Read the Gospels in 40 Days

Jesus Calls Twelve Followers and Sends Them Out ^(A)

10 Jesus called His twelve followers to Him. He gave them power to put out demons and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease. ² These are the names of the twelve followers. There were Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John who were the sons of Zebedee. ³ There were Philip and Bartholomew and Thomas. There was Matthew, the man who gathered taxes. There were James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeaus, and ⁴ Simon the Canaanite. There was Judas Iscariot who handed Jesus over to be killed.

⁵ Jesus sent out these twelve followers. He told them to go, saying, “Stay away from people who are not Jews. And do not go to any town in the country of Samaria. ⁶ But go to the Jewish people who are lost. ⁷ As you go, preach. Say, ‘The holy nation of heaven is near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick and those with bad skin diseases. Raise the dead. Put out demons. You have received much, now give much. ⁹ Do not take gold or silver or brass money with you. ¹⁰ Do not take a bag of things for the trip. Do not take two coats or shoes or a walking stick. A workman should receive his food and what he needs.

¹¹ “When you come to a city or town, find a home that is respected and stay there until you leave. ¹² As you go into a house, tell them you hope good comes to them. ¹³ And if the house is respected, give them your good wishes. If it is not respected, let your good wishes come back to you. ¹⁴ Whoever does not receive you or does not listen to what you say, as you leave that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. ¹⁵ For sure, I tell you, it will be easier for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day men stand before God and are told they are guilty, than for that city.

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep with wolves all around you. Be wise like snakes and gentle like doves. ¹⁷ But look out for men. They will take you up to their courts and they will hurt you in their places of worship. ¹⁸ They will take you in front of the leaders of the people and of the kings because of Me. You will tell them and the people who do not know God about Me. ¹⁹ When you are put into their hands, do not worry what you will say or how you will say it. The words will be given you when the time comes. ²⁰ It will not be you who will speak the words. The Spirit of your Father will speak through you.

²¹ “A brother will hand over a brother to be put to death. A father will hand over his child to be put to death. Children will hand over their parents to be put to death. ²² You will be hated by all people because of Me. But he who stays true to the end will be saved. ²³ When they make it hard for you in one town, go to another. For sure, I tell you, before you have gone through the Jewish cities, the Son of Man will come.

²⁴ “A follower is not greater than his teacher. A servant who is owned by someone is not greater than his owner. ²⁵ A follower should be happy to be as his teacher, and a servant who is owned by someone should be happy to be as his owner. If they have called the head of the house Satan, how much more will they speak against those of the house. ²⁶ Then do not be afraid of them. For nothing is covered up that will not be brought out into the light. There is nothing hid that will not be made known. ²⁷ You tell in the light what I tell you in the dark. You must speak with a loud voice from the roofs of houses what you have heard. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of them who kill the body. They are not able to kill the soul. But fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two small birds sold for a very small piece of money? And yet not one of the birds falls to the earth without your Father knowing it. ³⁰ God knows how many hairs you have on your head. ³¹ So do not be afraid. You are more important than many small birds.

³² “Whoever makes Me known in front of men, I will make him known to My Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever does not make Me known in front of men and acts as if he does not know Me, I will not make him known to My Father in heaven.

³⁴ “Do not think I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ I came to turn a man against his father. I came to turn a daughter against her mother. I came to turn a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ A man will be hated by his own family.

Giving Up Things of This Earth ^(B)

³⁷ “He who loves his father and mother more than Me is not good enough for Me. He who loves son or daughter more than Me is not good enough for Me. ³⁸ He who does not take his cross and follow Me is not good enough for Me. ³⁹ He who wants to keep his life will have it taken away from him. He who loses his life because of Me will have it given back to him.

⁴⁰ “Whoever receives you, receives Me. Whoever receives Me, receives Him Who sent Me. ⁴¹ Whoever receives a preacher who speaks for God because he is a preacher, will get the reward of a preacher who speaks for God. Whoever receives a man right with God, because he is a man right with God, will get the reward of a man right with God. ⁴² For sure, I tell you, anyone who gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he follows Me, will not lose his reward.”

John the Baptist Asks about Jesus ^(C)

11 When Jesus finished telling His twelve followers what to do, He went away from there to teach and preach in their towns.

