2020 Advent Bible Reading Challenge
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2020 has been a strange year. Between the coronavirus pandemic, political hostility, and racial tensions, most of us are exhausted by what has transpired over the past eleven months. We are all quite ready to see 2020 come to an end and are hopeful for major improvements in 2021. There is great anticipation for the promises and opportunities the next year holds, if only we can make it through the final month of this abnormal year.
As Christians, we prepare to begin the new calendar year by entering into the season of Advent. While it is observed during the final weeks of the civil calendar, Advent kicks off the new liturgical year in the church. Advent is a season focused on preparing for the coming of Emmanuel. It is both a beginning and an end to the Church’s pilgrimage through the life of Christ—a time to recall the world’s expectation and longing for the first coming of Jesus Christ into our humanity, and a time to anticipate his second coming in final victory. Likewise, the season of Advent is a time for simplicity, discipline, and examination.
For the past decade I have committed to read through the entire New Testament during the season of Advent. This year, I extend an invitation for you to join me. Reading through the New Testament during Advent is a fitting practice for the church, (perhaps especially so this year), because it turns the church’s attention to Christ as we look to the end of the calendar year and begin a new liturgical year. It focuses time through the life of Jesus—the one who is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.
Obviously, reading the New Testament in approximately four weeks means tackling large chunks of scripture each day. For some people, the task may seem overwhelming. Going through the New Testament so quickly is a big commitment and a lofty goal. However, it is a practice I have found to be valuable in my Christian life and beneficial to my soul. Here are a few reasons I find this to be such an important practice, and why I commit to doing it each year:
1. Reading through the New Testament during Advent helps me prepare for the celebration of Christmas in a unique way.
There is great anticipation in the world right now for the end of the coronavirus pandemic. The whole world eagerly awaits a vaccination that will lessen lockdowns, quarantines, illnesses, and deaths. Many of us are keeping a constant eye on the news to see where things stand as we long for salvation from the virus.
In many ways, reading through the New Testament over Advent takes on the same attitude of eagerness and anticipation we have felt during the pandemic. As we recognize our longing for a savior, the scriptures remind us that God’s glory is made known in the way he comes to the rescue of those who need him. We thus spend Advent preparing our hearts to celebrate God’s saving work through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. In our eagerness to celebrate Emmanuel, God with us, what better way to prepare than by reading his story?
2. Reading through the New Testament during Advent helps me examine and simplify my life.
As I consider taking on this rigorous reading plan each year, I immediately think, “Do I have time to sit down and read x number of chapters from the Bible every day?” When I honestly examine my schedule, however, I always find that the time is there. The real problem is a matter of how I spend my time and prioritize my habits.
For me, each daily reading averages to about 30 minutes. A half an hour is the equivalent to one episode of a sitcom or the time I spend scrolling through social media. Perhaps rather than asking, “Do I have the time?” I find a better question to ask is, “What might I cut out of my life in order to make space to focus on God’s story over the next four weeks?” Often I find that whatever I sacrifice was time misspent in the first place.
3. Reading through the New Testament helps me not to miss the forest for the trees.
One pushback I have gotten regarding such an intense reading plan is that tackling broad portions of the New Testament is less “devotional.” I have been told, “I don’t get anything out of reading large chunks of scripture. I don’t feel like it speaks to me.” In no way do I want to downplay the examination of small portions of scripture. Careful and intricate study has important benefits for proper understanding of scripture. However, I have to be careful that my reading of scripture doesn’t always center on me - my understanding, my experience, my conviction. Reading large portions of scripture allows me to set my own agenda aside so that I might be caught up in the grand narrative of God.
For me, Advent is a time when I stop trying to examine each tree and instead step back and marvel in the beauty of God’s forest. In viewing large sections of scripture, I begin to see overarching themes that I sometimes miss. The repetition of certain words and ideas jump out at me. The continuity of God’s story and the narrative of salvation become clearer. Sometimes it takes a couple of days (or more) for my eyes and mind to adjust, but the end result is always to find God’s story as something beautiful and refreshing to my soul.
John Wesley believed that Scripture reading was profitable not only for those who already enjoy a personal relationship with God and want to know him better, but also for those who want to come to know him for the first time. This Advent, perhaps you are one who wants to know God better. Perhaps you are one who really wants to meet God for the first time. Either way, I invite you to accept the Advent Reading Challenge with me. May it reveal wisdom and grace, and show us the path to true salvation.
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Below is a reading plan I developed that follows this year’s Advent dates. Rather than reading straight through the New Testament, this plan begins each new week with one of the Gospels and then ends the week in other sections of the New Testament. The structure is not for everyone, but I offer it for anyone who wishes to join me on the journey through the New Testament this Advent season.
| Day | Date | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunday, November 29 | Matthew 1-10 |
| 2 | Monday, November 30 | Matthew 11-20 |
| 3 | Tuesday, December 1 | Matthew 21-28 |
| 4 | Wednesday, December 2 | Romans 1-11 |
| 5 | Thursday, December 3 | Romans 12-16 |
| 6 | Friday, December 4 | Galatians, Ephesians |
| 7 | Saturday, December 5 | Hebrews |
| 8 | Sunday, December 6 | Luke 1-9 |
| 9 | Monday, December 7 | Luke 10-19 |
| 10 | Tuesday, December 8 | Luke 20-24 |
| 11 | Wednesday, December 9 | Acts 1-8 |
| 12 | Thursday, December 10 | Acts 9-15 |
| 13 | Friday, December 11 | Acts 16-28 |
| 14 | Saturday, December 12 | 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus |
| 15 | Sunday, December 13 | Mark 1-8 |
| 16 | Monday, December 14 | Mark 9-16 |
| 17 | Tuesday, December 15 | James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter |
| 18 | Wednesday, December 16 | 1 Corinthians |
| 19 | Thursday, December 17 | 2 Corinthians |
| 20 | Friday, December 18 | Philippians, Colossians |
| 21 | Saturday, December 19 | 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, Philemon |
| 22 | Sunday, December 20 | John 1-8 |
| 23 | Monday, December 21 | John 9-17 |
| 24 | Tuesday, December 22 | John 18-21 |
| 25 | Wednesday, December 23 | 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude |
| 26 | Thursday, December 24 | Revelation |
Jonathan A. Powers is Assistant Professor of Worship Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.