M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
15 As soon as it was morning, the chief priests, leaders, and the scribes talked together. They tied Jesus and took him before Pilate to be judged.
2 Pilate asked him, `Are you the King of the Jews?' Jesus answered, `Yes, I am.'
3 The chief priests brought many complaints against Jesus.
4 Then Pilate asked him, `Have you nothing to say? These people are bringing many complaints against you!'
5 But Jesus said nothing. Pilate was very much surprised about this.
6 At the feast Pilate used to let one prisoner free. He let the people choose the man they wanted to go free.
7 In the prison was a man named Barabbas. He had led some people who had been fighting in the city. He had killed a man.
8 The people started shouting. They asked Pilate to let one prisoner free, as he used to do.
9 Then Pilate asked, `Do you want me to let the King of the Jews go free?'
10 He knew that the chief priests did not like Jesus. He knew that was why they brought Jesus to him.
11 But the chief priests talked to the people. They told them to ask Pilate to let Barabbas go free.
12 Pilate asked them, `Then what shall I do with the man whom you call King of the Jews?'
13 They shouted back, `Nail him to a cross!'
14 Pilate then asked, `Why, what wrong thing has he done?' But they shouted even more, `Nail him to a cross!'
15 Pilate wanted to please the people, so he let Barabbas go free. He told the soldiers to beat Jesus and nail him to a cross.
16 The soldiers took Jesus to a room. They called all the soldiers together.
17 They put a red gown on Jesus. They made a big ring of thorns like a crown and put it on his head.
18 Then they began to speak to him as if he were a king. They shouted, `Greetings, King of the Jews!'
19 They hit him on the head with a stick and spat on him. They kneeled down before him as if to give him great respect.
20 When they had made fun of him, they took off the red gown and put his own clothes on him again. Then they took Jesus out of the city to nail him to a cross.
21 man was coming in from the farms. His name was Simon. He was born in the country of Cyrene. Alexander and Rufus were his sons. The soldiers caught Simon and made him carry Jesus' cross.
22 They took Jesus to Golgotha. That means the place of a head bone.
23 They wanted Jesus to drink wine mixed with something bitter. But Jesus would not drink it.
24 Then they nailed him to a cross. They gambled to see how they should divide Jesus' clothes.
25 It was nine o'clock in the morning when they nailed him on the cross.
26 They put the complaint they had against him above Jesus' head. It was, `The King of the Jews.'
27 They also nailed two bad men on crosses there. One was put on the right side of Jesus and one was put on the left side of Jesus.
28 The holy writings say, `He was counted as one of the bad people.' It came true.
29 The people who passed by said wrong things about him. They shook their heads and said, `Ha, ha! You are the man who said you could break down the temple and build it again in three days.
30 Save yourself and come down from the cross.'
31 The chief priests and the scribes also made fun of him. `He saved other people, but he cannot save himself!
32 If he is the Christ, the king of the people of Israel, he should come down from the cross now. We want to see it and believe!' The bad men who were also nailed to crosses said the same things to him.
33 About midday the whole land became dark and stayed dark for three hours.
34 About three o'clock, Jesus called out loud, `Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' That means, `My God, my God, why have you left me alone?'
35 Some of the people standing there heard what Jesus said. They said, `Listen, he is calling for Elijah!'
36 One man ran to get something called a sponge. He made it wet with sour wine and put it on the end of a stick. With it he gave Jesus a drink. He said, `We will see if Elijah will come and take him down!'
37 Then Jesus called out loud. Then he died.
38 The big cloth that hung in the temple was torn into two pieces. It was torn from the top down to the bottom.
39 The captain who stood in front of Jesus saw that he died. He said, `Surely, this man was God's Son.'
40 Some women were watching from far away. Among these women were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joses, and Salome.
41 When Jesus was in Galilee, they came with him and helped him. Some other women who had come to Jerusalem with Jesus were also watching.
