Author: davidsschrock

Via Emmaus on the Road: Luke 22

/ davidsschrock

Further Resources

  • Questions for Luke 22–John 2 (Week 14)
  • An Outline of Luke 22: A Chiastic Structure Centered on the Lord’s Prayer

A Plot to Kill Jesus (vv. 1–6)

B Disciples Eat Passover Lamb (vv. 7–30)**

C Peter’s Denial (vv. 31–34)

D Two Swords (vv. 35–38)

X Prayer in the Garden (vv. 39–46)

D’ Two Swords (vv. 47–53)

C’ Peter’s Denial (vv. 54–62)

B’ Officers Beat Passover Lamb (vv. 63–65)**

A’ Chief Priests Condemn Jesus (vv. 66–71)

** At present, the length of B and brevity of B’ make me question this line of the outline. Typically, chiastic structures mirror one another with respect to words and proportions.

Luke 22 (ESV)

The Plot to Kill Jesus

22 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

Judas to Betray Jesus

3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

The Passover with the Disciples

7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9 They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

Who Is the Greatest?

24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Scripture Must Be Fulfilled in Jesus

35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

Peter Denies Jesus

54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Is Mocked

63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.

Jesus Before the Council

66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, 67 “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70 So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”

Soli Deo Gloria!

Via Emmaus on the Road: Luke 21

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Further Resources

  • Questions for Luke 17–21 (Week 13)

Luke 21 (ESV)

The Widow’s Offering

21 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

5 And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7 And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8 And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. 9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. 23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Watch Yourselves

34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

37 And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. 38 And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Twelve Ways to Order Your Week by the Son (Part 2)

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Last week, in application of a recent sermon, I outlined six ways to set your watch by the Son. In order, these included.

  1. Start your day with God.
  2. Consume God’s Word on the way and make plans to feed on his faithfulness.
  3. Pray without ceasing.
  4. Make a midweek gathering a priority.
  5. Preserve and protect the altar.
  6. Make space in your calendar to meet with other Christians.

By and large, these six orientations were given as guides for making the most of the time between the time you gather for worship on the Lord’s Day. Today, I am adding six more ‘Helio’-centric orientations. Here they are.

  1. Enter the darkness of the city with the light of Christ.
  2. Lead others (family, friends, peers, strangers) to the altar of God on the Lord’s Day.
  3. When home (on Sundays), look for ways to bless the people who gather at your altar.
  4. When traveling (on Sundays), look for other faithful altars to visit and encourage.
  5. When sick (on Sundays), lament your absence.
  6. In each season, solidify your schedule and guard your time with God.

As you can tell, four of these orientations are directly related to the Lord’s Day (8–11). And three of them are directed to ways to make the best use of the Lord’s Day (9–11). In all, I hope these 12 orientations help you reflect on the best ways to order your week in a way that is centered on Christ. For a further reflection on these twelve points, you can listen to my Sunday School lesson.

Continue reading →

Leaving ‘Left Behind’ Behind: Sixteen Ways to Read Matthew 24 with the Grain of Scripture

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6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
— Matthew 24:6–8 —

A few years ago I read a book about Mark’s Gospel, The Cross at a Distance. In it, Peter Bolt argued that Mark 13 was not an eschatological vision of the future, despite its world-shaking imagery. Rather, he showed that in the context of Mark’s Gospel, the Olivet Discourse was an apocalyptic explanation of the cross. That is to say, that when the Olivet Discourse is read in the context of Mark’s Gospel it functions as explanatory of what was going to happen on the cross.

In another blogpost on Mark 13 I have captured his arguments in 16 points. (Until this blogpost is completed, you can see why I think the Olivet Discourse should be read historically and not futuristically). In this blogpost I want to offer a similar reflection on Matthew 24.

From the start it should be clear that if Mark uses Jesus’s Olivet Discourse in Mark 13 to prepare the way for the cross, then Matthew 24 is most likely to do the same. The same could be said for Luke 21, but we will leave Luke be for now. Certainly, these three “synoptic” Gospels rely on one another, and while each has its own focus and particular details, it would be highly unlikely for Jesus’s message to his disciples about the destruction of the temple to have a different interpretations in each Gospel.

