Hi, friends. I'm Annie F. Downs. Let's read the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And these are the stories of Jesus's life on earth, the friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, the miracles.

So we'll read three chapters a day and finish in 30 days. So each month, we'll read all four books. Here we are at the end of our first week at the end of the book of John. But we've still got Luke, Matthew, and Mark to go. So go ahead and subscribe today and join us as we read the Gospels together.

So as you know, we have started in the book of John for many of us. This is our first time listening through the Gospels. And I think this book is a great place to begin our journey. As January continues, we'll read Luke, the Matthew, the Mark, and each month will actually be a little different of what we read when, but we want to start the year with the fresh lens to these stories.

We'll use multiple translations this year, but I wanted to start the year off reading from the Bible. I've had for years the one I read from most mornings. It's a quest study Bible in IV 84 translation. So I'll read three chapters to you today. You can listen or read along in your own Bible and then I'll pray. And that's it.

So today is January 7th, day seven, and I'll be reading John 19 through 21 and the translation I'll be reading from this month is in IV 84.

Chapter 19, Jesus sentenced to be crucified. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flagged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, Hail King of the Jews. And they struck him in the face.

Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him. When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, Here is the man.

As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted crucify, crucify. But Pilate answered, You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.

The Jews insisted we have a law and according to that law, he must die because he claimed to be the son of God. When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid and he went back inside the palace.

Where do you come from? He asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. Do you refuse to speak to me? Pilate said, Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?

Jesus answered, You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin. From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar, anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.

When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judges seat at a place known as the stone pavement, which an air maic is Gabatha.

It was the day of preparation of Passover week, about the sixth hour. Here is your king, Pilate said to the Jews, but they shouted, Take him away, take him away, crucify him. Shall I crucify your king, Pilate asked?

We have no king, but Caesar, the chief priest answered. Finally, Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. The crucifixion. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus, carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the skull, which an air maic is called Gabatha.

Here they crucified him and with him two others, one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.

Many of the Jews read the sign for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in air maic, Latin and Greek.

The chief priest of the Jews protested to Pilate, do not write the king of the Jews, but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews. Pilate answered, what I have written, I have written.

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

Let's not tear it, they said to one another. Let's decide by lot who will get it. This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled, which said they divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

So this is what the soldiers did. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary, the wife of clopus, and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, dear woman, here is your son, and to the disciple, here is your mother.

From that time on, this disciple took her into his home, the death of Jesus. Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, I am thirsty.

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