Bible Reading Plan: Matthew
Let’s begin the new year by reading the Gospel of Matthew together. Matthew tells the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This first Gospel picks up where the Old Testament left off, by revealing Jesus to be the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus is the true king who came to save God's people and teach them (and us!) what it means to live as part of that kingdom.
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WEEK ONE
Key Thought/Summary
When a new king arose to power in Ancient Greece or Rome, messengers would be sent throughout the empire with this word on their lips: euangelion. Gospel. Jesus’ origin stories are some of the most famous and oft-repeated in the world, and it is easy to let them feel overly familiar or nostalgic. But by presenting Jesus’ life to us as euangelion, Matthew is telling us a subversive alternative story about the world: a baby born to a teenage girl and a carpenter in a stable is the one true king. More than that, he is Immanuel—God with us. Wrapped in flesh, God has come to ordinary people, and ordinary people, like us, are invited to join the kingdom he is building. Will you?
WEEK TWO
Key Thought/Summary
If you ran into Jesus on an ordinary day, what might he say? Matthew gives us a glimpse into the famous teaching we call the Sermon on the Mount. As Jesus travels through Galilee, teaching and healing the sick, crowds gather. Most are barely hanging on under the weight of Roman oppression, and to them, Jesus proclaims a startling truth: God’s Kingdom belongs to the poor, the powerless, and the overlooked. This Kingdom turns the world’s values upside down. Flourishing is found not through power or self-protection, but through faithfulness to God and self-giving love for neighbors and even enemies. Jesus offers more than lofty ideals; he invites his followers into an entirely different way of life. What might it look like to live the way of Jesus’ Upside-Down Kingdom today?
WEEK THREE
Key Thought/Summary
Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with a sober warning: hearing his words without putting them into practice is like building a house on sand. When the floodwaters of life come—and they will—that kind of foundation cannot hold. But those who live out his teaching build on a solid rock that remains secure when the waters rise. Coming down the mountain, Jesus demonstrates what this looks like, embodying everything he has taught. He brings the Kingdom of God to those who are sick, suffering, and afraid, revealing his power and authority. Matthew shows that Jesus is not just a wise teacher to admire, but the one we can trust to bring healing, restoration, and wholeness. The question is: will we build our lives on him
WEEK FOUR
Key Thought/Summary
In Israel, being called as a disciple was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: a rabbi believed you could truly become like him if you left everything to follow and learn from him. This is the invitation Jesus extends to his followers. He truly believed they could become like him—healing the sick, casting out evil, and proclaiming God’s message with authority—and he sends them out to do just that by the power of the Spirit. But becoming like Jesus also means living a life of self-sacrificial love. As he says, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew shows us that following Jesus will cost us something, but it is worth it all.
WEEK FIVE
Key Thought/Summary
Not everyone welcomes Jesus with open arms. As his miracles become harder to ignore, resistance grows from the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. They question his authority and challenge his teachings, accusing him of leading the people astray. But Jesus is not surprised by these mixed reactions. Instead, he begins telling parables to reveal what the spread of God’s kingdom will be like. Like seed falling on different kinds of soil, his message will take root in some hearts, while others will harden themselves against it. Yet, despite the obstacles, God’s kingdom is like a mustard seed that grows into a mighty tree or yeast that works through the whole loaf. Though it may seem small and insignificant now, it will grow and endure.
WEEK SIX
Key Thought/Summary
Would you consider yourself interruptible? After his cousin, John the Baptist, is executed, Jesus withdraws to grieve in solitude. Yet, when the crowds follow him, he doesn’t turn them away. He shows compassion, making miraculous feasts to satisfy the hungry. Later, he brings peace to chaos, walking on top of troubled waters and comforting his disciples in a storm. In his pain, Jesus remains interruptible and available to those in need. As we watch Jesus lift loaves of bread into the air, blessing and breaking them, Matthew foreshadows what is to come. Soon Jesus will break bread for an even greater feast in Jerusalem, and soon his own body will be broken, too. In him, we see that the true power of God’s kingdom is revealed through self-giving love.