Read the Gospels in 40 Days
The Centurion’s Faith
7 (A)When He had completed all His words in the hearing of the people, (B)He went to Capernaum.
2 And a centurion’s slave, [a]who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. 3 Now when he heard about Jesus, (C)he sent some [b]Jewish elders asking Him to come and [c]save the life of his slave. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they were earnestly pleading with Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; 5 for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.” 6 Now Jesus was going on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “[d]Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not good enough for You to come under my roof. 7 For this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just [e]say the word, and my [f]servant will be healed. 8 For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 9 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him. And He turned to the crowd that was following Him and said, “I say to you, (D)not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
11 And it happened that soon afterwards He went to a city called Nain, and His disciples were going along with Him, [g]accompanied by a large crowd. 12 Now as He approached the gate of the city, behold, [h]a dead man was being carried out, the [i]only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. 13 And when (E)the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, “Do not cry.” 14 And He came up and touched the coffin, and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” 15 And the [j]dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 (F)And fear gripped them all, and they began (G)glorifying God, saying, “A great (H)prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has [k]visited His people!” 17 (I)And this report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district.
Questions from John the Baptist
18 (J)And the disciples of John reported to him about all these things. 19 Summoning [l]two of his disciples, John sent them to (K)the Lord, saying, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we look for someone else?” 20 When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the One who is to come, or should we look for someone else?’” 21 At that [m]very time He (L)cured many people of diseases and (M)afflictions and evil spirits, and He granted sight to many who were blind. 22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the (N)blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the (O)poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 Blessed is he [n]who does not take offense at Me.”
24 And when the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 [o]But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft garments? Behold, those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and even more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written,
28 I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is [q]least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 And when all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they [r]acknowledged (Q)God’s justice, (R)having been baptized with (S)the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and the (T)scholars of the Law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by [s]John.
31 “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children, sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, who say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’ 33 For John the Baptist has come (U)eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a [t]drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and [u]sinners!’ 35 Yet wisdom (V)is vindicated [v]by all her children.”
36 Now one of the Pharisees was asking Him to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 (W)And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a [w]sinner. And when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 And standing behind Him at His feet, crying, she began to wet His feet with her tears. And she kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 Now when the Pharisee, who had invited Him, saw this, he said to himself, saying, “If this man were (X)a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”
Parable of Two Debtors
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he [x]replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred [y](Y)denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they (Z)were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he graciously forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you (AA)gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You (AB)gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 (AC)You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “(AD)Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 And those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say [z]to themselves, “(AE)Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “(AF)Your faith has saved you; (AG)go in peace.”
Many Women Contribute to Jesus’ Ministry
8 And it happened that soon afterward He was going around from one city and village to another, (AH)preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, 2 and also (AI)some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: (AJ)Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, (AK)Herod’s (AL)manager, and Susanna, and many others who were ministering to them from their possessions.
The Parable of the Sower
4 (AM)Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the [aa]air ate it up. 6 And other seed fell on rock and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And other seed fell among the thorns, and when the thorns grew up with it, they choked it out. 8 And other seed fell into the good soil; and growing up, it produced a crop one hundred times as great.” As He said these things, He would call out, “(AN)He who has ears to hear, [ab]let him hear.”
The Parable of the Sower Explained
9 (AO)And His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant. 10 And He said, “(AP)To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that (AQ)seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.
11 “Now the parable is this: (AR)the seed is the word of God. 12 And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 And those on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, and these have no root; [ac]they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of life, and do not bear ripe fruit. 15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with [ad]perseverance.
A Lampstand and the Light
16 “Now (AS)no one after lighting a lamp covers it with a container or puts it under a bed, but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. 17 (AT)For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 So beware how you listen, (AU)for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he [ae]thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
19 (AV)And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.” 21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these (AW)who hear the word of God and do it.”
Jesus Calms a Storm
22 (AX)Now it happened that on one of those days He and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of (AY)the lake.” So they set sail. 23 But as they were sailing along, He fell asleep, and a windstorm descended on (AZ)the lake, and they began to be swamped and in danger. 24 And they came to Him and woke Him up, saying, “(BA)Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He woke up and (BB)rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and [af]it became calm. 25 And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”
Jesus Saves a Man from Many Demons
26 (BC)Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He came out onto the land, a man from the city met Him, one who was possessed with demons and had not put on any garment for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. 28 Now seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “[ag](BD)What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of (BE)the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times, and he was bound with chains and shackles, being kept under guard. And yet breaking his bonds, he was driven by the demon into the desolate regions. 30 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “(BF)Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they were pleading with Him not to command them to go away into (BG)the abyss.
32 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain, and the demons pleaded with Him to permit them to enter [ah]the swine. And He gave them permission. 33 And when the demons came out of the man, they entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into (BH)the lake and was drowned.
