Daily Reading Week 14
Sunday
Matthew 28
DISCOVER:
"If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain" (1 Cor. 15:14). No event is more important to Christianity than Jesus’ resurrection—our faith stands or falls on this historical fact.
Like the other Gospels, Matthew gives us a straightforward account of the resurrection with little added commentary. He doesn’t record everything that happened between the women arriving at the tomb and Jesus’ ascension, and neither do the other Gospel writers. Each one highlights details important for their readers. When we compare all four accounts, we get a richer picture of that amazing day.
The resurrection is well supported by history. In addition to the Gospel reports, Paul tells us Jesus appeared to more than five hundred people at once, to James, and to himself (1 Cor. 15:6–8). Even some early rabbinic sources contain indirect references to it.
Matthew notes that an angel rolled away the stone with an earthquake (Matt. 28:2)—not to let Jesus out, but to let the women see that the tomb was empty. Jesus had already risen! When the women took hold of His feet (Matt. 28:9), it showed He wasn’t a ghost or spirit; His physical body had been raised. This reminds us that matter isn’t evil, and our eternal life won’t be as disembodied spirits. Just like Jesus, our bodies will one day be gloriously raised, and God will declare creation “very good” once again.
Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Rom. 4:25). By raising His Son, the Father declared that Jesus’ payment for our sins was accepted. All who trust in Christ are fully forgiven and reconciled to God. As John Calvin beautifully put it, our assurance of peace with God comes from knowing Christ conquered death and now offers us new life.
The resurrection not only secures our justification and future resurrection—it also proves that the God of the Old Testament is the true God, that Jesus is His Son and our Savior, and that in Him we have real power over sin.
RESPOND:
• Have you struggled with the truth of the resurrection? Spend some time reflecting on the fact that the resurrection is one of the most well documented events in antiquity.
• Take some time this week to read all of the gospel accounts of the resurrection and meditate on its significance.
Monday
Matthew 20 (focus v.17-19)
DISCOVER:
Right after the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, Jesus turns His focus fully toward the cross. As He draws closer to Jerusalem, He predicts His death and resurrection for the third time.
Jesus has succeeded where Israel failed. He overcame Satan’s temptations (Matt. 4:1–11), perfectly taught God’s law (Matt. 5–7), and began restoring a broken world through His miracles. In doing so, He has qualified Himself to be the true Israel—the new Adam—whose perfect obedience will justify everyone who is united to Him (Isa. 53).
Now, all that remains is for Him to bear the punishment that David’s royal line deserved for leading God’s people astray (2 Sam. 7) and to take the curse that Adam’s children earned by breaking God’s will (Gal. 3:10–14).
In this prediction, Jesus reveals new details to His disciples. For the first time, He tells them that Gentiles will be involved in His death—adding even greater shame to the cross. They could never have imagined that pagans would execute the Messiah.
Jesus pulls the Twelve aside privately (v. 17), likely because they are traveling with large crowds of Galileans heading to Jerusalem for Passover. They are “going up” to the city because Jerusalem sits on Mount Zion. His words, “We are going up,” subtly hint that true discipleship will now involve sharing in His suffering. Though they won’t die yet, the disciples will walk with Him through His trials.
By itself, the crucifixion would be devastating news. But Jesus immediately follows it with the wonderful promise of His resurrection on the third day (v. 19). As Matthew Henry noted, this hope was given “to encourage his disciples… and to direct us, under all the sufferings of this present time, to look at the things that are not seen, that are eternal.”
RESPOND:
• What stands out most about Jesus’ willingness to suffer?
• Why does it matter that He chose the cross?
• How does this deepen your trust in Him?
tuesday
Galatians 3 (focus v.13)
DISCOVER:
Redemptive history — God’s great story of saving His people — shapes Paul’s teaching on faith, works, and the law in Galatians 3.
In Eden, God established a covenant of works with Adam. Perfect obedience would have earned righteousness and eternal life for all humanity (Rom. 5:12–21). But after the fall, God’s curse fell on us (Gen. 3:16–19), and we lost the ability to obey Him perfectly (Ps. 143:2).
God could not simply lower His standards—that would be impossible. So in the covenant of grace, He provides what the covenant of works demands. He gives us righteousness through faith (Gen. 15:6).