Rather, if Bolt is correct about the way Mark 13 functions in his Gospel, then it follows that Matthew 24 is more than likely related to events forthcoming in the life of Jesus and not just events that remain to be set in the future—as these passages are often read. Thus, in what follows I will make the case from Matthew 24 for a partial preterist reading of this passage that highlights the reality of Christ’s ascension.[1]

This reading stands against the popular Dispensational interpretation that puts all of these events in the future. It is different than the view of someone like D. A. Carson who takes an eclectic approach to the passage—some of these things are fulfilled in the first century and some are future. It is similar to that of R. C. Sproul, who argues that Matthew 24 is all about the destruction of the temple. Yet, for all the ways that Matthew 24 does find fulfillment in the events of A.D. 70, I believe the treatment of the Son of Man coming on the clouds is an explicit reference to his ascension (see Matt. 24:29–31).

So, in the remainder of this blogpost, I offer a partial preterist reading of Matthew 24 in 16 points. My interpretation will highlight the events of the cross, the ascension, and the coming destruction of Jerusalem. This reading does not deny the forthcoming return of Christ and his judgment on the last day. In fact, unlike Mark 13, I believe Matthew does include a description of this final judgment in Matthew 25. But like Mark 13 and Luke 21, the primary focus of the Olivet Discourse is related to events that will occur during the generation that lives between Christ’s crucifixion and the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70.

Perhaps, this will be a fresh way of reading Matthew 24 for you. But I assure you that it is not novel. Rather, it has many advocates in church history, including most recently men like Sproul, Kenneth Gentry, Brian Orr, and others. Take time to consider, therefore, the exegetical points made below and then draw your conclusions from the best reading of Matthew 24, even if it stands against the popular versions of Left Behind theology that sees this chapter as one that speaks about some yet-future cataclysmic event.[2] Continue reading →

Twelve Ways to Order Your Week by the Son (Part 1)

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Last Sunday I preached a sermon entitled, “Keeping Time at the Altar By Setting Your Watch by the Son.” That sermon was part two of series of sermons explicating Genesis 8:20–9:7. You can find the introduction here. In all, my aim is to help members of my church, who are new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), order their lives by the pattern that comes in the New Creation. And, because Genesis 8:20–9:7, offers a glimpse of the new creation and that pattern, we are looking at each part. (For an overview of the whole pattern see this sermon on Genesis 8–9).

In the first sermon in this series, I argued that Christians should arrange their lives around the altar, which today occurs when the saints gather on the Lord’s Day to worship Christ. Yet, what do those saints do for the other six days of the week? That is what I attempted to answer in the second sermon. And in that sermon, I took three steps to move from (1) Israel’s calendar in Leviticus 23, to (2) Christ’s fulfillment of that calendar, to (3) our lives that should center themselves on Christ. If you want to see how this biblical theology moves to Christ, listen to the sermon. Yet, in that sermon I left out what I am writing here (in two parts)—12 ways to order your week by the Son.

Truly, if Christ has purchased us (1 Cor. 6:20), we are not free to do with our time whatever we want. Instead, as Paul puts it in Galatians 5:13, “you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Paul’s focus in this verse relates to the law, but part of that law relates to time—i.e., the Sabbatical Calendar (see Exod. 23:10–19; Lev. 23:1–44; Deut. 15:1–16:17).

Israel, as God’s son, was too immature to rightly define their own time. Rather, as Galatians 4:1–2 tells us, God’s children were treated as slaves and put under a guardian (the law) until the proper time. Jesus himself was born under the Law (Gal. 4:4) and had to keep the entire law, including all the commands related to the Sabbath. Yet, in keeping the Sabbath, he not only became the Sabbath-giver (cf. Matt. 11:28–30) but also reordered the calendar, such that annual feasts (like Passover) and mid-year rituals (like Yom Kippur) were all fulfilled in him.

In the New Testament, the consequence of this eschatological change was that the people of God now worshiped on the Lord’s Day, as found in 1 Corinthians 16:1–2; Acts 20:7; and Revelation 1:10. Indeed, as Jesus fulfilled and transmogrified the Passover into the Lord’s Supper, this became a weekly feast to be enjoyed everywhere God’s people gathered (1 Cor. 1:3; cf. Mal. 1:11), not just an annual feast celebrated in Jerusalem. To that end, the New Testament, as I understand it, defines Sunday (the Lord’s Day) as one day in seven to gather and worship. And this should be both the high point of the week and the central point of the Christian calendar.

