Why should we read the Bible?

The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. God not only reveals who he is and what he requires of us, but he also shows us his plan to redeem a people for himself through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ.

What is more, the Word of God, along with the sacraments and prayer, is an ordinary means of grace. One of the ways that God communicates his grace to his children is through his word, the Bible (WSC Q. 88). In his High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prayed for his disciples: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). One of the means, then, by which we grow in grace is by studying God’s word.

A wonderful chapter to discover the importance of the Bible is Psalm 119. The entire Psalm is a celebration of the Psalmist’s love for and obedience to the law of God. The law of God – which is simply another name for the Bible – is said to be better than gold and silver (119:72), a lamp to the feet (119:105), the longing of the heart (119:174), comfort in affliction (119:50), the love of life(119:97), and sweeter than honey (119:103).

In fact, the Psalmist’s entire day is organized around praise and worship according to Scripture.

“At midnight, I raise to praise you, because of your righteous rules” (119:62).

“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day (119: 97).

“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words” (119:147).

“Seven times a day I praise for your righteous rules” (119:164).

“My eyes awake before the watches of the night that I may meditate on your promise” (119:148). 

What a beautiful reminder that we should develop regular habits of reading Scripture. Our lives should be structured around praise and worship according to the Word!

How to read the Bible?  

1. Pray. Begin by asking the Holy Spirit for guidance. Without the help of God’s Spirit, our reading of Scripture will be merely academic. One Puritan writer, Edmund Calamy wrote, “I would have you pray unto God to enlighten your understanding, to quicken your devotion, to warm your affections, and so to bless that hour unto you.”

2. Read the text. Whether you are reading one chapter for ten minutes or four chapters for thirty minutes, you must read the text. If your mind is prone to drifting while you read, I have found it helpful to read out loud. This forces you to slow down and pronounce every word, which reinforces learning because you both see and hear the text. As you read the passage, I recommend asking yourself: What does this passage teach about God, Christ, salvation, sin, humanity, and sanctification? While not every chapter will address these themes, they represent some foundational ones worth considering.

3. Meditate. After reading, go back and reflect on what you have read. In other words, you want to avoid quickly reading a chapter and then moving on to the next one. Instead, pause for a few minutes, review the text, identify key words, doctrines, characters, events, and themes. The idea is to meditate on the text, consider it carefully, reflect on what it teaches, and how it applies to your life.

4. Pray. It is very important to end your time in God’s word with prayer. Thomas Watson said, “Pray over your meditations. Prayer sanctifies everything; without prayer they are but unhallowed meditations; prayer fastens meditation upon the soul; prayer is a tying a knot at the end of the mediation that it does not slip; pray that God will keep those holy meditations in your mind forever, that the savor of them may abide upon your hearts.”

5. Bible Reading Plans. One of my old coaches used to say, “It is not the quantity of practice that counts, but the quality of practice.” In other words, it is not the number of hours that one practices that results in improvement, but the quality of the hours. You can spend hours flipping through the Bible, reading a little here and there, and still never make significant progress in your understanding of Scripture. For that reason, I recommend using a Bible reading plan. A Bible reading plan functions like a personal trainer. While they don’t yell at you to get off the couch, they do provide structure, a plan of action, short and long-term goals, and a realistic framework to work through the Bible in a systematic way. Reading plans also prompt us to read all of God’s Word, “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), which keeps us from our inclination to only read the books and portions of Scripture that we are familiar with.

Practical Tips

1. Find the plan that works best for you

As with any new routine, you will want to know your level of expertise, the amount of time you have per day, and your goals. Have you read through the Bible many times? Do you have a strong theological or biblical background? If so, then consider a more advanced Bible reading plan. Are you someone just starting out in the Christian life, with little exposure to the Bible? Do you only have a few extra minutes per day to read? If so, then a beginner’s plan might be best. If you are somewhere in the middle, then you might consider an intermediate plan. The important point is not where you start or what Bible reading plan you use; the important point is that you are spending quality time in the Word of God each day, allowing your heart, soul, and mind to be shaped and informed by Scripture.

