Daily Readings for Monday, 28 April 2014

Daily Readings for Monday, 28 April 2014

Acts 4: 23 Being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, “O Lord, you are God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them; 25 who by the mouth of your servant, David, said,

‘Why do the nations rage,

    and the peoples plot a vain thing?

26 The kings of the earth take a stand,

    and the rulers take council together,

    against the Lord, and against his Christ.’[a][b]

27 “For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen. 29 Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.”

31 When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Footnotes:

a. Acts 4:26 Christ (Greek) and Messiah (Hebrew) both mean Anointed One.

b. Acts 4:26 Psalm 2:1-2

Psalm 2:1 Why do the nations rage,

    and the peoples plot a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth take a stand,

    and the rulers take counsel together,

    against Yahweh, and against his Anointed,[a] saying,

3 “Let’s break their bonds apart,

    and cast their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens will laugh.

    The Lord[b] will have them in derision.

5 Then he will speak to them in his anger,

    and terrify them in his wrath:

6 “Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.”

7     I will tell of the decree.

Yahweh said to me, “You are my son.

    Today I have become your father.

8 Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance,

    the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron.

    You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 2:2 The word “Anointed” is the same as the word for “Messiah” or “Christ”

b. Psalm 2:4 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”

John 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 The same came to him by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”

3 Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew,[a] he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”

4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom! 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 8 The wind[b] blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Footnotes:

a. John 3:3 The word translated “anew” here and in John 3:7 (anothen) also means “again” and “from above”.

b. John 3:8 The same Greek word (pneuma) means wind, breath, and spirit.

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