M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Glorify the son
17 After Jesus had said this, he lifted up his eyes to heaven.
“Father,” he said, “the moment has come. Glorify your son, so that your son may glorify you. 2 Do this in the same way as you did when you gave him authority over all flesh, so that he could give the life of God’s coming age to everyone you gave him. 3 And by ‘the life of God’s coming age’ I mean this: that they should know you, the only true God, and Jesus the Messiah, the one you sent.
4 “I glorified you on earth, by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me, alongside yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.
6 “I revealed your name to the people you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you; you gave them to me; and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything which you gave me comes from you. 8 I have given them the words you gave me, and they have received them. They have come to know, in truth, that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me.”
Jesus prays for his people
9 “I’m praying for them. I’m not praying for the world, but for the people you’ve given me. They belong to you. 10 All mine are yours; all yours are mine; and I’m glorified in them.
11 “I’m not in the world any longer, but they’re still in the world; I’m coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, the name you’ve given to me, so that they may be one, just as we are one.
12 “When I was with them, I kept them in your name, the name you’ve given me. I guarded them, and none of them has been destroyed (except the son of destruction; that’s what the Bible said would happen). 13 But now I’m coming to you. I’m speaking these things in the world, so that they can have my joy fulfilled in them.
14 “I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not from the world, just as I am not from the world. 15 I’m not asking that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. 16 They didn’t come from the world, just as I didn’t come from the world. 17 Set them apart for yourself in the truth; your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. 19 And on their account I set myself apart for you, so that they, too, may be set apart for you in the truth.”
That they may be one
20 “I’m not praying simply for them. I’m praying, too, for the people who will come to believe in me because of their word. 21 I am praying that they may all be one—just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they too may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.
22 “I have given them the glory which you have given to me, so that they may be one, just as we are one. 23 I in them, and you in me; yes, they must be completely one, so that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them just as you loved me.
24 “Father, I want the ones you’ve given me to be with me where I am. I want them to see my glory, the glory which you’ve given me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, even the world didn’t know you. But I have known you, and these ones have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them—yes, and I will make it known; so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Paul’s reasons for thanks
1 From Paul and Timothy, slaves of Messiah Jesus, to all God’s holy ones in Messiah Jesus who are in Philippi, together with the overseers and ministers: 2 grace to you and peace, from God our father and Messiah Jesus the Lord.
3 I thank my God every time I think of you! 4 I always pray with joy, whenever I pray for you all, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 Of this I’m convinced: the one who began a good work in you will thoroughly complete it by the day of Messiah Jesus.
7 It’s right for me to think this way about all of you. You have me in your hearts, here in prison as I am, working to defend and bolster up the gospel. You are my partners in grace, all of you! 8 Yes: God can bear witness how much I’m longing for all of you with the deep love of Messiah Jesus.
9 And this is what I’m praying: that your love may overflow still more and more, in knowledge and in all astute wisdom. 10 Then you will be able to tell the difference between good and evil, and be sincere and faultless on the day of the Messiah, 11 filled to overflowing with the fruit of right living, fruit that comes through Messiah Jesus to God’s glory and praise.
The Messiah is proclaimed
12 Now, my dear family, I want you to know that the things I’ve been through have actually helped the gospel on its way. 13 You see, everybody in the Imperial Guard, and all the rest for that matter, have heard that I am here, chained up, because of the Messiah. 14 My imprisonment has given new confidence to most of the Lord’s family; they are now much more prepared to speak the word boldly and fearlessly.
15 There are some, I should say, who are proclaiming the Messiah because of envy and rivalry; but there are others who are doing it out of good will. 16 These last are acting from love, since they know that I’m in prison because of defending the gospel; 17 but the others are announcing the Messiah out of selfishness and jealousy. They are not acting from pure motives. They imagine that they will make more trouble for me in my captivity.
18 So what? Only this: the Messiah is being announced, whether people mean it or not! I’m happy to celebrate that!
To live or to die?
Yes, and I really am going to celebrate: 19 because I know that this will result in my rescue, through your prayer and the support of the spirit of Messiah Jesus. 20 I’m waiting eagerly and full of hope, because nothing is going to put me to shame. I am going to be bold and outspoken, now as always, and the Messiah is going to gain a great reputation through my body, whether in life or in death.
21 You see, for me to live means the Messiah; to die means to make a profit. 22 If it’s to be living on in the flesh, that means fruitful work for me. Actually, I don’t know which I would choose. 23 I’m pulled both ways at once: I would really love to leave all this and be with the Messiah, because that would be far better. 24 But staying on here in the flesh is more vital for your sake. 25 Since I’ve become convinced of this, I know that I will remain here, and stay alongside all of you, to help you to advance and rejoice in your faith, 26 so that the pride you take in Messiah Jesus may overflow because of me, when I come to visit you once again.
The gospel in public
27 The one thing I would stress is this: your public behavior must match up to the gospel of the Messiah. That way, whether I do come and see you or whether I remain elsewhere, the news that I get about you will indicate that you are standing firm with a single spirit, struggling side by side with one united intent for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not letting your opponents intimidate you in any way. This is a sign from God: one that signifies their destruction, but your salvation.
29 Yes: God has granted you that, on behalf of the Messiah, you should not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake. 30 You are engaged in the same struggle which you once watched me go through; and, as you now hear, I’m still going through it.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.