

Jesus Christ, Who He Is And What He Says

By Silvio Famularo

Copyright 2005 by Silvio Famularo

Smashwords Edition

This book has been broken into many sections. To view the table of contents, Click here.

Introduction

Some people may be wondering why the title of this book is 'Jesus Christ, who He is and what He says' and not 'Jesus Christ, who He was and what He said.' The reason for this is that Jesus is very much alive. He always was and always will be. Everything we know about Jesus' earthly life is written in God's book, the Bible. The Bible is actually a collection of 66 books written by several men as God inspired them to do so.

The Bible is divided into two main sections. The first section is called The Old Testament and contains 39 books. It was completed about four hundred years before Jesus Christ was born a human being. The second part, called The New Testament, consists of 27 books that were all written in the latter part of the first century AD. AD is short for Anno Domini, which is Latin for the Year of our Lord; who of course is Jesus Christ himself. In the Western world, all history is recorded as having taken place so many days, months and years before, or after, the birth of Jesus Christ. This alone is significant testimony to his existence and his influence on the world. To consider that his life is a figment of the imagination, as some people reluctant to accept him have suggested, is as unrealistic as to suggest that such historic figures as Nero, Cleopatra and Alexander the Great never existed.

The influence Jesus has had on people's lives has never been surpassed by anyone in history. People who believe in him and welcome him into their hearts are often totally transformed. Their attitude towards life is changed forever. The history of Christianity is replete with martyrs, even up to present days, whose faith in Jesus was so deep rooted that no matter how adverse the situation, they would never relinquish it and would not hesitate to face hardship, persecution and even death. A great many Christians devote their whole lives to serving others, sacrificing their own needs and desires for the benefit of others.

The Bible tells us at the beginning of John's gospel that in the beginning the Word (Jesus) was with God and the Word was God and that everything that was made was made by him, and that he became flesh (that is; he took the form of a human being) and he dwelt among us.

Most of what we know about Jesus earthly life is written in the first four books of The New Testament. These are called the gospels, meaning 'good news', because they contain the best news that could possibly be spread. That is, that the Son of God, Jesus Christ humbled himself to take the form of man. There were many, many purposes for this, but the main reason was so that he could voluntarily offer his body as a human sacrifice for the sins of all people. He did this so that anyone who acknowledges that he or she is a sinner and has no automatic right to life after death would be able to claim that right by believing in Jesus. This is because of the fact that he bore the punishment for the sins we committed by shedding his blood when he was nailed to the cross. He could have avoided it, but he voluntarily allowed it to happen. He did this for the express purpose that every single person who puts his or her trust in him would not perish but have eternal life (John's gospel, chapter 3: verse 16).

Although most of what we know about Jesus is contained in the four comparatively short gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; the other twenty-three books of The New Testament that follow, which are mainly epistles (formal letters) are all inspired by Jesus' Spirit, known as the Holy Spirit, and tell us how we should live our lives. They also inform us of all God's promises for the future and the glorious hope we have through faith in Jesus. However, the facts about Jesus are not limited to the to the books of The New Testament. There are about 300 references to the forthcoming of Jesus throughout most of the 39 books of The Old Testament. A number of these will be referred to as the story of Jesus is related. This advance knowledge of his coming, called prophesies, foretold of where he would be born, where he would grow up, what sort of personality he would have and how people would respond to him. They mention many of the famous utterings he would make and give us many details about how he would die, be buried and rise gain from death

What I have written above is just a few of the things about Jesus that makes Him stand out from and tower above the figureheads of all other faiths. None of the other figureheads had details of their lives foretold even a few years in advance of their lives, let alone hundreds and even thousands of years in advance, as was the case with Jesus. People can visit the graves of the founders of most religions, but not the grave of Jesus because there isn't one. Jesus rose from the dead. This is why his body has never been found. The claims made by Jesus and those who wrote about him in the Bible are so out of the ordinary that one must come to one of three conclusions:

(1) Jesus was only a common human being who thought He was God, and was therefore not a sane person;

(2) What Jesus said and what others said about Him were not true and in such a case he would have to be classed as a fake and therefore a bad person;

(3) He truly is the Son of God.

The above are the only three limited categories into which Jesus could be classified, mad, bad or God. From what you are about to read about his life, you will observe from what he taught and the way he lived that no saner person than Jesus ever lived. No matter how much you study the Bible or read accounts about him; even by people who refuse to believe in him, you will never come across anything that he did that even approached being sinful. Therefore he cannot be classed as bad. So there is only one option left.

Nobody's education can be adequate without some familiarity with Jesus, because no other single person since the beginning of time has had more influence in the world. Nobody has had more books written about him, or her, than Jesus, and nobody's teachings have been more studied. The two most celebrated days in the Western world are Christmas day, when his birth is celebrated and Easter Sunday when his resurrection from the dead is commemorated.

Since Jesus' resurrection there have been many concerted efforts by ruling bodies to eradicate the Christian faith. Early Christians were thrown into lions' dens. In recent history the communist movement strove earnestly to destroy it, and still today, millions of Christians are being persecuted for their faith, but it can never be suppressed. Jesus said, "Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away". (See Matthew's gospel, chapter 24, verse 35) Who but Jesus could make such statements that will endure forever?

The Bible is easily the most successful book ever written. It's annual sales usually outnumber the combined total sales of the next ten best selling books all together. What's more it does this every year, while most of the other best selling books are fortunate if they remain in the top ten for two years in a row. It is also the most translated book. The complete Bible has been translated into over 400 languages, while parts of it; particularly the gospels have been translated into well over a thousand languages and dialects.

The Bible has also now been translated into dozens of English versions. All the books of the New Testament were originally written in Greek, which was the main universal language of the time in which they were written. So any version one reads in English has to be a translation and is likely to have the odd error. This is because they have been translated by men, whose tendency is to make mistakes. But nevertheless, if one sticks to a translation that has not been influenced by a cult leader, one can be quite confident that it represents the truth, as God would have it conveyed. At the very end of the Bible, readers are warned that God will severely punish any person who adds or takes away even one letter of the bible. But of course this is meant to imply that one must not interfere, or try to alter the meaning of what God originally wrote and wants us to know. God's nature is to forgive. Therefore he will forgive unintended errors and innocent misinterpretations by imperfect people whose sole aim is to bring his messages to the world. The admonition not to alter even one letter has been effective in preserving the accuracy of re-written copies of the original versions.

Perhaps the most significant difference between the true Christian faith and all other so-called religions including Christian cults, which I will explain about later, is that all the others teach that in order to get to heaven, be reincarnated, or move to a higher spiritual plane, you must do particular things or observe certain rituals in order to please God or numerous gods. These things, including celebrating special worship days, might be classed as good works. Whereas, while those who put their faith and trust in Jesus are exhorted to continually do good works, the Bible makes it clear that one cannot earn the right to eternal life through doing good. Our right to eternal life has been purchased by Jesus' voluntary sacrifice on the cross at Calvary for our sakes. As the Bible says, _"It is by grace (undeserved merit) that we are saved by faith and not of works, lest any man should boast."_ (See Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Chapter 2 verses 8 and 9).

Cults are normally discernable by several common features:

(1) They are normally led by a charismatic person who claims to receive special messages from God and whose interpretations of the Bible or other religious books are beyond question by members of the faith.

(2) These leaders normally hold other sub leaders, whom the leader normally appoints, in subordination.

(3) Cults usually have a sense of believing that only they have the complete truth, and that their doctrine is superior to all others. They are also likely to believe that only their members are assured of eternal life.

(4) Cults normally hold their groups together by fear that breaking from conformity will invoke the wrath of God.

(5) Ex members are regarded as outcasts.

(6) There is usually a great emphasis in giving money to God, with the implication that it should be given through the leadership of the church as God's special agents.

When Adam and Eve, the first two people that God created, sinned, they and all their descendants had their predestined right to eternal life cancelled because sin separates people from God. All Gods ways are perfect, and there is no allowance for imperfection in God's presence. As a consequence, God ordained that the only way to regain that right is through the sacrifice of perfect blood. But since no man or woman even approaches perfection – even the best-behaved people have strong tendencies towards sinful behaviour – God the father sent his son, Jesus, who is perfect, to be sacrificed in our place. Many people find this difficult to understand. However, what is vitally important is not that you understand it, but that you believe it.

One of Jesus immortal sayings is, "I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through me". _"I am the way,"_ means that to be raised to eternal life in Heaven, we must be his followers. "I am the Truth," means that whatever he says is 100% truth, always was and always will be. Therefore, we can never make a wrong decision when we follow His advice. He does not interpret truth; he is the origin and personification of truth. All truth emanates from Him, and like all of God's laws it cannot be compromised or improved on. His ways and his laws, like him, are perfect.

" _I am the life,"_ means that through faith and trust in him we can have eternal life. However, we must be humble enough to acknowledge that because of our sins; such as pride, greed, jealousy, selfishness, lust, addictions, self-pity, hatred, etc., we are not worthy of an eternal existence with God. However, because God desires us to live forever with him and to be able to give him the praise, thanks and worship he deserves, he has given us the option to accept eternal life through Jesus. It is a choice to accept the greatest gift ever given to mankind absolutely free. As I mentioned above, it is by the grace of God that we are saved through our faith in Jesus. Not because of anything we have done, could do or deserve. This means that no one is able to claim that they deserve eternal life. It also means that if a person has spent a whole lifetime in sinful pursuit and has encouraged others to do the same and then repents (is genuinely sorry for his or her sins) and accepts Jesus on his or her deathbed, that person will be just as qualified for eternal life as people who dedicated their whole lives to serving God, looking after the poor and telling people about Jesus. There are indications in the Bible that the rewards in Heaven may not be equal, but the assurance of eternal life with Jesus is just as secure because they have been justified (made acceptable) by Christ's ultimate sacrifice on their behalf.

Many people hold the belief that there are many routes to finding God. The trouble with this is that they are not able to identify what the other routes are. There seems to be a presumption that as long as you pursue God you can take any route you like, whether it is through Islam, Buddha, Hinduism, Taoism, Baha'i or whatever. To me this is like telling someone that if you want to find a certain city you can take any road on the map that appeals to you. According to my logic, since all religions disagree with each other, there can only be two alternatives: They are either all wrong or at the most, only one can be right.

Sure, all religions teach that there is one or more gods. Every primitive race that ever existed seems to have acknowledged that there are supernatural forces beyond human power and control. This seems to be an inherent trait in human nature. But there is a mighty vast difference between knowing of some one and actually knowing them. Certainly most members of religions believe there is at least one god, and probably search for evidence for the god, or the gods they believe in. But searching for and finding God is as different as knowing of God and actually discovering Him through Jesus.

If God exists and wants us to give him the praise and acknowledgement he deserves, then one can justifiably presume that he wants us to know about him. I am convinced that he has done this in three predominant ways. The first is by drawing our attention to the ever present, consistent, uncompromising laws of nature, which we can see, hear, touch, smell and taste. The second is by giving us the rules to live by, which we have through his inspired anthology of books, the Holy Bible. And the third is by sending us his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that all who believe in him will not only have eternal life, but will also have an understanding of God's nature and love for us.

The key to searching for and finding God is to seek him with an open mind, a humble heart and having the honesty to accept that you need him. In other words, be honest enough to accept that if you do not have God in your life, your existence, when you examine the purpose of it, seems to have no other purpose than to seek pleasure. Then, continuing in an honest frame of mind, you will have to acknowledge that there is no lasting satisfaction in seeking pleasure. People with alcohol, drug, gambling and sex addictions never abstain from these pursuits because their desires have been satisfied. If they ever stop, it is only after they have come to the realisation that the more they pursue these things the more miserable they are. I get pleasure from eating, sunbathing, reading and playing a game that resembles golf, but one can only take so much of each of these pursuits. Can you think of anyone that has sought pleasure through gaining worldly possessions who would turn down the opportunity to get even richer and own more things on the grounds that their satisfaction has been completed? Why do so many rich, famous and popular people fail to maintain lasting relationships with other people? Is it not because wealth, fame, popularity, adventure, sporting achievement and a place in the history books don't bring lasting satisfaction?

Why is it that some people find peace in their lives but most people don't? Well first of all, if you seek peace, you need to understand what you are seeking. There are three kinds of peace. To reach fulfilment in life, you need to find those three kinds of peace. These are, peace with yourself, peace with others and peace with God. If you are reluctant to analyse your own status in regard to peacefulness, study the people you are in contact with. Most of them will be lacking in a feeling of fulfilment in life because at least one, but often all three of the essential ingredients for a fulfilled life are missing. One can never be fully happy if one is not satisfied with one's position in life. Fame, titles, popularity and a reserved place in history can be a real burden if one is unable to be patient, tolerant and understanding of people who stare at you, want to get close to you, invade your privacy, put demands on your time and ask you silly questions. If you do not have Jesus in your life, then the naturally in-built craving for God, which needs to be satisfied in order to have a full and happy life, tends to focus on being infatuated with film stars, pop musicians, sporting heroes and political leaders, such as Karl Marx, Hitler, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung etc., who gain power by promising prosperity but end up bringing rampant misery to millions.

The Bible sums up the recipe for living a peaceful successful life as living by faith, hope and love. Peace and success begins with having faith in God, not yourself or any other human beings. The Bible says that faith comes from hearing (taking note of) the word of God. The 'Word' as mentioned earlier is actually Jesus. God's word is also the Bible, which is his inspired word. But let us not forget that before the Bible was written or anything else existed, Jesus, being one of God's three personalities always was. Hope, in this world of constant wars, famine, disease, animosity, ruthless competition and natural disasters, can only be achieved when people are united through faith and trust in Jesus Christ who alone can overpower the Devil, who is the cause of all evil.

True love, as defined by Jesus, means loving God with your whole heart, your whole soul and your whole mind, and loving others, as we would like to be loved. Jesus said that the fulfilment of the law is contained in those rules. However, to be able to please God and love even our enemies, we need to have the power to overcome our natural sinful tendencies. This power can only come from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is another of God's three personalities (the other, besides Jesus, being God the Father). The Holy Spirit is Gods' spirit living in us. He resides in us when we receive Jesus into our hearts. The Bible says, "Do you not know that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit?" (See Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians. Chapter 3,verse16) The Bible also says, _"God does not live in temples built by human hands"_ (Acts 17:24)

The Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome our desire to sin, which we inherited from Adam and Eve. This does not mean that we Christians always make use of that power. Sadly most of us don't. But nevertheless, that power exists as a choice to use. It is a power that is always available when we choose to put it into action. The point to note is that this power can only come from Jesus. Knowing Jesus starts with a desire to know the truth about why you were born and what your purpose in life is. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right. They will be filled." (Matthew's gospel, chapter 5, verse 6) This truth can only be found in Jesus, because he is the very source of truth.

