Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

Episode: September 22 – Ecclesiastes 4–6; Psalm 77; John 19
Date: September 22, 2025
Host: Crossway

Overview

This episode features the daily Scripture readings: Ecclesiastes chapters 4–6, Psalm 77, and John 19. The main themes explored are the futility of earthly pursuits and oppression (Ecclesiastes), fervent lament and renewed hope in God’s power (Psalm 77), and the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ (John 19). The readings invite listeners to reflect honestly on earthly struggles, the value of faithfulness, and the fulfillment of God’s ultimate redemptive plan.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Ecclesiastes 4–6: The Vanity of Life and Earthly Pursuits

[00:01–08:03]

• Oppression and Loneliness
  • The narrator laments the reality of oppression and the absence of comfort for the afflicted.
    • “Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them.” [00:05]
  • Loneliness and futile toiling are presented as forms of vanity—a striving after wind.
• The Value of Companionship
  • Shared work, companionship, and mutual support are contrasted with isolated toil.
    • “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.” [01:33]
    • “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” [02:07]
• Wealth, Ambition, and Satisfaction
  • Describes the endless chase for wealth and status, ultimately deemed unattainable and unsatisfying.
    • “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income. This also is vanity.” [04:52]
  • Even great wealth yields no deep satisfaction if God does not grant the ability to enjoy it.
    • “A man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor...yet God does not give him power to enjoy them...This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.” [06:04]
• Contentment and Perspective
  • Encourages finding enjoyment and acceptance in one’s daily portion as a gift from God.
    • “To eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil...this is his lot.” [05:46]
  • The limits of human wisdom and the brevity of life are underscored.

Psalm 77: Lament, Remembrance, and Praise

[08:04–10:03]

• Despair and Honest Questions
  • The psalmist cries out in deep distress, feeling abandoned and perplexed by God’s silence.
    • “I cry aloud to God...In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord...My soul refuses to be comforted.” [08:07]
    • “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?” [09:02]
• Turning to God’s Past Faithfulness
  • Even amid doubt, the psalmist deliberately recalls God’s past wonders, especially the exodus, as grounds for renewed faith.
    • “I will remember the deeds of the Lord. ... I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds.” [09:23]
    • “You are the God who works wonders. ... You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph.” [09:31]
  • Vivid imagery restores hope and awe in God’s might and care (God leading His people through the sea as “a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” [09:53]).

John 19: The Passion and Burial of Christ

[10:04–25:29]

• Trial Before Pilate and the Crowd
  • Jesus is mocked, flogged, and presented to the crowd, who demands crucifixion despite Pilate's insistence on Jesus’ innocence.
    • Pilate: “See, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” [10:57]
  • Discussion on authority—Jesus proclaims that Pilate's power is given from above.
    • Jesus: “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” [12:33]
• The Crucifixion
  • Jesus is sentenced, carries His cross, and is crucified at Golgotha between two others.
  • The inscription over the cross (“Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”) sparks tension with the chief priests.
    • Pilate: “What I have written, I have written.” [14:30]
  • Soldiers cast lots for Jesus' clothing, fulfilling Scripture.
• Jesus’ Care for His Mother
  • In his suffering, Jesus entrusts his mother to John, the disciple.
    • Jesus: “Woman, behold your son.” ... “Behold your mother.” [16:17]
• Death of Jesus
  • Jesus asserts the completion of His mission:
    • Jesus: “It is finished.” [17:32]
  • The piercing of Jesus’ side fulfills prophecy; Eyewitness testimony is emphasized to underscore truth for believers.
• Burial
  • Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, acting discreetly, care for Jesus’ body, using myrrh and aloes for burial, laying Him in a new, nearby tomb due to the upcoming Sabbath.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ecclesiastes:
  • “A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” [02:07]
  • “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money…This also is vanity.” [04:52]
• Psalm 77:
  • “I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me.” [08:07]
  • “Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters, yet your footprints were unseen.” [09:45]
• John 19:
  • Pilate: “Behold the man.” [11:21]
  • Jesus: “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” [12:33]
  • Jesus (on the cross): “It is finished.” [17:32]
  • Scripture Fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken...they will look on him whom they have pierced.” [18:12]

Segment Timestamps

• [00:01–08:03] – Ecclesiastes 4–6 reading: vanity, work, companionship, wealth
• [08:04–10:03] – Psalm 77 reading: lament and remembrance
• [10:04–25:29] – John 19 reading: trial, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus

Tone & Style

The reading is solemn, direct, and reverent, allowing the original language of Scripture to stand at the forefront. Passages of lament and questioning are presented with raw honesty, while narratives of Christ’s suffering and fulfillment of prophecy are delivered with gravity and care.

This episode leads listeners through honest wrestling with life’s struggles (Ecclesiastes), turns of lament to praise (Psalm 77), and the ultimate hope and fulfillment found in Christ’s sacrifice (John 19).