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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
December 23 - Historical Order
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John 13-15
Chapter 13
Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet
1 Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father.(a) Having loved His own who were in the world,(b) He loved them to the end.[a]
2 Now by the time of supper, the Devil(c) had already put it into the heart of Judas,(d) Simon Iscariot's son, to betray(e) Him. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands,(f) that He had come from God,(g) and that He was going back to God.(h) 4 So He got up from supper, laid aside His robe,(i) took a towel, and tied it around Himself.(j) 5 Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him.
6 He came to Simon Peter,(k) who asked Him, "Lord, are You going to wash my feet?"
7 Jesus answered him, "What I'm doing you don't understand now, but afterward you will know." (l)
8 "You will never wash my feet—ever!" Peter said.
Jesus replied, "If I don't wash you, you have no part with Me."
9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head."
10 "One who has bathed," Jesus told him, "doesn't need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you." 11 For He knew who would betray Him. This is why He said, "You are not all clean."
The Meaning of Footwashing
12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His robe, He reclined[b] again and said to them, "Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.(m) 15 For I have given you an example(n) that you also should do just as I have done for you.
16 "I assure you: A slave is not greater than his master, [c](o) and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.(p) 18 I'm not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen.(q) But the Scripture(r) must be fulfilled:(s) The one who eats My bread [d] has raised his heel against Me. (t)[e]
19 "I am telling you now before it happens,(u) so that when it does happen you will believe(v) that I am He. (w) 20 I assure you: Whoever receives anyone I send receives Me, and the one who receives(x) Me receives Him who sent Me."
Judas's Betrayal Predicted
21 When(y) Jesus had said this, He was troubled in His spirit(z) and testified,(aa) "I assure you: One of you will betray Me!"
22 The disciples started looking at one another—uncertain which one He was speaking about. 23 One of His disciples, the one Jesus loved,(ab) was reclining close beside Jesus.[f] 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was He was talking about. 25 So he leaned back against Jesus and asked Him, "Lord, who is it?"
26 Jesus replied, "He's the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it." (ac) When He had dipped the bread,(ad) He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot's son.[g] 27 After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan(ae) entered him. Therefore Jesus told him, "What you're doing, do quickly."
28 None of those reclining at the table knew why He told him this. 29 Since Judas(af) kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the festival,"(ag) or that he should give something to the poor. 30 After receiving the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night.(ah)
The New Command
31 When(ai) he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man(aj) is glorified, and God is glorified(ak) in Him.(al) 32 If God is glorified in Him,[h] God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him at once.
33 "Children, I am with you a little while longer.(am) You will look for Me, and just as I told the Jews, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,'(an) so now I tell you.
34 "I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love(ao) for one another."
Peter's Denials Predicted
36 "Lord," Simon Peter said to Him, "where are You going?"
Jesus answered, "Where I am going(ap) you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later."
37 "Lord," Peter asked, "why can't I follow You now? I will lay down my life(aq) for You!"(ar)
38 Jesus replied, "Will you lay down your life for Me? I assure you: A rooster will not crow until you have denied Me three times.
Chapter 14
The Way to the Father
1 "Your heart must not be troubled.(a) Believe[a] in God;(b) believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many dwelling places;[b] if not, I would have told you. I am going away(c) to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back(d) and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.(e) 4 You know the way to where I am going." [c](f)
5 "Lord," Thomas(g) said, "we don't know where You're going. How can we know the way?"
6 Jesus told him, "I am(h) the way,(i) the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Jesus Reveals the Father
7 "If you know Me, you will also know[d] My Father.(j) From now on you do know Him(k) and have seen Him."
8 "Lord," said Philip,(l) "show us the Father, and that's enough for us."
9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been among you all this time without your knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father.(m) How can you say, ‘Show us the Father'? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?(n) The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own.(o) The Father who lives in Me does His works.(p) 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe[e] because of the works themselves. (q)
Praying in Jesus' Name
12 "I assure you: The one who believes in Me(r) will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these,(s) because I am going to the Father.(t) 13 Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified(u) in the Son.(v) 14 If you ask Me[f] anything in My name,(w) I will do it. [g](x)
Another Counselor Promised
15 "If you love Me, you will keep[h] My commands. (y) 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor(z) to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit(aa) of truth.(ab) The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn't see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be[i] in you.(ac) 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
19 "In a little while the world will see Me no longer,(ad) but you will see Me.(ae) Because I live, you will live(af) too. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father,(ag) you are in Me, and I am in you. 21 The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me.(ah) And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father.(ai) I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him."
22 Judas(aj) (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it You're going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?"(ak)
23 Jesus answered, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.(al) 24 The one who doesn't love Me will not keep My words. The word that you hear is not Mine but is from the Father who sent Me. (am)
25 "I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit(an)—the Father will send(ao) Him in My name—will teach you all things(ap) and remind you of everything I have told you. (aq)
Jesus' Gift of Peace
27 "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.(ar) 28 You have heard Me tell you, ‘I am going away(as) and I am coming to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced that I am going to the Father,(at) because the Father is greater than I.(au) 29 I have told you now before it happens(av) so that when it does happen you may believe. 30 I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world(aw) is coming. He has no power over Me. [j](ax) 31 On the contrary, I am going away[k] so that the world may know that I love the Father. Just as the Father commanded Me, so I do.
"Get up; let's leave this place.
Chapter 15
The Vine and the Branches
1 "I am(a) the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes,(b) and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean(c) because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. (d)
5 "I am the vine;(e) you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit,(f) because you can do nothing without Me. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside(g) like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire,(h) and they are burned.(i) 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.(j) 8 My Father is glorified(k) by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be[a] My disciples.
Christlike Love
9 "As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love.(l) 10 If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commands and remain in His love. (m)
11 "I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.(n) 12 This is My command: Love one another as I have loved(o) you. 13 No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life(p) for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn't know what his master [b](q) is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you.(r) I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask(s) the Father in My name,(t) He will give you.(u) 17 This is what I command you: Love one another.
Persecutions Predicted
18 "If the world hates(v) you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen(w) you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A slave is not greater than his master.'(x) If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word,(y) they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of My name,(z) because they don't know(aa) the One who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin. [c](ab) Now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates Me also hates My Father.(ac) 24 If I had not done the works(ad) among them that no one else has done,(ae) they would not have sin.(af) Now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened so that the statement written in their scripture might be fulfilled: (ag) They hated Me for no reason. (ah)[d]
Coming Testimony and Rejection
26 "When the Counselor(ai) comes, the One I will send to you from the Father(aj)—the Spirit of truth(ak) who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me. 27 You also will testify,(al) because you have been with Me from the beginning.
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