Please now read the following story of Jesus' life on earth below. It is better, but not essential; to keep a Bible handy when you are reading this so that you can refer to the many fulfilled prophecies that I have noted in brackets.

The gospels are actually the inspiration of God Himself. They contain Gods wisdom, his directions and requirements for our lives. It is the absolute truth. It informs us of his unlimited love and mercy. But most importantly, it explains how anyone can have an eternal life of happiness through Jesus Christ.

The whole Bible has been divided into chapters and verses for easy reference. These divisions are exactly the same in all translations and this makes it so much easier for us to find and refer to sections of the bible verse by verse.

The book below, entitled " _The Four Gospels In One_ " was compiled by me by merging the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John into one book and placing every event in chronological order. Should you like to read any of the other sixty-two books of the Bible, most versions are freely available for reading on the Internet.

I personally have also converted the complete King James Version of the Bible separated in two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament into ebooks. They are complete with links to each book and every chapter of in each book. They can be obtained by going to the following web site: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/SilvioFamularo

Table of Contents

### The Four Gospels in One.

Matthew's gospel begins with a genealogy of Jesus going back as far as Abraham, who was the father of the Jews. This lineage given is actually that of Jesus' foster father Joseph. It is provided as proof that Jesus was of the Jewish race and that his line of descent matched all the prophecies from the Old Testament books that pertained to the coming Messiah. Another genealogy is provided in chapter 3 of Luke's gospel. This genealogy is from his mother Mary's lineage and goes back as far as Adam, the first man. I have not included that genealogy in this book but readers can check it out in chapter 3: verses 23 to 38. You will notice that while one of Joseph's ancestors was King David's son, Solomon, Mary was descended from another of David's sons, Nathan.

### The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ was born into a family that descended from King David and also from Abraham. This is the list of ancestors. Abraham fathered Isaac, who fathered Jacob, who fathered Judah and his brothers. Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez fathered Hezron and Hezron fathered Ram. Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab, fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon. Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse and Jesse fathered David the king.

David the King fathered Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife (Bathsheba). Solomon fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah and Abijah fathered Asa, Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, and Joram fathered Uzziah.

Uzziah fathered Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah. Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered Amon, and Amon fathered Josiah. Josiah fathered Jeconiah and his brothers about the time when they were exiled to Babylon. From the exile to Babylon to the birth of Jesus, his ancestors were: Jehoiachin, Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim; Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob, and Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is called the Christ.

There were fourteen generations from Abraham to the time of David, fourteen from David to the exile in Babylon and fourteen further generations to the birth of the Messiah.

When Jesus began to preach, he was about thirty years old.

### Introduction to Luke's Gospel

(Luke 1:1-4)

Luke starts his gospel by writing, " Many people have undertaken to relate the story of the things that God has done among us. They recorded what was passed down to us by eyewitnesses from the beginning and those who spoke messages from God. I, myself, have carefully studied everything from the beginning and have decided to write it down and give you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, so that you can be certain that the things you have heard are true."

### The Announcement of the Birth of John the Baptist

(Luke 1:5-25)

At the time when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest called Zechariah who belonged to a priestly division of the order called Abijah. Zechariah's wife came from Aaron's family and was called Elizabeth. They were both very good people and pleased God by obeying His commandments and upholding His laws. However, they did not have any children. Elizabeth was not able to have any, and both Zechariah and Elizabeth were quite old.

It so happened that one day when Zechariah's group of priests was on duty at the Temple and Zechariah was serving God in his duty as a priest. He had been selected, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the Lord's temple and burn incense while a crowd of people was praying outside.

Suddenly an angel from the Lord appeared to him and stood at the right side of the altar.

When Zechariah saw the angel he was confounded and afraid. But the angel consoled him and told him not to be afraid. He said, "Zechariah! Your prayers have been answered. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you are to call him John. His birth will bring you much joy and happiness and many people will be glad because he will be a great servant of the Lord in God's eyes. He will not be allowed to drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he is conceived in his mother's womb. He will advise many of the people in Israel to return to the Lord their God and he will go on before the Lord with the same power and spirit that Elijah had. Because of John, parents will take more care of their children. People who have been disobedient to God will now begin to think about what is wise and just. This is how John will prepare people for the coming of the Lord."

Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be certain of this? My wife and I are both old."

The angel answered, "I am Gabriel, God's servant. I have been sent by God to speak to you and bring you this good news. Now, because you have not believed what I have said, you will not be able talk until all this eventuates. But these things will take place at the proper time."

The people outside were waiting for Zechariah to come out and were wondering why he was spending so much time in the temple. When he did come out, he was not able to speak, so the people presumed he had seen a vision. He made signs to them with his hands, but could not say a word. When Zechariah's time of service in the temple was completed, he returned to his house.

After this, his wife became pregnant, and for five months she kept herself secluded from everyone. "The Lord has done this for me," she said to herself. "In these days he has shown his favour and taken away my disgrace among the people."

The Birth of John the Baptist

(Luke 1: 57-66)

When the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, her neighbors and relatives heard how kind the Lord had been to her and they too were full of joy. Eight days later they came to circumcise the baby and they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, "No! He is to be called John." But the people there said, "No one in your family has ever been named John." So they made signs to Zechariah to find out what he wanted to call his son.

Zechariah asked for a writing tablet. Then to everyone's surprise he wrote, "His name is John." Straight away, Zechariah's voice came back and he started speaking and praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe because of what had happened, and all throughout the hill country people kept talking about these things. Everyone who heard about this was wondering what sort of person this baby would grow up to be. They knew that the hand of Lord was on him.

Zechariah gives thanks and Praise to God.

(Luke 1: 67-80)

The Holy Spirit came down upon Zechariah, and he started to prophesy: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel because he has come to save his people. Our God has provided us with a mighty Saviour from the family of David his servant (He was, of course, referring to the coming of Jesus). Long ago the Lord promised by the words of his holy prophets that he would save us from our enemies and from everyone who hates us. God said he would be merciful to our ancestors and keep his sacred promise. He told our forefather Abraham that he would rescue us from our enemies. Then we would be able to serve him without fear, in holiness and uprightness for as long as we live. And you, my son, will be called a prophet of the most high God in heaven above, for you will go ahead of the Lord to prepare the way for him. You will tell his people that they can be saved once their sins have been forgiven because God's love and kindness will shine upon us like the sun that rises in the sky. On us who live in the dark shadow of death, his light will shine to guide us into a life of peace."

John grew up and God's Spirit gave him great power. He lived in the desert until the time he was sent by God to the people of Israel."

An Angel announces the Birth of Jesus

(Matt 1: 18-25; Luke 1; 26-38)

One month after the angel appeared to Zechariah, God sent an angel, Gabriel, to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, with a message for a virgin named Mary. She had made a pledge to marry Joseph who was a descendent of King David. The angel greeted Mary and said, "You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you."

Mary was taken by great surprise and wondered what his words meant. The angel said, "Don't be afraid! God has favoured you. You will become pregnant and will have a son. You are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David and he will rule the people of Israel forever. His kingdom will never end

"But how can this be," Mary asked the angel, " I am still a virgin!"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and God's power will overshadow you." So your child will be called the holy Son of God. Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she is getting old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son. Nothing is impossible for God!"

Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant! Let it happen as you have said." And the angel left her.

An angel appears to Joseph in a dream

(Matt 1:18-25)

This is how the birth of Christ took place. His mother was engaged to Joseph, but Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant before they had ever come together. Now being a good and upright man, he did not want to expose her to public disgrace. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding, not knowing that Mary was conceived of the Holy Spirit. While Joseph was considering all this, an angel from the Lord visited him in a dream. The angel said, "Joseph, do not be afraid. The baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet, Isaiah had said, "A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel," which means "God is with us." (See Isaiah 7:14) Soon Joseph woke up. Some time later, he did what the angel commanded him to do and married Mary. But they did not sleep together before her baby was born. Then Joseph named the baby Jesus.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

(Luke I: 39-45)

After Mary had learned about her pregnancy she hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. There, she went into Zechariah the priest's home, where she greeted his wife Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, her baby leaped in her womb and the Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. Then in a loud voice she said to Mary: "God has blessed you more than any other woman! And blessed is the child you will have. Why am I so favoured that the mother of my Lord should visit me? As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and leaped for joy within me. The Lord has blessed you, Mary, because you believed that which he said would be accomplished."

Mary's Song of Praise

(Luke 1: 46-55)

Mary said: "With all my heart I praise the Lord, and my spirit rejoices because of God my Saviour for he cares for me, his humble servant. From now on, all generations will say God has blessed me. For our almighty God has done a great thing for me. Holy is his name. His mercy extends to all those who fear him from generation to generation. The Lord has used his powerful arm to scatter those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. God drags strong rulers down from their thrones and puts humble people in places of power. He gives the hungry good things to eat, and sends the rich away with nothing.

He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors and has come to help his servant Israel. He is always merciful to his people. The Lord made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his family forever!"

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she went back home.

The birth of Jesus

(Luke 2; 1-40; Matt 1:18-25)

About that time the Roman Emperor, Augustus, gave orders for the names of all the people in his empire to be listed in record books. These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to go to his or her own hometown to be listed. So Joseph had to go up from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David's hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David's lineage. Mary was engaged to Joseph and travelled with him to Bethlehem. Her baby was due and while they were there, she gave birth to her first-born son (Jesus). She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger (a food trough for horses and cattle) because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds

At that time in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were keeping watch over their sheep by night. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. This frightened the shepherds. But the angel said, "Don't be afraid! I bring you tidings of great joy, which will affect all people. **(See Isaiah 9:6)** This very day in King David's hometown a Saviour was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. This is how you will know who he is. You will find him dressed in strips of cloth and lying on a bed of hay." Suddenly a great number of angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God."

After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about." They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay. When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him. Everyone listened and was surprised. But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant. As the shepherds were returning to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him. Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said. Eight days later Jesus' parents did for him what the Law of Moses commands; they circumcised the baby. And they named him Jesus, just as the angel had instructed Mary when Jesus was in her womb.

Simeon Praises the Lord

(Luke 2: 22—35)

The time came for Mary and Joseph to do what the Law of Moses says a mother is supposed to do after her baby is born. They took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem and presented him to the Lord, just as the Law of the Lord says, "Each first-born baby boy belongs to the Lord." (See Exodus 13:2) The Law of the Lord also says that parents have to offer a sacrifice, giving at least a pair of doves or two young pigeons. (See Leviticus 12:2-8) So that is what Mary and Joseph did.

At that time there was a man named Simeon who was living in Jerusalem. Simeon was a devout man. He loved God and was waiting for God to save the people of Israel. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen Christ the Lord. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to do what the Law of Moses says should be done for a new baby, the Spirit told Simeon to go into the temple also. Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and praised God, "Lord, I am your servant, and now I can die in peace, because you have kept your promise to me. With my own eyes I have seen what you have done for the salvation of your people and foreign nations will also see this (See Isaiah 52:10). Your mighty power is a light to reveal your will to the Gentles (people who are not Jewish) and bring glory to your people, Israel. Jesus' parents were astounded at what Simeon had said. Then Simeon blessed them and told Mary, "This child of yours will cause many people in Israel to fall and others to stand. He will be a sign from which many people will speak against and so will reveal their secret thoughts. And you, Mary, your soul will suffer as though you had been stabbed by a dagger. But all this will show what people are really thinking.

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Anna Speaks

(Luke 2: 36-38)

There was an old prophetess, a widow named Anna, who was also there in the temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and now she was eighty-four years old. Night and day she served God in the temple by praying and often going without eating. At that very same time Anna came in and praised God. She spoke about the child Jesus to everyone who hoped for Jerusalem to be set free.

The Return to Nazareth

(Luke 2 39-40)

When Joseph and Mary had finished doing everything that the Law of the Lord commands, they returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee.

The child Jesus grew. He became strong and wise, and God blessed him.

The Wise Men from the East

(Matt 2 1-12)

At the time Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in Judea, Herod was king. During this time some wise men (astrologers) from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the child who was born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." When King Herod heard about this, he was worried, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. Herod brought together the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses and asked them, "Where will the Messiah be born?" They told him, "He will be born in Bethlehem of Judea, just as the prophet Micah wrote, 'Bethlehem in the land of Judea, you are very important among the towns of Judea. From your town will come a leader, who will be like a shepherd for my people Israel.'(See Micah 5:2) So Herod called the visitors from the East to a secret meeting and asked them what time they had first seen the star. Then he told them to go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child with these instructions. "As soon as you find him, let me know, because I want to go and worship him too." The wise men listened to what the king said and then left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star they were greatly excited and full of joy. When the men went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshipped him. And when they opened their treasures they took out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and gave them to him. Later they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, so they went back home by another road.

(Note: It has become quite common to refer to the wise men as three kings named Melchior, Balthazar and Casper. But the Bible doesn't mention how many wise men came from the East. Neither does it refer to them anywhere as Kings, and it certainly doesn't provide any names for them.)

###### The Escape to Egypt

(Matt 2:13-15)

After the wise men had gone, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Hurry and take the child and his mother to Egypt! Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is looking for the child and wants to kill him." So while it was still nighttime, Joseph got up, took his wife and the child and left for Egypt, where they stayed until Herod died. So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet, Hosea, had said, "I called my son out of Egypt." (See Hosea 11:1)

The Killing of the Children

### (Matt 2:16-18)

When Herod realized that the wise men from the east had tricked him, he was furious. He gave orders for his men to kill all the boys who lived in or near Bethlehem and were two years old or younger. This was based on what he had learned from the wise men about the time when the star had appeared. So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet Jeremiah had said, "In Ramah a voice was heard crying and weeping loudly. Rachel was mourning for her children, and she refused to be comforted, because they were dead." (See Jeremiah 31:15).

The Return from Egypt

(Matt 2:19-23)

After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph while he was still in Egypt. The angel said, "Get up and take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel. Those people who wanted to kill the young child are now dead." So Joseph got up and left with the child and his mother for Israel. But when he heard that Herod's son Archelaus was now ruler of Judea instead of his father, Joseph was afraid to go there. Then in a dream God told him to go into the region of Galilee. So they went to live there in the town of Nazareth. Consequently, the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet, Isaiah, had said, "He will be called a Nazarene."

The young Jesus in the Temple

(Luke 2:40-52)

Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. And when Jesus was twelve years old, they all went there as usual for the celebration. After the feast was over, his parents were returning home, but they were not aware that Jesus had remained in Jerusalem. Thinking that he was travelling with some other people, they journeyed a whole day before they started to look for him. When they discovered that he was not with their relatives and friends, they returned to Jerusalem and started to search for him there. After three days looking, they found Jesus sitting in the temple courts among the teachers, listening to them and asking them all kinds of questions. Everyone who heard Jesus was surprised at how much the boy knew and at the answers he gave. When his parents found him, they were astonished. His mother said, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been very worried, and we have been searching for you!"

