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Jan 22, 2024 06:00am

The Bible Recap: Days 309-315

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(The following are reflections from the writer’s personal journey through The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble – a Bible reading plan to read the Bible chronologically in one year. To learn more about The Bible Recap, visit thebiblerecap.com. Find more posts from this series at lifeword.org/thebiblerecap.)

Day 309: Read Matthew Chapter 23 & Luke Chapters 20-21

My Takeaways:

Jesus dropped the mic today. Jesus, through these chapters, called out the Pharisees in all sorts of ways, calling them snakes and a brood of vipers! (Can you imagine the looks on their faces?!) I knew He had said these things before, but now reading them in this study lights them up in a whole new way. He accuses them of hypocrisy and falsehood. He accuses them of murdering God’s prophets over the generations (a hyperbole, of course). He accuses them of greed and tells them, a few times, that they are condemned to hell.

These religious people have been reading the Scriptures probably their whole lives, serving the temple in some way—as well as the people—and they don’t engage the one thing God requires: their hearts.

It’s the moment we surrender our heart to God that He begins to change us, molding us to look more like Him than ourselves. It’s the moment we follow Him into uncertainty. It’s the moment we trust He will provide for us. For the Pharisees, it was far easier to follow the rules than to surrender one’s heart. I wonder…did they feel like they were missing something their whole lives? Did they think, “Is this supposed to be what faith is?” The fact that Jesus hit differently with Nicodemas, a Pharisee, shows us at least one did.

And, today, the disciples got a little insight into the future of our world…and their future. It’s not pretty. They will be persecuted. They will be hated. They will be betrayed. But, Jesus promises then that He will give them strength and the right words to help them. Oh, this grabs my heart so much! These young men, who have followed Jesus and who have surrendered their hearts, will change the world with their faith. And, they will all die for Jesus’ name.

Day 310: Read Mark Chapter 13

My Takeaways:

Signs, persecution, and tribulation.

Today is one of those darker days of reading…it’s not easy to be a believer, that’s for sure. But, it will be terrifying if you’re not a believer when these days come.

Many false Messiahs will come.

We will have wars and rumors of wars.

Nations will rise up against each other.

There will be earthquakes and famines.

This is just the beginning.

And that’s not it.

The disciples will be persecuted and flogged…and yet, these become opportunities to share the Gospel! The Lord will give them the words to speak through the power of the Holy Spirit.

And when they see the abomination of desolation, Judea must flea to the mountains!

Then, the earth will show signs of the end. The sun will be darkened and the moon won’t shine, stars will fall and the heavens will shake….and then, friends, the most beautiful thing happens amid such chaos: Jesus Christ will come back in the sky and call His beloved home. In the blink of an eye, all believers will be joined with Him in the sky and go home.

And those on earth who haven’t professed Jesus Christ as Savior will be left behind to face quite possibly the hardest days people have faced on earth.

No one knows the day or the hour…but just like the fig tree bears signs of fruit, the world around us will show signs of Jesus’ coming.

So, be ready. He’s coming back, friends.

Heavy reading, for sure. But, when this happens, it will be swift. May Jesus find us being faithful about His Father’s work when He returns.

Day 311: Read Matthew Chapter 24

My Takeaways:

Today’s reading was on the same topic as yesterday’s—signs, persecutions, and the tribulation.

Just like leaves start to sprout on a fig tree that let us know summer is coming, Jesus tells His disciples there will be signs of His second coming. Not only that, they will be killed for His name. (I didn’t see that Jesus said this in Mark’s version!) There will be widespread persecution. No one knows the day nor the hour Jesus will come, but we will know when people will disappear amid their work day. Jesus will take His people home.

His final words to us: Be alert! Be faithful. May He come back finding us doing our Father’s work.

Day 312: Read Matthew Chapter 25

My Takeaways:

The parable of the 10 virgins.

The parable of the talents.

The sheep and the goats.

Jesus is prepping His students for being ready—being alert! For no one knows the hour Jesus will come back, so be prepared.

Jesus is prepping them to be faithful with what God has given to them. Each will have a different gift to use to serve God. They are called to use that gift to further the Gospel. Those who do will be rewarded! I especially love this line: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.” And, those who mistrust God and are lazy about using their talent, those people miss out on not only the rewards…but heaven.

Lastly, we have the sheep and the goats. Those who follow their shepherd’s voice and those who don’t. Those who live out the Gospel by loving people in Jesus’ name and those who don’t. Those who don’t, the goats, don’t make it into heaven.

My God Shot is this: there might be many “goats” who think they will make it to heaven based upon if they believe there is a God, but those people who know there is a God and live out their love for Him and love for others will be the true believers and will be blessed in heaven. The goats have missed Jesus and heaven.

