This Bible reading plan takes you through most of the Holy Scriptures each weekday of the year. Each day has three Bible readings:
You're welcome to read one, two, or all three of the readings every weekday. And if you fall behind, don't worry! You can either use the weekends to catch up or you can simply dive in to the reading for that day, even if you've missed a few days, weeks, or even months!
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3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus1 by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again2 he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.3 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You4 must be born again.’ 8 The wind5 blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you6 do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.7 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.8
16 “For God so loved the world,9 that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”10
31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
[1] 3:2
[2] 3:3
[3] 3:6
[4] 3:7
[5] 3:8
[6] 3:11
[7] 3:13
[8] 3:15
[9] 3:16
[10] 3:30
(ESV)
Having spent my whole life in the ministry, I've heard lots of questions from people about lots of different things. Some of the most unusual and unexpected questions have been about cycling. Yes, cycling. I know it sounds strange, but once I became an avid cyclist, all of a sudden everyone else in my congregation who had an interest in cycling seemed to view me as an expert. I'm not, but their questions led to a lot of fascinating conversations about a subject I'm passionate about (cycling, not theology, even though I'm passionate about that too!).
One of the most common questions that has been asked of me through 35 years of ministry goes something like this. "What about the person who never heard about Jesus? Do they go to hell just because no one ever told them about Jesus?" It's an honest question I've heard time and time again that expresses genuine concern for the lost and an honest inquiry about God's justice. And it's addressed directly by both Jesus and John in John chapter 3.
The error behind this question is exposed by Jesus' words in John 3:17: "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." Jesus came as a means of salvation, not condemnation. This common question, however, makes it sound as though people could be saved without Jesus, but once Jesus came they would be lost if they did not trust in him. The error lies in thinking that a person's "default" position is to be right with God. WRONG!
In verse 18 Jesus says: "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." The key word here is the word "already." It comes out of the tense of the verb "condemned," which is in the perfect tense, describing ongoing past action. Thus, a person who does not trust in Jesus is already under condemnation and remains in that state apart from Jesus. Why? Because of his sin.
The reality is that every one of us is born condemned because we are sinful by birth and nature. And this plays itself out in the lives of every human being "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Thus, the "default" position for every one of us is condemnation. Without Jesus we perish because "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). All of us, without exception, are "by nature objects of [God's] wrath (Ephesians 2:3). And if we are condemned by God we get what we deserve.
John reveals the same truth in John 3:36: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." Here, John uses the word "remains" to express the fact that we are by nature objects of wrath, and that unless we put our trust in Jesus, we remain in the "default" position of condemnation. God's rightful anger over our sin continues to rest upon us.
This is so important for us to understand. Apart from Jesus ALL will perish! Why? Because they didn't hear about Jesus? NO! Because that is what we all deserve. This is what every one of us has earned. It is our "just deserts." But thank God, he has done everything necessary to save us from our "just deserts." He sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through him, so that anyone and everyone, without exception, who puts their faith in him will be saved, not condemned as they deserve.
Have you heard of the new TV series, "Undercover Boss"? I haven't seen it but I understand it's a big hit. To most people the thought of the boss going "undercover" is a frightening one. Their fear is that he would be spying on them to catch them doing something wrong so that he could fire them. (In fact, that's exactly how a lot of people think about God.)
That's not the concept of "Undercover Boss" at all. Instead, the boss is going undercover to find out what it's like to do the job of an ordinary worker in the company and to find out how to make their job easier and their life better. It's a tiny little bit like what Jesus did. In his case the "Boss" went undercover, became a real human being and lived among us, not to catch us doing wrong so that he could condemn us, but instead to do our job for us... to live the perfect life we couldn't live, and to pay the debt for our sins that we couldn't pay, so that we could be saved. What Jesus did is greater than anything any other "Undercover Boss" could ever do. He saved us. Which is exactly why God sent his Son, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Thank God!
50:1 Thus says the LORD:
“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce,
with which I sent her away?