Jesus answered, "Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I would be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he meant.

Jesus returned to Nazareth with his parents and was obedient to them. Mary kept on thinking about all that had happened. Jesus grew wise and strong. God was pleased with him and so were the people.

The Preaching of John the Baptist

(Luke 3; 1-20; Matthew 3.1-12; Mark 1.1-8; John 1.19-28)

For fifteen years Emperor Tiberius had been ruler of that part of the world. Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea, and Herod was the ruler of Galilee. Herod's brother, Philip, was the ruler in the countries of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene. During the time that Annas and Caiaphas were the Jewish high priests, God spoke to Zechariah's son John, who was living in the desert. John wore clothes made of camel's hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and fed on locusts and wild honey. So John went along the Jordan Valley, telling the people, " The kingdom of heaven will soon be here." Turn back to God and be baptised! Then your sins will be forgiven." Isaiah the prophet wrote about John when he said, "In the desert someone is shouting, 'Get the road ready for the Lord! Make a straight path for him. Every valley will be filled in and every mountain and hill will be made flat. Straighten the crooked paths for Him and smooth out the rough roads. Then everyone will see the saving power of God.' " (See Isaiah 40:3-5)

(Matt 3; 5-13)

From Jerusalem and all Judea and from the Jordan River Valley crowds of people went to John. After they confessed that they were sinners, John baptized them in the river Jordan. Many Pharisees and Sadducees also came to be baptized, but John rebuked them and said, "You bunch of vipers! Who warned you to run from the coming judgement? Do something to prove that you really have turned away from sinning. Don't give me the excuse that you belong to Abraham's family. God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. An axe is ready to cut the trees down at their roots, and any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire."

The crowds asked John, "What should we do?" John told them, "If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn't have any. If you have food, share it with someone else."

When some tax collectors came to John to be baptized, they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do to be better people?" John told them, "Don't make people pay more tax than they owe."

Some soldiers asked him, "And what about us? What do we have to do?"

John told them, "Don't force people to pay money to make you leave them alone. Be satisfied with your pay."

Everyone became excited and wondered, "Could John be the Messiah?"

John said, "I just baptize with water. But someone more powerful than me is going to come, and I am not good enough to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He carries His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. He will store the wheat in his barn and burn the husks with a fire that never goes out."

John preached the good news to the people in various ways. He was very firm, even to Herod the ruler. He told Herod that it was wrong for him to take Herodias, his brother's wife. John also told Herod off for doing many other bad things. In the end, Herod had John put in jail, which was the worst thing he could have done.

John the Baptist denies that he is the Messiah

(John 1: 19-37 Matthew 3.1-12; Mark 1.1-8; Luke 3.15-17)

Before John was imprisoned, the leaders in Jerusalem sent some priests and some Levites to ask John who he was. (The Levites were one of the twelve of the tribes of Israel, who were designated by Moses to attend to the day-to-day administration of the Temple.) John told them plainly, "I am not the Messiah." Then when they asked him if he were Elijah, he said, "No, I am not!" And when they asked if he were the Prophet, he answered "No!" Finally, they said, "Who are you then? We have to give an answer to the people who sent us. Tell us who you are!"

John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord!' "

Next some Pharisees were sent to John. They asked him, "Why are you baptizing people, if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?"

John replied, "I use water to baptize people. But among you stands someone you don't know. He is the one who comes after me. Even though I came first, I am not good enough to untie his sandals." John said this as he was baptizing east of the Jordan River in Bethany.

The Lamb of God

(John 1: 29-34; Matt 3:3-17; Mark 1.9-11; Luke 3.21, 22)

The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said: "Look! Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! He is the one I was telling you about when I said; "Someone else will come who is greater than I am because he was alive before I was born." I didn't know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, in order to make him known to the people of Israel."

Jesus had come from Nazareth in Galilee and went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John kept objecting and said, "I ought to be baptized by you. Why have you come to me?" Jesus answered, "Let it be so for now, because we must do all that God wants us to do." Then John consented. So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Holy Spirit coming down on him like a dove. Then a voice from heaven said, "This is my own dear Son, in whom I am well pleased." John said that before this happened, he didn't know whom Jesus was. But the one who sent him to baptize with water had told him, "You will see the Spirit come down and stay on someone. Then you will know that he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.

The First Disciples of Jesus

(John 1:35-42)

The next day, John was there again with two of his disciples (followers). When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Here is the Lamb of God!" John's two disciples heard him, and they went with Jesus.

When Jesus turned round and saw them, he asked them, "What do you want?"

They answered, "Rabbi (which means teacher), where are you staying?"

Jesus replied, "Come with me and you will see!" It was already about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him and saw where he was staying. So they spent the day with him. One of the two men who had heard John and had gone with Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him, "We have found the Messiah!" (The Hebrew word "Messiah" means the same as the Greek word "Christ.") Andrew brought his brother to Jesus. And when Jesus saw him, he said, "Simon son of John, you will be called Cephas." This name can be translated as "Peter." (A little stone)

Jesus Chooses Philip and Nathaniel

(John 1:43-50)

The next day Jesus went to Galilee. There he met Philip, who was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Jesus said to Philip, "Come with me."

Philip then found Nathaniel and said, "We have found the one that Moses and the Prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth."

Nathaniel asked, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

Philip answered, "Come and see."

When Jesus saw Nathaniel coming towards him, he said, "Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. He is a man without guile"

"How do you know me?" Nathaniel asked.

Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."

Nathaniel said, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of Israel!"

Jesus answered, "Did you believe me just because I said that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see something even greater. I tell you for certain that you will see heaven open and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man."

Jesus and the Devil

(Matthew 4.1-11; Mark 1.12, 13; Luke 4:1-13)

When Jesus returned from the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit led him into the desert. For forty days Jesus was tempted by the devil to sin, and during that time he went without eating. He was among wild animals, but the angels took care of Him. At the end of that time, he was hungry. The devil said to Jesus, "If you are God's Son, tell these stones to turn into bread."

Jesus answered, "The Scriptures say, 'No one can live by bread alone.' People need every word that comes from the word of God"

Having failed in this attempt, the devil led Jesus up to a high mountain and quickly showed him all the nations on earth. The devil said, "I will give all this power and glory to you. It has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. Just worship me, and you can have it all."

Jesus answered, "The Scriptures say: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!' "

Finally, the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and got him to stand on top of the temple. The devil said, "If you are God's Son, jump off this building. The Scriptures say, 'God will tell his angels to take care of you. They will catch you in their arms, and you will not hurt your feet on the stones.' "

Jesus answered, "The Scriptures also say, 'Don't try to test the Lord your God!' "

After the devil had finished testing Jesus in every way possible, he left him for a while.

Jesus at a Wedding in Cana

(John 2: 1-12)

Shortly after Jesus was baptized, Mary, his mother, was at a wedding feast in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited and were there. When the wine was all gone, Mary said to Jesus, "They don't have any more wine."

Jesus replied, "Mother, my time hasn't yet come! You must not tell me what to do."

Mary then said to the servants, "Do whatever Jesus tells you to do."

At the feast there were six stone water jars that were used by the people for washing themselves in the way that their religion said they must. Each jar held about twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants to fill them to the top with water. Then after the jars had been filled, he said, "Now take some water and give it to the man in charge of the feast."

The servants did as Jesus told them, and the man in charge drank some of the water that had now turned into wine. He did not know where the wine had come from, but the servants did. He called the bridegroom over and said, "The best wine is always served first. Then after the guests have had plenty, the other wine is served. But you have kept the best until last!"

This was Jesus' first miracle, and he did it in the village of Cana in Galilee. There, Jesus showed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. After this, he went with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples to the town of Capernaum, where they stayed for a few days.

### Jesus in the Temple

(John 2; 13-25;Matthew 21.12, 13; Mark 11.15-17; Luke 19.45, 46)

Not long before the Jewish festival of Passover, Jesus went to Jerusalem. When he got there he got very upset because he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves in the temple. He also saw moneychangers sitting at their tables. (These people were most likely charging exorbitant exchange rates.) So he took some rope and made a whip. Then he chased everybody out of the temple, together with their sheep and cattle. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and scattered their coins. Then he said to the people who had been selling doves, "Get those doves out of here! Don't make my Father's house a marketplace." (See Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11) Some disciples who observed all this then remembered what was written in the Scriptures, "My love for your house burns in me like a fire." (See psalm 69-9.)

The Jewish leaders asked Jesus, "What miracle will you work to show us why you have done this?" Jesus answered, "Destroy this temple and it will be built up again in three days"

The leaders replied, "It took forty-six years to build this temple. What makes you think you can rebuild it in three days?" But Jesus was talking about his body as a temple. And when he was raised from death, his disciples remembered what he had told them. Then they believed the Scriptures and the words of Jesus.

Jesus Knows What People Are Like

(John 2: 23-25)

While Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many people believed in Him, because they saw him work miracles. But Jesus knew what was in their hearts, and he would not let them try to influence him. No one had to tell him what people were like. He already knew.

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Jesus and Nicodemus

(John 3: 1-21)

There was a Jewish leader called Nicodemus who was a Pharisee. One night he went to Jesus and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that God has sent you to teach us. No one would be able to work these miracles, unless God were with him."

Jesus replied, "Let me tell you that most certainly you must be born again before you can see God's kingdom!"

Nicodemus asked, "How can a grown man ever be born again. Is it possible for an old man to enter his mother's womb again?

Jesus answered: "I tell you most certainly that before you can get into God's kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. Humans give life to their children. But only God's Spirit can give people a new spirit. Do not be surprised because I say that you must be born again. Only God's Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

Jesus replied, "How can you be a teacher of Israel and not know these things? I tell you for certain that we know what we have seen and can give a report about these things. But none of you will accept what we say. If you do not believe me when I talk to you about things in this world, how can you possibly believe me when I talk to you about things in heaven? No one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man (Jesus himself), who came down from there. Therefore the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as Moses lifted up the metal snake in the desert. (See Numbers, chapter 21:9) Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the people of this world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who has faith in him should not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent Him to save them! No one who has faith in God's Son will be condemned. But everyone who doesn't have faith in him has already been condemned for not having faith in God's only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the darkness more than the light. Everyone practicing evil hates the light and won't come to the light, because the light clearly exposes their evilness. But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that what he does is done through God."

The testimony of John the Baptist

(John 3: 22-29)

After this, Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judea, where Jesus stayed with them for a while and was baptizing people. John the Baptist was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, where there was a lot of water, and people were constantly coming to him to be baptized. This was before John was put in prison.

An argument developed between some of John's followers and a certain Jewish man about the matter of ceremonial washing. So they went to John and said, "Rabbi, you talked about that man who was with you when you were east of the Jordan. Well, he is now baptizing people, and everyone is going to him."

John replied, "No one can receive anything unless God in heaven allows it. Remember that I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am only the person sent ahead of him. At a wedding the groom is the one who gets married. The best man is happy just to be there and to hear the groom's voice. That's why I am so contented. Jesus must become more important, while I must become less important.

.

The One Who Comes from Heaven

(John 3: 31-36)

"God's Son who has come from heaven is superior to everyone. Everyone who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and can speak only about earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is greater than all others. He speaks about that which he has seen and heard, but no one wants to believe him. But everyone who does believe him has shown that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God and he has been given the full power of God's Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Everyone who has faith in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects him will never share in that life. God will be angry with them forever."

The Pharisees heard that Jesus was winning and baptizing more followers than John was, although, in fact, it was Jesus' disciples who were really the ones doing the baptizing, and not Jesus himself.

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

(John 4: 3-26)

When the Lord heard of this he left Judea and went back to Galilee. This time he had to go through Samaria, and on his way he came to a town called Sychar, which was near the field that Jacob had long ago given to his son Joseph. The well that Jacob had dug was still there, and Jesus sat down beside it because he was tired from travelling. It was midday, and after Jesus' disciples had gone into town to buy some food, a Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well. Jesus asked her, "Would you please give me a drink of water?"

"You are a Jew," she replied, "and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink of water when Jews and Samaritans won't have anything to do with each other?"

Jesus answered, "You don't know what God wants to give you, and you don't know who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would ask me for the water that gives life."

"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw the water up in, and the well is deep. Where are you going to get this life-giving water? Our forefather Jacob dug this well for his family and our animals. Are you greater than Jacob?"

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give is like a flowing fountain welling up to eternal life."

The woman said to Him, "Sir, please give me a drink of that water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

Jesus said to her, "Go and get your husband."

The woman replied, "But I don't have a husband."

"That's right," Jesus said to her, "you're telling the truth when you say you don't have a husband. You have been married five times already, and the man you are now living with isn't your husband."

"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our forefathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the only place to worship is Jerusalem."

Jesus told her: "Believe me woman, a time is coming when you won't worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans really don't know whom you worship. But we Jews do know the God we worship, and by us, God will bring Salvation to the world. But a time is coming, and it is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For they are the kind of worshipers the Father is seeking to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth.

The woman said, "I know that the Messiah is coming. He is the one we call Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

"I am that one," Jesus told her, "and I am speaking to you now."

The Disciples rejoin Jesus

### (John 4: 27-45)

The disciples came back around this time and were taken aback to find Jesus talking with a woman. But no one asked him what he was wanting or why he was talking to her.

The woman leaving her water jar ran back into town and said to the people, "Come and see a man who has told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?" Then everyone in town made their way out to see Jesus.

In the meantime, Jesus' disciples were urging him to have something to eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you don't know anything about."

Then his disciples started asking each other, "Has someone brought him food?"

Jesus said: "My food is to do what God wants me to do! He is the one who sent me, and I must finish the work that he gave me to do. You may say that there are still four months until harvest time. But I tell you to look, and you will see that the crops are now ripe and ready to be harvested. Even now he who works is receiving his reward by gathering a harvest that brings eternal life. Then everyone who planted the seed and everyone who harvests the crop will celebrate together. The saying is true, 'Some plant the seed, and others harvest the crop.' I have sent you to harvest crops in a field where you did not work. Others have done all the hard work and you will profit from it."

Many of the Samaritans in that town put their faith in Jesus because the woman had said, "This man told me everything I have ever done." So when the Samaritans came and asked him to stay in their town, he stayed on for two days. Many more Samaritans put their faith in Jesus because of what they heard him say. They said to the woman, "We believe now not because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves, and we are certain that he is the Saviour of the world!"

Jesus said to His disciples, "Prophets are honoured everywhere, except in their own country." Two days later he left and went to Galilee filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. News about him spread everywhere. He taught in the Jewish meeting places, and everyone praised him. By this time John the Baptist had been put in prison.

Jesus Heals an Official's son.

