GTY: The MacArthur Daily Bible

May 12

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Reading for Today:

1 Samuel 26:1–27:12
Psalm 60:6-12
Proverbs 16:4-5
John 2:1-25

Notes:

1 Samuel 26:21 I have sinned. As in 24:17, Saul confessed his sin and wrongdoing. Although Saul may have been sincere, he could not be trusted and David wisely did not accept his invitation to return with him. I have played the fool. Saul had been foolish in his actions toward David, as had Nabal.

1 Samuel 27:1 by the hand of Saul. In direct contrast to Saul’s word that David would prevail (26:25), David thought that Saul would ultimately kill him. This anxious thinking and the fear that fell upon him explain David’s actions in this chapter. God had told him to stay in Judah (22:5), but he was afraid and sought protection again among the Philistine enemies of Israel (21:10–15).

John 2:2, 3 both Jesus and His disciples were invited. The fact that Jesus, His mother, and His disciples all attended the wedding suggests that the wedding may have been for a relative or close family friend. Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael, and the unnamed disciple (1:35), who was surely John, witnessed this miracle. wine. The wine served was subject to fermentation. In the ancient world, however, to quench thirst without inducing drunkenness, wine was diluted with water to between one-third and one-tenth of its strength. Due to the climate and circumstances, even “new wine” fermented quickly and had an inebriating effect if not mixed (Acts 2:13). Because of a lack of water purification process, wine mixed with water was also safer to drink than water alone. While the Bible condemns drunkenness, it does not necessarily condemn the consumption of wine (Ps. 104:15; Prov. 20:1; Eph. 5:18).

John 2:23, 24 many believed in His name…. But Jesus did not commit Himself. John based these two phrases on the same Greek verb for “believe.” This verse subtly reveals the true nature of belief from a biblical standpoint. Because of what they knew of Jesus from His miraculous signs, many came to believe in Him. However, Jesus made it His habit not to wholeheartedly “entrust” or “commit” Himself to them because He knew their hearts. Verse 24 indicates that Jesus looked for genuine conversion rather than enthusiasm for the spectacular. The latter verse also leaves a subtle doubt as to the genuineness of the conversion of some (8:31, 32). This emphatic contrast between vv. 23, 24 in terms of type of trust, therefore, reveals that, literally, “belief into His name” involved much more than intellectual assent. It called for wholehearted commitment of one’s life as Jesus’ disciple (Matt. 10:37; 16:24–26).

DAY 12: What did Jesus mean by His comments about the temple in John 2?

In John 2:18, the Jews demanded that Jesus show some type of miraculous sign that would indicate His authority for the actions that He had just taken in regulating the activities of the temple. Their demand of a sign reveals that they had not grasped the significance of Jesus’ rebuke that centered in their need for proper attitudes and holiness in worship. Such an action itself constituted a “sign” of Jesus’ person and authority. Moreover, they were requesting from Jesus a crass display of miracles on demand, further displaying their unbelief.

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (v. 19). At His trial, the authorities charged Jesus (Mark 14:29, 58) with making a threatening statement against the temple, revealing that they did not understand Jesus’ response here. Once again John’s Gospel supplements the other Gospels at this point by indicating that Jesus enigmatically referred to His resurrection. As with His usage of parables, Jesus’ cryptic statement most likely was designed to reveal the truth to His disciples but conceal its meaning from unbelievers who questioned Him (Matt. 13:10, 11). Only after His resurrection, however, did the disciples understand the real significance of this statement (v. 22; Matt. 12:40). Importantly, through the death and resurrection of Christ, temple worship in Jerusalem was destroyed (see 4:21) and reinstituted in the hearts of those who were built into a spiritual temple called the church (Eph. 2:19–22).

“It has taken forty-six years to build this temple”(v. 20). This was not a reference to the Solomonic temple, since it had been destroyed during the Babylonian conquest in 586 B.C. When the captives returned from Babylon, Zerubbabel and Joshua began rebuilding the temple (Ezra 1–4). Encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 5:1–6:18), the Jews completed the work in 516 B.C. In 20/19 B.C., Herod the Great began a reconstruction and expansion. Workers completed the main part of the project in 10 years, but other parts were still being constructed even at the time Jesus cleansed the temple. The famous “Wailing Wall” is built on part of the Herodian temple foundation.

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May 11

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Reading for Today:

1 Samuel 24:1–25:44
Psalm 60:1-5
Proverbs 16:3
John 1:29-51

Notes:

1 Samuel 24:4 the day of which the LORD said to you. David’s men perhaps believed that God had providentially placed Saul in the same cave where they were hiding so David could kill the king. However, nothing revelatory had previously been said by the Lord that indicated He wanted David to lift a hand against Saul.