Day 313: Read Matthew Chapter 26 & Mark Chapter 14

My Takeaways:

And here we go, friends. We had two big readings today—each on the same events but told through a different lense. But, the message is clear: Jesus is betrayed and arrested. Everything has changed, and the disciples are walking through the hardest, yet most historic moment of their lives. Their Rabbi, Master, and Lord has been taken from them, and they fled.

Judas betrays Jesus after 3 years of life together. Three years! This shows all of us that people can go to church, break bread with you, and do ministry with you…and yet never surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It’s shocking and sad. Money spoke to Judas louder than loyalty and love.

Peter has a very human moment amid all of this: he denies Jesus. We know Peter loves Jesus. We know Peter has professed that Jesus is Messiah. We know that Peter has experienced Jesus on a deeper level when he walked on water. And, we see him fail his biggest test of faith: professing Jesus. It’s something we all can fall victim to amid the resting moments of life. But, the story isn’t over yet. Life with Jesus doesn’t end on a terrible mistake. Redemption is coming for Peter. It’s a set-up for a comeback.

And Jesus, our beloved Jesus, has been arrested, hit, and spat upon. Can you even imagine? People are abusing God here. The fact Jesus surrendered to all of this is awe-inspiring. He was human, friends. He felt every bit of this abuse.

My God Shot is so simple but so challenging: I can get tempted so easily like Judas to seek the things of this world. I can get tempted like Peter to speak differently than my faith. I can fall short time and time again…and yet, it’s not the end of the story when I turn to Jesus amid my pain. He paid it all so that I could have redemption. I love Him so.

Day 314: Read Luke Chapter 22 & John Chapter 13

My Takeaways:

We read about the same topic as yesterday—Jesus’ last hours with His disciples—but through different lenses again today. I was surprised to see so many more details emerge!

Like when it said that “Satan entered Judas.” I mean, we know Judas gave way to money over Jesus…but when Luke put it like this, it took a much stronger meaning! I believe some of the world’s worst atrocities, like the Holocaust, operates on much the same premise: Satan entered a man to accomplish much evil.
Like when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet to show them what love and serving others looks like.
Like when Jesus tells them to love one another—that this would be the hallmark that they are believers.
Like when the disciples argued at the Passover meal. They argued over who had betrayed Jesus and then they argued over who was the greatest. In the last hours with Jesus, pride got the best of them. And Jesus tells them the greatest is the one serving. Then, He assures them they will all sit on thrones in heaven. Wowza. They got reprimanded and then got a promise.
Like when Jesus said to Peter that Satan has asked to sift him like wheat. Satan asked for Peter. Satan requested. You see, it wouldn’t have happened without God’s expressed permission and God allowed it. Why does God allow Satan to sift us? You ladies know…sifting seasons expose what weaknesses or temptations we have that we try to hide. Sifting seasons chisel us. Sifting seasons refine us. This sifting will be a catalyst for Peter when Jesus redeems him…it might just be what makes him so passionate to spread the Gospel and lay down his life for Jesus. Sifting seasons aren’t fun, but what they can produce is life-altering.
Like when Jesus tells them to be on guard, taking traveling bags and swords.
Like when Jesus prays in the Garden and asks God to remove this cup of suffering, but His will be done. In His anguish, an angel came and strengthened Him. I can’t even imagine the anguish you guys!
Like when Jesus healed the ear of His arresting officer. I bet that officer never forgot that moment.

So many hard and tender moments! So much teaching in His last hours. But, these lessons would stick with the disciples and they would indeed live them out in their own lives.

My God Shot was those sifting seasons…Satan is on a leash in our lives. But, what God allows to happen has a purpose. Sometimes, we have to get rid of some junk to go deeper with Him and that’s what sifting seasons do: expose the junk. But, He doesn’t just expose us, He empowers us to overcome it. To lean upon Him every step of the way. To be witnesses we can do all things through Christ, who gives us strength.

Day 315: Read John Chapters 14-17

My Takeaways:

The chapters on love.

John takes much time on Jesus’ final words to His friends, students, and beloved.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except for me.” He told them He was going to His Father, but God would send a helper to help them remember all that Jesus said, the Spirit of Truth. He promised peace amid the chaos.

If you love me, Jesus said, you will obey me.

“Remain in me” He told His friends. Just like a branch bears fruit when it’s attached to a vine, they are to remain, stay, and abide in God through a deep and personal relationship so that they too would bear fruit. He called them to remain in His love and to love others.

The two most important commandments.

The world will hate them but the Spirit of Truth will guide them.

Then, He prayed for His friends, those young men whom He had spent 3 years with. And right after this teaching and prayer, He would be betrayed.

Oh, friends, this teaching is tender and all about God’s love for them, strength for the persecution they will face, and commissions them to love others. It’s beautiful! It’s really amid my favorite passages—each chapter could be broken down easily into one reading with all its nuggets of wisdom!

My God Shot is the message God has been sending us throughout the whole Bible: love Him and love others. Love will be shown in our actions of obedience to His laws. It’s the law of love.