Daily Reader's Bible 7-Day Reading PlanSample

#005 • A NEW KING IS COMING

CHRIST IS BORN OF THE ROYAL LINE OF DAVID  [JOHN 7:1-52]

After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime. The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil. You go on. I’m not going to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee.

But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view. The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.

Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. The people were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked.

So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies. Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.”

The crowd replied, “You’re demon possessed! Who’s trying to kill you?”

Jesus replied, “I did one miracle on the Sabbath, and you were amazed. But you work on the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses’ law of circumcision. (Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.) For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”

Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.”

While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.” Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, be- cause his time had not yet come.

Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?”

When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus. But Jesus told them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.”

The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. “Where is he planning to go?” they asked. “Is he thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands?

Maybe he will even teach the Greeks! What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going’?”

On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be!

Will the Messiah come from Galilee? For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” So the crowd was divided about him. Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.

When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

“We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded.

“Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”

Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.

They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes from Galilee!”

O PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM; LOOK, YOUR KING IS COMING  [ZECHARIAH 9:1-17] 

This is the message from the Lord against the land of Aram and the city of Damascus, for the eyes of humanity, including all the tribes of Israel, are on the LORD.

Doom is certain for Hamath, 

   near Damascus, 

and for the cities of Tyre and Sidon, 

   though they are so clever. 

Tyre has built a strong fortress 

   and has made silver and gold 

   as plentiful as dust in the streets!

But now the Lord will strip away 

      Tyre’s possessions 

   and hurl its fortifications into the sea, 

   and it will be burned to the ground.

The city of Ashkelon will see Tyre fall 

   and will be filled with fear. 

Gaza will shake with terror, 

   as will Ekron, for their hopes 

            will be dashed.

Gaza’s king will be killed, 

   and Ashkelon will be deserted.

Foreigners will occupy the city of Ashdod.

   I will destroy the pride of 

            the Philistines.

I will grab the bloody meat 

         from their mouths 

   and snatch the detestable 

            sacrifices from their teeth.

Then the surviving Philistines 

         will worship our God 

   and become like a clan in Judah.

The Philistines of Ekron will 

            join my people, 

   as the ancient Jebusites once did.

I will guard my Temple 

   and protect it from invading armies.

I am watching closely to ensure 

   that no more foreign oppressors 

               overrun my people’s land.

Rejoice, O people of Zion!

   Shout in triumph, O people 

               of Jerusalem!

Look, your king is coming to you. 

   He is righteous and victorious, 

yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— 

   riding on a donkey’s colt.

I will remove the battle 

            chariots from Israel 

   and the warhorses from Jerusalem.

I will destroy all the weapons 

            used in battle, 

   and your king will bring 

            peace to the nations.

His realm will stretch from sea to sea 

   and from the Euphrates River 

            to the ends of the earth.

Because of the covenant I made with you, 

   sealed with blood, 

I will free your prisoners 

   from death in a waterless dungeon.

Come back to the place of safety, 

   all you prisoners who still 

            have hope!

I promise this very day 

   that I will repay two blessings for 

            each of your troubles.

Judah is my bow, 

   and Israel is my arrow. 

Jerusalem is my sword, 

   and like a warrior, I will brandish 

            it against the Greeks.

The Lord will appear above his people; 

   his arrows will fly like lightning!

The Sovereign Lord will sound 

            the ram’s horn 

   and attack like a whirlwind from

               the southern desert.

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies 

           will protect his people, 

   and they will defeat their enemies 

               by hurling great stones.

They will shout in battle as 

           though drunk with wine.

They will be filled with 

               blood like a bowl, 

   drenched with blood like the 

               corners of the altar.

On that day the Lord their God 

           will rescue his people, 

   just as a shepherd rescues 

               his sheep.

They will sparkle in his land 

   like jewels in a crown.

How wonderful and beautiful 

           they will be!

   The young men will thrive 

               on abundant grain, 

   and the young women will 

               flourish on new wine.

HOW THE KING REJOICES IN YOUR STRENGTH  [PSALM 21]

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord!

   He shouts with joy because you give him victory.

For you have given him his heart’s desire;

   you have withheld nothing he requested.                                    Interlude

You welcomed him back with success and prosperity.

   You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.

He asked you to preserve his life, 

   and you granted his request.

   The days of his life stretch on forever.

Your victory brings him great honor, 

   and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty.

You have endowed him with eternal blessings 

   and given him the joy of your presence.

For the king trusts in the Lord.

   The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling.

You will capture all your enemies.

   Your strong right hand will seize all who hate you.

You will throw them in a flaming furnace 

   when you appear.

The Lord will consume them in his anger; 

   fire will devour them.

You will wipe their children from the face of the earth; 

   they will never have descendants.

Although they plot against you,

   their evil schemes will never succeed.

For they will turn and run

   when they see your arrows aimed at them.

Rise up, O Lord, in all your power.

   With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.