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're reading all four books. So make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss any of it, especially this month.

We are reading the Gospels in chronological order. So Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are all mixed together.

It means you need to pay a little bit closer attention because multiple times today, particularly, you're going to hear the same story from different points of view, which I think is so interesting.

If you want to read along, definitely get our March reading plan. That's at Annie F. Downs.com slash Gospels. That's also where you can get the Let's Read the Gospels guidebook.

So each day, I'm going to tell you the scripture references and the stories are main themes. We're going to hit so I don't interrupt myself as we're going.

So today is March 12, day 12, and I'll be reading Luke 9, 7 through 9, Mark 6, 14 to 29, Matthew 14, 1 through 21, Mark 6, 30 to 44, Luke 9, 10 to 17, John 6, 1 to 15, Mark 6, 45 to 52,

Matthew 14, 22 to 33, John 6, 16 to 21, Mark 6, 53 to 56, Matthew 14, 34 to 36, and John 6, 22 to 71.

We're reading all about John the Baptist today and two miracles that everybody knows and loves when Jesus feeds the 5,000 and when Jesus impeter walk on water.

So that is all today. And this month, the translation I'm reading from is the new living translation.

This is day 12 and chronological order, the death of John the Baptist from Luke.

When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled.

Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead.

I beheaded John, Herod said, so who is this man about whom I hear such stories? And he kept trying to see him from Mark.

Herod Antipas, the king soon heard about Jesus because everyone was talking about him.

Some were saying this must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why he can do such miracles.

Others say he's the prophet Elijah. Still others said he's a prophet like the other great prophets of the past.

When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, John, the man I beheaded has come back from the dead.

For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprisoned John as a favor to Herodius.

She had been his brother Phillips wife, but Herod had married her. John had been telling Herod it is against God's law for you to marry your brother's wife.

So Herodius bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him.

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