Click here for a list of Bible reading plans from Ligonier ministries. 

The Bible Recap

The Navigators 

2. When you fall behind or get discouraged

Please note that I did not say “if” but “when” you fall behind or get discouraged. Inevitably, we will all fall behind in our reading plan. Even if you have the greatest of intentions and rigorous self-discipline, sometimes life gets in the way. You can’t help it. When this happens, don’t be discouraged or give-up. Simply try to persevere through it. If you can catch up, great! If not, that is okay. Again, the important point is not that you never miss a day, but that you are reading God’s word on a consistent basis.

Furthermore, remember that the Devil and real spiritual forces of evil do not want you to be in God’s Word. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12). Doing a Bible reading plan isn’t just a battle with ourselves, there is a spiritual struggle that takes place when we seek to spend time in God’s Word each day. When discouragement comes or motivation wanes, pray for the Lord to give you the grace and strength to persevere. Pray for Him to speak through His Word and then pick up the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17) which is the offensive instrument He has given us to fight the good fight. (2 Tim. 4:7).

3. My Bible reading plan doesn’t work for me

Many Christians will start the new year with an abundance of excitement to start reading the Bible, and then they will discover that the reading plan they have selected does not work for them. To be completely honest, I have tried many reading plans over the course of my Christian life, and most of them have not worked for me. Many Christians love the M’Cheyne plan. I have tried it many times but have never completed it. Although I agree that it is a good plan, it simply doesn’t work for me. My brain struggles to read and process four books at the same time. So, knowing how my brain works, I have had to develop a plan that works for me. You might have to do the same. If you do find yourself struggling with a reading plan, I recommend trying to persevere and work through it. You might just be having a difficult week or two. But if you find that you are not making any progress, I recommend trying another plan, even if it is during the middle of the year. Once again, what matters is not that you complete a Bible reading plan from start to finish, but that you are getting a regular in-take of God’s word.

4. Find a good time and place

As human beings, we are creatures of habit. Even the most spontaneous among us thrive when we follow orderly routines and cycles. Reading the Bible is no different. It is important that we devote a particular time of the day to spend in God’s word. Mornings are a good time (Psalm 119:147), but so are evenings (Gen. 24:63; Psalm 4:4). Many have also found it helpful to have a particular placewhere they read. This could be in an office, bedroom, or living room. When and where you read the Bible is something you will have to figure out for yourself. I do my best work early in the mornings in my home office while sitting on the floor. If you don’t know what works for you, try experimenting with different times and locations.

5. Parents with young children

Children are a wonderful gift and blessing from the Lord (Psalm 128). But they can make devotions very difficult. If you are in this stage of life, then take comfort that the Lord knows and has compassion. He sees your sleepless nights and knows what you are going through. Rest assured that your acceptance with him is not based on your performance but on the finished work of Christ. Even if you struggle or fail, you are completely righteous before him because of the imputed righteousness of Christ!

Nonetheless, there are some things that you can do during these demanding years of caring for and raising children. First, consider alternating devotions with your spouse. One watches the kids, while the other spends time in Scripture and prayer. Second, consider doing your devotions together as husband and wife. This is a great way to encourage and strengthen each other in the Lord. Third, if your children are old enough, then consider combining your devotions as part of family worship. (On family worship: it is never too early to start reading a children’s Bible or a children’s catechism, and it is almost certain that you will benefit from going through the story and these truths with your children as well.) Fourth, don’t focus on quantity, but quality. One chapter per day is better than no chapter per day. And there is nothing wrong with listening to the Bible! 

