THE BREAD OF LIFE
The Bread of Life Readings, March 2024
TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006
| Date | Hymns | Reading | Comments |
| March 1 | TLH 287/LSB 581 | Exodus 20 | The Lord gives the Ten Commandments through Moses. The Lord gives additional laws regarding false gods and altars for sacrifice. |
| March 2 | TLH 134/LSB 394 | John 2 | Jesus performs His first miracle at Cana in Galilee. Jesus drives the sellers and the money-changers out of His temple. |
| March 4 | TLH 126/LSB 396 | Numbers 1 | The Lord commands a census of the men of Israel who are able to fight, in preparation for the conquest of the land of Canaan. The Levite men are exempted from the census; they are to care for the tabernacle. |
| March 5 | TLH 145/LSB 423 | Numbers 2 | The Lord gives Moses and Aaron specific commands regarding how they are to arrange the camp of Israel. |
| March 6 | TLH 220 | Numbers 3 | The sons of Aaron serve as priests. The Lord prescribes various responsibilities to the Levites. Moses collects the redemption price for the firstborn males of Israel. |
| March 7 | LSB 602 | Ephesians 1 | Paul greets the believers in Ephesus, reminding them of the spiritual blessings that they have received through Jesus Christ. Paul gives thanks to the Lord for the faith of the Ephesian believers. |
| March 8 | TLH 389/LSB 567 | Ephesians 2 | Paul reminds the Ephesians of their original sinful condition and of the salvation and regeneration that they have received by grace through faith. Paul reminds the Ephesians of the oneness that all believers in Christ share, whether Jew or Gentile. |
| March 9 | TLH 245/LSB 571 | John 3 | Jesus teaches Nicodemus about regeneration. John the Baptist proclaims Jesus as the Christ. |
| March 11 | TLH 566 | Jeremiah 29 | Jeremiah sends a letter to the Judeans who are exiled in Babylon. Through this letter the Lord encourages them to settle in Babylon and to raise families there. The Lord promises to return the people to their land after seventy years. At the same time false prophets, such as Shemaiah, proclaim lies to the people. |
| March 12 | TLH 62/LSB 357 | Jeremiah 30 | The Lord promises to restore Israel and Judah, returning them to their land. |
| March 13 | TLH 19/LSB 819 | Jeremiah 31 | The Lord continues to promise restoration for His people. The Lord promises to establish a new covenant with His people. |
| March 14 | TLH 87/LSB 387 | Jeremiah 32 | During the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, the Lord instructs Jeremiah to purchase a field, as a sign that He will restore His people to their land. Again the Lord promises to establish an everlasting covenant with His people. |
| March 15 | TLH 645/LSB 359 | Jeremiah 33 | The Lord continues to promise restoration for His people, culminating in the raising up of a righteous Branch for David. We have seen through these last several chapters of Jeremiah how the Lord combines His promise to return Israel and Judah to their land with His promise to send the Messiah, who will accomplish salvation for the world. |
| March 16 | TLH 627 | Mark 10 | In response to a question from the Pharisees, Jesus teaches about divorce. Jesus welcomes the children and blesses them. Jesus preaches the law to a rich man. Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. James and John request positions of authority in Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus. |
| March 18 | TLH 153/LSB 451 | Mark 12 | Jesus tells the parable of the tenants to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Jesus gives the perfect answer to a trick question regarding paying Roman taxes. Jesus corrects the Sadducees regarding the resurrection. Jesus summarizes the entire law in one word, “love.” Jesus asks how the son of David can be the Lord of David. Jesus warns against the hypocrisy of the scribes. A poor widow gives a generous offering. |
| March 19 | TLH 604 | Mark 13 | Jesus prophesies the destruction of the temple and gives signs of the end of the world. Jesus describes His return in glory for judgment. Since no one knows when Jesus will return, Jesus urges His disciples to be prepared at all times. |
| March 20 | TLH 159/LSB 436 | Mark 14 | The chief priests and the scribes plot to kill Jesus. Jesus is anointed with costly ointment at Bethany. Judas plots with the chief priests to betray Jesus in exchange for money. While celebrating the Passover with His disciples, Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper. Jesus tells Peter that Peter will deny Him three times. Jesus prays in Gethsemane. Jesus is betrayed and arrested. Jesus stands trial before the Sanhedrin. Peter denies Jesus three times. |
| March 21 | LSB 430 | Mark 15 | Pilate questions Jesus. At the insistence of the crowd, Pilate releases Barabbas instead of Jesus, and sentences Jesus to crucifixion. |
| March 22 | LSB 837 | John 12 | Mary anoints Jesus at Bethany. The chief priests plot to kill Lazarus in addition to Jesus. Jesus enters Jerusalem in humble triumph. A group of Greeks wishes to see Jesus. Jesus proclaims that He must be lifted up. Though many people continue in unbelief, Jesus has come to provide eternal life for all people. |
| March 23 | LSB 446 | John 13 | On the night of His betrayal, Jesus washes the feet of His disciples. Jesus tells the disciples that one of them, Judas, will betray Him. Jesus commands the disciples to love one another as He has loved them. Jesus tells Peter that Peter will deny Him three times. |
| March 25 | TLH 282 | Genesis 2 | After telling how God rested from His work of creation on the seventh day, Moses returns to the sixth day and explains in more detail how God created man, woman, and the blessing of marriage. |
| March 26 | LSB 569 | Genesis 3 | In the form of a serpent, Satan tempts Adam and Eve to sin. Adam and Eve sin and in so doing bring curses on mankind and on the natural world. The Lord drives Adam and Eve out from the Garden of Eden so that they cannot eat from the Tree of life. Despite the rebellion of man against his Creator, the Lord promises that the Seed (or offspring) of the woman will bruise the head of the serpent, Satan. |
| March 27 | TLH 158/LSB 433 | Genesis 4 | In faith Abel offers a sacrifice that is pleasing to the Lord. The sacrifice of Cain is not pleasing to the Lord. Therefore Cain murders Abel, his brother. The Lord curses Cain, and Cain settles in the land of Nod, east of Eden. The descendants of Cain grow increasingly wicked. The Lord blesses Adam and Eve with another son, Seth, and a grandson, Enosh. |
| March 28 | TLH 369/LSB 562 | Genesis 5 | Moses records the genealogy of mankind from Adam to the sons of Noah. |
| March 29 | TLH 372/LSB 746 | Genesis 6 | As mankind grows increasingly wicked, the Lord resolves to remove mankind and the animals from the earth. The Lord commands Noah to build an ark in which Noah, his sons, their wives, and a male and a female of every kind of animal will survive the great flood. |
| March 30 | TLH 198/LSB 480 | Mark 16 | Jesus rises from the dead! Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and to the two disciples walking in the country. Jesus appears to the eleven disciples and commissions them to proclaim the Gospel to the world. Jesus ascends into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God. |