Historically, liturgically, and confessionally this “Christian Sabbath” has been defined, specified, and applied in all sorts of ways. And at some point in the near future, I hope to say more about that. For now, I want to talk about the other days of the week and what Christians should do to orient themselves from and toward worship on the Lord’s Day.

Admittedly, these twelve orientations have to be general principles, not specific commands. And, if I am honest, these principles will need qualification that this article won’t have time to specify. Also, there are other principles that could be added to. So, don’t take this list as exhaustive or overly prescriptive. I am not trying to over-regulate what a Christian life looks like. Clearly, seasons in life, differing vocations, divergent interests, and various family dynamics will force these principles to form in asymmetrical ways. Over time, they will change in our lives, as well. That said, I am trying to offer wise counsel for those who are moving from the altar of God’s of worship to the city of their work.

In that way, take what is helpful. Retrofit what is partially helpful. And reject anything that stands in the way of walking faithfully with the Lord. Hopefully, however, there will be little rejection and much reflection. And so, to that end, here are twelve ways to order your week by the Son. Continue reading →

On Earth, As It Is in Heaven: Making Plans That Please the Lord

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Welcome to Quitter’s Day.

Until this week, I didn’t even know that such a day existed. Sure, I was familiar with the fact that the gym seems a lot less crowded by the end of January. But I didn’t know that we coronated the breaking of New Year’s resolution with an unofficial holiday. But some do, and today USA Today even ran a brief article on it.

Apparently, the Second Friday of the new year is dubbed Quitter’s Day because of the way that so many plans have been broken in the new year. To speak personally, my own Bible reading plans were thrown off yesterday because an early morning meeting took the place of my typical morning devotion. Yet, today I picked up the plan again, read yesterday’s Psalm (and todays), and continued in my reading in Matthew. Such is life.

If we are going to make progress in the world, we must make plans and keep them. And I suspect that everyone who makes and breaks a new year’s resolution to eat better, work out more, or spend less money—these are the Big 3, apparently—still maintains other plans. It’s not possible to finish a degree, order a home, build a career, or lead a team without making and keeping plans. Yes, some of us are better than others at making plans and keeping them, but part of being human is to order our steps for the purpose of accomplishing a goal.

In Proverbs, there are many such passages that describe this way of planning. Consider a few. In Proverbs 15:22, we learn that “without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” More positively, Proverbs 20:18 says, “Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.” Later in Luke 14:31–33, Jesus will say something similar. When discussing what it takes to follow him, our Lord compared discipleship to kingship and the need to count the cost before engaging in war. Truly, planning is what kings do. And because humanity is given the task of ruling over the world, planning is part of what it means to be human.

Think about it. Before God made the world, he made a plan. And that plan included the “foundation of the world” (John 17), the storyline of history (Eph. 1:11; Rev. 13:8; 17:8), the cross of Christ (1 Pet. 1:20; cf. Acts 2:23; 4:27–28), and the election of every of sinner who would come to faith in Christ (Acts 13:48; Rom. 9:22–23). Indeed, the kingdom of God was not an after-thought in God’s mind; it was the reason why God created the world in the first place (Matt. 25:34). Though in time redemption came after creation, in the mind of God redemption in Christ came first. And thus, the world God made is filled with order, and if we are going to be like our Creator, we must order our days too. But how? Continue reading →

Via Emmaus On the Road: A Brief Introduction

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Via Emmaus 01

** Yes, this first episode only comes out one speaker. The next one will be better. And the one after that even more so. Or at least, that’s the plan. 

Introduction

In 2025, I am putting together a Bible reading plan for my family and a few others in my church. I am hosting that reading plan here and will start posting next Monday (January 6). Along the way, I hope to offer a short reflection (less than ten minutes) on each chapter of the New Testament (Monday-Friday). So, follow along, as we journey through the New Testament this year. And don’t stray too far from this website as I will point to other resources that might help reading the New Testament this year.

For now, here’s a quick list of navigation tools to acquire.