6. The danger of Bible reading plans

There is a danger when it comes to Bible reading plans, namely, that we come to think that our acceptance before the Lord is based upon our reading performance. However, such thinking confuses justification and sanctification. In justification, God declares the sinner righteous based upon the imputed righteousness of Christ. Sanctification, on the other hand, is a life-long process, whereby we die to sin and are conformed to the image of Christ. If we believe that our standing before God depends upon our level of performance, then we are confusing the two. Bible reading plans are a wonderful tool to help us grow in sanctification. But please don’t view them as a path to earn God’s favor. Christ has already done that for you!

2 Samuel 7:1–7; John 1:14

Reflection

The covenants give us a behind-the-scenes look at what God is doing in redemptive history. They explain the why of Christmas. When David looks around his cedar palace and notices that God is dwelling in a tent, his desire is sincere. He wants to do something great for God. He wants God’s name to be exalted by building him a temple.

But God’s response is surprising. He reminds David that he has never asked for a permanent house. From Egypt, through the wilderness, and through the days of the judges, God chose to dwell with his people wherever they were. This response must have come as a surprise to David. David wants to do a great thing for God—to see his name glorified by building him a beautiful “house”—but God says, in effect, “Not yet.”

In fact, God is teaching David a powerful lesson about who he is and how he relates to his people. While David may think it unbecoming for the God of glory to dwell in a tent during the wilderness years and in the chaotic days of the judges, God was teaching him that he is not distant from His people. While his people were in the wilderness, he was right there with them. While they were undergoing hardship, trial, and tribulation, the God of the universe was in their midst—present with them in all their affliction.

As we explored in the sermon, this reveals the heart of God. He is a God who cannot stand to be separated from his people. He dwells with us. And that truth reaches its fulfillment at Christmas: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Literally, he tabernacled among us.

Christmas is more than a baby in a manger. It is about God coming to be with his people in real time and real space. When life is difficult, when reality doesn’t match the promises, we have the assurance that God is with his people in a steadfast, unbreakable covenant relationship. And that is the best gift this world has ever known.

Questions:

1. Where do you most need to be reminded that God is with you and not distant?
2. How does Christmas deepen your confidence that God enters into your suffering rather than avoiding it?

Reflection:

One of the most powerful moments in the life of Abraham is the covenant ceremony of Genesis 15. Abraham asks, “How can I know?” – and God responds not merely with words, but with an oath-bound act. The animals are cut, the carcasses face each other, an aisle is formed, and then something astonishing happens: Abraham falls asleep while God alone in the form of a smoking pot and flaming torch passes through the pieces.

As the sermon explained, this was no ordinary covenant. In the ancient world, both parties would walk through the blood path, pledging their faithfulness. But here, God walks alone. The message is unmistakable: this covenant depends entirely on him. Abraham contributes nothing.  Grace accomplishes everything while faith receives it.

The bloody animals point us to the cross. When God passed through the pieces, he was committing himself to bear the curse of the covenant. Galatians 3 declares that Christ became a curse for us. What was symbolized in Genesis 15 is fulfilled at Calvary, where Christ’s flesh was torn and his body was broken so the promises might stand.

Romans 4 reminds us that Abraham’s faith rested not in circumstances but in God’s power to give life to the dead. That same faith defines God’s people today. The covenant stands firm because God has sealed it with his own blood.

Questions:

1. What does it mean for your assurance to know that God alone guarantees the covenant?
2. How does the connection between Genesis 15 and the cross deepen your trust in God’s promises?

Reflection:

Abraham was not a spiritual hero when God called him. He was an idolater from Ur, raised in a family of moon worshipers. He was not seeking God, and he had no qualifications that would make him an obvious choice. Yet God called him anyway.

This call highlights a central truth of the covenant of grace: salvation is entirely God’s initiative. As the sermon noted, Abraham was chosen not because of his righteousness but to display God’s grace. From Adam to Noah to Abraham, Scripture repeatedly shows that God’s redemptive plan advances through sovereign grace, not human merit.