1 Samuel 24:5 David’s heart troubled him. David was able to cut off a piece of Saul’s robe undetected. However, touching Saul’s clothing was tantamount to touching his person, and David’s conscience troubled him on this account.

1 Samuel 24:6 LORD’s anointed. David recognized that the Lord Himself had placed Saul into the kingship. Thus the judgment and removal of Saul had to be left to the Lord.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit. Literally, “roll upon” in the sense of both total trust (3:5,6) and submission to the will of God (Pss. 22:8; 37:5; 119:133). He will fulfill your righteous plans.

John 1:41 Messiah. The term “Messiah” is a transliteration of a Hebrew or Aramaic verbal adjective that means “Anointed One.” It comes from a verb that means “to anoint” someone as an action involved in consecrating that person to a particular office or function. While the term at first applied to the king of Israel (“the LORD’s anointed,” 1 Sam. 16:6), the high priest (“the anointed priest,” Lev. 4:3) and, in one passage, the patriarchs (“My anointed ones,” Ps. 105:15), the term eventually came to point above all to the prophesied “Coming One” or “Messiah” in His role as prophet, priest, and king. The term “Christ,” a Greek word (verbal adjective) that comes from a verb meaning “to anoint,” is used in translating the Hebrew term, so that the terms “Messiah” or “Christ” are titles and not personal names of Jesus.

DAY 11: How did John the Baptist characterize Jesus Christ?

John the Baptist’s witness to Jesus in John 1 introduces a lengthy list of titles applied to Jesus: Lamb of God (vv. 29, 36), Rabbi (vv. 38, 49), Messiah/Christ (v. 41), Son of God (vv. 34, 49), King of Israel (v. 49), Son of Man (v. 51), and “Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote” (v. 45).

In John 1:29, John the Baptist refers to Jesus as “The Lamb of God.” The use of a lamb for sacrifice was very familiar to Jews. A lamb was used as a sacrifice during Passover (Ex. 12:1–36); a lamb was led to the slaughter in the prophecies of Isaiah (Is. 53:7); a lamb was offered in the daily sacrifices of Israel (Lev. 14:12–21; Heb. 10:5–7). John the Baptist used this expression as a reference to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to atone for the sins of the world, a theme which John the apostle carries throughout his writings (19:36; see Rev. 5:1–6; 7:17; 17:14) and that appears in other New Testament writings (e.g., 1 Pet. 1:19).

“Who takes away the sin of the world.” In this context “world” has the connotation of humanity in general, not specifically every person. The use of the singular “sin” in conjunction with “of the world” indicates that Jesus’ sacrifice for sin potentially reaches all human beings without distinction (1 John 2:2).John makes clear, however, that its efficacious effect is only for those who receive Christ (vv. 11, 12).

John adds that “I saw the Spirit descending…upon Him” (v. 32). God had previously communicated to John that this sign was to indicate the promised Messiah (v. 33), so when John witnessed this act, he was able to identify the Messiah as Jesus (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22). “I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God” (v. 34). Although, in a limited sense, believers can be called “sons of God” (v. 12; Matt. 5:9; Rom.8:14), John uses this phrase with the full force as a title that points to the unique oneness and intimacy that Jesus sustains to the Father as “Son.” The term carries the idea of the deity of Jesus as Messiah (v. 49; 5:16–30; 2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7; Heb. 1:1–9).

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May 10

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Reading for Today:

1 Samuel 22:1–23:29
Psalm 59:6-17
Proverbs 16:1-2
John 1:1-28

Notes:

1 Samuel 22:1 cave of Adullam. A cave near Adullam was David’s refuge. Adullam, which may mean “refuge,” was located in the western foothills of Judah (Josh. 15:33), about 17 miles southwest of Jerusalem and 10 miles southeast of Gath. See titles of Psalms 57 and 142, which could possibly refer to 1 Samuel 24:3. brothers and all his father’s house. David’s family members went down from Bethlehem to join David in Adullam, a journey of about 12 miles.

John 1:12 as many as received Him…to those who believe in His name. The second phrase describes the first. To receive Him who is the Word of God means to acknowledge His claims, place one’s faith in Him, and thereby yield allegiance to Him. gave. The term emphasizes the grace of God involved in the gift of salvation (Eph. 2:8–10). the right. Those who receive Jesus, the Word, receive full authority to claim the exalted title of “God’s children.” His name. Denotes the character of the person himself.