² When John the Baptist was in prison, he heard what Jesus was doing. He sent his followers. ³ They asked, “Are You the One Who was to come, or should we look for another?” ⁴ Jesus said to them, “Go and tell John what you see and hear. ⁵ The blind are made to see. Those who could not walk are walking. Those who have had bad skin diseases are healed. Those who could not hear are hearing. The dead are raised up to life and the Good News is preached to poor people. ⁶ He is happy who is not ashamed of Me and does not turn away because of Me.”

Jesus Tells about John the Baptist ^(D)

⁷ As the followers of John the Baptist went away, Jesus began to tell the people about John. He said, “What did you go out to see in the desert? A small tree shaking in the wind? ⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in good clothes? Those who are dressed in good clothes are in the houses of kings. ⁹ What did you go out to see? One who speaks for God? Yes, I tell you, he is more than one who speaks for God. ¹⁰ This is the man the Holy Writings spoke of when they said, ‘See! I will send My helper to carry news ahead of You. He will make Your way ready for You!’ ^{(E) 11} For sure, I tell you, of those born of women, there is no one greater than John the Baptist. The least in the holy nation of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the holy nation of heaven has suffered very much. Fighting men try to take it. ¹³ All the early preachers and the Law told about it until the time of John. ¹⁴ And if you will believe it, he is Elijah who was to come. ^{(F) 15} You have ears, then listen!

Jesus Speaks Against Cities in Galilee

¹⁶ “What are the people of this day like? They are like children playing in the center of town where people gather. They call to their friends. ¹⁷ They say, ‘We played music for you, but you did not dance. We showed sorrow in front of you, but you did not show sorrow.’ ¹⁸ John came and did not eat or drink. They said, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ Then the Son of Man came and ate and drank. They said, ‘See! He eats too much and likes wine. He is a friend of men who gather taxes and of sinners!’ But wisdom shows itself to be right by what it does.”

²⁰ Then He began to say strong words against the cities where most of His powerful works were done. He spoke to them because they were not sorry for their sins and did not turn from them. ²¹ “It is bad for you, city of Chorazin! It is bad for you, town of Bethsaida! For if the powerful works which were done in you had been done in the cities of Tyre and Sidon, they would have turned from their sins long ago. They would have shown their sorrow by putting on clothes made from hair and would have sat in ashes. ²² I tell you, it will be better for Tyre and Sidon on the day men stand before God and are told they are guilty, than for you.

²³ “And Capernaum, are you to be lifted up into heaven? You will be taken down to hell. If the powerful works which were done in you had been done in the city of Sodom, it would be here to this day. ²⁴ But I say to you that it will be better for the land of Sodom on the day men stand before God and are told they are guilty, than for you.”

Jesus Prays to His Father

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “Thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You hid these things from the wise and from those who have much learning. You have shown them to little children. ²⁶ Yes, Father, it was good in Your sight.

²⁷ “Everything has been given to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son but the Father. No one knows the Father but the Son, and those to whom the Son wants to make the Father known.

Jesus Calls People to Follow Him

²⁸ “Come to Me, all of you who work and have heavy loads. I will give you rest. ²⁹ Follow My teachings and learn from Me. I am gentle and do not have pride. You will have rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My way of carrying a load is easy and My load is not heavy.”

Jesus Teaches about the Day of Rest ^(G)

12 At that time Jesus walked through the grain-fields on the Day of Rest. His followers were hungry and began to pick off grain to eat. ² The proud religious law-keepers saw this. They said to Jesus, “See! Your followers do what the Law says not to do on the Day of Rest.” ³ He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry? ⁴ He went into the house of God and ate the special bread used in worship which was against the Law for him or those with him to eat! Only the Jewish religious leaders were to eat that special bread. ⁵ Have you not read in the Law how the religious leaders do that which is not right to do on the Day of Rest, and yet they are not guilty? ⁶ I tell you that Someone greater than the house of God is here. ⁷ If you had understood what the words mean, ‘I want loving-kindness and not a gift to be given,’ ^(H) you would not say a person is guilty who has done no wrong. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Day of Rest.”