(John 4: 46-54)

Once more Jesus visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a certain official there whose son lay sick in Capernaum. When the man heard that Jesus had arrived at Galilee in Judea, he went and begged him to come and heal his son who was dying.

Jesus told the official, "Unless you see miracles, signs and wonders you will never believe!"

The man replied, "Lord, please come before my son dies!"

Jesus then said, "You may go home to him. Your son will live."

The man believed Jesus and departed for home. While he was on his way home, some of the official's servants met him along the way and told him that his son was alive. The official asked his servants when the boy got better, and they answered, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour (One o'clock)."

Then the boy's father realized that this was the exact hour the day before when Jesus had told him, "Your son will live!" So the man and everyone in his household put their faith in Jesus.

This was the second miracle that Jesus performed after he left Judea and went to Galilee.

Jesus Begins His Work

(Matt 4: 12-17; Mark 1.14, 15; Luke 4.14, 15)

Jesus returned to Galilee after he had heard that John the Baptist had been put in prison, but instead of staying in Nazareth, he moved to stay in Capernaum. This town was beside Lake Galilee in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali. So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said, "Listen, you lands of Zebulun and Naphtali, lands along the road to the sea and east of the Jordan! Listen Galilee, land of the Gentiles! The people who live in darkness have seen a great light. Although they live in the shadow of death, a light will shine on them." (See Isaiah 9:1-2) Then Jesus started preaching, "Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here."

Jesus Chooses Four Fishermen to Follow Him

(Matt 4 18-22; Mark 1.16-20; Luke 5.1-11)

While Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw two brothers. One was Simon, also known as Peter, and the other was Andrew. They were fishermen, and they were casting their nets into the lake. Jesus said to them, "Come with me! I will teach you how to catch people." Right away the two brothers dropped their nets and followed him. Jesus walked on until he saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus asked them to come with him too. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

The People of Nazareth Turn against Jesus

(Luke 4: 16-20; Matthew 13.53-58; Mark 6.1-6)

Then Jesus returned to Galilee, and the power of the Holy Spirit was with Him. The news about him spread throughout the surrounding territory. He taught in the synagogues and was praised by everyone. (A synagogue is a building where Jewish people meet for services and religious instruction.)

He went to Nazareth where he was brought up, and as usual he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. When he stood up to read from the Scriptures, he was handed the book of Isaiah the prophet to read. So he opened it and read, "The Spirit of the Lord has come to me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce liberty for prisoners, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, and to say that the time has come when the Lord will save His people. " (See Isaiah 61: 1-2) He closed the book, then handed it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of all those who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

Jesus Heals Peters Mother-in-law

(Matthew 8.14-17; Mark 1:29-34 Luke 4.38-41)

As soon as Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went home with Simon and Andrew. When they got there, Jesus was told that Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever. Jesus went to her. He put her hand in his and demanded that the fever to go away. Then he helped her sit up. The fever left her, and she got up at once and waited on them.

That evening after sunset, all those who had friends who were sick or had demons in them brought them to Jesus. In fact, the whole town gathered around the door of the house. And with only a word he forced out the evil spirits and healed everyone who was sick. Demons also went out of many people screaming, "You are the Son of God!" But Jesus ordered the demons not to speak because they knew he was the Messiah. So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said, "He healed our diseases and made us well." (See Isaiah 53:4)

(Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-44)

Early the next morning, Jesus got up and went to a place where he could be alone and pray. Simon and the others went out looking for him. When they found him, they said, "Everyone is looking for you!" They tried to stop Him from leaving. But Jesus said, "We need to go to the other nearby towns, so that I can preach the good news to those people. This is why I have come." Then Jesus went to synagogues everywhere in Galilee, where he preached and cast out demons.

Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy

(Matthew 8.1-4; Mark1: 40-3:12; Luke 5.12-16)

A man with leprosy came to Jesus and knelt down. He implored Him, "You have the power to make me well, if only you wanted to." Jesus felt very sorry for the man. So he stretched out his hand and touched him and said, "I do want to! Be cleansed." At once the man's leprosy left him, and he was well. Then Jesus strictly warned the man not to tell anyone, and he sent him on his way. He said, "Just go and show the priest that you are well. Then take a gift to the temple as Moses commanded, and everyone will know that you have been healed." But the man talked about it so much and told so many people, that Jesus could no longer go openly anywhere in town. He had to stay away from the towns in secluded places, but people still came to him from everywhere.

Jesus Heals a Crippled Man

(Mark 2: 1-12; Matthew 9:1-8; Luke 5:17-26)

Jesus returned to Capernaum, and the news spread that he was at home. So many people came to Him that there wasn't even standing room left in front of the door. Jesus was still teaching when four men arrived carrying a crippled man on a mat. But because of the crowd, however, they could not get him to Jesus. So they made a hole in the roof above where Jesus was and let the man down in front of everyone. Seeing how much faith they had, Jesus said to the crippled man, "My son, your sins are forgiven." Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses who were sitting there started wondering, "How does He dare to say such a thing? This is blasphemy. Only God can forgive sins." Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, "Why are you thinking such things? Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and pick up his mat and go on home? I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority to forgive sins here on earth." So Jesus said to the man, "Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home." The man got right up, picked up his mat and went out while everyone watched in amazement. They praised God and said, "We have never seen anything like this!"

Jesus Chooses Levi

(Mark 2:13-17; Matthew 9.9-13; Luke 5.27-32)

Jesus went back again to the shore of Lake Galilee. A large crowd gathered around him, and he started to teach them. As he walked along, he saw a tax collector, Levi, the son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at the tax collector's booth, and Jesus said to him, "Come and follow me!" So he got up and went with Jesus. Later on Jesus and his disciples were having a meal at Levi's house. Many tax collectors and other sinners had become followers of Jesus, and they were also guests at the dinner. Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses, who were Pharisees, saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors. So they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus heard them and answered, "It is not healthy people that need a doctor, but sick people. I didn't come to invite upright people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners."

People Ask about Going without Eating

(Mark 2: 18-22; Matthew 9.14-17; Luke 5.33-39)

The followers of John the Baptist and the Pharisees were often fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "Why do the followers of John and those of the Pharisees often go without eating, while yours never do?"

Jesus answered: "The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while the groom is still with them. But the time will come when he will be taken from them. When that happens they will go without eating. No one patches old clothes by sewing on a piece of new cloth. The new piece would shrink and tear a bigger hole. No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins. Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins."

A Question about the Sabbath

(Matthew 12.1-8; Luke 6.1-5)

One Sabbath Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields. His disciples were picking grains of wheat as they went along. Some Pharisees who saw this asked Jesus, "Why are your disciples picking grain on the Sabbath? They are not supposed to do that!" Jesus answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? It was during the time of Abiathar the high priest. David went into the house of God and ate the sacred loaves of bread, which is lawful for only priests to eat. He also gave some to his companions." Then He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the good of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for the good of people. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

A Man with a Crippled Hand

(Mark 3: 3-6; Matthew 12.9-14; Luke 6.6-11)

The next time that Jesus went into the synagogue, there was a man there with a crippled hand. Some of he Pharisees were looking for an excuse to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, so they kept watching to see if Jesus would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus told the man to stand up in front of everyone so that they could see him. Then Jesus asked them, "Should we do good deeds or evil deeds on the Sabbath? Should we save someone's life or destroy it?" But no one said a word. Jesus looked around at the people angrily. Yet he felt distressed because they were so stubborn. Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." The man did, and his crippled hand was healed. The Pharisees left the synagogue and began making plans with Herod's followers to kill Jesus.

Large Crowds Come to Jesus

Jesus took his disciples down to the shore of the lake. Large crowds followed Him. They were from Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. People even came from Idumea, as well as other places east of the Jordan River. They also came from the region around the cities of Tyre and Sidon. All of these crowds came because they had heard what Jesus was doing. He even had to tell his disciples to get a boat ready to keep him from being crushed by the crowds. After Jesus had healed many people, all the other sick people begged him to let them touch him. And whenever any evil spirits saw Jesus, they would fall to the ground and shout, "You are the Son of God!" But Jesus ordered the spirits not to tell who he was.

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

(Luke 5: 1-11; Matthew 4.18-22; Mark 1.16-20)

One day, Jesus was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, teaching the people as they crowded around him to hear God's message. Near the shore he saw two boats left there by some fishermen who were washing their nets. Jesus got into one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon and asked him to row it out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down in the boat and taught the crowd. When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Row the boat out into the deep water and let your nets down to catch some fish."

Simon answered, "Master, we have worked hard all night long and haven't caught anything. But because you tell me to, I will let down the nets." When they had done that, they caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together they filled the two boats so full of fish that the boats were about to sink. When Simon Peter saw what happened, he fell on his knees in front of Jesus and said, "Lord, don't come near me! I am a sinner." Peter and everyone with him were completely amazed at all the fish they had caught. His partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were surprised too.

Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid! From now on you will be catching people instead of fish." The men pulled their boats up onto the shore. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.

Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles

(Mark 3. 13-19; Matthew 10.1-4; Luke 6.12-16)

About that time Jesus went up a mountainside to pray, and he spent the whole night there. Jesus decided to ask some of his disciples to go up on a mountain with him, and they went. The next morning he called his disciples together and chose twelve of them to be his apostles. "I have selected you to be with me," he said. "I also want you to go out and preach and I will give you the power to cast out demons." The twelve he chose were Simon whom Jesus renamed Peter, James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. Jesus called them Boanerges, which means "men of thunder", Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.

The Sermon on the Mount

We now come to the famous 'Sermon on the mount', which takes up three chapters, 5 to7, in Matthew's gospel. In this sermon, Jesus is addressing a crowd of people who recognized that this is no ordinary man. While perhaps only a few would have recognized that he was the promised Messiah, many would have recognized him as a prophet. While the main purpose of Jesus incarnation (being born a human) was to lead the way to eternal life after death, nothing is mentioned in this sermon about salvation or justification by faith (being made worthy of Heaven by the eventual shedding of Christ's blood). The essence of this sermon is about the spiritual values of obeying God's laws and correcting the false practices taught by the Pharisees and the elders of the people. He is telling the crowds (and us) that they should live in a way that is always above the law and not just according to it. It deals with the inner state of the heart and mind. He describes a lifestyle, which no human being could possibly live up to unless one totally puts one's trust in Jesus and receives the power of the Holy Spirit, which will enable him or her to do so.

Much reference is made to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is called the Kingdom of God in the other gospels. To enter this kingdom, although one is an inhabitant of the Earth, one must believe that Jesus is the Saviour of the world and one must also live according to the Father's will as it is done in Heaven.

Blessings

(Matthew 5:1-12; Luke 6.20-23)

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down. He gathered his disciples around him, and he taught them:

"God blesses those people who are poor in spirit and depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven!

God blesses those people who mourn. God will comfort them!

God blesses those people who are humble. They will inherit the earth!

God blesses those people who hunger and thirst for what is right. They will be given what they want!

God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy!

God blesses those people whose hearts are pure. They will see Him!

God blesses those people who work for peace. God will call them his children!

God blesses those people who are persecuted for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven.

God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because you are my followers. Be happy and excited, for you will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.

Salt and Light

(Matthew 5:13-16; Mark 9.50; Luke 14.34, 35)

"You are like salt for everyone on earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how can it make food salty? All it is good for is to be thrown out and walked on. You are like light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden. No one would light a lamp and put it under a bowl. A lamp is placed on a lamp stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.

Teaching the Law of Moses

(Matthew 5:17-20)

"Don't suppose that I came to do away with the Law of Moses and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning. Heaven and earth may disappear, but I promise you that not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen will ever disappear from the Law. Everything written in it must happen. If you reject even the least important command in the Law and teach others to do the same, you will be the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. But, on the other hand, if you obey and teach others its commands, you will have an important place in the kingdom. Unless you obey God's commands better than the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law obey them, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

Teaching about Anger

(Matthew 5:21-26)

"You have heard what our ancestors were told in the past, 'Do not commit murder' and 'a murderer must be brought to trial.' But I tell you that if you are angry with someone, you will have to stand trial. If you call someone a fool, you will be taken to court. And if you say that someone is a worthless fool, you will be in danger of the fires of hell. So if you are about to place your gift on the altar and remember that someone is angry with you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. Make peace with that person, then come back and offer your gift to God. If you are taken into court, make friends with the person who has accused you of doing wrong. If you don't, you will be handed over to the judge and then to the officer who will put you in jail. I promise you that you will not get out until you have paid the last cent you owe.

About adultery

(Matthew 5:27-30)

"You have heard it said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that if you look at another woman and want her, you are already committing adultery in your thoughts. So if your right eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. It is much better to lose one part of your body, than for your whole body to end up in hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, chop it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your limbs, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

###

Teaching about Divorce

((Matthew 5:31-32; Mark 10.11, 12; Luke 16.18)

"You have been taught that a man who divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce. But I tell you not to divorce your wife unless she has been unfaithful to you. If you divorce her, you will cause her to be unfaithful, just as any man who marries her is guilty of taking another man's wife.

Insincere Promises

(Matthew 5:33-37)

"You have also heard that you must not use the Lord's name to make promises unless you intend to keep them. But I tell you not to swear by anything when you make a promise! Don't swear by Heaven because Heaven is God's throne. Don't swear by earth because it is God's footstool. And don't swear by Jerusalem because it is the city of the great king. Don't even swear by your own head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. When you make a promise, just say 'Yes' or 'No'. Anything else you say comes from the devil.

Teaching about Revenge

(Matthew 5:38-42; Luke 6.29, 30)

"You know that you have been taught, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to take revenge with a person who has done something to you. When someone slaps your right cheek, turn and let that person slap your other cheek. If someone takes you to court and sues you for your shirt, give up your coat as well. If a soldier forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles. Whenever people ask you for something, give it to them. When someone wants to borrow money, lend it to them.

Loving your enemies

(Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6.27, 28, 32-36)

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your friends and hate your enemies.' But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute and mistreat you. This is so that you will be acting like sons of your Father in heaven. For He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people alike. He also provides rain for the ones who do good things and the ones who do evil things. Why should God reward you if you love only those people who love you? Even tax collectors do that. If you greet only your friends, what's so great about that? Don't even unbelievers do that? But you must always act like your Father in heaven.

Teaching about charity

(Matthew 6; 1-4)

"When you do good deeds, don't publicize them so that everyone will know what you did. If you do, you will not get a reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to the poor, don't sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets in order to be seen by people. That's what show-offs do because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward. When you give to the poor, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your Father who knows what is done in secret, will reward you.