John 1:14 the Word became flesh. While Christ as God was uncreated and eternal, the word “became” emphasizes Christ’s taking on humanity (see Heb. 1:1–3; 2:14–18).This reality is surely the most profound ever because it indicates that the Infinite became finite; the Eternal was conformed to time; the Invisible became visible; the supernatural One reduced Himself to the natural. In the Incarnation, however, the Word did not cease to be God but became God in human flesh, i.e., undiminished Deity in human form as a man (1 Tim. 3:16). dwelt. Meaning “to pitch a tabernacle,” or “live in a tent.” The term recalls the Old Testament tabernacle where God met with Israel before the temple was constructed (Ex. 25:8). It was called the “tabernacle of meeting” (Ex. 33:7) where “the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Ex. 33:11). In the New Testament, God chose to dwell among His people in a far more personal way through becoming a man. In the Old Testament, when the tabernacle was completed, God’s Shekinah presence filled the entire structure (Ex. 40:34; 1 Kin. 8:10). When the Word became flesh, the glorious presence of Deity was embodied in Him (Col. 2:9).

DAY 10: Note the powerful words loaded into John 1:1.

“In the beginning.” In contrast to 1 John 1:1 where John used a similar phrase (“from the beginning”) to refer to the starting point of Jesus’ ministry and gospel preaching, this phrase parallels Genesis 1:1 where the same phrase is used. John used the phrase in an absolute sense to refer to the beginning of the time-space-material universe. “Was.” The verb highlights the eternal preexistence of the Word, i.e., Jesus Christ. Before the universe began, the Second Person of the Trinity always existed; i.e., He always was (see 8:58). This word is used in contrast with the verb “was made” (or “were made”) in v. 3, which indicate a beginning in time. Because of John’s theme that Jesus Christ is the eternal God, the Second Person of the Trinity, he did not include a genealogy as Matthew and Luke did. In terms of Jesus’ humanity, He had a human genealogy; but in terms of His deity, He has no genealogy.

“The Word.” John borrowed the use of the term “Word” not only from the vocabulary of the Old Testament but also from Greek philosophy, in which the term was essentially impersonal, signifying the rational principle of “divine reason,” “mind,” or even “wisdom.” John, however, imbued the term entirely with Old Testament and Christian meaning (e.g., Gen. 1:3 where God’s Word brought the world into being; Pss. 33:6; 107:20; Prov. 8:27 where God’s Word is His powerful self-expression in creation, wisdom, revelation, and salvation) and made it refer to a person, i.e., Jesus Christ. Greek philosophical usage, therefore, is not the exclusive background of John’s thought. Strategically, the term “Word” serves as a bridge-word to reach not only Jews but also the unsaved Greeks. John chose this concept because both Jews and Greeks were familiar with it.

“The Word was with God.” The Word, as the Second Person of the Trinity, was in intimate fellowship with God the Father throughout all eternity. Yet, although the Word enjoyed the splendors of heaven and eternity with the Father (Is. 6:1–13; see 12:41; 17:5), He willingly gave up His heavenly status, taking the form of a man, and became subject to the death of the cross (Phil. 2:6–8). “Was God.” The Greek construction emphasizes that the Word had all the essence or attributes of Deity, i.e., Jesus the Messiah was fully God (Col. 2:9). Even in His incarnation when He emptied Himself, He did not cease to be God but took on a genuine human nature/body and voluntarily refrained from the independent exercise of the attributes of Deity.

Additional Resources

May 9

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Reading for Today:

1 Samuel 20:1–21:15
Psalm 59:1-5
Proverbs 15:31-33
Luke 24:36-53

Notes:

1 Samuel 21:2 The king has ordered me. David, fearing someone might tell Saul where he was, deceived Ahimelech the priest into thinking that he was on official business for the king. He supposed, as many do, that it is excusable to lie for the purpose of saving one’s life. But what is essentially sinful can never, because of circumstances, change its immoral character (see Ps. 119:29). David’s lying led tragically to the deaths of the priests (22:9–18).

1 Samuel 21:5, 6 bread…common. Since that bread was no longer on the Lord’s table, having been replaced by hot bread, it was to be eaten by the priests and in these exigencies, by David under the law of necessity and mercy. The removal of the old bread and the replacing with new was done on the Sabbath (Lev. 24:8).

1 Samuel 21:13 changed his behavior. David feared for his life, lacked trust in God to deliver him, and feigned insanity to persuade Achish to send him away. See the titles of Psalms 34 and 56. Drooling in one’s beard was considered in the East an intolerable indignity, as was spitting in another’s beard.

Luke 24:45 opened their understanding. He undoubtedly taught them from the Old Testament, as He had on the road to Emmaus. But the gist of the expression also seems to convey a supernatural opening of their minds to receive the truths He unfolded. Whereas their understanding was once dull (9:45), they finally saw clearly (see Ps. 119:18; Is. 29:18, 19; 2 Cor. 3:14–16).

