Hi, friends. I am 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.

These are the stories of Jesus Christ's life on earth, the friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, and the miracles.

Each month, we get to read all four books. Go ahead, subscribe today, join us as we read the Gospels together.

If you get a chance to rate and review the show, that's real easy to do. Right where you're listening, it would mean a lot to us.

It helps us get other people involved in what we are doing. So here's how it works. You know, normally I read you three chapters a day, but yesterday and today, I'm reading two chapters to you.

So you can listen or read along in your own Bible, and then I'll pray. And that's it. So today is July 17th, day 17, and I'll be reading Matthew chapters 27 and 28.

And this month, I'm reading from the CSB.

Matthew 27, when daybreak came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death.

After tying him up, they led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priest and elders.

I have sinned by betraying innocent blood, he said, what's that to us? They said, see to it yourself.

So he threw the silver into the temple and departed. Then he went and hanged himself. The chief priest took the silver and said, it's not permitted to put it into the temple treasury since it is blood money.

They conferred together and bought the potters field with it as a burial place for foreigners. Therefore, that field has been called field of blood to this day.

Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled. They took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of him, whose price was set by the Israelites.

And they gave them for the potters field as the Lord directed me.

Now, Jesus stood before the governor. Are you the king of the Jews? The governor asked him, Jesus answered, you say so.

While he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he didn't answer.

Then Pilate said to him, don't you hear how much they are testifying against you? But he didn't answer him on even one charge so that the governor was quite amazed.

At the festival, the governor's custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted. At that time, they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, who is it you want me to release for you?

Barabbas or Jesus, who is called Christ, for he knew it was because of envy that they had handed him over.

While he was sitting on the judge's bench, his wife sent word to him, have nothing to do with that righteous man. For today, I've suffered terribly in a dream because of him.

...