Navigation Tools to Acquire

Think Oregon Trail, the video game. Before starting reading through the New Testament, you will need to pick up a few resources. And below is a list of essential and premium supplies and/or strategies for reading the New Testament.

Essential

  • A Bible — You can’t read the Bible without a Bible, so find a Bible that you can read in 2025. And better than a Bible App, find a Bible you can hold in your hands.
  • A Notebook — In addition to prayer, Bible Study goes best with deliberate reflection. And reflection goes best with a place to write your thoughts down. So grab a notebook or a journaling Bible (see below).
  • A Weekly Questionnaire (see Week 1 ) — Each week, I will put up a set of questions to help you engage with the Bible. Print these out and use them as a guide, not a homework assignment. They are intended to help you see what is in the Bible, not to just get the right answer to the test.
  • Community — While we can read the Bible on our own, it is better to read the Bible and discuss it with others. That’s a point I made in this sermon, and it is something this Bible reading plan is intended to foster. Just as walking down the road goes better with others, so does reading Scripture.
  • A Place and Time — Finally, you will succeed in your Bible reading most if you commit to a place and time to read Scripture. For me, this is first thing in the morning. But for you, it could be at lunch, in your car, on a break, or before bed. Most importantly, find a fixed time and place and make it happen. And don’t be ashamed to ask God to help you or for friends / family to hold you accountable.

Premium

  • The ESV Bible Journal — This was a Christmas present to each of our kids, and it is a great way to read and reflect all in the same place. Right now, Amazon still has the whole New Testament half off.
  • A Study Bible — There are countless study Bibles to choose from, but you might find help by having one or two to answer questions as you go. The ESV Study Bible is still my favorite.
  • A Commentary — Going one step further, a commentary can help answer questions of history, culture, or language as you read. The New Bible Commentary is a good one-volume commentary.

The Basic Description of Via Emmaus On the Road

  • A 10 Minute Reflection on 1 Chapter of the Bible
  • 5 Days out of the Week, 52 Weeks out of the Year
  • Equals the Whole New Testament in a Year

May the Lord help us read his Word with understanding this year, and may his Word produce in us faith, hope, and love.

Soli Deo Gloria, ds

5 x 52: A New Testament Bible Reading Plan for 2025

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How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
— Psalm 119:103 —

But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
— Matthew 4:4 —

Did you know that there are 260 chapters in the New Testament? I am sure I had learned this number before, but I forgot about until the other day. Yet, with this numerological epiphany in view, my mind began to race and to consider what a fifty-two week Bible reading plan would look like for those just getting started.

Indeed, if you read five chapters of the New Testament, every week for 52 weeks, you would finish the whole New Testament in a year. Certainly, this feat can be accomplished in a much shorter period of time, and for those who have already adopted a pattern of reading the Bible, there is no reason to skip the Old Testament, or to take a whole year to read twenty-five percent of Scripture. For those with larger appetites for Scripture, this Bible reading plan may be too scant. Or, for reasons I’ll explain below, it might be a portion of your Bible reading to be joined with others.

Indeed, for those who have never read the Bible in a systematic way, I have rarely encourage reading through the whole thing to start. Just as newborn babes have small stomachs and need assistance in their eating, so do newborn babes in Christ. Certainly, there might be counter examples to this counsel, but as Scripture so regularly compares itself to bread (Matt. 4:4) and honey (Ps. 19:10), milk (1 Pet. 2:2) and meat (Heb. 6:12), I do believe it is wise to start out slow and build an appetite over time.

To that end, I’ve encouraged new Christians and newborn Bible readers to make use of the E-100 Scripture Reading Plan. In twenty weeks, this plan leads readers through the whole Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, it picks up some of the most important parts and helps show how the whole Bible fits together. Equally, Christianity Explored is a tremendous resource that introduces Christ through the Gospel of Mark.

To have a full-formed faith, one does need to read the whole Bible. But reading the whole Bible (by oneself) is—if we are honest—a mark of maturity, not a necessary prerequisite to faith or salvation. Even more, giving someone a Bible and the imperative, “Read!” might do more harm than good. Just consider how many people have burned out trying to read the whole Bible. And others, while reading the whole Bible might take up very idiosyncratic views of God and his Word, when they read Scripture without conversation or communion with others. Truly, God has given his church pastors and teachers for a reason (Eph. 4:11–16)—and that reason includes rightly interpreting God’s Word and protecting young Christians from error (Titus 1:9).