The Mosaic law serves both covenants. It shows the way of life through perfect obedience (Lev. 18:5; Gal. 3:10–12), reminding us of the covenant of works. At the same time, it reveals our failure and the resulting curse, driving us toward grace. Deuteronomy 27:26 warns that failing to keep the law brings a curse, with exile from God’s presence as the ultimate consequence (Deut. 28:15–68). In exile, Israel was meant to see her inability to obey and turn to God alone for salvation. Gentiles, seeing Israel’s failure, could recognize their own fallenness too.
God sent His Son to remove the curse and bring His people home from exile. Jesus lived in perfect faithfulness to the law (1 Pet. 2:22–23), yet He was hung on a tree—a curse reserved for the wicked (Deut. 21:23; Gal. 3:13). Since He had no sin of His own, Christ clearly died for the sins of others. On the cross, the Father placed our sins on Jesus and condemned them in His body. In exchange, He credits Christ’s perfect obedience to everyone who believes (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus’ flawless keeping of the covenant of works becomes ours through faith alone.
Martin Luther offers this in his commentary on Galatians: “If sin vexes you and death terrifies you, remember it is only a false illusion of the devil. For there is now no sin, no curse, no death, no devil to hurt us anymore—Christ has vanquished them all.”
If you believe in Christ but still fear God’s wrath, take heart: Jesus has already borne it for you.
RESPOND:
• What guilt or shame do you struggle to release?
• How does Jesus’ sacrifice change your identity?
• What does freedom in Christ look like today?
Wednesday
Hebrews 2 (focus v.14-15)
DISCOVER:
The book of Hebrews, like the rest of Scripture, clearly shows that Christ’s incarnation, suffering, and death were necessary for our salvation. The author emphasizes this in Hebrews 2.
Hebrews 2:10 says Jesus was made “perfect through suffering.” How could the sinless Son of God, who is already perfect, need to be perfected?
The answer lies in what was required for our salvation: a Great High Priest who could offer a sacrifice for sin. Jesus had no personal deficiency—His incarnation and sinless life were flawless. But as our Priest, He still lacked one essential thing: a blood sacrifice. His suffering and death provided exactly that. Only after offering Himself could He fully serve as our High Priest (Heb. 9:11–14). In this sense, suffering “perfected” Him for His priestly work.
Jesus’ death did far more than atone for sin. It also defeated the devil, who holds the power of death (Heb. 2:14). The atonement brings many blessings: it reconciles us to God, cleanses our consciences, and breaks Satan’s hold.
Note that the devil does not have ultimate power over death—only God does. The Lord sovereignly pronounced death as the penalty for sin and remains in complete control (Gen. 2:17; Deut. 32:39; Ps. 103:19). Satan’s power is secondary: he tempts people to sin, and sin leads to death. Because of this link, he is closely tied to death and holds sway over those enslaved by sin (Acts 26:18). Yet this is only by God’s permission.
The only way to remove death’s power and threat is to take away its legal “right” over us. Jesus did this by dying under God’s curse in our place (Gal. 3:10–14). He paid in full for every sin of His people, wiping our record clean (Rom. 3:21–26). Since He was sinless, the grave had no rightful claim on Him once our debt was paid (Acts 2:24). By going through death, Christ exhausted its power, defeated Satan, and set us free.
RESPOND:
• What fears does Jesus want to free you from?
• How does His victory change the way you view death or suffering?
• Where do you need to live more boldly because of the resurrection?
THursday
Isaiah 9 (focus v.2)
DISCOVER:
In Isaiah 9, God's people are portrayed in a time of deep despair—walking in darkness, living under anguish and distress, settled in a land of profound gloom. The "deep darkness" here echoes the "shadow of death" from Psalm 23:4, but it's even heavier: they're not just passing through this valley; they've made it their home.
If that feels familiar right now—like the shadow of death has become your address—you're not alone. Grief, loss, or hardship can make the darkness feel permanent. Many of us know this pain intimately, perhaps through the sudden loss of someone dear, taken far too young. It's okay to feel the weight and admit how hard it is, even while holding onto faith that God walks with us through it.
Yet Isaiah doesn't leave us without hope. He promises a great Light that will come and change everything for God's people (Isa. 9:1–5).
First, this Light turns shame into glory. The region of Galilee was despised and overlooked, but Jesus chose it as the place to begin proclaiming the gospel—fulfilling the prophecy and lifting its honor (Matt. 4:15–16).
