Advent Reading Plan
Advent Reading Plan
The following Advent Reading Plan, reproduced from The First Days of Jesus: The Story of the Incarnation by Andreas J. Kӧstenberger and Alexander E. Stewart (foreword by Justin Taylor; Wheaton: Crossway, 2015) includes six readings from the Old Testament, six from Matthew, nine from Luke, and four from John.
The readings, keyed to The First Days of Jesus, move from some of the major Old Testaments texts expressing messianic expectations to the infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke to John’s prologue. Ideally, these Scripture passages should be read in conjunction with the respective chapter in this volume.
The Advent Reading Plan starts on December 1 and ends on December 25. This will make a wonderful set of readings for individual study, families, and small groups in local churches. May Christ be exalted and God be glorified! The authors wish everyone a merry, Christ-centered Christmas!
| Date | Scripture Passage | Topic | First Days |
| December 1 | Luke 1:1–4 | An account from eyewitnesses | Introduction |
| December 2 | Genesis 49:8–12 | The scepter of Judah | Chapter 1 |
| December 3 | Isaiah 9:6–7; 11:1–5 | A child is born; a branch of Jesse | Chapter 1 |
| December 4 | Micah 5:2–4 | A ruler born in Bethlehem | Chapter 1 |
| December 5 | Matthew 1:1–17 | Jesus’s ancestry | Chapter 1 |
| December 6 | Matthew 1:18–25 | The virgin birth | Chapter 2 |
| December 7 | Matthew 2:1–12 | The visit of the magoi | Chapter 3 |
| December 8 | Matthew 2:13–15 | Escape to Egypt | Chapter 4 |
| December 9 | Matthew 2:16–18 | Herod’s order | Chapter 4 |
| December 10 | Matthew 2:19–23 | Return to Nazareth | Chapter 4 |
| December 11 | Luke 1:5–25 | John the Baptist’s birth foretold | Chapter 5 |
| December 12 | Luke 1:26–38 | Jesus’s birth foretold | Chapter 5 |
| December 13 | Luke 1:39–45 | Mary’s visit to Elizabeth | Chapter 6 |
| December 14 | Luke 1:46–56 | Mary’s song (Magnificat) | Chapter 6 |
| December 15 | Luke 1:57–66 | Birth of John the Baptist | Chapter 7 |
| December 16 | Luke 1:67–80 | Zechariah’s song (Benedictus) | Chapter 7 |
| December 17 | Luke 2:1–7 | Birth of Jesus Christ | Chapter 8 |
| December 18 | Luke 2:8–21 | The angelic announcement | Chapter 9 |
| December 19 | Luke 2:22–40 | Simeon’s and Anna’s prophecies | Chapter 10 |
| December 20 | John 1:1–5, 18 | The preexistent Word | Chapter 11 |
| December 21 | John 1:6–8, 15 | John the Baptist’s witness | Chapter 12 |
| December 22 | John 1:9–14 | The Word-become-flesh | Chapter 13 |
| December 23 | John 1:16–17 | The law, grace, and truth | Chapter 14 |
| December 24 | Isaiah 52:13–53:12 | The suffering servant | Chapter 15 |
| December 25 | Revelation 21:1–8 | A new heaven and a new earth | Epilogue |
Resources
To download an excerpt of The First Days of Jesus, including the preface, the introduction, and chapter 1, see the Crossway website, where you can also purchase a copy of the book.
You can also purchase a copy of the book at Amazon.
