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!
You can download a foldable bookmark here: 2026
23:1 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” 3 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.
13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16 I will therefore punish and release him.”1
18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—19 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. 20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21 but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22 A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.
26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”2 And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him,3 “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,4 saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
44 It was now about the sixth hour,5 and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,6 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.7 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.
On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
[1] 23:16
[2] 23:34
[3] 23:38
[4] 23:39
[5] 23:44
[6] 23:44
[7] 23:54
(ESV)
I have been spending a fair amount of time in the book of Exodus lately. In Exodus 2, Moses, after he inadvertently kills an Egyptian soldier (cf. Exodus 2:12), flees to the wilderness of Midian where he meets a man named Reuel (cf. Exodus 2:18-21). Although it's not common, "Reuel" has quickly become a favorite name of mine. It is from the Hebrew words re'eh, meaning "friend," and el, meaning "God." What a wonderful moniker - to be called a friend of God.
Even today, being God's friend is a notion which delights and comforts countless Christians. Phillips, Craig, and Dean sing a song which declares, "I am a friend of God." More classically, I have been to nary a funeral where they have not sung, as consolation for grieving hearts and souls, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." As people who believe in God, we trust not only that he is the transcendent sovereign of the universe, but also our immanent friend.
As much as we may want to be God's friend, we also struggle giving up other affections which would damage and even destroy our friendship with God. As Jesus' brother James warns us, "Don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God" (James 4:4)? It is a difficult, and finally impossible, feat to be a friend of God while also maintaining ties with wicked ways of this world. Consider Pontius Pilate, for instance, in our reading for today from Luke 23.
During this time, Pilate's political career is on the rocks. His approval ratings are plummeting. The first century Jewish philosopher Philo relays the story of how Pilate had some golden shields inscribed with a dedication to the emperor of Rome at this time, Tiberius Caesar, and thus infuriated the Jews:
Pilate, not more with the object of doing honor to Tiberius than with that of vexing the multitude, dedicated some gilt shields... in the holy city... But when the multitude heard what had been done... they entreated him to alter and to rectify the innovation which he had committed in respect of the shields... But he steadfastly refused this petition, for he was a man of a very inflexible disposition, and very merciless as well as very obstinate. (Philo, On the Embassy to Gaius, par. 299-301)
For the Jews at this time, even an inscription dedicated to someone other than God smacked of idolatry and thus offended their religious sensibilities. In response to Pilate's offense, the Jewish leaders crafted a letter of protest which Herod Antipas, one of the tetrarchs of Palestine, eagerly forwarded to Tiberius in an attempt to bolster his own political capital. Upon receiving the letter, Tiberius shot off a nasty letter to Pilate, demanding that he remove the offensive shields. This episode made Pilate and Herod Antipas bitter enemies.
In Luke 23, then, Pilate faces a choice. He can either strike back at Herod Antipas with a political low blow - some sort of smear campaign - or he can show him kindness - offer him an olive branch of sorts - in hopes of mending their broken relationship and thus better cementing his own political position because he has newfound friends in high places. Pilate opts for the latter. Knowing that Antipas has long been a fan of Jesus (cf. verse 8), when Jesus lands in Pilate's Praetorium, accused of insurrection, Pilate ships him off to Antipas as a goodwill gesture. Thus Luke writes: "That day Herod and Pilate became friends - before this they had been enemies" (verse 12).
"Herod and Pilate became friends." Pilate uses his shrewd political prowess to make a new friend. The problem is, he made friends with the wrong guy. He opted for friendship with a ruler of the world rather than friendship with the Son of God. And when he has yet another opportunity to befriend Jesus and stand fast against those who falsely accuse him, he instead "surrenders Jesus to their will" (verse 25). Jesus is crucified.
Friendship means fidelity. In other words, friendship with God means you can't rely on God and his ways while also flirting with ways of this world. To be a friend of Christ means to be a friend of Christ alone. Thankfully, Jesus is a forgiving friend. Even when we run off to befriend the world, Jesus still stands with his hand outstretched, inviting us back to friendship with him. I hope he is a friend of yours, for he wants to be. And there is no better friend to have.
40:1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me to the city.1 2 In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. 3 When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. 4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”
5 And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man’s hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth2 in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. 6 Then he went into the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep.3 7 And the side rooms, one reed long and one reed broad; and the space between the side rooms, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end, one reed. 8 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, on the inside, one reed. 9 Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; and its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end. 10 And there were three side rooms on either side of the east gate. The three were of the same size, and the jambs on either side were of the same size. 11 Then he measured the width of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gateway, thirteen cubits. 12 There was a barrier before the side rooms, one cubit on either side. And the side rooms were six cubits on either side. 13 Then he measured the gate from the ceiling of the one side room to the ceiling of the other, a breadth of twenty-five cubits; the openings faced each other. 14 He measured also the vestibule, sixty cubits. And around the vestibule of the gateway was the court.4 15 From the front of the gate at the entrance to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits. 16 And the gateway had windows all around, narrowing inwards toward the side rooms and toward their jambs, and likewise the vestibule had windows all around inside, and on the jambs were palm trees.
17 Then he brought me into the outer court. And behold, there were chambers and a pavement, all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement. 18 And the pavement ran along the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. This was the lower pavement. 19 Then he measured the distance from the inner front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court,5 a hundred cubits on the east side and on the north side.6
20 As for the gate that faced toward the north, belonging to the outer court, he measured its length and its breadth. 21 Its side rooms, three on either side, and its jambs and its vestibule were of the same size as those of the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. 22 And its windows, its vestibule, and its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps people would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them. 23 And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits.
[1] 40:1
[2] 40:5
[3] 40:6
[4] 40:14
[5] 40:19
[6] 40:19
(ESV)
14 years after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem Ezekiel was given a stunning and detailed vision of the temple of the LORD gloriously restored. By the power of the LORD, Ezekiel was transported to "a very high mountain," presumably Mount Zion, on which stood a structure "like a city." Ezekiel's guide for this tour of God's house was "a man whose appearance was like bronze," presumably an angelic figure sent by God. Ezekiel was told to "look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you" so that he could declare to Israel all that he saw. By this time, all hope would have been lost that the temple of the LORD would ever be restored, but this vision was to assure Ezekiel and Israel that God would again dwell in the midst of His people. In the man's hand was a reed-measuring rod about 10 ½ feet long. The wall surrounding the temple matched the length of the rod in height and width. The series of dimensions that follows describes the east gate and outer court, and could become quite confusing, especially since what was being described was not as complete or detailed as an architectural drawing. The reason for this, of course, is that the vision Ezekiel was given concerned not only the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem under the Old Covenant, but also the dwelling of God in the midst of His people under the New Covenant of Peace. It was not, therefore, a set of plans for building. What Ezekiel saw, however, had substance and depth, and served to confirm the certainty of the promises God was making to His people. Several aspects of the temple's dimension and structure were intended to impress upon the people of Israel the majesty of God. The outer court was over 1000 feet in length, and the path to the temple itself consisted of a series of higher and higher levels of pavement. The outer court could also be accessed from the north and south, through gates like the one Ezekiel entered on the east side. We cannot be certain about the meaning of all the details of what Ezekiel saw as he traversed the courts on the way up to the temple itself, but undoubtedly it was a glorious vision intended to emphasize the glory of God!
141:1 O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who work iniquity,
and let me not eat of their delicacies!
5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are thrown over the cliff,1
then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.2
8 But my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord;
in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!3
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.
[1] 141:6
[2] 141:7
[3] 141:8
(ESV)