Read the Gospels in 40 Days

The everlasting birth of Christ, and how he became man. The testimony of John. The calling of Andrew, Peter, etc.

1 In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. ² The same was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made by it, and without it was made nothing that was made. ⁴ In it was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness comprehended it not.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came as a witness to bear witness of the light, so that all through him might believe. ⁸ He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of the light ⁹ that was the true light, who lights all men that come into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and yet the world knew him not.

¹¹ He came among his own, and his own received him not. ¹² But as many as received him, to them he gave power to be the children of God, in that they believed on his name – ¹³ who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor yet of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we saw the glory of it, as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, which word was full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ John bore witness of him and cried out, saying, This was he of whom I spoke, who, though he came after me, went before me, because he was before me. ¹⁶ And of his fullness we have all received, even grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

¹⁹ And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you? ²⁰ He acknowledged, and did not deny but said plainly, I am not the Christ.

²¹ And they asked him, What then? Are you Elijah?

And he said, I am not.

Are you a prophet?

And he answered, No.

²² Then said they to him, Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us: what do you say about yourself?

²³ He said, I am the voice of a crier in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord! as the prophet Isaiah said.

²⁴ And those who were sent were of the Pharisees. ²⁵ And they asked him and said to him, Why do you baptize then, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor a prophet?

²⁶ John answered them, saying, I baptize with water, but one is come among you whom you do not know. ²⁷ He it is that comes after me, who was before me, whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to loose.

²⁸ These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John did baptize.

²⁹ The next day, John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is he of whom I said, after me comes a man who went before me, because he was before me. ³¹ And I did not know him. But in order that he should be declared to Israel, I have come baptizing with water.

³² And John bore witness, saying, I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and rest upon him. ³³ And I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize in water, the same said to me, Upon whom you see the Spirit descend and remain still on him, the same is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. ³⁴ And I saw and bore witness that this is the Son of God.

³⁵ The next day after, John was standing again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ And he saw Jesus as he walked by and said, Behold the Lamb of God! ³⁷ And the two disciples heard him speak, and followed Jesus.

³⁸ And Jesus turned about and saw them following and said to them, What are you seeking? They said to him, Rabbi (which means, Teacher), where are you staying? ³⁹ He said to them, Come and see.

They went and saw where he was lodging, and stayed with him that day. For it was about the tenth hour.

⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He found his brother Simon first and said to him, We have found the Messiah! (which translated is, the Anointed). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus regarded him and said, You are Simon, the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas (which translated is, a rock).

⁴³ The day following, Jesus decided to go into Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, Follow me. ⁴⁴ Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ And Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write: Jesus, the son of Joseph of Nazareth. ⁴⁶ And Nathanael said to him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see.

⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said of him, Behold a right Israelite, in whom there is no guile. ⁴⁸ Nathanael said to him, Where did you know me? Jesus answered and said to him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered and said to him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel!

⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, you believe. You will see greater things than these.

⁵¹ And he said to him, Truly truly I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending over the Son of man.

Christ turns the water into wine, and drives the buyers and sellers out of the temple.

2 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana, a village of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ² And Jesus was invited also, and his disciples, to the marriage. ³ And when the wine failed, Jesus’ mother said to him, They have no wine. ⁴ Jesus said to her, Woman, what have I to do with you? My hour is not yet come. ⁵ And his mother said to the servants, Whatever he says to you, do it.

⁶ And there were standing there six waterpots of stone, for the purification rites of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. ⁷ And Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ And he said to them, Draw some out now, and bring it to the master of the feast. And they brought it.

⁹ When the master of the feast tasted the water that was turned to wine, and did not know where it was from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), he called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, All men at the beginning set out good wine, and when people have drunk, then that which is worse. But you have kept back the good wine until now.

¹¹ This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and showed his glory, and his disciples believed on him. ¹² After that, he descended into Capernaum with his mother and his brethren and his disciples, but continued not many days there.

¹³ And the Jews’ Passover was near at hand. And Jesus went up to Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and found sitting in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers. ¹⁵ And he made a scourge of small cords and drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and oxen, and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables, ¹⁶ and said to those who sold doves, Take these things away from here, and do not make my Father’s house a house of merchandise! ¹⁷ And his disciples remembered that it was written: The zeal of your house has consumed me.

¹⁸ Then the Jews said to him, What sign can you show to us, seeing that you do these things? ¹⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will rear it up again.

²⁰ Then the Jews said, This temple was forty-six years in building, and will you rear it up in three days?

²¹ But he was speaking of the temple of his body. ²² As soon therefore as he was risen up again from death, his disciples remembered that he had said this. And they believed the scripture, and the words that Jesus had spoken.

²³ When he was at Jerusalem, at Passover in the feast, many believed on his name when they saw the miracles that he did. ²⁴ But Jesus did not put himself in their hands, ²⁵ because he knew all men, and needed not that anyone should testify of man. For he knew what was in man.