Hebrews 11 reminds us that Abraham obeyed by faith, going out “not knowing where he was going.” His obedience flowed from his faith, and his faith was a gift of God’s grace. Romans 4:16 reinforces that the promise depends on faith so that it may rest on grace. The covenant is secure because it rests on what God does, not what we contribute.

If God’s call depended on worthiness, no one would stand. Grace is unearned, unexpected, and undeserved – and that is precisely what makes it good news.

Questions:

1. In what ways do you still feel pressure to earn God’s favor rather than receive it by grace?
2. How does Abraham’s calling encourage you to trust God even when the path ahead is unclear?

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1–3).

Reflection:
In the sermon, we began with the image of Lewis and Clark standing at the crest of the Rocky mountains, realizing that the continent before them was far bigger than they had ever imagined. What they thought would be the end of their journey was only the beginning. That illustration helped frame the Abrahamic Covenant: God’s promises are always larger, deeper, and more expansive than we expect.

When God called Abraham in Genesis 12, the promise seemed modest—one man, one family, one land. Yet even then, God declared that “all the families of the earth” would be blessed through him. As we explored, this covenant is an essential moment in redemptive history. Everything in Scripture flows out of this promise and moves toward its fulfillment in Christ.

Genesis 15 expands the vision further as God tells Abraham to count the stars – if he is able. This was an impossible task meant to stretch Abraham’s faith beyond what he believed was possible. The sermon showed how this promise ultimately finds its fulfillment not merely in ethnic Israel, but in the church, the global people of God. Revelation 7 gives us the final picture: a multitude from every nation, tribe, and language gathered before the throne. What began with one man becomes a redeemed multitude of people who share Abraham’s faith.

God’s covenant purposes have always been bigger than we imagine. Abraham did not live to see the fulfillment of this promise, but he had faith in the God who made the promise. Like Abraham, we are called to trust God’s promises that far exceed what we can see or know in this life.

Questions to Consider:

1. Where are you tempted to shrink God’s promises down to what seems reasonable or manageable?
2. How does seeing the global scope of God’s covenant enlarge your understanding of His faithfulness?

Reflection

Upon leaving the ark, Noah steps into a new world as a new Adam. The parallels between these two figures are striking. Bruce Waltke lists several:

1. Both are given the command to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth (Gen. 1:28, 9:1).
2. Both rule over the animals (Gen. 1:28, 9:2).
3. Both walk with God (Gen. 3:8; 6:9)
4. Both work the ground (Gen. 3:17-19; 9:20)
5. Both have three named sons (Gen. 4:1-2, 26; 6:10)
6. Both are associated with the image of God (Gen. 1:27, 9:6).*

However, the problem of sin remains. The Imago Dei was not erased, but it was shattered by Adam's disobedience. Noah proves this truth: Adam sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, and Noah sinned by drinking the fruit of the vine. Interestingly, both of their sins resulted in nakedness, signaling the shame and dehumanization that sin inevitably brings. Though Noah is a new figure in a new creation, his sin confirms that the human heart is still evil (Genesis 6:5).

The solution to the sin problem wouldn’t come through another new beginning or a new, flawed representative like Noah, but through the promised seed of the woman: the perfect Mediator, Jesus Christ. He is the true image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). As the Second Adam (Romans 5:12–21), Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law and bore the image of God where Adam and Noah failed. Our true hope rests not on turning over a new leaf or in reinventing ourselves, but on resting entirely in the finished work of Jesus.

If you have trusted in Jesus, you are being renewed after His image (Colossians 3:9–10). The glory of heaven is that we will be not only with our Savior, but like our Savior. Let's rejoice in this glorious truth!

Questions

1. How does the knowledge that you are made in the image of God change the way you view your own identity and self-worth?
2. The command to protect the image of God means honoring all people. Who is one person you currently struggle to respect or honor? How can you treat them with greater dignity this week, remembering God’s image in them?
3. How does Jesus (as the true image of God) free you from the burden of trying to be a perfect Adam or perfect Noah in your own strength?

