M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Israel Leaves Mount Sinai
33 The Lord said to Moses, “Go away from this place, you and the people you have brought out of the land of Egypt. Go to the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your children.’ 2 I will send an angel before you. And I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a strong-willed people and I might destroy you on the way.” 4 When the people heard this bad news, they were filled with sorrow. None of them wore his objects of gold or silver. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a strong-willed people. If I go with you even for just a little time, I would destroy you. So take off your objects of gold and silver that I may know what to do with you.’” 6 So the people of Israel took off all their objects of gold and silver at Mount Horeb.
Moses Meets with the Lord
7 Now Moses used to take the tent and set it up far away from the other tents. He called it the meeting tent. Anyone who wanted to meet with the Lord would go away from the other tents to the meeting tent. 8 When Moses went out to the tent, all the people would get up and stand at the doors of their tents. And they would watch Moses until he went into the meeting tent. 9 Whenever Moses went into the meeting tent, the cloud would come down and stand at the door of the tent. And the Lord would speak with Moses. 10 When all the people saw the cloud standing at the door of the meeting tent, they would stand up and worship, each at his tent door. 11 The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the other tents, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not leave the meeting tent.
God’s Promise to Be with His People
12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Lead this people!’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You said, ‘I have known you by name. You have found favor in My eyes.’ 13 So I pray to You, if I have found favor in Your eyes, let me know Your ways. Then I may know You and find favor in Your eyes. And keep in mind that this nation is Your people.” 14 The Lord said, “I Myself will go with you. I will give you rest.” 15 Then Moses said to Him, “If You Yourself do not go with us, do not have us leave this place. 16 For how will it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your eyes, unless You go with us? Then I and Your people will be different from all the other people on the earth.”
17 The Lord said to Moses, “I will do what you have said. For you have found favor in My eyes, and I have known you by name.” 18 Moses said, “I pray to You, show me Your shining-greatness!” 19 And God said, “I will have My goodness pass in front of you. I will make the name of the Lord known in front of you. I will have loving-kindness and loving-pity for anyone I want to.” 20 But He said, “You cannot see My face. For no man can see Me and live!” 21 Then the Lord said, “See, there is a place beside Me. You stand there on the rock. 22 While My shining-greatness is passing by, I will put you in the large crack of the rock. And I will cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back. But My face will not be seen.”
Mary of Bethany Puts Special Perfume on Jesus (A)
12 It was six days before the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus lived. Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. 2 They made supper for Him. Martha put the food on the table. Lazarus was at the table with Him.
3 Mary took a jar of special perfume that cost much money and poured it on the feet of Jesus. She dried His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the smell of the special perfume.
4 Judas Iscariot was one of the followers. He was about to hand Jesus over to the leaders of the country. He said, 5 “Why was not this special perfume sold for much money and given to poor people?” 6 He did not say this because he cared for poor people. He said this because he was a robber. He carried the bag of money and would steal some of it for himself. 7 Jesus said, “Let her alone. She has kept it for the time when I will be buried. 8 You will always have poor people with you. You will not always have Me.”
The Jews Talk about Having Lazarus Killed
9 Many Jews came to the place because they knew Jesus was there. They came not only to see Jesus, but to see Lazarus also. Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. 10 The religious leaders of the Jews talked together about having Lazarus killed also. 11 Because of Lazarus, many Jews were leaving their own religion. They were putting their trust in Jesus.
The Last Time Jesus Goes to Jerusalem (B)
12 The next day many people were in Jerusalem for the religious gathering. They heard Jesus was coming. 13 They took branches of trees and went to meet Him. They spoke with a loud voice, “Greatest One! Great and honored is He Who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of the Jews!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it. The Holy Writings say, 15 “Do not be afraid, people of Jerusalem. See! Your King comes sitting on a young donkey!” (C) 16 His followers did not understand what this meant at first. When Jesus had gone back to heaven to receive great honor, they remembered these things were written about Him. They remembered they had done this to Him.
17 The people who had been with Jesus when He had called Lazarus from the grave kept telling of this powerful work to others. They had seen Lazarus raised from the dead. 18 Because of this the people went to meet Jesus. They had heard He had done this powerful work. 19 The proud religious law-keepers said among themselves, “Look, we are losing followers. Everyone is following Jesus!”
The Greek People Want to See Jesus
20 Some Greek people had come to worship at the religious gathering. They were among the others who had come to worship. 21 These Greek people came to Philip. He was from the city of Bethsaida in the country of Galilee. They said to him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus!” 22 Philip went and told Andrew. Then Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
The Law of Life
23 Jesus said to them, “The hour is near for the Son of Man to be taken to heaven to receive great honor. 24 For sure, I tell you, unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it will only be a seed. If it dies, it will give much grain. 25 Anyone who loves his life will lose it. Anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it forever. 26 If anyone wants to serve Me, he must follow Me. So where I am, the one who wants to serve Me will be there also. If anyone serves Me, My Father will honor him.
27 “Now My soul is troubled. Should I say, ‘Father, save Me from this time of trouble and pain’? No, this is why I came to this time. 28 Father, honor Your name!”
The People Hear the Voice of God
Then a voice from heaven came, saying, “I have already honored My name. I will honor it again!” 29 The people heard the voice. Some who stood there said, “It was thunder.” Others said, “An angel spoke to Him.” 30 Jesus said, “The voice did not come for Me, but it came to be a help to you.
Jesus Tells How He Will Die
31 “Now this world is being told it is guilty. Now the leader of this world will be thrown out. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will attract all people toward Me.” 33 He said this to tell the kind of death He was going to die.