Or which of my creditors is it
to whom I have sold you?
Behold, for your iniquities you were sold,
and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
2 Why, when I came, was there no man;
why, when I called, was there no one to answer?
Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?
Or have I no power to deliver?
Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea,
I make the rivers a desert;
their fish stink for lack of water
and die of thirst.
3 I clothe the heavens with blackness
and make sackcloth their covering.”
4 The Lord GOD has given me
the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
he awakens my ear
to hear as those who are taught.
5 The Lord GOD has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious;
I turned not backward.
6 I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
from disgrace and spitting.
7 But the Lord GOD helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?
Let him come near to me.
9 Behold, the Lord GOD helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;
the moth will eat them up.
10 Who among you fears the LORD
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the LORD
and rely on his God.
11 Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
who equip yourselves with burning torches!
Walk by the light of your fire,
and by the torches that you have kindled!
This you have from my hand:
you shall lie down in torment.
51:1 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
you who seek the LORD:
look to the rock from which you were hewn,
and to the quarry from which you were dug.
2 Look to Abraham your father
and to Sarah who bore you;
for he was but one when I called him,
that I might bless him and multiply him.
3 For the LORD comforts Zion;
he comforts all her waste places
and makes her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of the LORD;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song.
4 “Give attention to me, my people,
and give ear to me, my nation;
for a law1 will go out from me,
and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.
5 My righteousness draws near,
my salvation has gone out,
and my arms will judge the peoples;
the coastlands hope for me,
and for my arm they wait.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;2
but my salvation will be forever,
and my righteousness will never be dismayed.
7 “Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
the people in whose heart is my law;
fear not the reproach of man,
nor be dismayed at their revilings.
8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
and the worm will eat them like wool,
but my righteousness will be forever,
and my salvation to all generations.”
9 Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the LORD;
awake, as in days of old,
the generations of long ago.
Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,
who pierced the dragon?
10 Was it not you who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep,
who made the depths of the sea a way
for the redeemed to pass over?
11 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
(ESV)
The sins of God's people Israel were so great that He had every right to treat her like an unfaithful wife and give her a certificate of divorce, or to treat her as a debtor who was in default—unable to pay her debt—and therefore would be sold as a slave to compensate the creditor. We too have been unfaithful to God and owe a debt for sin that we cannot pay. Thankfully we know the One who paid our debt for us, Jesus Christ, God's Servant, the Messiah. God, who controls all of creation continually reminds us of His power and our weakness by giving us weather that we cannot even predict, let alone control. This same God is not too weak to save us. In contrast to our rebellion, God's Servant listens to God's Word. He is obedient, not rebellious, even offering his back to be beaten in our place. The Servant's determination to be obedient caused him to say, "I have set my face like flint" to do God's will (see Luke 9:51). Jesus knew that He would be vindicated by His glorious resurrection, even though he was punished in our place like an ordinary sinner. Paul uses these words of Isaiah to assure us that because of Jesus, God is for us, and nothing can separate us from His love in Christ (Romans 8:32-34). All who seek their own way using the light of their own torches, instead of walking in the light of the LORD will perish in torment. God promises those who pursue righteousness by faith in the LORD will be like Abraham, the father of all true believers, and will be richly blessed by God. Although the world will pass away, those who are righteous by faith will live forever. The world will insult us for following the Law of the LORD, but we need not fear them for they will be devoured but we will be saved. Just as God reached out to rescue His people of old through the Red Sea, so He will rescue and redeem us eternally to Himself. In that day, "the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."
44:1 O God, we have heard with our ears,
our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
in the days of old:
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
but them you set free;
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
and the light of your face,
for you delighted in them.
4 You are my King, O God;
ordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we push down our foes;
through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
and have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah
9 But you have rejected us and disgraced us
and have not gone out with our armies.
10 You have made us turn back from the foe,
and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter
and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You have sold your people for a trifle,
demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
the derision and scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
a laughingstock2 among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
and shame has covered my face
16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.
(ESV)