* Waltke, Bruce K. Genesis: A Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001.

Reflection

The story of Noah's Ark is a story of grace and redemption. When we read the flood narrative, we tend to focus on the judgment of God, but last week's sermon reminded us that it is primarily a story of redemption and grace. In a world where the promised seed was threatened by rampant sin, God demonstrated his faithfulness to the covenant of grace by providing a means of deliverance: the Ark.

The Ark is one of the clearest types of Christ in the Old Testament. A "type" is an Old Testament person, event, or object that foreshadows New Testament fulfillment. The parallels between the Ark and Christ are amazing:

• The Ark was the only way to escape the flood—a single vessel commissioned by God. Christ is the only way to escape God's final judgment and find peace (John 14:6).

• Noah's obedience in building the Ark was a result of his faith, and his faith was a result of God's grace. Just as Noah and his family were safely shut into the Ark by God (Genesis 7:16), we are safely shut into Christ by God's grace.

• The Ark sustained Noah through the destructive waters; Christ endured the wrath and judgment of God for us, acting as our substitute to bring us through the waters of destruction.

This temporary preservation during Noah's time carries an urgent warning for us today. The apostle Peter warns us that the flood foreshadows the final judgment by fire. He notes that the mistake people made in Noah's day was assuming the world would continue as it always had. They ignored God's warning, just as many ignore the gospel today.

God’s patience will not last forever. Peter makes it clear that the heavens and earth are now "stored up for fire" until the day of judgment. The message of this passage is clear: Get into the ark while you have a chance. The Ark is not a wooden boat sailing on ancient water; the Ark is Christ. Flee to the Ark. Run to Him. Find your refuge, and salvation in Him alone.

Questions

1. If the Ark represents Christ as your only refuge, what specific "waters" or trials are you currently trying to navigate in your own strength rather than resting in Him.

2. 2 Peter 3:7 reminds us that God's patience is temporary. Does this passage evoke a sense of urgency  in you, either for your own faith or for sharing the Gospel with others?

3. The sermon concluded that Christ is our only hope in life and death. What practical action can you take today to lay down your own striving and truly surrender to Christ as your permanent peace?

“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

There has been much debate among scholars about what Jesus means in these verses. The language takes us back to the animal sacrifices in the temple. Leviticus 2:13 tells us that salt was to be added to every sacrifice—it was part of what made the offering acceptable to God. 

The reference to fire here does not speak of the fire of judgment, as in the preceding verses, but rather of the refining fires of trials that purify and conform us to the image of Christ. As we sacrifice ourselves by living for God’s glory, the “salt” of discipleship is what makes that sacrifice pleasing to Him. 

It is also likely that Jesus had in mind the burnt offering described in Leviticus 1. Interestingly, the burnt offering was the only sacrifice where the entire animal was consumed by fire. It didn’t matter whether it was a bull, a ram, or a bird—the whole animal was burned upon the altar. That is a powerful picture of discipleship. As Paul says, we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship (Romans 12:1). Let us pray that the Spirit of God would ignite such a holy fire within our souls, that we would be willing to be “burnt up” for the glory of Jesus. 

Jesus’s main point here is that disciples must remain salty. If discipleship involves killing sin, then we lose our saltiness when we compromise with sin and fail to mortify our sinful desires and behaviors.

Salt was an essential commodity in the ancient world. It was used for preserving food, enhancing flavor, medicinal purposes, and even as currency. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt. However, if salt lost its flavor, it became useless—fit only to be thrown out and trampled underfoot (Matt. 5:13). Sin erodes our saltiness. It causes us to compromise with the world and live for the here and now, rather than for the Kingdom of God.

In the same way, a disciple who is not actively waging war against sin—who is not living a life that stands out from the world—loses his or her distinctive flavor and is no longer acting as a moral preservative in society.