Teaching about Prayer

(Matthew 6; 5-15; Luke 11.2-4)

" When you pray, don't be like those hypocrites who love to stand up and pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners in order to be seen by men. I can assure you that they have received as much reward as they will get. But when you pray, go into a room by yourself and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in secret and he will reward you. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the pagans do. They think God likes to hear long prayers. Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. You should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed (honoured) be your name. May your Kingdom come; May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily food, and forgive us for the wrong things we have done, as we forgive others who have wronged us. Keep us from being tempted and protect us from all evil. If you forgive others for the wrong things they have done to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you. But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Worshiping God by Fasting

(Matthew 16; 1-18)

"When you fast, don't try to look gloomy as the hypocrites do, for they screw up their faces to show others they are fasting. I can assure you that they already have had their full reward. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face so that others will be unaware that you are going without eating. Your Father sees what you are doing in private, and he will reward you.

### Treasures in Heaven

(Matthew 6; 19-21; Luke 12.33, 34)

"Don't store up for yourselves treasures on earth where Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. But instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and where thieves cannot break in and steal them. For where your heart is, that is where your treasure is.

The Light of the Body

(Matthew 6; 22-23; Luke 11.34-36)

"Your eyes are the lamps of your body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But when your eyes are bad, your whole body will convey darkness. If the light inside you is dark, you surely are in the dark.

Regarding Money

(Matthew 6; 24; Luke 16.13)

"No one can serve two masters! You will favour one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Do Not Worry

(Matthew 6; 25-34; Luke 12.22-31)

"You should not worry about your life. Don't worry about what you will eat or drink, or what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more important than clothing? Look at the birds of the air! They don't plant or harvest. Neither do they store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth more than birds? Which one of you can add an hour to his life by worrying? And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don't work or make clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of them. If God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow, won't He surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith? Don't worry and ask yourselves, 'Will we have enough to eat or will we have enough to drink? Don't worry about whether you will have any clothes to wear'. These are the things that pagans are concerned about. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. Seek God's kingdom first and do what pleases Him. Then the other things will be given to you. Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough things to worry about today.

About Judging Others

(Matthew 7: 1-6; Luke 6.37, 38, 41, 42)

"Don't make judgment of others, and God won't judge you. Otherwise God will judge you the same way that you judge others. He will treat you exactly the way you treat them. Why do you look at the speck in your friend's eye, but you don't notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to another, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you don't notice the log in your own eye? Don't be a hypocrite! First, remove the log from your own eye. Then you will be able to see how to take the speck out of the other person's eye. Don't give to dogs what belongs to God. They will only turn and attack you. Don't throw pearls down in front of pigs. They will trample all over them.

.

Ask, Search, Knock

(Matthew 7:7-12; Luke 11.9-13)

"Ask, and you will receive. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And to those who knock, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asked for some bread, would give him a stone? Would you give your child a snake if the child asked for a fish? Even with all your faults, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more, then, will your heavenly Father be more ready to give good things to people who ask? In everything you do, treat others the way you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets is all about.

The Narrow Gate

(Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13.24)

"Enter through the narrow gate because the gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads to it easy to follow. Many people go through that gate. But the gate to life is very narrow, and the road that leads to it is so hard to follow that only a few people find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

(Matthew 7:15-20; Luke 6.43-45)

"Watch out for false prophets! They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves who have come to attack you. You can recognize them by their fruits. (The things they do.) No one picks grapes or figs from thorn bushes. A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Every tree that produces bad fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire. You can tell who the false prophets are by the fruit they produce.

### A Warning

(Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 13.26, 27)

" Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On the Day of Judgment many will say to me, 'Lord, didn't we preach in your name, and didn't we cast out demons and work many miracles.' But I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you! Get away from me, you evil people!'

The wise and foolish Builders

(Matthew 7:24-29 Luke 6.47-49)

"Everyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise man who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and winds blew and beat against that house. Yet it did not fall, because it was built on solid rock. Everyone who hears my teachings but doesn't put them into practice is like a foolish man who built a house on sand. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Finally, it fell with a great crash."

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because He taught them like someone who had authority, and not like the teachers of the Law of Moses.

Table of Contents

The faith of a Centurion

(Matthew 8: 5-13; Luke 7:1-10)

After Jesus had finished teaching the people, he went to Capernaum. In that town there was an army officer, a centurion, whose servant was sick and about to die. The officer valued this servant highly. So when he heard about Jesus, he sent some elders of the Jews to ask him to come and heal the servant. The leaders went to Jesus and pleaded with him to do something. They said, "This man deserves to have your help because he loves our nation and even built our synagogue." So Jesus went with them.

When Jesus was not far from the house, the centurion sent some friends to tell him, "Lord, don't go to any trouble for me! I am not good enough for you to come into my house. That's why I did not consider myself worthy to come to you. But just say the word, and my servant will get well. I myself am a man under authority. I have officers who give me orders, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, 'Go!' and he goes. I can say to another, 'Come!' and he comes. I can say to my servant, 'Do this!' and he will do it."

When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, "Assuredly I say to you, I have never found anyone with this much faith in all of Israel!" Many people will come from the east and the west to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But the ones who should have been in the kingdom will be thrown out into the dark. They will cry and grit their teeth in pain." Then Jesus said to the officer, "Go your way. It will be done just as you have believed it would". When the officer's friends returned to his house, they found the servant well.

Jesus Raises the Widow's Son

(Luke 7. 11-17)

Soon Jesus and his disciples were on their way to a town called Nain, and a large crowd went along with them. As they neared the gate of the town, they saw people carrying out the dead body of a widow's only son. Many people from the town were walking along with her.

When the Lord saw the woman, His heart went out to her and He said, "Don't cry!"

Then He went over and touched the coffin and those who carried him stood still. Jesus said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The young man sat up and began to speak. Jesus then gave him back to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God. They said, "A great prophet is here with us! God has come to help his people."

News about Jesus spread all over Judea and the surrounding country.

Jesus and John the Baptist

(Matthew 11.1-19 Luke 7.18-35)

After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, He departed from there and began teaching and preaching in the towns. When John (the Baptist), who was in prison, heard what Christ was doing, he sent some of his followers to ask Jesus, "Are you the one we should be looking for? Or must we wait for someone else?"

At that time Jesus was healing many people who were sick or in pain or were troubled by evil spirits, and he was giving sight to a lot of blind people. Jesus said to the messengers sent by John, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard. Blind people now see and people who were lame now walk. The lepers are cleansed, and the deaf can now hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the gospel. God will bless all those who acknowledge what I do."

After John's messengers had left, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John: "What kind of person did you go out into the desert to see? Was he like tall grass blown about by the wind? What kind of man did you really go out to see? Was he someone dressed in fine clothes? You will find people who wear expensive clothes and live in luxury in the king's palace. What then did you go out to see? Was he a prophet? He certainly was! I tell you that he was more than a prophet. In the Scriptures, God calls John his messenger and says, 'Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you to get things ready for you.' (See Malachi 3: 1) I say to you that no one ever born on this earth is greater than John. But whoever is the least important in God's kingdom is greater than John."

Everyone had been listening to Him. Even the tax collectors had obeyed God and had done what was right by letting John baptize them. But the Pharisees and the experts in the Law of Moses refused to obey God and be baptized by John. Jesus went on to say: "If you have ears, pay attention! To what shall I compare the people of this day with? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the market and calling to each other, 'We played the flute, but you would not dance! We sang a funeral song, but you would not weep!' John the Baptist did not go around eating and drinking, and you said, 'John has a demon in him!' But because the Son of Man goes about eating and drinking, you say, 'Jesus eats and drinks too much! He is even a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' God's Wisdom, however, is shown to be true by all who are prepared to try to understand and accept it."

The Unbelieving Towns

(Matt 11.20-24Luke 10.13-15)

The people in the towns where Jesus had worked most of his miracles did not turn away from sin. So Jesus reprimanded them and said: "How terrible it will be for you people of Chorazin! How terrible it will be for you people of Bethsaida too! If the miracles that took place here in your towns had happened in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have turned to God long ago. They would have dressed in sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on their heads. I assure you that it will be more bearable on the Day of Judgment for the people of Tyre and Sidon than it will be for you. And as for you people of Capernaum, do you think you will have honour in heaven? You will be thrown down to hell! If the miracles that were performed in your town had been performed in Sodom, that town would still exist today. But I tell you that on the Day of Judgment the people of Sodom will get off easier than you will."

Rest for the Weary

(Matt 11. 25-30; Luke 10.21, 22)

At that moment Jesus said: "My Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise and thank you because you hid all this from wise and educated people and showed it to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that is how you wanted it to happen.

"My Father has given me everything. He is the only one who knows the Son, and the only one who truly knows the Father is the Son, excepting for those whom the Son wants to reveal Him to. Come to me if you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest in me. For my yoke is easy to bear, and your burden will be light."

Jesus at the Home of Simon the Pharisee

(Luke 7. 36-50)

A Pharisee invited Jesus to eat with him. So Jesus went to the Pharisee's home and sat down to eat. When a woman in that town, who was a known sinner, found out that Jesus was at the Pharisee's house, she bought an expensive bottle of perfume. Then she came and stood behind Jesus weeping. Next, she started to wash his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. The woman kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them. Now the Pharisee who had invited Jesus to his home watched this and thought silently to himself, "If this man was really a prophet, He would know what kind of woman is touching Him! He would know that she is a sinner."

Jesus said to the Pharisee, "Simon, I have something to say to you."

Simon replied, "Teacher, what is it?"

Jesus told him, "Two people were in debt to a moneylender. One of them owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other owed him fifty. Since neither of them could pay him back, the moneylender said that they didn't have to pay him anything. Which one of them will like him more?"

Simon answered, "I suppose it would be the one who had owed more and didn't have to pay it back."

"You are right," Jesus said. Then He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I came into your home, you didn't give me any water so I could wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn't greet me with a kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You didn't provide me with any oil for my head, but she has poured expensive perfume on my feet. So I tell you that all her sins, which are many, are forgiven because she has shown great love. If anyone has been forgiven only a little, it is because they have only shown a little love."

Then Jesus said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven."

Some other guests who sat at the table started saying to one another, "Who is this who dares to forgive sins?"

Then Jesus told the woman, "Because of your faith, you are now saved. Go in peace!"

Women Who Helped Jesus

(Luke 8.1-3)

Soon after this, Jesus went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the good news about God's kingdom. His twelve apostles were with him and so were some women who had been healed of evil spirits and all sorts of diseases. One of the women was Mary Magdalene, who once had seven demons cast out of her. She together with Joanna the wife of Chuza, an official of King Herod, Susanna and many others were helping to support Jesus and his disciples out of their own means.

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

(Matthew 12.46-50; Mark 3.31-35; Luke 8.19-21)

Jesus' mother and brothers went to see Him, but because of the crowd they could not get near him. So they sent someone with a message for Him to come out of the house to them. The crowd that was sitting around Jesus told Him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside and want to see you." But Jesus replied, "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?" Then he looked round in a circle at the people sitting around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God is my brother or my sister or my mother."

A Parable about a Farmer

_(Matt 13.1-9; Mark 4.1-9; Luke 8.4-8)_

That same day Jesus left the house and went to the lakeside; where he sat down to teach. The crowd that gathered round him was so large that he had to sit in a boat while the people stood on the shore. Then he started to tell them many things in parables. (A parable is a short story that uses familiar situations to illustrate a spiritual or moral point.) He said: "A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of them fell along the path and the birds swooped down and ate them. Some fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots. Some other seeds fell among thorn bushes, but the thorns sprang up and choked up the plants. But a few seeds did fall on good ground and produced a crop of corn, which was a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as was scattered. He who has ears, pay attention!"

Why Jesus Used Parables

(Matt 13. 10-16; Mark 4.10-12; Luke 8.9, 10)

Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you use so many parables when you speak to the people?" Jesus answered: "I have explained the secrets about the kingdom of heaven to you, but not to others. Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don't have anything will lose even what little they have. The reason I use parables when I speak to them is because when they look, they don't see, and when they listen, they don't understand.

So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said, 'These people will listen and listen, but never understand. They will look and look, but never see.' (See Isaiah 6:9-10.) Their minds are dull; they have blocked their ears and they have covered their eyes. Otherwise, their eyes would see, their ears would hear and their minds would understand. If they could, they would turn to me, and I would heal them. But God has blessed you, because your eyes can see and your ears can hear! I tell you, many prophets and upright people were very eager to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.

Jesus Explains the Story about the Farmer

(Matt 13. 18-23; Mark 4.13-20; Luke 8.11-15)

"Now listen and learn what the parable about the farmer means: The seeds that fell along the path are the people who hear the message about the kingdom, but don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in them. The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it right away. But it does not sink deep in them, and they don't last very long. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once. The seeds that fell among the thorn bushes stand for people who hear the message and understand it. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. The seeds that fell on good ground stand for those people who hear and understand the message. They produce as much as a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as was planted."

The parable of the weeds

(Matt 13. 24-30)

Jesus then told them this story: "The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a farmer scattered good seed in a field. But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and scattered weed seeds among the wheat, and took off. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, the weeds appeared. Noticing this, his servants came and asked, 'Sir, didn't you scatter good seed in your field? Where then did these weeds come from?' 'An enemy did this,' he replied. His servants then asked, 'Do you want us to go out and pull up the weeds?' 'No!' he answered. 'You might also pull up the wheat. Let both grow until harvest time. Then I'll tell my workers to gather the weeds and tie them up and burn them. But gather the wheat into my barn.'"

Parables about the Mustard Seed and Yeast

(Matt 13. 31-33; Mark 4.30-32; Luke 13.18-21)

Jesus then told another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a farmer plants a mustard seed in a field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, it grows larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree, so that birds come and perch on its branches."

Jesus also said: "The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a woman mixes a little yeast into three big batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises."

Another Parable about Seeds

(Mark 4 26-29)

Again Jesus said: "God's kingdom is like this. A farmer scatters seed in a field. The farmer sleeps at night and is up and around during the day. Meanwhile, the seeds are sprouting and growing, though he doesn't understand how. It is the soil that makes the seeds sprout and grow and bear fruit; first the tender stalk appears, then the ear, and finally the ear full of corn. Then when and the corn is ripe, the farmer cuts it with a sickle because the harvest season comes."

Reason for Teaching with Parables

(Matt 13. 34-35; Mark 4.33, 34)

When He spoke to the people, Jesus used these kinds of parables. In fact, He didn't ever teach without using parables. So God's promise came true, just as the prophet had said, "I will use parables to speak my message and to explain things that have been hidden since the creation of the world." (See Psalm 78:2-4)

Jesus Explains the Parable about the Weeds

(Matt 13.36-43)

After this, Jesus left the crowd and went into the house. Then His disciples came to Him and said, "Will you explain to us the story about the weeds in the wheat field." Jesus answered: "The one who scattered the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good seeds are the people who belong to the kingdom. The weed seeds are those who belong to the evil one, and the one who scattered them is the devil. The harvest is the end of time, and angels are the ones who bring in the harvest. That's how it will be at the end of time. The weeds will be gathered and burned. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom everyone who does wrong or causes others to sin. Then he will throw them into a flaming furnace, where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain. But everyone who has done right will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. If you have ears, pay attention!

