Why should we read the Bible? We read the Bible because we are followers of Jesus and Jesus was obsessed with the Bible.

Jesus’ Obsession with the Bible

The Bible for Jesus is what we refer to as the Old Testament — Genesis through Malachi. Believe it or not, Jesus most likely had the entire thing memorized. I know that sounds unreal, but you have to remember that folks in Jesus’ day didn’t have the distractions of Facebook, Twitter, and TV. Life was simpler and their attention spans greater.

As well as they were primarily an oral society. It was rare for someone to own a book. If you wanted to keep reflecting on and referring back to something, you had to memorize it. I know that sounds hard to us, but this is what they did back then.

So all that to say — Jesus probably had large portions, if not the entire Bible, memorized.

Along with memorizing the Bible, you see Jesus consistently teaching and quoting from the Old Testament. As well as when you examine Jesus’ life, you see that He lived according to the Bible’s plan. It shaped His entire life and informed His worldview.

I think it is safe to say, then, that Jesus was obsessed with the Bible.

We Should Be Obsessed with the Bible

As followers of Jesus, we should be obsessed with the Bible too. In other words, we should have the same relationship with the Bible as Jesus does.

In order for us to have the same relationship with the Bible as Jesus, we have to start by reading it. This last Sunday I challenged the church I pastor to read the Bible together. Today, I want to challenge you, my readers, to read the Bible with me and each other.

The Plan

The Bible Project has put out some really high-quality material over the last year. Their Read Scripture video series, app, and reading plan is one of the best I have seen. I used it at the end of last year to read through most of the New Testament (Acts-Revelation). It was a joy to use, which is why it’s my exclusive Scripture reading plan for this year.

The links to download the Read Scripture app, as well as other information about the Read Scripture program, can be found here. Both Apple and Android devices are supported.

If you don’t do apps, you can download a paper copy of the reading plan here.

Along with the app and reading plan, they also have videos that provide an overview of every book of the Bible. You can access those videos through their website thebibleproject.com or their Youtube channel. There you will find videos for the Old Testament and New Testament, as well as theme videos that match the readings.

Of course, if you download the app, all these videos are baked in, so you don’t have to worry about accessing another website.

So that’s the plan.

My Hope

My hope is that you will join my other readers and myself in reading through the Bible in 2017. Oh, I’ll be sure to post updates throughout the year to keep you motivated.