So, back to reading the New Testament.

In 2025, I am leading my family (with two teens and two pre-teens) to read five chapters a week for the whole year, with the goal of reading the whole New Testament. And to help them have a greater comprehension of what we are reading, I am putting together a few reading tools—tools that I will catalog here, if anyone else wants to jump in. Additionally, if all goes as planned (=if the Lord allows), I will record a short reflection on each chapter as we read, so that interested readers (my family and others) might have a growing interest and skill in reading God’s Word.

Continue reading →

What is an Election Sermon? An Example and An Argument

/ davidsschrock

On Sunday I preached an election sermon in two parts. Expounding Psalm 2, I considered four vital truths about God’s sovereignty from God’s promise to give his son the nations, and in response I outlined five practical steps to exercising our political stewardship.

In this sermon, I did not endorse a candidate or commend a singular church approved voting guide, but I did name names and identify a vote for Democrats as a sin. But more than just stressing the importance of Tuesday’s election, I attempted to show how a steadfast hope in Christ’s Lordship leads to a life of good works, even political good works such as voting.

And so, I offer that sermon here as one fallible example of an election sermon, followed by an email (now updated) I sent to our church explaining the background of election sermons and why they matter today. Indeed, as I noted in my Saturday blogpost, I have learned a lot about preaching and politics since 2016, and I offer this example and argument for an election sermon as help to any others who are taking the same path.

Sovereignty & Stewardship: An Election Sermon in Two Parts

God’s Sovereignty in Psalm 2

  1. Enrages the Nations (vv. 1–3)
  2. Rules over the Nations (vv. 4–6)
  3. Rewards the Son with the Kingdom (vv. 7–9)
  4. Requires Rulers to Kiss the Son (vv. 10–12)

Our Political Stewardship Today

  1. Think Clearly
  2. Speak Truthfully
  3. Vote Righteously
  4. Pray Earnestly
  5. Gather Faithfully

All told, in these nine marks of an election sermon, I sought to exhort our congregation to trust God and to act accordingly. Here is the sermon.

The Case for Preaching An Election Sermon

Continue reading →

To Whom Will You Give the Sword? Seven Moral Arguments for Donald Trump

/ davidsschrock / 1 Comment

How should I vote for the glory of God?

That is a question that Christ Over All answered in a variety of ways in September of this year. And it serves as the background to this article, where I want to offer a more personal word regarding something that has changed in my own thinking over the last few years, and may help others thinking about their vote this week.

In 2016, when I was still under the sway of Russell Moore, I believed the Leftist media about how bad Donald Trump was, is, and will be. Though he promised to appoint conservative judges, I didn’t believe he had the track record to merit a vote. Likewise, as a 10 year student of Russell Moore at SBTS, and a ERLC research fellow, I largely accepted the line that Donald Trump was immoral, racist, misogynistic, you name it.

Fast forward to 2020, Donald Trump had kept his promise to appoint conservative judges.  Economically, until Covid, he had rebuilt the economy with benefits for working class families. And despite his unseemly (and often unwise) use of Twitter, he withstood endless assaults while seeking to put America first. For these reasons, and more, I voted for Donald Trump.

Following the same line of thinking that made Albert Mohler change his mind about Trump, I put my previous Never Trump interests aside, and voted for the business man from New York.

As Mohler framed it in his 2020 article, “In terms of presidential action, Donald Trump has been the most effective and consequential pro-life president of the modern age.” And this was before Roe v Wade was struck down!

Long story short, I shifted from Anti-Trump in 2016 to pro-Trump (with ongoing reservations) in 2020. Though Trump’s character (e.g., his marital record, his vulgar speech, and his Twitter discourse) continued to be a stumbling block, I voted for Trump in 2020 not based on his personal accolades but his political decisions and the promise of policies that would.

In 2024, I would vote for Trump for the same reasons. Yet, in 2024 I would also say that it has become apparent that the character of the man is not everything that it was made out to be by legacy media or evangelical pundits like David French and Russell Moore. And it is this moral dimension of Trump that impels me to write this reflection.

But first a word on voting itself. Continue reading →