M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

18 When Jesus had finished saying this, he and his disciples went through the valley called Kidron. There was a garden with trees. He and his disciples went into the garden.

² Jesus had gone to this place often with his disciples, so Judas knew where the place was. He was the one who gave Jesus over to the people who hated him.

³ The chief priests and the Pharisees sent soldiers and guards with Judas. They had lamps, and torches, and things to fight with.

⁴ Jesus knew everything that was going to happen to him. So he went out and said to them, `Who are you looking for?'

⁵ They answered, `Jesus from Nazareth.' Jesus said to them, `I am he.' Judas, who had given Jesus over to them, was standing with them.

⁶ When Jesus said to them, `I am he,' they all drew back suddenly and fell down.

⁷ So Jesus asked them again, `Who are you looking for?' And they said, `Jesus from Nazareth.'

⁸ Then Jesus answered, `I have already told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, let these men go.'

⁹ So his words came true. He had said, `I did not lose one of those you gave me.'

¹⁰ Simon Peter had a long knife or sword. He took it out and hit the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

¹¹ Jesus said to Peter, `Put your sword back in its place. Must I not drink the cup that my Father has given me?'

¹² Then the soldiers, and the captain, and the guards caught Jesus and tied him up.

¹³ First they took him to Annas. He was the father of Caiaphas' wife. Caiaphas was the high priest that year.

¹⁴ This was the same Caiaphas that had talked to the leaders of the Jews. He had said, `It is better for one man to die for the people.'

¹⁵ Simon Peter and one other disciple went after Jesus. The other disciple knew the high priest, so he went right in with Jesus through the gate of the high priest's large house.

¹⁶ But Peter stood by the gate outside. The other disciple who knew the high priest talked to the servant at the door and brought in Peter.

¹⁷ The servant at the door said to Peter, `Are you one of this man's disciples too?' Peter said, `No, I am not!'

¹⁸ It was cold there. The servants and the officers had made a small fire. They stood by it and warmed themselves. Peter stood by the fire also and warmed himself.

¹⁹ The high priest then asked Jesus about his disciples, and about his teaching.

²⁰ Jesus answered him, `I have talked so that anyone who wanted to could hear me. I have always taught in the meeting houses and in the temple. That is where the Jews always go. I have not said anything in a secret way.

²¹ Why do you ask me? The people heard me talk. Ask them what I told them. They know what I said.'

²² When he had said this, one of the officers who stood there hit Jesus. He said, `Is that the way you answer the high priest?'

²³ Jesus answered him, `If I have said anything bad, tell me plainly what wrong thing I have said. If I have told the truth, why do you hit me?'

²⁴ Jesus was still tied up. Annas sent him over to Caiaphas the high priest.

²⁵ Simon Peter stayed by the fire and stood warming himself. So the people said to him, `Are you not one of his disciples also?' He said, `No, I am not!'

²⁶ A servant was there. He was of the same family as the one whose ear Peter had cut off. He said, `Did I not see you in the garden with him? `

²⁷ Again Peter said, `No!' And just then a cock called out.

²⁸ Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the court house. It was early in the day. They themselves did not go into the court house. They did not want to become unclean. They wanted to eat the Passover Feast.

²⁹ Pilate went out to the Jewish leaders and said, `What complaint do you bring against this man?'

³⁰ They said to him, `If he were not a very bad man, then we would not have brought him to you.'

³¹ Pilate said, `Take him and judge him by your own law.' The leaders of the Jews said, `But we are not allowed to kill anyone.'

³² So this is the way the words of Jesus came true. He had said how he was going to die.

³³ Then Pilate went back into the court house again. He called for Jesus and asked him, `Are you the King of the Jews?'

³⁴ Jesus answered, `Do you ask me because you yourself think I am, or do you ask me because others said I am?'

³⁵ Pilate answered, `Am I a Jew? Your own people and the chief priests have brought you here to me. Tell me, what have you done?'

³⁶ Jesus answered him, `I am not a king in this world. If I were, my people would fight so that I would not be given to the Jews. But I am not a king in this world.'

³⁷ So Pilate said, `So you really are a king then? ` Jesus answered, `You say that I am a king. The reason that I was born was that I should tell what is true. That is why I came into the world. Everyone who likes what is true listens to what I say.'

³⁸ Pilate said, `What is truth?' When he had said this, he went out to the Jews again. He told them, `I find nothing wrong in this man.

³⁹ But at the Passover Feast you always want me to let one prisoner go free for you. Do you want me to let the King of the Jews go free?'

⁴⁰ Then they all shouted again, `Not this man, but Barabbas!' Barabbas was a man who had stolen things.

2 Does Christ speak to you? Does love call to you? Do you have a part in the Holy Spirit? Do you have any love and care for others?

² Then make me very, very happy. Live in happiness with one another. Have the same love for each other. Think the same way. Agree together about things. All have one purpose in mind.

³ Do not try to prove you are better than others. Do not be proud of yourselves, but be humble. Think of other people as being better than yourselves.

⁴ Each one of you should not think only about himself, but about other people also.

⁵ Think the same way Jesus Christ thought.

⁶ He was in every way like God. Yet he did not think that being equal to God was something he must hold on to.

⁷ He gave this up and became a servant. He was born a baby.

⁸ And when he was a man, he was humble. He was even willing to die, yes, to die on a cross.

⁹ That is why God has made him very great. God has given him a name above every name.

¹⁰ Everyone in heaven, everyone on earth, and everyone under the earth will kneel before the name of Jesus.

¹¹ Everyone will admit that Jesus Christ is Lord. They will praise God the Father for this.

¹² My dear people, you have always obeyed me. God has saved you from wrong ways. Now show this by the good things that you do. You must live that way, not only when I am with you, but much more now that I am not with you. Think of how wrong it will be if you do not. Try hard to work out how to do it.

¹³ For God is at work in you. He helps you want to do it. And he helps you do what he wants you to do.

¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or making trouble.

¹⁵ In that way you will be completely good. No one will be able to say anything wrong about you. You will be God's good children living amongst bad people. Among them you will shine like lights in the world.

¹⁶ You will have the message of life for them. I will be proud of you when Christ comes. My work and trouble will not be for nothing.

¹⁷ The life you live because you believe in God is like a sacrifice. Even if I am killed, it will be like wine which people pour on a sacrifice. I am happy to do this for you, and I am happy about you.

¹⁸ In the same way you must be happy. And you must be happy about me.

¹⁹ I hope the Lord Jesus will let me send Timothy to you soon. I will be glad to hear about you.

²⁰ I have no one like Timothy. He is troubled to know about you.

²¹ All the other people think only of themselves and not of Jesus Christ.

²² But you know what a good man Timothy is. You know that he has worked with me in telling the good news. He has worked just as a son works with his father.

²³ So I hope to send him to you as soon as I see what happens to me.

²⁴ And I trust that the Lord will let me come to you soon myself.

²⁵ I thought I must send Epaphroditus, our Christian brother, back to you. He has worked with me and has also been a soldier of Christ with me. He was your messenger and he brought your gift for my needs.

²⁶ I am sending him back because he has been lonely without you all. And his heart has been troubled because you heard that he was sick.

²⁷ He was very sick! He almost died! But God was kind to him. He was not only kind to him, but also to me. God did not let me have one trouble after another.

²⁸ I want even more to send him to you so that you will be happy when you see him again. And I will not be so troubled any more.

²⁹ So receive him with much joy because he is a Christian brother. Give respect to men like him.

³⁰ He almost died doing the work of Christ. You wished to help me, but you could not come. He came instead. He was willing to put his life in danger in order to help me.