### A Hidden Treasure

(Matt 13. 44)

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like this. A man finds a treasure hidden in a field. He covers it up again. In this happy state of mind, he goes and sells everything he has in order to buy that field.

A Valuable Pearl

(Matt 13.45-46)

"Also, the kingdom of heaven is like this. A merchant is looking for fine pearls. After finding a very valuable one, the owner goes and sells everything in order to buy that pearl."

A lamp under a bowl

(Mark 4.21-25;Luke 8.16-18)

Jesus continued: "You don't light a lamp and put it under a bowl or under a bed. You put a lamp on a lamp stand. Whatever is hidden will be brought out into the open, and whatever is covered will be uncovered. There is no secret that will not be well known. If you have ears, pay attention!" And then He said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear! The way you treat others will be the way you will be treated - even worse. Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don't have anything will lose what little they have.

A Fish Net

(Matt 13. 47-59)

"The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a net is thrown into a lake and catches all kinds of fish. When the net is full, the fishermen drag it to shore. Then they sit down to separate the fish. They keep the good ones, and throw away the bad ones. This is how it will be at the end of time. Angels will come and separate the evil people from the ones who have behaved right. Then those evil people will be thrown into a flaming furnace, where they will cry and grit their teeth in pain."

New and Old Treasures

Matt 13.51-52)

Jesus asked his disciples if they understood all these things. They said, "Yes." So he replied, "This means that every teacher of the law who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out new and old treasures from the storeroom."

Some Who Wanted To Go with Jesus

(Matt 8.18;Luke 9.57-62)

When Jesus saw the crowd, he ordered His disciples to cross the lake. There, a teacher of the Law of Moses came up to him and said, "Teacher, I'll go with you anywhere you go!"

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have their nests. But the Son of Man doesn't have a place to lay His head."

Another disciple said to Jesus, "Lord, let me wait till I bury my father."

"Follow Me" Jesus answered, "Let the dead bury their dead."

(Matthew 8: 28-34; Mark 5.1-20; Luke 8.26-39)

After Jesus had crossed the lake, He came to shore near the town of Gadara and started down the road. Two men who had demons came out of caves to meet Him. These men with demons were so fierce that no one could travel on that road. Suddenly they screamed, "Jesus, Son of God, what do you want with us? Have you come to punish us before the right time?" Not far away there was a large herd of pigs feeding. So the demons begged Jesus, "If you are going to force us out, please send us into those pigs!"

Jesus told them to go, and they went out of the men and into the pigs.

All at once the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

The people taking care of the pigs ran to the town and told the whole story, especially what had happened to the two men with the demons. So everyone from the town came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their part of the country.

Jesus calms a Storm

(Mark 4 35-41; Matthew 8.23-27; Luke 8.22-25)

That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." So they left the crowd, and his disciples started across the lake with Jesus in the boat. Some other boats followed along. Suddenly a windstorm struck the lake. The waves started splashing over into the boat, and it was about to fill with water and sink. Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, "Teacher, don't you care that we're about to drown?"

Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and the waves to be quiet. The wind stopped, and everything was calm. Jesus asked his disciples, "Why were you afraid? Don't you have any faith?"

Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, "Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

A Man with Evil Spirits

(Mark 5. 1-20; Matthew 8.28-34; Luke 8.26-39)

Jesus and his disciples arrived on the other side of Lake Galilee and came to shore near the town of Gerasa. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit quickly ran to him. This man had gone naked for a long time and no longer lived in a house, but in the graveyard. Nobody was able to keep the man tied up anymore, not even with chains. Many times he had been put in chains and leg irons, but he broke the chains and smashed the leg irons. No one could control him. Day and night he wandered among the tombs in the graveyard and through the hills, yelling and cutting himself with stones. When the man saw Jesus in the distance, he ran up to him, fell to his knees and screamed, "Jesus, Son of the most high God, what do you want with me? Promise me in God's name that you won't torture me!" The man said this because Jesus had already told the evil spirit to come out of him. Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"

The man answered, "My name is Lots, because I have 'lots' of evil spirits." Then he begged Jesus not to send them out of the region.

Over on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the evil spirits begged Jesus, "Send us into those pigs! Let us go into them."

Jesus let them go, and they went out of the man and into the pigs. The whole herd of about two thousand pigs rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. The men who had been taking care of the pigs ran to the town and the farms to spread the news. People came out to see what had happened.

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had once been full of demons. He was sitting there with his clothes on and was in his right mind. Everyone was terrified. Those who had seen what had happened told the people about the man and the pigs. After that, the people begged Jesus to go away from their part of the country. As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had the demon begged to go with him. But Jesus wouldn't allow him. Instead, he said, "Go home to your family and tell them what the Lord has done for you and how good he has been to you." The man went away into the region near the ten cities known as Decapolis and began telling everyone how much Jesus had done for him. Everyone who heard what had happened was amazed.

A Dying Girl and a Sick Woman

(Mark 5. 21-43; Matthew 9.18-26; Luke 8.40-56)

Jesus went back to the other side of the lake. Then as he stood on the shore, a large crowd gathered round him. Jairus, who was in charge of the synagogue, was also there, and when he saw Jesus, he went over to him. He knelt at Jesus' feet and started begging him for help. He said, "My twelve year old daughter is about to die! Please come and place your hands on her so that she will get well and live."

Jesus went with Jairus. As they were walking, many people followed along and kept crowding Him from every side. In the crowd was a woman who had been suffering from severe bleeding for twelve years. Although she had gone to many doctors and paid them all the money she had, they had not been able to do anything except cause her a lot of pain. Instead of getting better, she only got worse. The woman had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind Him saying to herself, "If I can only touch His clothes, I will get well." As soon as she touched them, her bleeding stopped, and she knew she was well. At that moment Jesus felt power go out from him. He turned to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

His disciples replied, "Look at all these people crowding round you! How can you ask who touched you?"

But Jesus kept looking round to see who had touched him. The woman realized what had happened to her, so she came shaking with fear and knelt down in front of Jesus and told Him the whole truth. She told everyone why she had touched Him and that she had been healed right away. Jesus said to her, "My daughter, your faith has made you well and you will no longer be in pain. Now go in peace."

While Jesus was saying this, some messengers came from Jairus' home and told him that his daughter had died. So why bother the teacher anymore?" Jesus heard what they said, and he said to Jairus, "Don't worry. Just have faith!" Then he did not let anyone go with him except Peter and the two brothers, James and John. They went home with Jairus and saw the people crying and making a lot of noise. Then Jesus went inside and said to them, "Why are you crying and carrying on like this? The child isn't dead. She is only sleeping." But the people laughed at him. So Jesus had sent them all out of the house, he took the girl's father and mother and his three disciples and went into the room where she was lying. He took the twelve-year-old girl by the hand and said, "Talitha, koum!" which means, "Little girl, get up!" At once, the girl got up and started walking around. Everyone was completely amazed. But Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened. Then he said, "Give her something to eat."

The People of Nazareth Turn against Jesus

(Mark 6.1-6; Matthew 13.53-58; Luke 4.16-30)

Jesus left and returned to his hometown followed by His disciples. The next Sabbath he taught in the synagogue. Many people were there, and when they heard Him they were amazed. They asked, "How can He do all this? Where did He get such wisdom and the power to work these miracles? Isn't He the carpenter, the son of Mary? Aren't James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon His brothers? Don't His sisters still live here in our town?" The people took offence at what He was doing. But Jesus said, "A Prophet is honoured by everyone, except the people in his hometown and his relatives and his own family." He was not able to work any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing his hands on them. He was greatly surprised because the people did not have any faith.

Jesus Has Pity on People

(Matt 9.35-38)

Jesus went visiting every town and village in the region. He taught in their synagogues and preached the good news about God's kingdom. He also healed every kind of disease and sickness. As He saw the crowds, His heart was filled with pity for them because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "The harvest is large, but there are only a few workers to gather it in. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in."

Instructions for the Twelve Apostles

(Matthew 10: 1-15; Mark 3.13-19; Luke 6.12-16)

Jesus called together his twelve disciples. He gave them the power to force out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness.

Then He sent them out with these instructions: "Do not go to any Gentile areas and don't go to any Samaritan town. Go only to the people of Israel, because they are like a flock of lost sheep. As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here. Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal those who suffer from leprosy, and cast out demons. You received without paying, now give without being paid.

"Don't take along any gold, silver, or copper coins. Don't carry a travel bag or an extra shirt or sandals or a walking stick. A worker should be given what he needs. So when you go to a town or a village, find someone worthy enough to have you as their guest and stay with them until you leave. When you go to a home, give it your blessing of peace. If the home is deserving, let your blessing remain with it. But if they do not welcome you, take back your blessing. If some people won't welcome you or listen to your message, leave their home or town and shake the dust from your feet. I promise you that on the 'Day of Judgment' God will show more mercy for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

### Warning about Trouble

(Matthew 10: 16-24; Mark 13.9-13; Luke 21.12-17)

"Listen, I am sending you out like lambs to a pack of wolves. So be as cautious as snakes and as gentle as doves. Watch out for people who will take you to court and have you beaten in the synagogues. For My sake, you will be dragged before rulers and kings to tell them and the Gentiles about your faith. But when they bring you to trial, don't worry about what you will say or how you will say it. At that time you will be given the words to say. For the words you speak will not be yours, they will come from the Spirit of your Father. He will tell you what to say. Brothers and sisters will betray one another and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you remain faithful until the end, you will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, run away to another one. I promise you that before you have gone to all the towns of Israel, the Son of Man will come.

"A student is not above his teacher, and no slave is better than his or her master. It is enough for students to be like their teachers and for slaves to be like their masters. If people call the head of the family Satan, what will they say about the rest of the family?

The One To Fear

(L Matthew 10: 26-31; Luke 12.2-7)

"Don't be afraid of anyone! Everything that is covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known. Whatever I say to you in the dark, you must repeat in broad daylight. And what you have heard from me in private, go and announce it from the housetops. Don't be afraid of those who can kill the body, but cannot harm your soul. Rather you should fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell. Aren't two small birds sold for only a penny? Yet not one falls to the ground without His consent. Even the hairs on your head are counted. So don't be afraid! You are worth much more than many birds.

### Telling Others about Christ

(L Matthew 10: 32-33; Luke 12.8, 9)

"If anyone declares publicly that he belongs to me, I will tell my Father in heaven that you are my followers. But if you reject me publicly, I will reject him before My Father in heaven.

Not Peace, but Trouble

(Matthew 10:34-39; Luke 12.51-53; 14.26, 27)

"Don't think that I have come to bring peace on earth! I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. I came to turn sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. Your worst enemies will be members of your own family. If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples. And unless you are willing to take up your cross and come with me, you are not fit to be my disciples. Whoever tries to save his life will lose it. But whoever gives up his life for my sake, will certainly gain it.

Receiving Rewards

(Matthew 10:40- 42Mark 9.41)

"Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me also welcomes the one who sent me. Anyone who welcomes a prophet, just because that person is a prophet, will be given the same reward as a prophet. Anyone who welcomes a good person, just because that person is good, will be given the same reward as a good person. You can be sure that anyone who gives one of my most humble followers a cup of cool water, just because that person is my follower, will surely be rewarded."

Table of Contents

The Death of John the Baptist

(Mark 6. 14-29; Matthew 14.1-12; Luke 9.7-9)

Jesus became so well known that King Herod got to hear about him. Some people thought Jesus was John the Baptist, who had come back to life with the power to work miracles. Others thought he was Elijah or some other prophet who had lived long ago. But when Herod heard about Jesus, he said, "This must be John, whose head I ordered to be cut off, and now he has come back to life." Herod had earlier married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. But John had told him that it wasn't right for him to take his brother's wife! So, in order to please Herodias, Herod arrested John and put him in prison. Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she could not do it because Herod was afraid of John and protected him. He knew that John was a good and holy man. Even though Herod was confused by what John said, he was glad to listen to him. And he often did. Finally, Herodias got her chance when Herod gave a great birthday celebration for himself and invited his officials, his army officers, and the leaders of Galilee. Herodias' daughter, Salome, came in and danced for Herod and his guests. She pleased them so much that Herod told her that she could ask him for anything she wanted to and he would give it to her. He swore that he would give her even as much as half of his kingdom, if she wanted it.

The girl left and asked her mother, "What do you think I should ask for?" Her mother told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist! So the girl hurried back and told Herod that she wanted John the Baptist's head on a platter, right away! The king was taken back and deeply regretted what he had said. But he felt compelled not to break the promise he made in front of his guests. So he immediately ordered a guard to cut off John's head there in prison. The guard obeyed the order and put the head on a platter and took it to the girl. Then she gave it to her mother. When John's followers learned that he had been killed, they took his body and put it in a tomb.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

(Mark 6. 30-32; Matthew 14.13-21; Luke 9.10-17; John 6.1-14)

After Jesus heard about John, and after the apostles returned to Him, they told Jesus everything they had done and taught. But so many people were coming and going that Jesus and the apostles did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said, "Let's go to a place where we can be alone and get some rest." So they left in a boat and Jesus took them with him to the village of Bethsaida, in Galilee, where they could be alone.

Once Jesus started to cross Lake Galilee, which was also known as Lake Tiberias, many people, having seen him work miracles to heal the sick, saw them leave and figured out where they were going. So people from every town ran on ahead and got there first. When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd that was like sheep without a shepherd. He was moved with compassion and healed the sick.

That evening the disciples came to Jesus and said, "This place is like a desert, and it is already late. Send the people away, so they can go to the farms and villages nearby and buy some food."

Jesus replied, "You give them something to eat." He asked Philip, "Where will we get enough food to feed all these people?" He asked this to test Philip, since he already knew what he was going to do.

Philip answered, "Don't you know that it would take almost a year's wages just to buy only a little bread for each of these people?"

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, one of the disciples, spoke up and said, "There is a boy here who has five small loaves of barley bread and two fish. But what good is that with all these people?"

Jesus told his disciples to have the people sit down on the grass. They sat down in groups of a hundred and groups of fifty. Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up toward heaven and blessed the food. Then he broke the bread and handed it to his disciples to give to the people. He also divided the two fish, so that everyone could have some. After everyone had eaten all they wanted, Jesus' disciples picked up twelve large baskets of leftover bread and fish. There were five thousand men who ate the food, not counting the women and children.