Second, it transforms sorrow into joy. What was marked by loss and anguish will become growth, multiplication, and heartfelt rejoicing (Isa. 9:3).
Third, it ends constant warfare and brings lasting peace. Oppressors are broken, battles cease, and the tools of war are left behind forever (Isa. 9:4–5).
Jesus is that promised Light. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He began this great reversal—turning His followers' grief into joy and defeating the powers of darkness.
When He returns in glory, He'll complete it: every shame exchanged for eternal honor, every sorrow for unending joy, and every struggle for perfect peace.
In our darkest moments, these promises in Christ are real and reliable. They don't erase the pain today, but they do shine brightly enough to guide us forward—one step at a time—until the full dawn comes.
RESPOND:
• What dark area of life needs Christ’s light right now?
• How does resurrection hope reshape your outlook?
• What step toward the light could you take today?
Friday
1 Corinthians 15 (focus v.20-22)
DISCOVER:
Christ alone saves His people. His perfect obedience and atoning death on the cross—both are essential for our salvation. But there’s one vital part that’s easy to overlook: His resurrection. Without it, there would be no salvation.
First, Romans 4:25 tells us that Jesus was “raised for our justification.” Remember, death was never part of God’s original good creation. It entered the world as punishment for sin (Gen. 2–3). Jesus could die on the cross only because our sins were imputed to Him—placed on His shoulders so He could bear the penalty we deserved (Isa. 53).
If Jesus had been a sinner Himself, there could be no salvation. One guilty sinner cannot atone for another; the sacrifice must be perfect and without blemish (Heb. 7:23–28). That’s why the resurrection is so important. By raising Jesus from the dead, the Father declared that His Son is perfectly righteous. Death could not hold Him because He had no sin of His own, and God’s wrath against our sin had been fully satisfied on the cross.
The resurrection proves that God accepted Christ’s payment for sin and that Jesus is righteous. Therefore, we can be confident that trusting in Him alone saves us. We also know that Christ has a perfect righteousness to credit to us, just as the gospel promises (2 Cor. 5:21).
Second, Jesus’ resurrection guarantees our future resurrection. Because we are united to Him by faith, His victory becomes ours. Paul calls Jesus “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20–22). In ancient times, firstfruits were the first part of the harvest, guaranteeing that the full crop would follow. In the same way, Christ’s resurrection with a glorified body is the guarantee that everyone who belongs to Him by faith will one day be raised to glory with Him (Rom. 6:1–11).
RESPOND:
• How does the resurrection shape how you face fear?
• What future hope do you cling to?
• How could this truth bring courage today?
Saturday
Romans 10 (focus v.9)
DISCOVER:
Understanding what true faith really is gives us confidence that our faith is genuine—and therefore that we are justified before God.
Faith has content we know, affirm, and trust. Ultimately, we place our trust in a Person: the Lord Jesus Christ. But genuine faith in Christ always involves turning away from our sins and idols. True faith is always repentant faith.
Believing in Christ is not the same as believing Christ. Authentic trust means we believe Jesus will keep all His promises and do what He says. This kind of faith naturally leads to obedience. We show our love for Him and our confidence that He knows what is best when we take Him at His word and follow His commands (Gen. 2:16–17; 22:1–14; John 14:15; James 2:14–26).
At its heart, saving faith is submission to Jesus as Lord. Paul makes this clear in today’s passage: saving faith confesses Jesus as both Savior and Lord (Rom. 10:9).
Sadly, some today claim a person can have true faith and be right with God while showing no real desire to obey Christ. They say you can accept Jesus as Savior without submitting to Him as Lord. This view may come from a sincere desire to protect the doctrine of justification by faith alone. The concern is good—salvation must rest on God’s grace, not our works. However, making obedience optional actually distorts God’s grace.
The Bible teaches something better. While we can never earn God’s grace and our works play no part in our justification, true grace never leaves us unchanged. God’s grace trains us to “renounce ungodliness and worldly passions” and to live godly lives (Titus 2:11–14). Obedience to God’s law doesn’t get us into the kingdom, but it shows that we have the kind of faith that truly justifies. No one has genuine faith without also having a desire to obey Christ (James 2:14–26).
RESPOND:
• What does surrender look like for you right now?
• Where might Jesus be asking for deeper trust?
• Who could you share this hope with?