Zeph. 1:1–6
1:1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], the faithful in Christ Jesus. 2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
3Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. 4For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. 5He did this by predestining us to adoption as his legal heirs through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will— 6to the praise of the glory of his grace that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son. (NET Bible)
Ps. 119:17–24
119:17 ג (Gimel)
Be kind to your servant.
Then I will live and keep your instructions.
18Open my eyes so I can truly see
the marvelous things in your law.
19I am a resident foreigner in this land.
Do not hide your commands from me.
20I desperately long to know
your regulations at all times.
21You reprimand arrogant people.
Those who stray from your commands are doomed.
22Spare me shame and humiliation,
for I observe your rules.
23Though rulers plot and slander me,
your servant meditates on your statutes.
24Yes, I find delight in your rules;
they give me guidance.
(NET Bible)Luke 22:1–13
22:1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. 2The chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find some way to execute Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.
3Then Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve. 4He went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers of the temple guard how he might betray Jesus, handing him over to them. 5They were delighted and arranged to give him money. 6So Judas agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus when no crowd was present.
7Then the day for the feast of Unleavened Bread came, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us to eat.” 9They said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare it?” 10He said to them, “Listen, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters, 11and tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 12Then he will show you a large furnished room upstairs. Make preparations there.” 13So they went and found things just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
(NET Bible)In connection with Jeremiah 23:16, [Luther writes], “O pope, O bishop, O parson, O monks, O theologians, how can you get by here? Do you think it is a small matter when lo y Majesty forbids what does not come from the mouth of God and some- thing else that is not God’s Word?” “God’s Word is so hard that it will suffer no additions, that it alone will be or will not be at all. God may suffer it that unclean additions run through our works and lives but in His Word, which should cleanse me from all addition and filth, He can suffer no addition, or our lives would never become clean in all eternity.” (21)
–Johann Michael Reu, Luther on the Scriptures
This daily Bible reading guide, Reading the Word of God, was conceived and prepared as a result of the ongoing discussions between representatives of three church bodies: Lutheran Church—Canada (LCC), The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). The following individuals have represented their church bodies and approved this introduction and the reading guide: LCC: President Robert Bugbee; NALC: Bishop John Bradosky, Revs. Mark Chavez, James Nestingen, and David Wendel; LCMS: Revs. Albert Collver, Joel Lehenbauer, John Pless, and Larry Vogel.