Jesus Walks on the Water

(Matt 14. 22-33; Mark 6.45-52; John 6.15-21)

After that, Jesus made his disciples get into a boat and start back across the lake by themselves. He stayed until he had sent the crowds away. Then he went up the mountainside where he could be alone and pray. He remained up the mountain till late in the evening. By this time the boat was quite a distance from the shore. It was going against the wind and was being tossed around by the waves. He could see that the disciples were struggling hard, because they were rowing against the wind.

Very early the next morning, the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water. He kept coming closer to the boat, and they were terrified. Not recognizing Him, they thought He was a ghost and started screaming. At once, Jesus said to them, "Don't worry! I am Jesus. Don't be afraid."

Peter spoke up, "Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come!" Jesus said.

Peter then got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward Jesus. But when Peter noticed the strong the wind, he was afraid and started to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he cried.

Right away, Jesus reached out and grabbed hold of him. He helped Peter up and said, "You don't have much faith, do you? Why do you doubt?"

When Jesus and Peter got into the boat, the wind died down. Then the disciples in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, "You really are the Son of God!"

The Teaching of the Ancestors

(Matt 15. 1-20; Mark 7.1-13)

Some Pharisees and several teachers of the Law of Moses who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their food without first washing their hands. The Pharisees as well as the rest of the Jews followed the teachings and customs of their ancestors. They always washed their hands in the customary way before eating. Neither would they eat anything they bought in the market place until it was washed. They also followed a lot of other rules, such as washing cups, pitchers, and bowls. So the Pharisees and teachers asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples follow the customs our ancestors taught us? Why do they eat without washing their hands?"

Jesus replied: "Why do you disobey God and follow traditions? Didn't God command you to respect your father and mother? Didn't he tell you to put to death all who curse their parents? But you let people get by without helping their parents when they should. You let them say that what they have has been offered to God in the Temple. Is this any way to show respect to your parents? Thus you invalidate the word of God for the sake of your traditions. You hypocrites! Isaiah the prophet was right when he prophesied about you, 'These people praise me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain. Their teachings are but rules taught by men.'" (See Isaiah 29: 13)

What Really Makes People Unclean

(Mark 7.14-23; Matthew 15-10-20)

Jesus called the crowd together and said, "Pay attention and try to understand what I mean. The food that you put into your mouth doesn't make you unclean and unfit to worship God. It's what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean."

Then His disciples came over to Him and asked, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended by what you said?"

Jesus answered, "Every plant that my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up by the roots. Let them be offended! They are like blind people leading other blind people. And if the blind lead the blind they will all fall into a ditch."

Peter asked, "What did you mean by that parable?"

Jesus then said: "Don't any of you know what I am talking about yet? Don't you know that whatever food goes into your mouth goes into the stomach and comes out of the body? But those words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. It is those words from the heart that make you unclean. Because out of your heart come evil thoughts that can lead you to murder, be unfaithful in marriage, become vulgar, steal, tell lies, be greedy, act meanly, be deceitful, act indecently, be envious, be proud, foolish and insult others. These are the things make you unclean. Eating without washing your hands will not make you unfit to worship God."

The faith of a Canaanite Woman

(Matt 15. 21-28; Mark 7.24-30)

Jesus left that place and went off to the territory near the cities of Tyre and Sidon where he stayed in someone's home. He did not want people to know he was there, but they found out anyway. Suddenly a Canaanite woman from that region came out shouting, "Lord and Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon possessed." And right away she came and knelt down at his feet. The woman was Greek and had been born in the part of Syria known as Phoenicia. Jesus did not say a word. But the woman kept following along and shouting, so his disciples came up and asked him to send her away.

Then Jesus replied, "I have been sent only to the lost sheep of Israel!"

At this the woman came closer. Then she knelt down and begged, "Please help me, Lord!" Jesus replied, "It isn't right to take food away from children and feed it to the dogs."

"Lord, that's true," the woman said, "but even dogs eat the leftovers that fall from their master's table."

So Jesus answered, "You are a woman of great faith. You will be given what you want." At that moment her daughter was healed.

Jesus Heals a Man Who Was Deaf and Could Hardly Talk

(Mark 7:31-37)

Jesus left the region around Tyre and went by way of Sidon toward Lake Galilee. He went through the land near the ten cities known as Decapolis. There He climbed a hill and sat down. Large crowds came and brought many people who were crippled or blind or lame or unable to talk. They placed them, and many others, in front of Jesus, and He healed them all. Everyone was amazed at what they saw and heard. Some people brought a man to Him who was very deaf and had a speech impediment. They pleaded with Jesus just to touch him. After Jesus had taken the man aside, he put his fingers in the man's ears, spat and touched the man's tongue. Then Jesus looked up toward heaven, gave a deep groan and said to the man, "Effatha!" Which means "Open up!" At that moment the man was able to hear, his impediment was removed and he had no more trouble speaking. Jesus commanded the people not to tell anyone about what he had done. But the more he commanded them, the more they talked about it. They were absolutely astounded and said, "Everything this man does is good! He even makes deaf people hear and mute people talk." Everyone was praising the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

(Matt 15.32-16:12; Mark 8.1-10)

One day a very large crowd gathered round Jesus, but had not brought along anything to eat. So Jesus called some of his disciples over to him and said, "I'm feeling sorry for these people. They have now been with me for three days, and they haven't got anything to eat. If I send them away hungry, they might faint on the way home, for some of them have traveled a long way."

The disciples replied, "This place is like a desert. Where can we find enough food to feed such a crowd?"

Jesus asked them how much food they had.

They said, "Seven small loaves of bread."

Hearing this, Jesus told the crowd to sit down. Then he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke the loaves of bread and handed them to his disciples, who distributed them among the crowd. They also had a few little fish. So Jesus gave thanks for these also. Then he told the disciples to distribute them. After everybody in the crowd of about four thousand people had eaten enough, the leftovers filled seven large baskets.

Jesus sent the people away, and then he got into the boat with the disciples and crossed to the territory near Dalmanutha.

A Demand for a Sign from Heaven

(Matthew 16: 1-4; Mark 8.11-13; Luke 12.54-56)

There, some Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tried to catch him out by asking certain questions. They asked for a sign from heaven. Jesus sighed and said, "If the sky is red when the sun is setting, you say the weather will be good. But if in the morning the sky is red and darkish, you say it is going to rain. You can tell what the weather will be like by looking at the sky. But you cannot interpret the signs of the times. How evil and Godless the people of this generation are. You want a sign, but the only sign you will be given is what happened to Jonah." (Jonah spent three days in the belly of a whale.) Then he left them. He again got into a boat and crossed over to the other side of the lake.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod

(Matthew 16.5-12; Mark 8: 14-21)

The disciples had forgotten to bring enough food with them. They only had one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus warned them, saying, "Be careful! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."

The disciples thought this over among themselves and said to one another, "He must be saying this because we haven't got enough bread."

Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, "Surely you don't have much faith. Why are you talking about not having any bread? Don't you understand? Are your hearts still hardened? Are your minds still closed? Are your eyes blind and your ears deaf? Have you forgotten how many baskets of leftovers you picked up when I fed those five thousand people with only five small loaves of bread?"

"Yes," the disciples answered. "There were twelve baskets full."

Jesus then asked, "And how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up when I broke seven small loaves of bread for those four thousand people?"

"Seven," they answered. Jesus them asked, "Do you not understand what I am talking about by now?"

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

(Mark 8. 22-26)

They went on to Bethsaida, where some people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged him to touch the man. Jesus took the man by the hand and led him out of the village, where he spat on the man's eyes. He then placed his hands on the blind man and asked him if he could see anything. The man looked up and said, "Yes, I can see people, but they look like trees walking about." Once again Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes, and this time the man stared attentively. His sight returned, and he was able to see everything clearly. Jesus then said to him, "You may return home now, but don't go back into the village, or tell anyone."

Peter's Declaration about Jesus?

(Matt 16.13-26Mark 8.27-30; Luke 9.18-21)

Jesus and his disciples came into the region of Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them a question, "Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, am?"

The disciples replied, "Some people say that you are John the Baptist, some think you are Elijah, or perhaps Jeremiah or one of the other prophets."

Then Jesus asked them, "But you, who do you say I am?"

Then Simon Peter spoke up, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Jesus said to him: "Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! You didn't discover this on your own. My Father in heaven revealed it to you. Henceforth I will call you Peter, which means 'a piece of rock.' And on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not have any power over it. And I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in Heaven, and whatever you allow on earth, God will permit from Heaven." Then Jesus ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

(Matthew 16: 21-28;Mark 8.31—9.1; Luke 9.22-27)

From then on, Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the nation's leaders, chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses. He said, "I will be killed, but three days later I will rise to life." Then Jesus explained clearly what he meant.

Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. He said, "God would never let this happen to you, Lord!"

But when Jesus turned and saw the disciples, he corrected Peter. He said to him, "Satan, get away from me! You're an obstacle in my way. You think like everyone else and not like God." Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said: "If anyone wants to be one of my followers, he must forget about himself. He must take up his cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the gospel, you will save it. What would you gain, if you owned the whole world but suffered the loss of your soul? What could you give in exchange for your soul? If anyone is ashamed of my gospel and me, when facing these ungodly and sinful people, the Son of Man will in turn be ashamed of him. For the Son of Man will soon come in the glory of his Father and with his angels to reward each person according to what they have done. I promise you that some of those standing here will not die before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom."

Table of Contents

The Transfiguration

(Matt16.27 - 17.13; Mark 8.38-9.13; Luke 9.28-36)

Six days later on, Jesus took Peter and the brothers James and John up on a very high mountain, where they could be by themselves. Then while the disciples were looking at Jesus, he became completely transformed. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became much whiter than any bleaching could make them. Then all of a sudden, Moses and Elijah were there talking with Jesus. They appeared in heavenly glory and talked with Jesus about the way in which he would die in Jerusalem and would fulfill God's purpose for sending him.

Peter and the other two disciples had been sound asleep, but all of a sudden they woke up and saw how glorious Jesus was. They also saw the two men who were with him. Moses and Elijah were about to leave, when Peter said to Jesus, "Master, how good it is that we are here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He said this because he and the others were so frightened, that he didn't know what to say.

While Peter was still speaking, the shadow of a bright cloud passed over them. From the cloud a voice said, "This is my own dear Son, in whom I am very pleased. Listen to what he says!" Suddenly the disciples looked around, but they saw only Jesus. They were so afraid that they fell to the ground on their faces. But Jesus came over and touched them. He said, "Arise and don't be afraid!" When they opened their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus.

As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded his disciples not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had been raised from death. So they kept it to themselves. But they wondered what Jesus meant by the words 'raised from death.'

The disciples asked Jesus, "Why do the teachers of the Law of Moses say that Elijah must come before the Messiah does?"

Jesus told them, "Elijah certainly must come to get everything ready. But I can assure you that Elijah has already come. But the people did not recognize him and treated him just as they wanted to, just as the Scriptures say they would. They will soon make the Son of Man suffer in the same way." (See Malichi 4: 5-6)

Then the disciples understood that Jesus was talking to them about John the Baptist.

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

(Matthew 17.14-20; Mark.9. 14-29; Luke 9.37-43a)

When Jesus, together with Peter, James and John, came back down, they saw a large crowd of disciples arguing with the teachers of the Law. The crowd was overwhelmed to see Jesus, and everyone ran to greet him. Jesus asked, "What are you arguing about?"

A man in the crowd knelt in front of Him and answered, "Teacher, I brought my son with me, who is possessed by a demon that keeps him from being able to speak. Whenever the demon attacks my son, it throws him to the ground and makes him foam at the mouth and grit his teeth in pain. Then he becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to cast out the demon, but they could not."

Jesus said to them, "How unbelieving you are. How much longer must I be with you before you have any faith? Bring the boy to me." They brought the boy forward, and as soon as the demon saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a fit. He fell down on the ground and started to roll around while foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

The man replied, "Ever since he was a child. The demon has often tried to kill him by throwing him into a fire or into water. Please have pity on us and help us if you can!"

Jesus replied, "Why do you say, 'If you can'? Anything is possible for someone who has faith!"

At once the boy's father cried out, "I do have faith, but not enough. Please help me to have even more."

When Jesus noticed that a crowd was gathering fast, he spoke sternly to the demon that had kept the boy from speaking or hearing. He said, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you to come out of the boy and never enter him again."

The demon screamed and made the boy shake all over. Then it went out of him. The boy appeared to be dead, and almost everyone said he was. But Jesus took the boy by the hand and helped him to stand up.

After Jesus and the disciples had gone back home and were alone, they asked him, "Why couldn't we cast that demon out? Jesus answered, "Only prayer can force out that kind of demon. Nothing else can."

Jesus Again Speaks about His Death

(Mark 9.30-32; Matthew 17.22, 23; Luke 9.43b-45)

Jesus and his disciples left that place and went on through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching the disciples and informing them that the Son of Man would be handed over to the men who would kill him, and three days later he would come back to life. But the disciples did not understand what he meant. The meaning was obscure to them and they were too afraid to ask. Still it made the disciples very sad.

Paying the Temple Tax

(Matt 17.24 – 18.35)

When Jesus and the others came to Capernaum, the collectors for the temple tax came to Peter and asked, "Does your teacher pay the temple tax?"

Peter replied, "Yes, he does."

After they had returned home. Jesus approached Peter and asked him, "Simon, what do you think? Do the kings of this earth collect taxes and fees from their own people or from foreigners?"

"From foreigners", Peter answered.

Jesus then said, "Then their own people don't have to pay. But we don't want to cause any trouble. So go to the lake, throw out your line and pull out the first fish you hook. Open its mouth, and you will find a coin in it. Use it to pay your taxes and mine."

Who Is the Greatest?

(Mark 9.33-37; Luke 9.46-48)

Jesus and his disciples went to his house in Capernaum. After they were inside the house, Jesus asked them, "What were you arguing about along the way?" They had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest, and so they did not answer. So Jesus sat down and told the twelve disciples to gather round him. He called a child over and had the child stand near him. Then he said: "I promise you this. If you don't change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. But if you are as humble as this child, you are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you actually welcome me.

Temptations To Sin

(Matt 18: 6-9; Mark 9.42-48; Luke 17.1, 2)

"There will be misery for anyone who causes even one of my young followers to sin. It would be better for that person to be thrown into the deep ocean with a millstone tied around his neck! The world is in for trouble because of the way it causes people to lose their faith. There will always be something to cause people to do this, but anyone who causes this to happen will be in for trouble.

"If your hand or foot causes you to lose your faith, chop it off and throw it away! You would be better off to go into life crippled or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the fire that never goes out. And if your eye causes you to lose faith, poke it out and throw it away. You would be better off to go into life with only one eye than to keep both eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. There, the worms that eat them never die, and the fire that burns them will never be extinguished. Everyone must be salted with fire. Salt is good. But if it looses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? Have salt in yourselves and live at peace with each other.

