307], Luke 19:28-20:8 [Day 306], John 12:12-19 [Day 307]) (chronological assignment for Day 308, November 4: Matthew 22, Mark 12)

Day 36: parables: two sons, vineyard, wedding feast; tribute to Caesar; questions about resurrection, greatest commandment (Matthew 21:28-32 [Day 306], Luke 21:37-38; Matthew 21:33-46 [Day 305], Mark 12:1-12 [Day 308], Luke 20:9-18; Matthew 22:1-22 [Day 308], Luke 20:19-26; Matthew 22:23-33 [Day 308], Mark 12:18-27 [Day 308], Luke 20:27-40; Matthew 22:34-46 [Day 308], Mark 12:28-37 [Day 308], Luke 20:41-44) (chronological assignment for Day 309, November 5: Matthew 23, Luke 20-21)

Day 37: Phariseeism exposed, lament for Jerusalem, the widow's mite (Matthew 23:1-36 [Day 309], Mark 13:38-40, Luke 20:45-47 [Day 309]; Matthew 23:37-39 [Day 309]; Mark 12:41-44 [Day 308], Luke 21:1-4 [Day 309]) (chronological assignment for Day 310, November 6: Mark 13)

Day 38: signs of Christ’s return, parable of the fig tree, be ready for His coming (Matthew 24:1-31, Mark 13:1-27 [Day 310], Luke 21:5-28 [Day 309]; Matthew 24:32-41, Mark 13:28-32 [Day 310], Luke 21:29-33 [Day 309]; Matthew 24:42-51, Mark 13:33-37 [Day 310], Luke 21:34-36 [Day 309]) (chronological assignment for Day 311, November 7: Matthew 24)

Day 39: parables: ten virgins, talents; the judgment (Matthew 25) (chronological assignment for Day 312, November 8: Matthew 25)

Day 40: plot to kill Jesus, Judas' betrayal, last Passover, Lord's Supper instituted (Matthew 26:1-5, Mark 14:1-2, Luke 22:1-2 [Day 314], John 12:20-50 [Day 307]; Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14:10-11, Luke 22:3-6 [Day 314]; Matthew 26:17-25, Mark 14:12-21, Luke 22:7-13 [Day 314]; Matthew 26:26-35, Mark 14:22-31, Luke 22:14-38 [Day 314]) (chronological assignment for Day 313, November 9: Matthew 26, Mark 14)

Day 41: John’s account of Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples (John 13) (chronological assignment for Day 314, November 10: Luke 22, John 13)

Day 42: Jesus’ intimate teaching and prayer with His eleven faithful disciples (John 14-17) (chronological assignment for Day 315, November 11: John 14-17)

Day 43: Garden of Gethsemane, betrayal & arrest, before Caiaphas, Peter’s denials, Judas’ remorse (Matthew 26:36-46 [Day 313], Mark 14:32-42 [Day 313], Luke 22:39-45 [Day 314]; Matthew 26:47-56 [Day 313], Mark 14:43-52 [Day 313], Luke 22:47-53 [Day 314], John 18:1-11 [Day 317]; Matthew 26:57-68 [Day 313], Mark 14:53-65 [Day 313], Luke 22:63-71 [Day 314], John 18:12-14, 19-24 [Day 317]; Matthew 26:69-75 [Day 313], Mark 14:66-72 [Day 313], Luke 22:54-62 [Day 314], John 18:15-18, 25-27 [Day 317]; Matthew 27:1-10) (chronological assignment for Day 316, November 12: Matthew 27, Mark 15)

Day 44: Jesus before Pilate and Herod, Simon bears the cross (Matthew 27:1-10 [Day 316]; Matthew 27:11-31 [Day 316], Mark 15:1-20 [Day 316], Luke 23:1-25, John 18:28-40, 19:1-16; Matthew 27:32 [Day 316], Mark 15:21 [Day 316], Luke 23:26-32) (chronological assignment for Day 317, November 13: Luke 23, John 18-19)

Day 45: crucifixion, burial (Matthew 27:33-56 [Day 316], Mark 15:22-41 [Day 316], Luke 23:33-49 [Day 317], John 19:17-30 [Day 317]; Matthew 27:57-66 [Day 316], Mark 15:42-47 [Day 316], Luke 23:50-56 [Day 317], John 19:31-42 [Day 317]) (chronological assignment for Day 318, November 14: Matthew 28, Mark 16)

Day 46: Resurrection, road to Emmaus, appearance in Jerusalem & Galilee, Great Commission, Ascension (Matthew 28:1-15 [Day 318], Mark 16:1-11 [Day 318], Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-18; Mark 16:12-13 [Day 318], Luke 24:13-35; Luke 24:36-49, John 20:19-29; John 21:1-23; Matthew 28:16-20 [Day 318], Mark 16:14-20 [Day 318], Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:4-11 [Day 320]) (chronological assignment for Day 319, November 15: Luke 24, John 20-21)