DAY 9: What was the resurrected body of Christ like?

In Luke 24:31, it tells us that after the two men had traveled with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, “their eyes were opened,” i.e., by God. They had been sovereignly kept from recognizing Him until this point (v. 16). His resurrection body was glorified and altered from its previous appearance (see John’s description in Rev. 1:13–16), and this surely explains why even Mary did not recognize Him at first (John 20:14–16). But in this case, God actively intervened to keep them from recognizing Him until it was time for Him to depart.

“He vanished from their sight.” His resurrection body, though real and tangible (John 20:27)—and even capable of ingesting earthly food (vv. 42, 43)—nonetheless possessed certain properties that indicate it was glorified, altered in a mysterious way (1 Cor. 15:35–54; Phil. 3:21). Christ could appear and disappear bodily, as seen in this text. His body could pass through solid objects—such as the grave clothes (v. 12) or the walls and doors of a closed room (John 20:19, 26). He could apparently travel great distances in a moment, for by the time these disciples returned to Jerusalem, Christ had already appeared to Peter (v. 34).The fact that He ascended into heaven bodily demonstrated that His resurrection body was already fit for heaven. Yet it was His body, the same one that was missing from the tomb, even retaining identifying features such as the nail wounds (John 20:25–27). He was no ghost or phantom.

Additional Resources

May 8

letters@gty.org (Grace to You) — Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

Reading for Today:

1 Samuel 18:1–19:24
Psalm 58:1-11
Proverbs 15:27-30
Luke 24:1-35

Notes:

1 Samuel 18:1 Jonathan loved him. Jonathan loved David with a loyalty and devotion indicative of covenantal love (18:3). Hiram of Tyre had much the same covenantal love for David (see 2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Kin. 5:1; 9:11). David’s later reign from Jerusalem is marked by loyalty to his covenant with Jonathan (2 Sam. 9:1).

1 Samuel 19:23 the Spirit of God was upon him. This was the last time the Spirit of the Lord would rest on Saul. God turned Saul’s heart to prophesy and not to harm David.

1 Samuel 19:24 stripped off his clothes. Saul removed his armor and royal garments, prompted by the Spirit of God, thus signifying God’s rejection of Saul as king over Israel. lay down naked. Without the royal garments, Saul was figuratively “naked,” perhaps so overwhelmed by the Spirit of God as to be in a deep sleep. Other than Saul’s utter despair and pitiful state at the home of the medium at En Dor (28:20) and his end at Mt. Gilboa (31:4–6), this episode represents one of the severest humblings in Saul’s life. Is Saul also among the prophets? This is a final editorial comment tying together the Spirit of God’s presence at Saul’s inauguration (10:10, 11), and the final departure of the same at his rejection (19:24).

Psalm 58:4 Their poison. The words and actions of these tyrants are like poisonous venom in a serpent’s fangs. deaf cobra. Like a cobra which cannot hear its charmer are these stubborn rulers, who ignore all encouragements to righteousness.

DAY 8: What happened on the day that Christ was resurrected from the dead?

Early in the morning, certain women came to the tomb “bringing the spices which they had prepared” (Luke 24:1). But they found “the stone rolled away” (v. 2). Matthew 28:2–4 records that an earthquake occurred and an angel rolled the stone away. The Roman guards fainted with fear. Mark, Luke, and John make no mention of the guards, so it appears they fled when they awoke to find the empty tomb. The women must have arrived shortly after.

Finding the stone rolled away, the women entered the tomb, but found it empty (v. 3). While they were still in the tomb, the angels suddenly appeared (v. 4; Mark 16:5). Only Luke mentioned both angels. Mark was concerned only with the one who spoke for the duo. Such minor differences in the Gospel accounts are all reconcilable.

The angel who spoke reminded them of Jesus’ promises (vv. 6–8), then sent them to find Peter and the disciples to report that Jesus was risen (Matt. 28:7, 8; Mark 16:7, 8). The women did as they were told (vv. 9–11). The disciples were skeptical at first (v. 11), but ran to where the tomb was, John arriving first (John 20:4), but Peter actually entering the tomb first (John 20:6). They saw the linen wrappings intact but empty, proof that Jesus was risen (v. 12; John 20:6–8). They left immediately (v. 12; John 20:10).

Meanwhile, Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb and was standing outside weeping when Christ suddenly appeared to her (John 20:11–18). That was His first appearance (Mark 16:9). Sometime soon after that, He met the other women on the road and appeared to them, as well (Matt. 28:9, 10). Later that day He appeared to two of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (vv. 13–32) and to Peter (v. 34).

Additional Resources