M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jesus on the beach
21 After this, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the sea of Tiberias. This was how he showed himself.
2 Simon Peter, Thomas (known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples, were all together.
3 Simon Peter spoke up.
“I’m going fishing,” he said.
“We’ll go with you,” they replied.
So they went off and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing.
4 As dawn was breaking, Jesus stood beside the seashore, but the disciples didn’t know that it was Jesus.
5 “Children,” said Jesus to them, “haven’t you got anything to eat?”
“No!” they replied.
6 “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he said, “and you’ll find something.”
So they cast the net; and now they couldn’t draw it in because of the weight of the fish.
7 So the disciple that Jesus loved spoke to Peter.
“It’s the master!” he said.
When Simon Peter heard that it was the master, he wrapped his cloak around him (he had been naked for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples brought the boat in to land, dragging the net full of fish. They weren’t far from shore, about a hundred yards away.
Breakfast by the shore
9 When they came to land, they saw a charcoal fire laid there, with fish and bread on it.
10 Jesus spoke to them.
“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” he said.
11 So Simon Peter went and pulled the net onto the shore. It was full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all. The net wasn’t torn, even though there were so many.
12 “Come and have breakfast,” said Jesus to them.
None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the master.
13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so also with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus had appeared to the disciples after he had been raised from the dead.
Jesus and Peter
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus spoke to Simon Peter.
“Simon, son of John,” he said, “do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Master,” he said. “You know I’m your friend.”
“Well, then,” he said, “feed my lambs.”
16 “Simon, son of John,” said Jesus again, for a second time, “do you love me?”
“Yes, Master,” he said. “You know I’m your friend.”
“Well, then,” he said, “look after my sheep.”
17 “Simon, son of John,” said Jesus a third time, “are you my friend?”
Peter was upset that on this third time Jesus asked, “Are you my friend?”
“Master,” he said, “you know everything! You know I’m your friend!”
“Well, then,” said Jesus, “feed my sheep.
18 “I’m telling you the solemn truth,” he went on. “When you were young, you put on your own clothes and went about wherever you wanted. But when you are old, you’ll stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you up and take you where you don’t want to go.”
19 He said this to indicate the sort of death by which Peter would bring God glory. And when he had said this, he added, “Follow me!”
The beloved disciple
20 Peter turned and saw, following them, the disciple that Jesus loved. This was the disciple who had leaned back against Jesus’ chest at the supper, and had asked, “Master, who is it that’s going to betray you?”
21 “Master,” said Peter to Jesus, seeing him there, “what about him?”
22 “If it’s my intention,” replied Jesus, “that he should remain here until I come, what’s that got to do with you? You must follow me!”
23 So the rumor went around the Christian family that this disciple wouldn’t die. But Jesus didn’t say he wouldn’t die. What he said, rather, was this: “If it’s my intention that he should remain here until I come, what’s that got to do with you?”
24 (This is the disciple who is giving evidence about these things, and who wrote them down. We know that his evidence is true.)
25 There are many other things which Jesus did. If they were written down one by one, I don’t think the world itself would be able to contain the books that would be written.
Thanksgiving for the gospel’s work
1 Paul, an apostle of Messiah Jesus by God’s purpose, and Timothy my brother; 2 to God’s holy people in Colossae, the Messiah’s faithful family; grace to you and peace, from God our father.
3 We always thank God, the father of our Lord, Messiah Jesus, when we pray for you, 4 because we’ve heard of your faith in Messiah Jesus and the love you have for all God’s holy people, 5 because of the hope which is kept safe for you in the heavenly places. You heard about this before in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has arrived on your doorstep—just as, in fact, it’s producing fruit and growing in all the world, as it has been among you, from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth. 7 That’s how you learnt it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave. He’s a loyal and faithful servant of the Messiah on your behalf. 8 He it was who gave us the news about your love in the spirit.
Prayer for wisdom and gratitude
9 For this reason, from the day we heard it, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We’re asking God to fill you with the knowledge of what he wants in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. 10 This will mean that you’ll be able to conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Lord, and so give him real delight, as you bear fruit in every good work and grow up in the knowledge of God. 11 I pray that you’ll be given all possible strength, according to the power of his glory, so that you’ll have complete patience and become truly steadfast and joyful.
12 And I pray that you will learn to give thanks to the father, who has made you fit to share the inheritance of God’s holy ones in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved son. 14 He is the one in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
In praise of Jesus Christ
15 He is the image of God, the invisible one, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For in him all things were created,
in the heavens and here on the earth.
Things we can see and things we cannot,
—thrones and lordships and rulers and powers—
all things were created both through him and for him.
17 And he is ahead, prior to all else
and in him all things hold together;
18 and he himself is supreme, the head
over the body, the church.
He is the start of it all,
firstborn from realms of the dead;
so in all things he might be the chief.
19 For in him all the Fullness was glad to dwell
20 and through him to reconcile all to himself,
making peace through the blood of his cross,
through him—yes, things on the earth,
and also the things in the heavens.
Reconciled and firm in faith
21 So what about you? Well, there was a time when you were excluded! You were enemies in your thinking, and in wicked behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you in the body of his flesh, through death, in order to bring you into his presence holy, blameless and without any accusation.
23 This assumes, of course, that you keep firmly on in the faith—by which I mean, solid on your foundations, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard. This gospel, after all, has been announced in all creation under heaven! And this is the gospel of which I, Paul, became a servant.
The Messiah, living within you
24 Right now I’m having a celebration—a celebration of my sufferings, which are for your benefit! And I’m steadily completing, in my own flesh, what is presently lacking in the Messiah’s afflictions on behalf of his body, which is the church. 25 I became the church’s servant, according to the terms laid down by God when he gave me my commission on your behalf, the commission to fulfill God’s word.
26 This word declares the mystery that was kept secret from past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to God’s holy people. 27 God’s intention was to make known to them just what rich glory this mystery contains, out there among the nations. And this is the key: the Messiah, living within you as the hope of glory!
28 He is the one we are proclaiming. We are instructing everybody and teaching everybody in every kind of wisdom, so that we can present everybody grown up, complete, in the Messiah. 29 That’s what I am working for, struggling with all his energy which is powerfully at work within me.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.