Day 310, November 6: Bible reading & prayer

Mark 13 (chronological); Jeremiah 43-45, Hebrews 3 (OT/NT)

We are reading chronologically through the New Testament, starting with the four Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).

Our chronological reading plan simplifies, by necessity, daily reading assignments by having, usually, whole chapters read each day. Therefore, we read different accounts of the same event by the different Gospel writers on different days, making it difficult to follow the chronology. I attempted to piece together the chronology in my more in-depth chronological study of the Gospels.

We’ve read this week, in all four Gospels, of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. After Jesus raised Lazarus, entered Jerusalem with crowds praising Him, and then cleansed the temple, the religious authorities were conspiring to kill Him. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all recorded Jesus’ discussions with the religious authorities and we discuss them today, on Day 36, of the chronological study. When the religious authorities failed to trap Him, as we’ll read today, Jesus began to teach the people. We’ll discuss His teachings on Day 37, Day 38, and Day 39 of the chronological study.

My pastor husband Kirk gave a sermon on Mark 13:1-23 this past weekend (should eventually be posted here—the person that usually posts is on a mission trip!) that is a worthy listen. Jesus taught His disciples (and us) about His return and we can be confident that He has told us “everything in advance.”

A overview of our yearly Bible reading plan, with all edited summaries so far, can be found here.

November 6 chronological reading: Mark 13

Mark 13

v1-2 “As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.’

v3-8 “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?’ And Jesus began to say to them, ‘See to it that no one misleads you. Many will come in My name, saying, “I am He!” and will mislead many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

v9-13 ‘But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

v14-23 ‘But when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. The one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! But pray that it may not happen in the winter. For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. And then if anyone says to you, “Behold, here is the Christ”; or, “Behold, He is there”; do not believe him; for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.

v24-27 ‘But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

v28-32 ‘Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

v33-37 ‘Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. What I say to you I say to all, “Be on the alert!”’”

November 6 OT/NT readings: Jeremiah 43-45, Hebrews 3

We are reading Jeremiah in the Old Testament reading plan. We read Jeremiah 43-45 on Day 233 of the chronological reading plan, so you can find the text of these chapters there.

We are reading the letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament reading plan. We do not know who wrote this letter, but it teaches Jewish believers about their newfound faith in Christ, reconciling their old life under the Law with their new life under grace. It is incredibly instructive to us as well.

In chapter 1, we learned that God spoke through the prophets, and then, in these last days, through His Son, who is the Creator, heir of all things, radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature. He upholds all things by the word of His power, made purification of sins, and is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He is “much better than the angels,” who are “ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation.”

In chapter 2 yesterday, we learned that we must pay close attention to what was revealed by the Son. Under the Law, which was spoken to Moses through angels, “every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty,” so “how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” What Jesus spoke “was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” Jesus “was made for a little while lower than the angels” and “because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.” He partook of flesh and blood like us, whom He calls brethren, so that “through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” “He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”

Hebrews 3

v1-6 “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. 

v7-11 “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, ‘TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, “THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS”; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, “THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.”’

v12-15 “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said, ‘TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.’ 

v16-19 “For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.”

Dear Lord,

“Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.”

Thank You that You have told us “everything in advance.” Help us not to be misled. Help us to be about the business You have appointed us to and that is sharing Your gospel in all the nations.

Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end

Help us hold fast to You, encouraging one another to the end.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.