Day 71 - Today’s reading picks up with Judas hanging himself. Despite the fact that he betrayed Jesus, I can’t help feeling somewhat sorry for him. What he did was done to fulfill the prophecies for one thing – I mean, someone had to do it. And, I’m glad that he was at least repentant and felt guilty after doing it. Another thing that really struck me as neat about this little passage was the fact that the prophesies were fulfilled right down to the exact amount of money that Jesus would be betrayed for – 30 pieces of silver. I just find that amazing.
My heart breaks over the account of Jesus’ crucifixion. I cannot imagine living in a time when people were so heartless and brutal. I mean, demanding that Jesus be released in order that they might crucify him and then actually standing by to watch the whole process – absolutely morbid. It makes me sick inside just thinking about it.
Day 72 – I found it really neat to read the gospel account as told by Mark right after reading it in Matthew. Much of it is so similar, and I thought I might be bored to read through it 4 times in succession; but, rather, I’m finding it quite intriguing to read through it all over again.
The thing that really struck me about today’s reading was this ---
At the very end of the book of Mark, we read the burial account of Jesus, and verse 46 of chapter 15 says “So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock.”
Then, we start into the book of Luke and finish today’s reading with the account of Jesus’ birth. Chapter 2, verse 7 says “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
The emphasis is mine. Normally, we read the account of Jesus’ life from birth to death. This was the first time I think I read it this way, right from one account into another, and it struck me that Jesus started out life wrapped in cloth, and ended life exactly the same way. I don’t know why – that just struck me as neat. (I’m currently reading a book about the Shroud of Turin, so that could have contributed to the fact that I picked up on the whole “cloth” thing.)
Day 73 – I’ve decided that if there was one of those quizzes entitled “Which Gospel Writer Are You?”, I’d most likely be Luke. I’m loving this book! Luke goes into so much more detail than the other books do – and being that I’m a detail-oriented type of gal, I appreciated that approach.
I mentioned the other day about the Statler Brother’s Holy Bible album which was some of the music I grew up listening to. I did some checking this morning (9/6) and found that it’s available on iTunes. I do believe I’ll purchase it and share these fun songs with my family. It’s amazing to me the things that I’ve retained from my childhood because I’ve learned it set to music. This has nothing to do with reading my Bible (except for the fact that it flares up songs in my memory) – but I’d like to encourage you to share music with your children that will help them remember Bible stories and verses of Scripture. Someday, they will thank you for it!
Day 74 – As I was reading the account of Zacchaeus this morning, I was reminded of the Casting Crowns concert that we attended in March. I was excited that we were given tickets on the floor and even more excited when I saw what a clear view we had of the stage and what awesome pictures we could get with my camera. However, when the VERY TALL man stood up in front of me, the excitement really diminished. I spent the entire concert leaning from one side to another to peer around him. I wish I had a tree to climb! How much more exciting must it have been to have a clear view of Jesus!
Luke 19:40 says “’I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’” That phrase reminded me of a favorite FFH song:
Update – We spent the past week in Williamsburg, VA. I was reading ahead the week before, just in case I didn’t have time to read while there. I’ve only got a few days left to complete my Bible reading! I’ll post the end sometime this week, I’m sure!
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