42 It was now evening of the day before the Sabbath.
43 Joseph of Arimathaea was a member of the court. He was a good man. He also was looking for the kingdom of God. He was not afraid, but went to Pilate and asked him for Jesus' body.
44 Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was dead already. He called the captain and asked him if Jesus was dead.
45 The captain told him that he was. Then Pilate let Joseph take the body.
46 Joseph went to buy some cloth. Then he took Jesus down and wrapped him in the cloth. He laid him in a grave that had been cut in a rock. Then he rolled a very big stone to close the grave.
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where they laid Jesus.
15 We who are strong must help those who are not strong. We must not do what pleases us.
2 But each of us must please his neighbour. He must do what is good for him and what will help him do better.
3 Christ did not please himself. But the holy writings say, `I took upon myself the wrong things that people said against you.'
4 Everything that is in the holy writings was written to teach us. They give hope and strength when we have troubles. The holy writings comfort our hearts.
5 God gives people power to take their troubles and he comforts their hearts. I ask him to help you to think the same way as Christ did.
6 Then, together you will praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 So, accept one another, as Christ has accepted you. Then people will know that God is great.
8 What I say is this. Christ came to serve the Jews. He did this to prove that what God said was true. He proved that God kept his promises to the fathers.
9 He did this so that people who are not Jews would praise God because he is kind. The holy writings say, `So I will praise you among the people who are not Jews. I will sing songs to your name.'
10 The holy writings also say, `People who are not Jews, be glad with those who are God's people.'
11 And they also say, `People who are not Jews, praise the Lord. All peoples should praise him.'
12 Also, Isaiah says, `Someone from Jesse's family will come. He will come to rule the people who are not Jews. People who are not Jews will have hope in him.'
13 God gives hope. May he make you very happy. May he give you peace because you believe. Then the power of the Holy Spirit will give you much hope.
14 My brothers, I myself believe that you are very good people. I believe that you know many things and are able to teach one another.
15 I have written strong words to you. There are some things I want you to remember. I have written because of the gift God has given to me.
16 I am a servant of Christ Jesus to the people who are not Jews. I am like a priest to them, to tell them God's good news. Then I offer the people to God. That pleases God. They have been accepted by him and made holy by the Holy Spirit.
17 So, because of Christ Jesus, I am proud of my work for God.
18 I will speak only of what Christ has done through me. People who are not Jews have obeyed the good news. They have obeyed because of what I told them and because of what I did.
19 I had the power to do signs and wonderful things through the power of the Holy Spirit. So I have told the good news of Christ all the way from the city of Jerusalem to the country of Illyricum.
20 I have wanted to tell the good news where people have not heard the name of Christ. I did not want to work where another man had started to work.
21 The holy writings say, `They were not told about him, but they will see him. And the people who have not heard of him will understand.'
22 So I have been stopped many times from coming to you.
23 But now, I am no longer needed to work in these places. And I have wanted for many years to come to you.
24 When I go to the country of Spain, I hope to see you on my way there. I hope you will help me on my way to that place. But first I will be happy to be with you for a little while.
25 But now I am going to Jerusalem with a gift to help God's people.
26 The people of Macedonia and Achaia wanted to send a gift to help God's people in Jerusalem who are poor.
27 They wanted to do it, and they should do it for them. The Jews gave the people who were not Jews the good things their spirits need. So the people who were not Jews should give the Jews the good things their bodies need.
28 I will finish doing this, and I will give them what the people send them. Then I will go by you on my way to Spain.
29 And I know that when I come to you, I will bring great blessings from Christ.
30 My brothers, I ask you to do this for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ and because the Spirit has given you love. Talk to God for me. And I also will talk to him.
31 Ask him to save me from the people in Judea who do not believe. Ask him that the gift I take to Jerusalem may please God's people there.
32 Ask him to let me come to you and have a good time with you.
33 God gives peace. I ask that he will be with you all. He will!
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