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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13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet,1 but is completely clean. And you2 are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant3 is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled,4 ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side,5 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus6 of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.
[1] 13:10
[2] 13:10
[3] 13:16
[4] 13:18
[5] 13:23
[6] 13:24
(ESV)
I am a man who loves spicy foods. In college, one of my favorite restaurants was a chicken wing joint named "Pluckers." Although they had over a dozen varieties of different wings, I've ordered only one: "Fire in the Hole." The name says it all. And really, the name's an understatement. At first, it's actually painful to eat these wings. But eventually, your tongue and lips go numb and it becomes easier to scarf them down. And scarf them down I did. 25 of them in a single sitting, once upon a time. None of my buddies even came close to my incredible ability to ingest enormous quantities of really hot wings. But the next day, I paid for it. My innards were inflamed with incessant heat that felt like it was steadily burning a hole through my stomach lining. And as I sat there, doubled over in pain on my dorm room sofa, I thought to myself, "Gee, Zach. Was that really worth it? Was a night of hot wing indulgence really worth this excruciating gastrointestinal pain?" My answer was, "No."
As I've gotten older, my stomach has gotten weaker. I can't even eat so much as a jalapeno without getting heartburn that makes my skin crawl and face wince. Thus, even though I still love the taste of spicy foods, they don't like me. And so I just stay away from them. After all, I learned my lesson in college. It just isn't worth it.
In our reading for today from John 13, the drama of the gospel increases several-fold as Jesus gets closer to the cross. Indeed, this chapter reaches a fever pitch when Jesus speaks these shocking words to his disciples: "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me" (verse 21). In Jesus' darkest hour, a betrayer lurks in their midst. Not surprisingly, the disciples, gasping with hushed voices of disbelief, ask, "Lord, who is it?" Jesus' answer is unambiguous and all-together devastating: "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped in the dish" (verses 25-26). Jesus then dips the bread and hands it to... Judas.
What a scene it must have been. What a dramatic and terrifying moment it must have been for the disciples to watch Jesus pick up a piece of bread, dip it into a dish of fruit sauce, and reach out his hand to one of them. They all had to be wondering, "It isn't me, is it? Jesus wouldn't dare hand that piece of bread to me, would he?"
I find it especially fascinating that Jesus uses a piece of bread to mark his betrayer. In Greek, the word for "piece of bread" is psomion. What's important to note is that this is a diminutive form of psocho, simply meaning "piece." In other words, when Jesus hands Judas a piece of bread, it isn't just a piece, it's a tiny piece. It's nothing but a crumb.
So, was it worth it? To betray the Son of God for a miniscule morsel? Hardly. For in the process of gaining a scrap of sustenance, Judas had forfeited his very soul. But before we stand too aghast at such an inequitable trade, perhaps it's worth asking ourselves if we don't do the same thing - if we don't trade our integrity, our character, and those things which are truly significant for the psomions of this world. We trade our marriage for an affair. We trade our generosity for greed. We trade eternity with God for the temporary trappings of this life. We trade all which counts for the diminutive crumbs that this world throws at us. As the author of Proverbs laments, "A man will do wrong for a piece of bread" (Proverbs 28:21). The question is, "Is it worth it?"
Jesus would answer, "No. It's not worth it." "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" he asks (Mark 8:36). The morsels of this world can never match or even approach the kingdom of God.
Perhaps the saddest and most shocking moment in John 13 comes with these words: "Judas took the bread" (verse 27). Jesus had to be hoping that he would refuse. Jesus had to be hoping that he wouldn't exchange his soul for a mere pittance of provision. But Judas did. Finally, it was Judas who made the exchange. This was Judas' desire, not Jesus'. But Judas' story need not be your story. For, by faith, you can keep what really counts: Jesus' gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation.
So today, ask yourself, "What psomions tempt me to exchange God's gifts for their allures?" And then pray for God for strength to stand up against such tiny trifles. After all, no matter how big the psomions of this world may look, they're never as big as the cross. In the end, the cross is all that's really "worth it." That's why Jesus died on it. And that's why we cling to it.
63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom,
in crimsoned garments from Bozrah,
he who is splendid in his apparel,
marching in the greatness of his strength?
“It is I, speaking in righteousness,
mighty to save.”
2 Why is your apparel red,
and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?
3 “I have trodden the winepress alone,
and from the peoples no one was with me;
I trod them in my anger
and trampled them in my wrath;
their lifeblood1 spattered on my garments,
and stained all my apparel.
4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and my year of redemption2 had come.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;
so my own arm brought me salvation,
and my wrath upheld me.
6 I trampled down the peoples in my anger;
I made them drunk in my wrath,
and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
7 I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD,
the praises of the LORD,
according to all that the LORD has granted us,
and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
8 For he said, “Surely they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely.”
And he became their Savior.
9 In all their affliction he was afflicted,3
and the angel of his presence saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
and himself fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old,
of Moses and his people.4
Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is he who put in the midst of them
his Holy Spirit,
12 who caused his glorious arm
to go at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
to make for himself an everlasting name,
13 who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
they did not stumble.
14 Like livestock that go down into the valley,
the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest.
So you led your people,
to make for yourself a glorious name.
15 Look down from heaven and see,
from your holy and beautiful5 habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion
are held back from me.
16 For you are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us,
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O LORD, are our Father,
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
17 O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways
and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
18 Your holy people held possession for a little while;6
our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,
like those who are not called by your name.
64:1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—
2 7 as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.
5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?8
6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have made us melt in9 the hand of our iniquities.
8 But now, O LORD, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
9 Be not so terribly angry, O LORD,
and remember not iniquity forever.
Behold, please look, we are all your people.
10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and beautiful10 house,
where our fathers praised you,
has been burned by fire,
and all our pleasant places have become ruins.
12 Will you restrain yourself at these things, O LORD?
Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?
[1] 63:3
[2] 63:4
[3] 63:9
[4] 63:11
[5] 63:15
[6] 63:18
[7] 64:2
[8] 64:5
[9] 64:7
[10] 64:11
(ESV)
The song of the Servant in 63:1-6 served as the inspiration for an Easter hymn by Thomas Kelly, "Who is this that comes from Edom, All His raiment stained with blood, To the captives speaking freedom, Bringing and bestowing good... " [The Lutheran Hymnal #209] The imagery is that of a warrior returning victorious from battle, his garments stained with the blood of His slain foes. Edom is emblematic of all the enemies of God and His people. The servant complains, "I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold." We know that Christ alone had to effect our salvation by single-handedly defeating the enemy through His own death and resurrection. His garments were stained with His own blood, shed for our sins, but by this sacrifice and His glorious resurrection, he conquered Satan and won a great victory for us. Isaiah breaks into praise for the kindness God has shown His people. Although they rebelled, God led His people for His own name's sake. In a prayer for mercy, Isaiah pleads, "You, O LORD, are our Father," acknowledging our utter dependence on God. The prophet prays: "O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?" This only happens, of course, because God's people have first hardened their own hearts in sinful rebellion again and again. Isaiah prays that God would return, and not let them remain like a people over whom God never ruled. He pleads, "rend the heavens and come down" recognizing that we cannot save ourselves, for "all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment." God's people must humble themselves before the LORD, acknowledging that we are the clay and He is the potter, who will shape and form us for His glory. Only when this is their attitude can they expect that God will no longer restrain Himself and will rise up to act on their behalf.
51:1 Have mercy on me,1 O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right2 spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
(ESV)