34 The people said to Him, “The Law of Moses says that the Christ is to live forever. Why do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
35 Jesus said to them, “The Light will be with you for a little while yet. Go on your way while you have the Light so you will not be in the dark. When a man is walking in the dark, he does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the Light, put your trust in the Light. Then you will be the sons of the Light.” Jesus said these things and then went away. He hid Himself from them.
The People Do Not Believe
37 Jesus had done many powerful works in front of them, but they did not put their trust in Him. 38 This happened as the words of the early preacher Isaiah said it would happen. He had said, “Lord, has anyone believed our preaching? Has the Lord shown His power to anyone?” 39 The reason they could not believe is written again in Isaiah. 40 It says, “He has blinded their eyes and made their hearts hard. Then they would not see with their eyes. They would not understand with their heart. They would not turn to Me. I could not heal them.” (D) 41 This is what Isaiah said when he saw the shining-greatness of Jesus and spoke of Him.
42 Even among the leaders of the people there were many who believed in Jesus. But because of the proud religious law-keepers, they did not tell about it. If they had, they would have been put out of the Jewish place of worship. 43 They loved to have the respect from men more than honor from God.
Jesus and His Father Are One
44 Then Jesus spoke with a loud voice, “Anyone who puts his trust in Me, puts his trust not only in Me, but in Him Who sent Me. 45 Anyone who sees Me, sees Him Who sent Me. 46 I came to the world to be a Light. Anyone who puts his trust in Me will not be in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My Words but does not believe them, I do not say he is guilty. I did not come to say the world is guilty. I came to save the world from the punishment of sin. 48 Anyone who does not receive Me and does not receive My teaching has One Who will say he is guilty. The Word that I have spoken will say he is guilty on the last day. 49 I have not spoken by My own power. The Father Who sent Me has told Me what to say and speak. 50 I know that His Word is life that lasts forever. I speak the things the Father has told Me to speak.”
Wisdom—or the Way to Hell
9 Wisdom has built her house. She has made seven pillars to hold it up. 2 She has cooked her food, and has mixed her wine, and she has set her table. 3 She has sent out the young women who work for her. She calls from the highest places of the city, 4 “Whoever is easy to fool, let him turn in here!” She says to the one without understanding, 5 “Come and eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. 6 Turn from your foolish way, and live. Walk in the way of understanding.”
7 He who speaks strong words to the man who laughs at the truth brings shame upon himself. He who speaks strong words to a sinful man gets hurt. 8 Do not speak strong words to a man who laughs at the truth, or he will hate you. Speak strong words to a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give teaching to a wise man and he will be even wiser. Teach a man who is right and good, and he will grow in learning. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To learn about the Holy One is understanding. 11 For by me your days will grow in number, and years will be added to your life. 12 If you are wise, your wisdom is a help to you. If you laugh at the truth, you alone will suffer for it.
13 A foolish woman makes much noise. She is open to sin, and knows nothing. 14 She sits at the door of her house or on a seat in the high places of the city. 15 She calls to those who pass by and are making their paths straight, 16 “Whoever is easy to fool, let him turn in here!” She says to the one without understanding, 17 “Stolen water is sweet. And bread eaten in secret is pleasing.” 18 But he does not know that the dead are there, and that the ones who visit her are in the bottom of hell.
God Saved Us from Sin
2 At one time you were dead because of your sins. 2 You followed the sinful ways of the world and obeyed the leader of the power of darkness. He is the devil who is now working in the people who do not obey God. 3 At one time all of us lived to please our old selves. We gave in to what our bodies and minds wanted. We were sinful from birth like all other people and would suffer from the anger of God.
4 But God had so much loving-kindness. He loved us with such a great love. 5 Even when we were dead because of our sins, He made us alive by what Christ did for us. You have been saved from the punishment of sin by His loving-favor. 6 God raised us up from death when He raised up Christ Jesus. He has given us a place with Christ in the heavens. 7 He did this to show us through all the time to come the great riches of His loving-favor. He has shown us His kindness through Christ Jesus.
8 For by His loving-favor you have been saved from the punishment of sin through faith. It is not by anything you have done. It is a gift of God. 9 It is not given to you because you worked for it. If you could work for it, you would be proud. 10 We are His work. He has made us to belong to Christ Jesus so we can work for Him. He planned that we should do this.
Followers Now Become the Body of Christ
11 Do not forget that at one time you did not know God. The Jews, who had gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew by man’s hands, said you were people who do not know God. 12 You were living without Christ then. The Jewish people who belonged to God had nothing to do with you. The promises He gave to them were not for you. You had nothing in this world to hope for. You were without God.
13 But now you belong to Christ Jesus. At one time you were far away from God. Now you have been brought close to Him. Christ did this for you when He gave His blood on the cross. 14 We have peace because of Christ. He has made the Jews and those who are not Jews one people. He broke down the wall that divided them. 15 He stopped the fighting between them by His death on the cross. He put an end to the Law. Then He made of the two people one new kind of people like Himself. In this way, He made peace. 16 He brought both groups together to God. Christ finished the fighting between them by His death on the cross. 17 Then Christ came and preached the Good News of peace to you who were far away from God. And He preached it to us who were near God. 18 Now all of us can go to the Father through Christ by way of the one Holy Spirit. 19 From now on you are not strangers and people who are not citizens. You are citizens together with those who belong to God. You belong in God’s family. 20 This family is built on the teachings of the missionaries and the early preachers. Jesus Christ Himself is the cornerstone, which is the most important part of the building. 21 Christ keeps this building together and it is growing into a holy building for the Lord. 22 You are also being put together as a part of this building because God lives in you by His Spirit.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.