Daily Reading Week 25
Sunday
John 7 (focus v.1-52)
Discover:
All four Gospels highlight how Jesus’ Sabbath healings drew sharp criticism from the religious leaders. Whether healing the man with the withered hand or the paralyzed man at Bethesda, they viewed these acts—and His teaching about them—as a bold claim to equality with God (Matt. 12:9–13; Mark 3:1–6; Luke 6:6–11; John 5:1–18).
At first glance this seems odd, since the leaders themselves permitted good works on the Sabbath, like rescuing animals or circumcising infants on the eighth day (Matt. 12:11; John 7:22–23). Their anger becomes clearer, though, when we realize they only approved such actions when they were absolutely necessary. A lifelong condition, they reasoned, could easily wait one more day. Healing on the Sabbath wasn’t urgent—so Jesus was deliberately challenging their strict interpretation of the law.
By healing freely, Jesus declared that it is always right to restore health and do good on the Sabbath. In doing so, He positioned Himself as the ultimate authority on Sabbath law—the role that belongs only to God.
The people in the temple picked up on this. In John 7, they began wondering if He might be the Messiah, especially since the leaders (who should have opposed any false claimant) weren’t stopping Him (vv. 25–26). Yet they hesitated because they knew His background—Mary and Joseph’s son from Galilee (v. 27; see 6:42). Many believed the Messiah would suddenly appear from obscurity, unknown to anyone beforehand.
Jesus gently corrected them: they only thought they knew where He was from. In truth, they didn’t know the full story—He came from God. Because they didn’t know God, they couldn’t recognize Him. This truth only made them angrier (7:28–31).
Respond:
• What has shaped your view of Jesus the most?
• Which description of Jesus in John 7 stands out most to you today?
• Is Jesus someone you admire from a distance, or someone you fully trust and follow?
Monday
Luke 7 (focus v.20-23)
Discover:
One of the most convincing proofs of Scripture’s authenticity is its honesty. The Bible doesn’t hide the flaws of its heroes. It openly shows their doubts and failures. The authors, inspired by the Holy Spirit, chose to tell the full truth, “warts and all.” They could have skipped moments like Moses doubting God (Ex. 4:1–17), but they included them.
We might expect John the Baptist to have the least doubt about Jesus. After all, he was the Messiah’s forerunner who baptized Him and declared Him the Father’s Anointed One. Yet even this great man of God wavered when things got hard.
John had boldly confronted Herod Antipas, and it cost him his freedom. He now sat in a prison cell at Herod’s fortress in Machaerus, east of the Dead Sea. There had been no fiery judgment or vindication of righteousness, which John expected from the Messiah. So he sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus if He really was the One to come.
Jesus replied gently, not with a direct yes, but by pointing to His miracles. Most of these came straight from Isaiah’s messianic prophecies in chapters 35 and 61. Noticeably, He left out the parts about vengeance. It was as if He were saying, “Yes, I am the Messiah, and My works prove it. But the final judgment is still future. Right now, I am bringing good news to the poor and redeeming God’s people.”
Jesus was inviting John to reread Isaiah and align his expectations with the full picture: the Messiah must suffer before the kingdom comes in all its glory (Isa. 53).
Like John, we live in a time when the righteous often suffer and the wicked seem to win. This can shake our confidence in God’s promises. But take heart. Christ’s kingdom is advancing, and its full victory is certain (Heb. 9:27–28).
Respond:
• Where do you need God to move powerfully in your life right now?
• How have you seen God work in ways you cannot explain?
• What would it look like to trust Jesus with the impossible?
Tuesday
Isaiah 53 (focus v.3-6)
Discover:
Jews and Muslims often reject Jesus as Savior because of the scandal of the cross. How could God allow His Messiah to suffer such a shameful death? After all, the Messiah is supposed to triumph over the Lord’s enemies (2 Sam. 7:11b; Pss. 2; 92:9; 110; Jer. 23:5).
This objection assumes God’s enemies are only “out there,” never among His own people. But Scripture teaches that every one of us is born into this world as God’s enemy because of sin (Gen. 3:22–24; 6:5; Ps. 14:3; 51; Isa. 6:1–6; Rom. 3:9–18).
In His death, the Messiah conquered those enemies. The Father poured out His wrath on Jesus in our place. He condemned sin in the flesh, and we died with Christ. Death was followed by resurrection, and now we who were once enemies have become God’s friends (John 15:15; Rom. 6:1–10; 8:3). The Messiah triumphed over God’s enemies precisely through His death.
Isaiah 53 makes this clear. The Suffering Servant was “pierced for our transgressions” and “crushed for our iniquities” (vv. 5–6). We considered Him “smitten by God,” struck down for our rebellion, not His own. The Lord laid our iniquity on Him. These verses use the language of Old Testament atonement: the Servant carries our sorrows and bears our griefs, the guilt and sorrow caused by our sin (see Lev. 5:1, 17; 10:17; 16:22; 17:16).
Our righteous Messiah offered the perfect substitutionary sacrifice, dying in our place and receiving the divine wrath we deserved. He did this willingly. Like a sheep led to slaughter, He went silently and obediently (v. 7). No one forced Him. His death was the ultimate act of obedience to the Father, and therefore fully sufficient to pay the price for our transgressions.
Respond:
• Why do you think people respond to Jesus so differently?
• Have you ever resisted something Jesus was trying to change in you?
• How does knowing Jesus suffered for you personally affect your faith?
Wednesday
Ecclesiastes 12 (focus v.9-11)
Discover:
Did the authors of Scripture know they were writing the very Word of God? Many liberal scholars say no, and even some evangelicals agree—especially when it comes to the Wisdom Books like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. After all, much of their teaching sounds like it could come from any wise person, not necessarily a uniquely biblical worldview.