In light of that, Jesus says we are to “have salt in ourselves and be at peace with one another.” In other words, our saltiness should lead to peace, not division within the church. As Paul says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Col. 4:6). Notice, he doesn’t say, “Let your speech be salty, seasoned with grace.” Too much salt ruins a good meal.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called believers the “salt of the earth.” It is very likely that wherever the Lord has placed you—at work, in your neighborhood, in your family, among your friends—you are the one person who can remind them of Jesus Christ. You are the one person with the message of the gospel that has the power to transform their lives. You are the one person who can speak truth into their lives—truth about right and wrong, salvation and sin, grace and judgment.

Let us pray that we would not lose that which makes us unique in this world.

Blessings,

Pastor Spencer Murphy

Yesterday, we looked at Jesus’s call to discipleship. These are challenging words because they include self-denial, taking up the cross, and following after Jesus. We shouldn’t think of these as conditions to earn salvation or actions that make us worthy of salvation. Rather, we should think of them as the fruit of one who already is saved. They are the evidence that one belongs to Christ. Salvation is a free gift of God received by faith in Christ alone (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8–9). However, those who are in Christ will evidence that saving faith by following him in his manner of life.

And yet, as we know from experience, we still sin and fall short of this standard. Even though we are called to take up the cross, we often fail to do so. All too often, our lives do not resemble the life of Jesus. I mentioned during the Lord’s Supper how I felt my own sin and shortcomings in studying this passage. It challenged me to ask myself where I am opposing Christ and unwilling to take up my own cross. What have I suffered for the sake of Christ? As I asked myself these questions, I felt discouraged and unworthy to bring a message that calls for such a commitment. But as I continued to reflect on the passage, I realized that I was doing the exact thing Jesus tells us not to do—looking inward at myself instead of looking to him.

There is a kind of self-denial that looks good from the outside but is actually self-centered and egocentric. David Garland writes this about self-denial:

“Self-denial is not to become an end in itself. The goal is to serve God obediently, which requires surrendering the direction of one’s life to God. Those who have denied themselves have learned to say, “Not my will but thine be done.” It keeps in check the human proclivity to put self at the center of the universe, which expresses itself in self-absorption, self-admiration, self-pity, self-indulgence, self-reliance, self-seeking, self-assertion, and selfishness.”

In other words, there is a kind of self-denial that is so focused on the self that it is not self-denial at all. The goal, as Garland points out, is to surrender one’s life to God—not to engage in morbid introspection. The point of Mark 8:34–38 is that we would look away from ourselves and look unto Christ to lead and guide us in the Christian life. However, if we are overly focused on our failures and disappointments, then we are doing the very thing that Christ commands us not to do. This is not to say that we shouldn’t learn from our failures and seek to mortify sin in our lives, but it does mean that we should look to Christ more than to ourselves. In the words of the nineteenth-century Scottish Presbyterian pastor Robert Murray M’Cheyne, “For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.” In other words, look more to the loveliness and grace of Christ than to the sin in yourself!

We can also gain some encouragement from the transformation in the life of Peter. While Mark does not record Peter’s response to Jesus’s call, I imagine it did not sit well with him. If Peter did not want to hear a message about how the Messiah must suffer, how much more did he resist a message about how disciples must suffer? In the previous verses (8:31–33), Jesus rebuked Peter for standing in his way from going to the cross. At that moment, Peter was doing the work of the adversary—he wanted Jesus to have a kingdom without a cross. Peter had a man-centered, worldly view of the kingdom of God. He was still growing and learning how to be a disciple of Jesus!

Not only did he fail when he opposed Jesus, but he would go on to deny Jesus three times on the night when Jesus was arrested. Interestingly, “to deny” means “to no longer associate with someone.” In the case of disciples, we are no longer to associate with ourselves in order to associate with Christ. In this situation, Peter did the exact opposite of what a disciple should do.

