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. These are the stories of Jesus Christ's life on earth, the friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, the miracles. So here is how it works. I'll read three chapters to you. You can listen or read along in your own Bible or online, and then I'll pray, and that's it. So today is day 10, and I'll be reading

Matthew chapters 27 and 28. And this month, I'm reading from the CSB version.

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 thirty pieces of silver, the price of him whose price was

set by the Israelites, and they gave them for the potter's 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, Pilots 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. The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded

the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. The governor asked them,

which of the two do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, they answered. Pilate asked them, what should I do then with Jesus,

who is called Christ? They all answered, crucify him. Then he said, why? What has he done wrong? But they kept

shouting all the more, crucify him.

When Pilots saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead,

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