Yet Ecclesiastes 12:11 challenges that assumption. The “Shepherd” in this verse almost certainly refers to the Lord Himself (which is why many translations capitalize it). This fits well, since the ancient Hebrews often called God their Shepherd (see Ps. 23:1). The immediate context reinforces this: the Preacher calls us to “fear God and keep his commandments” (Eccl. 12:13).
Because these “words of the wise” come from God, it’s no surprise the Preacher says they are “like goads” (v. 11). A goad was a tool with sharp points—either a board with nails or a stick with a spike—used to prod oxen forward while plowing. If the animal kicked against it, it felt the sting. In the same way, God’s inspired words correct us when we resist through disobedience, urge us along the right path, and stick firmly in our minds. If a simple goad can guide a stubborn animal, how much more will Scripture guide and shape us?
Verse 12 warns us not to go beyond these words. There is no end to the making of books, and too much study can become wearisome. We must not treat anything else as our final authority. The caution here is for those who study endlessly just to ask questions, without seeking real answers. We study Scripture not for its own sake, but to discover how the Lord wants us to live.
Respond:
• What teaching from Jesus has impacted your life the most?
• Why do you think simple truth is often the most powerful?
• Are you listening to Jesus for information or transformation?
Thursday
Micah 5 (focus v.2-5)
Discover:
"Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God" (Lev. 26:44).
This promise through Moses gave the faithful remnant real hope as they entered exile alongside the rest of the old covenant community, most of whom had flagrantly broken the covenant. As we have seen in the prophets, exile was never God’s final word for Israel and Judah. Restoration was coming. David’s royal line would be renewed, and even the Gentile nations would share in the blessing (Isa. 9:6–7; 53:10–11; Amos 9:11–12; Mic. 4:1–5).
Prophets like Isaiah and Micah described this restoration as glorious, with Isaiah even foreseeing the renewal of creation itself (Isa. 65:17–25). The first-century Jewish leaders were right to expect a conquering descendant of David. What they missed, however, was that the kingdom would begin in great humility, almost unnoticed at first.
Isaiah pictured it as a shoot springing up from the stump of Jesse (11:1–5). David’s line would be cut down and left for dead in exile, so low that the coming King would arise from obscurity, much like David himself came from the seemingly insignificant family of Jesse in the little town of Bethlehem (1 Sam. 16:1–5).
Micah agrees, declaring that the long-awaited Son of David would be born in Bethlehem, a town so small it was barely counted among the clans of Judah (Mic. 5:2). Yet this humble beginning veiled an astonishing truth: the One who would come forth from Bethlehem had origins “from of old, from ancient days” (v. 2). Church commentators across the centuries have rightly seen this as a hint of the Messiah’s preexistence.
Respond:
• Why is it important that Jesus fulfilled prophecy?
• What hopes or expectations do you bring to Jesus?
• How does Jesus bring peace into your life today?
Friday
Revelation 22 (fousc v.16-19)
Discover:
Christ’s final words in Revelation include this wonderful promise: “Behold, I am coming soon” (Rev. 22:12). Just a few verses later we hear the response: “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come’” (v. 17). While both the Holy Spirit and the church deeply long for Jesus’ return (v. 20), this particular invitation is an evangelistic call to unbelievers.
It is a warm and urgent plea: Come and take the water of life without price! Salvation in Christ is the only way to eternal life (John 14:6), and it is completely free. We do not earn it or deserve it. We simply receive it by faith—the empty hand of faith that takes the gift God offers (Eph. 2:8–10). No matter what we have done or how great our sin, Jesus stands ready to welcome everyone who comes to Him in simple trust (Matt. 11:25–30).
Right after this gracious invitation, John gives a solemn warning: Do not add to or take away from the words of this prophecy, or God will bring on you the plagues described in this book (Rev. 22:18–19). This echoes earlier commands in Scripture, such as Deuteronomy 4:2. Because Revelation is God’s own revelation, we must preserve it exactly as He gave it. To alter His words is to deny His perfect authority and wisdom—it is saying, in effect, that we know better than the Lord.
Respond:
• What things do people often use to satisfy spiritual thirst?
• Where have you been tempted to look for fulfillment outside of Jesus?
• What does it mean to freely receive the living water Jesus offers?
Saturday
Hebrews 1 (focus v.1-4)
Discover:
Hebrews opens by noting that “long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets” (Heb. 1:1). This reveals God’s use of mediators to communicate with sinful people. Those Old Testament prophets delivered true revelation, but their varied ministry was always preparatory—pointing forward to the perfect Prophet to come.
Moses foretold Him in Deuteronomy 18:15–18. Hebrews 1:1–4 declares that this promised Prophet has arrived in Jesus Christ. Unlike the old prophets who were servants, sinners, and sometimes reluctant, Jesus is the eternal Son, “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature” (Heb. 1:3). He is sinless and speaks with perfect authority, declaring, “You have heard… but I say to you,” and claiming that hearing His word brings eternal life (John 5:24–25).
Christ is superior to the former prophets in every way. More importantly, His coming fulfills and ends the old prophetic office. The former days were filled with types and shadows. With Christ’s finished work and the completed canon of Scripture, there is no longer need for new divine revelation through lesser prophets.
When preachers expound the Bible today, they are faithfully declaring what God has already said. Claims of “The Lord told me…” should be made with care. While the Spirit may impress a biblical truth on our hearts, new revelation on the level of the biblical prophets ended with Christ—the final and perfect Word of God made flesh. What more do we need?
Respond:
• What stands out to you most about how Hebrews describes Jesus?
• How does seeing Jesus as fully God deepen your faith?
• What area of your life needs to come under His authority today?