Exploring the Scriptures Together
Matthew 26:57-75; Mark 14:53-72; Luke 22:54-71; John 18:12-27 And He said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 Today’s reading, as dark as it is, should shed some light on the above verse, giving us a graphic illustration of …
Continue reading “November 16 / Matthew 26:57-75; Mark 14:53-72; Luke 22:54-71; John 18:12-27”
John 17;Matthew 26:36-56; Mark 14:32-52; Luke 22:39-53; John 18:1-11 How would you define “eternal life”? Would you say, “living forever” or “not dying” or perhaps “going on living, even after dying”? Or maybe it’s “going to heaven (and not hell).” We could build a pretty good case for any of these notions from various Bible …
Continue reading “November 15 / John 17:1-18:11; Matthew 26:36-56; Mark 14:32-52; Luke 22:39-53”
John 14-16 Once again the Gospel of John overwhelms us, like trying to get a drink from a firehose. I would therefore urge us all to spend some extra time — quite a lot of extra time — on these few chapters of John (and the next), prayerfully reading and rereading what Jesus has to …
Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-30; John 13:18-30;John 13:1-17, 31-35;Matthew 26:30-35; Mark 14:26-31; Luke 22:31-38; John 13:36-38 In today’s readings, Jesus employs two tremendous physical activities to build up and instruct His disciples (including us). He establishes the Sacrament of Holy Communion, feeding us with His body and blood, and He washes the disciples’ feet. …
Continue reading “November 13 / Matthew 26:17-35; Mark 14:12-31; Luke 22:7-38; John 13”
John 12:20-50;Matthew 26:1-16; Mark 14:1-11; Luke 22:1-6 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. …
Continue reading “November 12 / John 12:20-50; Matthew 26:1-16; Mark 14:1-11; Luke 22:1-6”
Matthew 24:36-25:46; Mark 13:32-37; Luke 21:34-38 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:44 (cf., Luke 12:40) Are you ready for Christ’s return? Are you awake and watchful? No? Why not? Perhaps you think that since He has delayed thus far …
Continue reading “November 11 / Matthew 24:36-25:46; Mark 13:32-37; Luke 21:34-38”
Matthew 24:1-35; Mark 13:1-31; Luke 21:5-33 As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3 The remainder of Matthew 24-25 is Jesus’ response to …
Continue reading “November 10 / Matthew 24:1-35; Mark 13:1-31; Luke 21:5-33”
Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40;Matthew 22:34-46; Mark 12:28-37; Luke 20:41-44;Matthew 23:1-39; Mark 12:38-44; Luke 20:45-21:4 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Matthew 23:13a,15a,23a,25a,27a,29a Jesus gives the scribes and Pharisees quite a tongue lashing, calling them hypocrites, blind guides, whitewashed tombs, a brood of vipers. How is it, then, that we can read these …
Continue reading “November 9 / Matthew 22:23-23:39; Mark 12:18-44; Luke 20:27-21:4”
Matthew 21:23-32; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8;Matthew 21:33-22:14; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19;Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:“‘The stone that the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone;this was the Lord’s doing,and it is marvelous in our eyes’? [Psalm 118:22-23]Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will …
Continue reading “November 8 / Matthew 21:23-22:22; Mark 11:27-12:17; Luke 20:1-26”
Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19;Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:45-48;Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:20-26 As He was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed …
Continue reading “November 7 / Matthew 21:1-22; Mark 11:1-26; Luke 19:28-48; John 12:12-19”