34 And when the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside. 35 And the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down (BI)at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was (BJ)demon-possessed had been [ai]saved. 37 And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear. And He got into a boat and returned. 38 (BK)But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might [aj]accompany Him. But He sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your house and recount what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus’ Daughter
40 (BL)And as Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. 41 (BM)And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was [ak](BN)an official of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he began to plead with Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an [al]only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him.
43 And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. 45 And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “(BO)Master, the crowds are surrounding and pressing in on You.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I knew that (BP)power had gone out of Me.” 47 And when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling. And falling down before Him, she declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And He said to her, “Daughter, (BQ)your faith has [am]saved you; (BR)go in peace.”
49 While He was still speaking, someone *came from the house of (BS)the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” 50 But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, “(BT)Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be [an]saved.” 51 So when He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother. 52 Now they were all crying and (BU)lamenting for her, but He said, “Stop crying, for she has not died, but (BV)is asleep.” 53 And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. 54 He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Child, arise!” 55 And her spirit returned, and she stood up immediately. And He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. 56 And her parents were astounded, but He (BW)directed them to tell no one what had happened.
The Twelve Disciples Sent Out
9 (BX)And calling the twelve together, He gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. 2 And He sent them out to (BY)preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, “(BZ)Take nothing for your journey, (CA)neither a staff, nor a [ao]bag, nor bread, nor money; nor have two [ap]tunics apiece. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there [aq]until you leave that city. 5 And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, (CB)shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And departing, they were going [ar]throughout the villages, (CC)proclaiming the gospel and healing everywhere.
7 (CD)Now (CE)Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that (CF)John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that (CG)Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again. 9 And Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded, but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And (CH)he kept trying to see Him.
10 (CI)And when the apostles returned, they recounted to Him all that they had done. (CJ)Taking them with Him, He slipped away by Himself to a city called (CK)Bethsaida. 11 But when the crowds became aware of this, they followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
12 Now the day [as]was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and obtain lodging and find provisions, for here we are in a desolate place.” 13 But He said to them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 (For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them [at]sit down (CL)in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all [au]sit down. 16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. And He broke them and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied; and [av]the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve (CM)baskets full.
Peter Confesses Jesus Is the Christ
18 (CN)And it happened that while He was (CO)praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah, but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.” 20 And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “(CP)The [aw]Christ of God.” 21 But He [ax](CQ)warned them and directed them not to tell this to anyone, 22 (CR)saying, “(CS)The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”
Take Up Your Cross
23 And He was saying to them all, “(CT)If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For (CU)whoever wishes to save his [ay]life will lose it, but whoever loses his [az]life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25 For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and (CV)loses or forfeits himself? 26 (CW)For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I say to you truthfully, (CX)there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 (CY)Now it happened some eight days after these words, that taking along (CZ)Peter and John and James, He (DA)went up on the mountain (DB)to pray. 29 And it happened that while He was (DC)praying, the appearance of His face (DD)became different, and His clothing became white and [ba]gleaming. 30 And behold, two men were talking with Him, and they were Moses and Elijah, 31 who, appearing in [bb]glory, were speaking of His [bc](DE)departure which He was about to fulfill at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions (DF)had been overcome with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. 33 And it happened that as they were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “(DG)Master, it is good for us to be here; (DH)let us make three [bd]booths: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—(DI)not realizing what he was saying. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud [be]formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 Then (DJ)a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “(DK)This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” 36 And when the voice [bf]had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And (DL)they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
Jesus Casts Out a Demon
37 (DM)Now it happened on the next day, that when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my [bg]only one, 39 and behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth, and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. 40 And I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.” 41 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 42 Now while he was still approaching, the demon [bh]slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all astonished at the (DN)majesty of God.
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
(DO)But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, 44 “Put these words into your ears; (DP)for the Son of Man is going to be [bi]delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But (DQ)they [bj]did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
Who Is the Greatest?
46 (DR)Now an argument [bk]started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. 47 But Jesus, (DS)knowing [bl]what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, 48 and said to them, “(DT)Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; (DU)for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”
49 (DV)And John answered and said, “(DW)Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to hinder him because he does not follow along with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him, (DX)for he who is not against you is [bm]for you.”
51 Now it happened that when the days for (DY)Him to be taken up were soon to be fulfilled, He set His face (DZ)to go to Jerusalem; 52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the (EA)Samaritans to [bn]make arrangements for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, (EB)because [bo]He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples (EC)James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to (ED)command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them, [bp][and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57 (EE)And as they were going along the road, (EF)someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the [bq]air have [br]nests, but (EG)the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 And He said to another, “(EH)Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and (EI)proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but (EJ)first permit me to say farewell to those at home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “(EK)No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
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