M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The baptism, preaching, and office of John the Baptist, and how Christ was baptized by him in the Jordan.

3 In those days John the Baptist came and preached in the wilderness of Judea, ² saying, Repent: the kingdom of heaven is at hand! ³ This is he of whom it is spoken by the prophet Isaiah, who says, The voice of a crier in wilderness: Prepare the Lord’s way, and make his paths straight.

⁴ This John had his garment of camel’s hair, and a girdle of skin about his loins. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ At that time Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region round about the Jordan, went out to him, ⁶ and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, O offspring of vipers, who has taught you to flee from the vengeance to come? ⁸ Bring forth therefore the fruits belonging to repentance. ⁹ And see that you ones do not think to say in yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now is the axe put to the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not bring forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. ¹¹ I baptize you in water in token of repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹² He has also his fan in his hand, and will purge his floor, and gather the wheat into his garner, and will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But John stopped him, saying, I ought to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? ¹⁵ Jesus answered and said to him, Let it be so now, for thus it behoves us, to fulfil all righteousness.

Then John let him. ¹⁶ And Jesus, as soon as he was baptized, came straight out of the water. And lo, heaven was open over him, and John saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and light upon him. ¹⁷ And lo, there came a voice from heaven, saying, This is he: my beloved Son, in whom is my delight.

The crippled man is restored to his feet. Peter preaches Christ to the people.

3 Peter and John went up together into the temple at the ninth hour of prayer. ² And there was a certain man crippled from his mother’s womb, whom they brought and laid at the temple gate called Beautiful, to ask alms of the people that entered into the temple; ³ which man, when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, requested alms. ⁴ And Peter fastened his eyes on him with John and said, Look on us. ⁵ And he gave heed to them, trusting to receive something from them. ⁶ Then said Peter, Silver and gold I do not have, but such as I have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk! ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up. And immediately his feet and anklebones received strength. ⁸ And he sprang up, stood, and also walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and lauding God.

⁹ And all the people saw him walk and laud God. ¹⁰ And they knew him, that it was the man who sat and begged at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder and astonishment at what had happened to him. ¹¹ And as the lame man who was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran amazed to them in Solomon’s porch.

¹² When Peter saw this, he spoke to the people: Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why do you look so steadfastly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he had determined to release him. ¹⁴ But you denied the Holy and Just One, and asked for a murderer to be given to you, ¹⁵ and killed the Lord of Life – whom God has raised from death, of which we are witnesses. ¹⁶ And his name, through the faith of his name, has made this man sound, whom you see and know. And the faith which is by him has given this man health in the presence of you all.

¹⁷ And now, brethren, I know well that you did it through ignorance, as did also your leaders. ¹⁸ But those things that God before had shown by the mouth of all his prophets, how the Christ would suffer, he has fulfilled this way. ¹⁹ Repent therefore, and turn, so that your sins may be put away when the time of refreshing comes, which we will have from the presence of the Lord, ²⁰ and when God will send him who now before is preached to you; that is to say, Jesus Christ, ²¹ who must receive heaven until the time that all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began, are restored again.

²² For Moses said to the fathers: The Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you, even from among your brethren, as he did me. Him you must hear, in all things whatsoever he says to you. ²³ For the time will come that every soul who will not hear that same prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. ²⁴ Also all the prophets from Samuel onwards, as many as have spoken, have likewise told of these days.

²⁵ You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant that God made to our fathers, saying to Abraham: Even in your seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. ²⁶ First unto you has God raised up his Son Jesus, and him he has sent to bless you, that every one of you should turn from your wickedness.