Read through the Bible in 2025

“[Jesus] said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” (Luke 24:25-27)

After Jesus rose from the dead, Luke tells us in chapter 24 that he appeared incognito with two unnamed disciples who were walking on the road to Emmaus. The disciples are despondent, sharing with their new companion about Jesus’ death and the rumors that he might be alive again. In response, Jesus chides them for not believing all that the prophets had spoken about the Messiah. And then Jesus takes them on a tour of the Hebrew Scriptures, explaining all that was said in there about himself.

In many ways, that passage has been foundational to my preaching philosophy. Just as “all roads led to Rome” in the ancient world, our belief is that all Scriptures point to Jesus and the gospel of His life, death and resurrection. I learned this approach largely from the preaching ministry of Tim Keller, who learned it from Edmund Clowney, who learned it from preachers and teachers before him, all the way back to the disciples, who learned it from Jesus on the road to Emmaus. The Bible is not a collection of moralistic stories; it is one grand narrative that points to Jesus and culminates in His death and resurrection that saves us from sin and death and reconciles us to God. Or, for a video illustration of this truth, watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGFtfqgBQkM.
 
This is why I was so excited when I discovered The Bible Recap (TBR) in 2020. Created by Tara-Leigh Cobble, TBR is a podcast (or YouTube video series) that follows a chronological one-year Bible reading plan and offers a 5-8 minute summary of the day’s reading. Tara-Leigh is a gifted teacher, and more importantly, shares my preaching philosophy, and the perspective of Jesus on the road to Emmaus, that every story points to the gospel. If you have ever tried to read through the Bible on your own, you know it is challenging, because many of the stories have an unfamiliar historical context. The Bible Recap is an excellent companion to a one-year Bible reading plan that can help you grow in your understanding of God and see how the whole story weaves together into one grand and life-changing narrative.

If you are interested, you can visit www.thebiblerecap.com/start, or you can subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. If you need help or want to build in the accountability of a group of people at NewLife who are also reading through the Bible in 2025, contact us and we can help you.