I have several Bible Reading plans underway at most times, but one of them is always a monthly reading through the Gospels. On the first day of the month I read the first chapters of Matthew, Luke and John. On the second day I read the second chapters, and so on. When I finish John, I then start with the first chapter of Mark and continue to read three chapters a day. As the other two books end, I replace their spot with Mark as well. With this plan you read the Gospels in 30 days.

This month as I am reading through the Gospels, they are coming alive for me in a different way. As I read, I am thinking. I have been there. Here are just two examples from today.

31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,

34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.

35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.

36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.

38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. (Luke 4:31-38, ESV)

Here is a picture showing the interior of the 4th Century Synagogue from Capernaum. Just to the right of where I was standing to take this picture there is where they made an excavation below the floor of the synagogue and found the foundation of what some have identified as the first century synagogue where Jesus taught in the passage quoted above.
Not too far from the synagogue is the traditional site of Peter’s house.

There is a large church building built over this structure. In the church building you can look down into the center of this structure. I did not go up into the church building as I was more interested in visiting the ruins of the synagogue, but one of my friends did go up into the church building and took a look.

So, within a few minutes I was near where Jesus spoke and also where he performed several miracles. This passage came alive for me as I remembered being there in Capernaum.

Also today I read the following passage:

5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. (John 4:5-15, ESV)

We visited Jacob’s Well on our way from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem. Needless to say, I had a song wandering through my head for quite some time after the visit to the well.

The song is again stuck in my head as I contemplate our visit to the well after reading about it again.

I had heard that reading through the Bible will take on new meaning after a visit to Israel. I am finding that this is true as I continue with my daily Bible reading.

I will try and share more pictures that illustrate passages from the Bible as they come to mind during my daily reading. Maybe not all at once. I will meter them out over the next months :-).

Steven