M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jesus and John the Baptist
11 So when Jesus had finished giving instructions to the twelve disciples, he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.
2 Meanwhile, John, who was in prison, heard about these messianic goings-on. He sent word through his followers.
3 “Are you the one who is coming?” he asked. “Or should we be looking for someone else?”
4 “Go and tell John what you’ve seen and heard,” replied Jesus. 5 “Blind people are seeing! Lame people are walking! People with virulent skin diseases are being cleansed! Deaf people can hear again! The dead are being raised to life! And—the poor are hearing the good news! 6 And God bless you if you’re not upset by what I’m doing.”
The identity of John the Baptist
7 As the messengers were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John.
“What were you expecting to see,” he asked, “when you went out into the desert? A reed wobbling in the wind? 8 No? Then, what were you expecting to see? Someone dressed in silks and satins? If you want to see people like that you’d have to go to somebody’s royal palace. 9 All right, so what were you expecting to see? A prophet? Ah, now we’re getting there: yes indeed, and much more than a prophet! 10 This is the one the Bible was talking about when it says,
See, I’m sending my messenger ahead of you
and he will clear your path before you.
11 “I’m telling you the truth: John the Baptist is the greatest mother’s son there ever was. But even the least significant person in heaven’s kingdom is greater than he is. 12 From the time of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been forcing its way in—and the men of force are trying to grab it! 13 All the prophets and the law, you see, made their prophecies up to the time of John. 14 In fact, if you’ll believe it, he is Elijah, the one who was to come. 15 If you’ve got ears, then listen!”
Jesus condemns the cities
16 “What picture shall I give you for this generation?” asked Jesus. “It’s like a bunch of children sitting in the town square, and singing songs to each other. 17 This is how it goes:
You didn’t dance when we played the flute,
you didn’t cry when we sang the dirge!
18 “What do I mean? When John appeared, he didn’t have any normal food or drink—and people said ‘What’s got into him, then? Some demon?’ 19 Then along comes the son of man, eating and drinking normally, and people say, ‘Ooh, look at him—guzzling and boozing, hanging around with tax-collectors and other riff-raff.’ But, you know, wisdom is as wisdom does—and wisdom will be vindicated!”
20 Then he began to berate the towns where he’d done most of his powerful deeds, because they hadn’t repented.
21 “A curse on you, Chorazin!” he said. “A curse on you, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen the kind of powerful things you saw, they would have repented long ago with hairshirts and ashes. 22 But I can tell you this: on the day of judgment Tyre and Sidon will have a better time of it than you will. 23 And what about you, Capernaum? You think you’re going to be exalted to heaven, do you? No—you’ll be sent down to Hades! If the powerful works that happened in you had happened in Sodom, it would still be standing today. 24 But I can tell you this: on the day of judgment the land of Sodom will have a better time of it than you will!”
Jesus’ invitation
25 At that time Jesus turned to God with this prayer: “I give you my praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth! You hid these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to children! 26 Yes, Father, that’s the way you decided to do it! 27 My father gave me everything: nobody knows the son except the father, and nobody knows the father except the son—and anyone the son wants to reveal him to.
28 “Are you having a real struggle? Come to me! Are you carrying a big load on your back? Come to me—I’ll give you a rest! 29 Pick up my yoke and put it on; take lessons from me! My heart is gentle, not arrogant. You’ll find the rest you deeply need. 30 My yoke is easy to wear, my load is easy to bear.”
Controversy and vindication
11 The apostles, and the brothers and sisters with them in Judaea, heard that the Gentiles had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who wanted to emphasize circumcision took issue with him.
3 “Why did you do it?” they asked. “Why did you go in to visit uncircumcised men and eat with them?”
4 So Peter began to explain it all, step by step.
5 “I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and I was praying. I was in a trance, and I saw a vision: something like a great sail suspended by its four corners was let down from heaven, and came towards me. 6 I stared at it, then I began to look in, and I saw four-footed land animals, wild beasts, reptiles and birds of the air. 7 I heard a voice, saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter! Kill and eat!’ 8 ‘Certainly not, Lord,’ I replied. ‘Nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth!’ 9 Then the voice came from heaven a second time: ‘What God made clean, you must not regard as common.’ 10 All this happened three times, and then the whole lot was drawn back up into heaven.
11 “Just then, suddenly, three men appeared at the house where I was, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 The spirit told me to go with them, without raising scrupulous objections. These six brothers also came with me, and we went into the man’s house. 13 He told us that he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and fetch Simon called Peter, 14 who will speak to you words by which you and all your house will be saved.’ 15 As I began to speak, the holy spirit fell on them, just as the spirit did on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word which the Lord had spoken: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the holy spirit.’
17 “So, then,” Peter concluded, “if God gave them the same gift as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus the Messiah, who was I to stand in the way of God?”
18 When they heard this, they had nothing more to say. They praised God.
“Well, then,” they declared, “God has given the Gentiles, too, the repentance that leads to life!”
Taking root—and a name!—in Antioch
19 The people who had been scattered because of the persecution that came about over Stephen went as far afield as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word only to Jewish people. 20 But some from among them, who were from Cyprus and Cyrene in the first place, arrived in Antioch and spoke to the Hellenists as well, announcing the good news of the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22 News of all this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God he was glad, and he urged them all to stay firmly loyal to the Lord from the bottom of their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the holy spirit and faith. And a substantial crowd was added to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul 26 and, when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. They were there a whole year, and were received hospitably in the church, and taught a substantial crowd. And it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”
27 Around that time, prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, Agabus by name, stood up and gave an indication through the spirit that there would be a great famine over the whole world. (This took place in the reign of Claudius.) 29 Each of the disciples determined, according to their ability, to send what they could to help the brothers and sisters living in Judaea. 30 They carried out this plan, sending their gift to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.