Daily Bible Readings for Home Devotions – March 27 - April 01, 2023
Daily devotion - by P. Schaller
for Monday – March 27 – John 13:31-35
Judas has “gone out” to betray Jesus to His enemies (v31). God will now be glorified in showing mercy to mankind in Christ. Jesus, who is about to lay down His life for His “friends” (cpJn15:13), calls upon His disciples to love one another “just as I have loved you” (v34).
Bible reading – John 13:31-35
31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32 If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Daily devotion - by P. Schaller
for Tuesday – March 28 – Numbers 21:4-9
After the Israelites complained that the Lord wanted them to die in the wilderness, and that they hated the food He provided, God sent venomous snakes among them that did bring about the death of many. When they repented and asked that the snakes be removed, God removed the deadly effect of the snakes through the bronze serpent on the pole, a picture of Christ on the cross (cf Jn 3:14,15).
Bible reading – Numbers 21:4-9
4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Daily devotion - by P. Schaller
for Wednesday – March 29 – Luke 23:27-31
Some women of Jerusalem, following the procession to the cross, weep over the inhumane way that Jesus is being treated. Jesus warns them that there will be much more to weep about in future times for this city, which now has the Savior among them but is casting Him out.
Bible reading – Luke 23:27-31
27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ 31 For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”
Daily devotion - by P. Schaller
for Thursday – March 30 – Luke 23:32-34
Jesus is numbered with the worst of criminals and crucified among them, while the soldiers divide up His clothes among themselves. Yet at just that time Jesus shows His love toward those who nail Him to the cross, praying for their forgiveness, as He also dies for ours.
Bible reading – Luke 23:32-34
32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
And they divided His garments and cast lots.
Daily devotion - by P. Schaller
for Friday – March 31 – 1 Peter 1:17-21
Peter reminds us all that we were ransomed from a dead-end life by the precious blood of Christ. This was God’s plan from before the foundation of the world, and it is He who persuades us to trust and hope in God, who raised our Redeemer from the dead.
Bible reading – 1 Peter 1:17-21
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was [h]manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Daily devotion - by P. Schaller
for Saturday – April 1 – 1 Peter 1:22-25
It was by the living and abiding word of God that we were persuaded to trust God’s great love for us in Christ Jesus. May we then reflect that love to each other. The word of God will continue forever, so our faith and love for Him and our love for one another may also remain.
Bible reading – 1 Peter 1:22-25
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because
“All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers, And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.