Despite his failures, Peter evidenced a remarkable transformation throughout his life. According to church tradition, at the end of his life, when he was set to be executed by the Roman authorities, he requested to be crucified upside down because he viewed himself unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.

Here is how Foxe’s Book of Martyrs describes it:

“Among many other saints, the blessed apostle Peter was condemned to death, and crucified, as some do write, at Rome; albeit some others, and not without cause, do doubt thereof. Hegesippus saith that Nero sought matter against Peter to put him to death; which, when the people perceived, they entreated Peter with much ado that he would fly the city. Peter, through their importunity at length persuaded, prepared himself to avoid. But, coming to the gate, he saw the Lord Christ come to meet him, to whom he, worshipping, said, “Lord, whither dost Thou go?” To whom He answered and said, “I am come again to be crucified.” By this, Peter, perceiving his suffering to be understood, returned into the city. Jerome saith that he was crucified, his head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was (he said) unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was.”

Whether you embrace the historicity of the account, it was credible enough for the early church to believe it.

How did Peter go from adversary to denier to being willing to be crucified upside down? The answer is rooted in God’s faithfulness to finish the good work that he began in him (Phil. 1:6). It was God’s grace at work in him slowly transforming him that resulted in this great change.

When Jesus issued this call to discipleship, he knew Peter was not ready. He knew he would fail—and fail miserably. And yet, he didn’t water down the message or hide the truth. Instead, he taught him and the other disciples the true nature of discipleship. He upheld the standard but was there to pick him up when he failed. That is the patience and grace of our great God! He calls us to follow him, and when we stumble and fall, he is there to help us back up and strengthen us to carry on.

Peter’s life should be an encouragement to us. We are going to stumble, sin, and fall in our walk with Christ. However, he will not let us go. His grace continues to operate even in our failures – even when we don’t perceive it. Discipleship is slow and takes time. It involves many ups and downs, victories and failures. The cross is heavy, but Christ is with us each step of the way.

Let’s continue to look unto him!

As Christians, we are called to be followers of Christ. One of the ways we can follow Him is by walking in His footsteps through each day of the final week of His earthly ministry. As you may know, each Gospel writer devotes a large amount of attention to the final week of Jesus’s life. The reason for this is that the final week encapsulates the very purpose for which He came into the world—to give His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28). While each Gospel writer highlights different aspects and offers a unique perspective, together they provide a complementary and cohesive chronological narrative.

Below, I’ve attached a harmony of the events of Jesus’s final week. The ESV Study Bible also includes a helpful version. During this Holy Week, I encourage you to read at least one Gospel account for each day of the week and follow in the steps of Jesus as He goes to the cross, is laid in the tomb, and conquers the grave on the first day of the week.

If you want to go deeper, I recommend reading all of the listed passages. After reading, spend some time in prayer, and ask the Lord to conform you to his image and to make you willing to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him.

Let me leave you with two wonderful passages:  

Through the death of Christ, we are blessed, that is justified and made alive. As long as sin, death and the curse remain in us, sin damns us, death kills us and the curse curses us; but when these things are transferred to Christ, what is ours becomes his, and what is his becomes ours. Let us learn, therefore, in every temptation, to transfer sin, death, and the curse and all the evils that oppress us from ourselves to Christ, and on the other hand to transfer righteousness, life and blessing from him to us. For he does in fact bear all our evils, because God the Father, as Isaiah says, ‘has laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ - Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians, LW 26:292

If we seek salvation, the name of Jesus alone teaches us that it is in him…. If we desire the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we will find them in his anointing. If we are looking for strength, we have it in his lordship…. If we ask for redemption, his passion provides it. In his condemnation we have absolution. If we want pardon for sin’s curse, that gift lies in his cross. Atonement we have in his sacrifice and cleansing in his blood. Our reconciliation was effected by his descent into hell; the mortification of our flesh lies in his burial, and newness of life in his resurrection, through which we also have the hope of immortality. -  John Calvin, Institutes on the Christian Religion, II.16.19

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