Jesus Heals on the Day of Rest ^(I)

⁹ From there Jesus went into their place of worship. ¹⁰ A man was there with a dried-up hand. The proud religious law-keepers asked Jesus, “Does the Law say it is right to heal on the Day of Rest?” They wanted something to say against Him. ¹¹ He said to them, “If one of you has a sheep which falls into a hole on the Day of Rest, will you not take hold of it and pull it out? ¹² How much better is a man than a sheep! So it is right to do good on the Day of Rest.” ¹³ Then He said to the man, “Put out your hand.” He held it out and it was made as well as the other. ¹⁴ The proud religious law-keepers went out and made plans against Him. They planned how they might kill Him.

Jesus Heals Many People ^(J)

¹⁵ Jesus knew this and went away from there. Many people followed Him and He healed all of them. ¹⁶ He told them to tell no one of Him. ¹⁷ It happened as the early preacher Isaiah said it would happen, saying, ¹⁸ “See! My Servant Whom I have chosen! My much Loved, in Whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit in Him. He will say to the nations what is right from wrong. ¹⁹ He will not fight or speak with a loud voice. No man will hear His voice in the streets. ²⁰ He will not break a broken branch. He will not put out a little fire until He makes things right. ²¹ In His name the nations will have hope.” ^(K)

A Nation That Cannot Stand ^(L)

²² Then they brought to Him a man who had a demon. He was blind and could not speak. Jesus healed him and he could talk and see. ²³ All the people were surprised and said, “Can this Man be the Son of David?” ²⁴ But when the proud religious law-keepers heard it, they said, “This Man puts out demons only by Satan, the leader of demons.”

²⁵ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every nation divided into groups that fight each other is going to be destroyed. Every city or family divided into groups that fight each other will not stand. ²⁶ If the devil puts out the devil, he is divided against himself. How will his nation stand? ²⁷ If I put out demons by Satan, by whom do your followers put them out? So your followers will say if you are guilty. ²⁸ But if I put out demons by the Spirit of God, then the holy nation of God is come to you. ²⁹ How can anyone go into a strong man’s house and take away his things, unless he ties up the strong man first? Only then can he take things from his house.

The Sin That Cannot Be Forgiven

³⁰ “Whoever is not with Me is against Me. Whoever is not gathering with Me is sending everywhere. ³¹ I tell you, every sin and every bad word men speak against God will be forgiven, but bad words spoken against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this life or in the life to come.

The Sin of Saying Bad Things

³³ “A good tree gives good fruit. A bad tree gives bad fruit. A tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴ You family of snakes! How can you say good things when you are sinful? The mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ³⁵ A good man will speak good things because of the good in him. A bad man will speak bad things because of the sin in him. ³⁶ I say to you, on the day men stand before God, they will have to give an answer for every word they have spoken that was not important. ³⁷ For it is by your words that you will not be guilty and it is by your words that you will be guilty.”

Jesus Tells about Jonah ^(M)

³⁸ Then some of the teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers said to Jesus, “Teacher, we would like to have you do something special for us to see.” ³⁹ He said to them, “The sinful people of this day look for something special to see. There will be nothing special to see but the powerful works of the early preacher Jonah. ⁴⁰ Jonah was three days and three nights in the stomach of a big fish. The Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the grave also. ⁴¹ The men of the city of Nineveh will stand up with the people of this day on the day men stand before God. Those men will say these people are guilty because the men of Nineveh were sorry for their sins and turned from them when Jonah preached. And see, Someone greater than Jonah is here!

⁴² “The queen of the south will stand up with the people of this day on the day men stand before God. She will say that these people are guilty because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wise sayings of Solomon. And see, Someone greater than Solomon is here!

A Person Filled with Bad or Good ^(N)

⁴³ “When a demon is gone out of a man, it goes through dry places to find rest. It finds none. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will go back into my house from which I came.’ When it goes back, it sees that it is empty. But it sees that the house has been cleaned and looks good. ⁴⁵ Then it goes out and comes back bringing with it seven demons more sinful than itself. They go in and live there. In the end that man is worse than at first. It will be like this with the sinful people of this day.”

The New Kind of Family ^(O)

⁴⁶ While Jesus was still talking to the people, His mother and His brothers came and stood outside. They wanted to talk to Him. ⁴⁷ Someone said to Him, “Your mother and brothers are outside and want to talk to you.” ⁴⁸ Jesus said, “Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?” ⁴⁹ He put out His hand to His followers and said, “See, these are My mother and My brothers! ⁵⁰ Whoever does what My father in heaven wants him to do is My brother and My sister and My mother.”