Day 39
Mark 11
11:1 When they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
11:2 and said to them, "Go your way into the village that is opposite you. Immediately as you enter into it, you will find a young donkey tied, on which no one has sat. Untie him, and bring him.
11:3 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs him;' and immediately he will send him back here."
11:4 They went away, and found a young donkey tied at the door outside in the open street, and they untied him.
11:5 Some of those who stood there asked them, "What are you doing, untying the young donkey?"
11:6 They said to them just as Jesus had said, and they let them go.
11:7 They brought the young donkey to Jesus, and threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it.
11:8 Many spread their garments on the way, and others were cutting down branches from the trees, and spreading them on the road.
11:9 Those who went in front, and those who followed, cried out, "Hosanna{"Hosanna" means "save us" or "help us, we pray."}! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!{Psalm 118:25-26}
11:10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
11:11 Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
11:12 The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry.
11:13 Seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came to see if perhaps he might find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
11:14 Jesus told it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" and his disciples heard it.
11:15 They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple, and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of those who sold the doves.
11:16 He would not allow anyone to carry a container through the temple.
11:17 He taught, saying to them, "Isn't it written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations?'{Isaiah 56:7} But you have made it a den of robbers!"{Jeremiah 7:11}
11:18 The chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him. For they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.
11:19 When evening came, he went out of the city.
11:20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.
11:21 Peter, remembering, said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away."
11:22 Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.
11:23 For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and doesn't doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says.
11:24 Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them.
11:25 Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions.
11:26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions."
11:27 They came again to Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders came to him,
11:28 and they began saying to him, "By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?"
11:29 Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
11:30 The baptism of John--was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me."
11:31 They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we should say, 'From heaven;' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
11:32 If we should say, 'From men'"--they feared the people, for all held John to really be a prophet.
11:33 They answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."
Galatians 3
3:1 Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth among you as crucified?
3:2 I just want to learn this from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?
3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh?
3:4 Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain?
3:5 He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?
3:6 Even as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness."
3:7 Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham.
3:8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you all the nations will be blessed."{Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18}
3:9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.
3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who doesn't continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them."{Deuteronomy 27:26}
3:11 Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, "The righteous will live by faith."{Habakkuk 2:4}
3:12 The law is not of faith, but, "The man who does them will live by them."{Leviticus 18:5}
3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,"{Deuteronomy 21:23}
3:14 that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
3:15 Brothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void, or adds to it.
3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He doesn't say, "To seeds," as of many, but as of one, "To your seed,"{Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7} which is Christ.
3:17 Now I say this. A covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ, the law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect.
3:18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise.
3:19 What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.
3:20 Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one.
3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law.
3:22 But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
3:23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
3:24 So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
3:25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
3:26 For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus.
3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
3:29 If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to promise.
Galatians 4
4:1 But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all;
4:2 but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father.
4:3 So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world.
4:4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,
4:5 that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.
4:6 And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, "Abba,{Abba is a Greek spelling for the Aramaic word for "Father" or "Daddy" used in a familiar, respectful, and loving way.} Father!"
4:7 So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
4:8 However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.
4:9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?
4:10 You observe days, months, seasons, and years.
4:11 I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.
4:12 I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong,
4:13 but you know that because of weakness of the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time.
4:14 That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn't despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
4:15 What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me.
4:16 So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
4:17 They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them.
4:18 But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you.
4:19 My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you--
4:20 but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
4:21 Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don't you listen to the law?
4:22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the free woman.
4:23 However, the son by the handmaid was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise.
4:24 These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar.
4:25 For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children.
4:26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
4:27 For it is written, "Rejoice, you barren who don't bear. Break forth and shout, you that don't travail. For more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband."{Isaiah 54:1}
4:28 Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
4:29 But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
4:30 However what does the Scripture say? "Throw out the handmaid and her son, for the son of the handmaid will not inherit with the son of the free woman."{Genesis 21:10}
4:31 So then, brothers, we are not children of a handmaid, but of the free woman.