The Lost Sheep

(Matthew 18: 10-14; Luke 15.3-7)

"Don't look down on any of these little ones! I promise you that their angels are always close to my Father in heaven. Let me ask you a question. What would you do if you had a hundred sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go and look for the one that had gone astray? There is no doubt that you would be happier about finding that one sheep than you would be about having the ninety-nine that never wandered off. That's how it is with your Father in heaven. He doesn't want any of these little ones to be lost."

Whoever is not against Jesus is for Him

(Mark 9:38-41; Luke 9.49, 50)

"Teacher", said John, " we saw a man using your name to cast demons out of people. But he wasn't one of us, so we told him to stop."

Jesus said: "Don't stop him! No one who works miracles in my name will then turn and say something bad about me. Anyone who is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name, because you belong to me, will certainly be rewarded for it.

When Someone Sins against you

(Matthew 17: 15-17; Luke 17.3)

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him what he did that was wrong. But do it in private, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won him back. But if he refuses to listen, take one or two others along, so that two or more witnesses might uphold the complaint. This is what the Scriptures teach. If the follower refuses to listen to them, report the matter to the church. Finally, if he refuses to listen to the church, regard him as you would an unbeliever or a tax collector.

Allowing and prohibiting

(Matthew 18: 18-20)

"I promise you that whatever you allow on earth will be allowed in heaven, and whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven. I promise you that when any two of you on earth agree about something you ask for, my Father in heaven will see that it will be done for you. For whenever two or more of you are gathered together in my name, I will be there in the midst of you."

The parable of the unmerciful servant

(Matthew 18: 21-35)

Peter came up to the Lord and asked, "How many times should I forgive someone who has sinned against me? Is seven times enough?"

Jesus answered: "Not just seven times, but seventy times seven!

"This is what the kingdom of heaven is like: A king decided to call in his servants and ask them to give an account of what they owed him. As he was doing this, one servant was brought in who owed him ten thousand talents (silver coins). Since the servant didn't have any money to pay what he owed, the king ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children together with everything he owned, in order to pay the debt. Then the servant fell down on his knees and started to beg, 'Have pity on me', he said 'and I will pay you back every cent I owe!' The king felt sorry for him, so he cancelled his debt and let him go free. But as the servant was leaving, he happened to meet another servant of the king, who owed him a hundred silver coins. So he grabbed the man by the throat, started choking him and said, 'Pay me what you owe!' Then his fellow servant got down on his knees and began begging, 'Be patient with me,' he said 'and I will pay you back.' But the first servant refused to have pity. Instead, he went and had the other servant thrown in jail until he could pay what he owed. When some other servants found out what had happened, they felt sorry for the man who had been put in jail. So they went and told the king what had happened. The king called the first servant back in and said, 'You evil man! When you begged for mercy, I cancelled your debt in full. Don't you think you should show the same mercy to others, as I did to you?' The king was so angry that he turned the servant over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay back everything he owed. This is how my Father in heaven will treat you, unless you forgive my servants with all your heart."

Jesus goes to the Feast of Tabernacles

(John 7: 1-9)

Because the leaders of the people were planning to kill him, Jesus decided to stay away from Judea and start going through Galilee. It was almost time for the Festival of Tabernacles, so Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to go to Judea so that your disciples can see the works you are doing. No one does things in secret, if they want others to know about them. So let the world know what you are doing!" Even Jesus' own brothers had not yet become his followers.

Jesus answered, "The right time for me hasn't yet come, but for you, any time is right. The people of this world don't hate you, but they hate me because I tell them that what they do is wrong. You go on to the festival. Since my time hasn't yet come, I am not going."

When Jesus finished saying these things, he went to the region of Judea and then on to the other side of the Jordan River. Once again large crowds came to him, and as usual, he taught them and he healed the sick.

A Samaritan Village Refuses To Receive Jesus

(Luke 9: 51-56)

As the time approached for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, he decided that it was time to go to Jerusalem. He sent some messengers on ahead to a Samaritan village to get things ready for him. But because he was on his way to Jerusalem, the people there refused to welcome him. When the disciples James and John saw what was happening, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy these people?"

But Jesus reprimanded them for what they had said. Then they all went on to another village.

The cost of Following Jesus

(Luke 9: 57-62; Matthew 8.19-22)

While they were walking along the road, a man came to Jesus and said, "I'll follow you anywhere you go!"

Jesus said, "Foxes have dens, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man doesn't have a place to rest his head."

He said to another man, "Come and follow me." But the man said, "Lord, first let me wait until I bury my father."

Jesus said to him, "Let the dead take care of their own dead, you must go and tell about God's kingdom."

Then someone said to Jesus, "I want to go with you, Lord, but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family."

Jesus answered, "Anyone who starts to plough and keeps looking back is not fit for service in God's kingdom!"

Jesus at the Festival of Tabernacles

(John 7: 10-24)

After his brothers had gone to the festival, Jesus went there in secret, without telling anyone.

Nevertheless, during the festival the leaders of the Jews looked for Jesus and asked, "Where is he?" Among the crowds there was widespread dispute about him. Some were saying that Jesus is a good man while others were saying that he was deceiving everyone. But no one talked about him openly because they were afraid of the leaders of the Jews.

After the festival was about half over, Jesus went into the temple and began to teach. The Jews were astonished at Jesus' teaching and said, "How does this man know so much without having studied?

Jesus replied: "What I teach is not my own teaching. It comes from the one who sent me. If you really seek to obey God, it will be evident to you whether what I teach comes from God or from me. Those who wish to have themselves honoured speak about themselves. But I desire to honor the one who sent me. That is why I tell the truth and not a lie. Moses gave you the Law? Yet not one of you obeys it! So why do you want to kill me?"

"You have a demon in you!" The crowd replied. "What makes you think someone wants to kill you?"

Jesus answered: "I worked one miracle, and you were all amazed. Moses commanded you to circumcise your sons. But it wasn't really Moses who started this. It was your ancestors. And you even circumcise your sons on the Sabbath in order to obey the Law of Moses. So why are you angry with me for making someone completely well on the Sabbath? You shouldn't judge by superficial standards. Judge by true standards."

Is Jesus the Messiah

(John 7: 25-31)

By now, some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Isn't this the man they want to kill? Yet here he is, speaking publicly for everyone to hear. And no one is saying anything against him. Do you suppose the authorities have concluded that he is indeed the Messiah? But how could that be? No one knows where the Messiah will come from, yet we know where this man comes from."

As Jesus was still teaching in the temple, he shouted, "Do you really think you know me and where I came from? I didn't come here on my own! The one who sent me, however, is truthful. You don't know him. But I know the one who sent me, because I came from him."

Hearing this, some of the people wanted to arrest Jesus right then. But no one even laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. Nevertheless, a lot of people in the crowd put their faith in him and said, "When the Messiah comes it is unlikely that he will perform more miracles than this man has performed!"

Temple Guards Sent to Arrest Jesus

(John 7: 32-35)

When the Pharisees heard the crowd arguing about Jesus, they met with the chief priests and agreed to send some temple guards to arrest him. Jesus said, "I will be with you only a little while longer, and then I will return to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you won't find me. You cannot go where I am going."

The Jews said among themselves, "Where can he go to keep us from finding him? Is he going to the Greek cities where our people live, and there teach the Greeks? What did he mean by saying that we will look for him, but won't find him? Why can't we go where he is going?"

Streams of Life-Giving Water

(John 7: 37--39)

On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, "If you are thirsty, come to me and drink! As the Scriptures say. 'He who believes in me will have streams of living water flowing from within him.' " (See Deuteronomy 18: 15, Isaiah 43: 20 and 55:1) By this he meant the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone that had faith in him. The Spirit had not yet been given to anyone, since Jesus had not yet been given his full glory.

The People Take Sides over Jesus

(John 7: 40-44)

When the crowd heard Jesus say this, some of them said, "He must be the Prophet!" Others said, "He is the Christ!" The question was raised, "Can the Christ come from Galilee? The Scriptures say that the Messiah will come from the family of King David. Doesn't this mean that he will be born in David's hometown of Bethlehem?" (See Micah 5:2 and 1 Samuel 16:1-4)

The people started taking sides against each other because of Jesus. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.

The Leaders Refuse To Have Faith in Jesus

(John 7: 45-52)

Then the temple guards returned to the chief priests and Pharisees who asked, "Why didn't you bring Jesus here?"

The guards answered, "No one has ever spoken like this man!"

The Pharisees were annoyed and said to them, "Have you also been fooled? None of the chief priests or the Pharisees has faith in him. What's more, these people don't know the Law, so they are under God's curse anyway."

Nicodemus, one of the Pharisees, was also there at the time. He was a member of the council who had earlier one night met with Jesus. He stated, "According to our law, we must not condemn people before we have found out what they have to say or what they have done."

Then they said, "Nicodemus, are you also from Galilee! Read the Scriptures, and you will find that no prophet is to come from Galilee." (See Isaiah 9: 1-2)

Everyone else went to their homes, but Jesus walked out to the Mount of Olives.

A Woman Caught in Adultery

(John 8: 1-11)

Early the next morning he went to the temple courts again, where all the people gathered round him. So he sat down and started teaching them. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses brought in a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They made her stand in the middle of the gathering. Then they said, "Teacher, this woman was caught sleeping with a man who isn't her husband. The Law of Moses teaches that a woman like this should be stoned to death! What do you say?"

They asked Jesus this question, because they wanted to trap him and bring some charge against him. But Jesus simply bent over and started writing on the ground with his finger.

When they kept on asking Jesus about the woman, he finally stood up and said, "If any one of you has never sinned, let him throw the first stone at her!" Then he bent over and began writing on the ground again.

At this, the people started to leave, one by one, with the oldest leaving first.

Now, Jesus and the woman were there alone. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Where is everyone? Isn't there anyone left to condemn you?"

"No Lord. No one" the woman answered.

Then Jesus told her, "Neither will I condemn you. Go now, but don't sin anymore."

Jesus the Light for the World

(John 8: 12-20)

When Jesus spoke to the people again he said, "I am the light for the world. Whoever follows me, will not be walking in the darkness, but will have the light of life."

The Pharisees hearing this challenged what he said, "You are the only one speaking for yourself, so your testimony is not valid."

Jesus replied: "Even if I do speak for myself, what I say is truly valid. I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I am from or where I am going. You judge in a purely human way, like everyone else does. I don't judge anyone. But if I did judge, I would judge fairly, because I would not be doing it alone. The Father who sent me is here with me. Your Law requires two witnesses to prove that something is true. I, myself, am one of my witnesses, and the Father who sent me is the other one."

"Where is your Father?" they asked.

"You don't know me or my Father!" Jesus answered. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."

Jesus spoke all these words while he was still teaching in the place where the temple treasures were stored. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.

You Cannot Go Where I Am Going

(John 8: 21-30)

Jesus continued to speak to them, "I am going away, and you will look for me. But you cannot go where I am going, and you will die in your sins."

The people asked, "Does he intend to kill himself? Is that what he means when he says we cannot go where he is going?"

Jesus answered, "You are from below, but I am from above. You belong to this world, but I don't. That's why I said that you will die in your sins. If you don't have faith in me because of who I am, you will die, and your sins will not be forgiven."

"Then who are you?" they asked Jesus.

Jesus answered, "I am exactly who I told you I was at the beginning. There is a lot more I could say to condemn you. But the one who sent me is truthful, and I tell the people of this world only what I have heard from him."

They did not understand that Jesus was talking to them about the Father.

Jesus went on to say, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will know that I am he. You will also know that I don't do anything on my own. I say only what my Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. I always do those things that please him, and he will never leave me."

After Jesus said this, many of the people believed in him.

The Truth Will Set You Free

(John 8: 31-38)

Jesus told the people who now believed in him, "If you hold on to what I teach you, you truly are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

They answered, "We are Abraham's descendants. We have never been anyone's slaves. How can you say we will be set free?"

Jesus replied: "I tell you that most certainly anyone who sins is a slave to sin! A slave does not stay in the family permanently, but a son belongs to it forever. Therefore, if the Son gives you freedom, you are free! I know that you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you want to kill me, because you will not accept what I teach. I am telling you what my Father has shown me, just as you are doing what your father has taught you."

Your Father Is the Devil

(John 8: 39-47)

They said to Jesus, "Abraham is our father!"

Jesus replied, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did. Instead, you want to kill me for telling you the truth that God gave me. Abraham never did anything like that. But you are doing exactly what your father does."

"Don't accuse us of having someone else as our father!" they said. "We just have one father, and he is God."

Jesus answered: "If God were really your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and only from him. He sent me. I did not come on my own. Why can't you understand what I am talking about? It is because you cannot bear to hear what I am saying? You belong to your father the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He was always a murderer and a liar from the beginning. There is no truth in him. He speaks on his own accord, and everything he says is a lie, because not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies. Everything I have told you is true, and that is why you still refuse to have faith in me. Can any one of you accuse me of sin? If not, why don't you believe me? After all, I am telling you the truth. Anyone who belongs to God will listen to his message. But you refuse to listen, because you don't belong to God."

Jesus and Abraham

(John 8:48-59)

The people told Jesus, "We were right to say that you are a Samaritan and that you are possessed by a demon!"

Jesus answered, "No. I am not possessed by a demon. But I honour my Father, and you refuse to honour me. I am not seeking honour for myself. But there is one who wants me to be honoured, and he is also the one who judges. I tell you for certain that if you obey my words, you will never die."

Then the people said, "Now we are sure that you are demon possessed. Abraham is dead, and so are the prophets. How can you say that no one who obeys your words will ever die? Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"

Jesus replied, "If I honoured myself, it would mean nothing. My Father, whom you claim is your God, is the one who honours me. Although you don't really know him, if I said I didn't know him, I would be a liar, just like all of you are. But I do know him, and I do what he says. Your forefather, Abraham, rejoiced at the thought of seeing me."

"You are not even fifty years old!" the Jews said. "Are you telling us you have seen Abraham?"

Jesus answered, "I tell you for certain that even before Abraham was born, I am."

At this point, the people picked up stones to kill Jesus, but Jesus slipped out of the temple grounds and hid himself.

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

(John 9: 1-12)

As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been blind since birth. Jesus' disciples asked, "Teacher, why was this man born blind? Was it because he or his parents sinned?"

Jesus answered. "It is not because either this man nor his parents sinned. He is blind so that God's power might be seen at work in him. As long as it is day, we must do what the one who sent me wants me to do. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light for the world."

After Jesus said this, he spat on the ground, made some mud with the saliva and smeared it on the man's eyes. Then he said, "Go and wash off the mud in the Pool of Siloam." So the man went and washed in Siloam, which means 'One Who Is Sent.'

When the man had washed off the mud, he could see.

The man's neighbors and the people who had seen him begging wondered if he really could be the same man. Some claimed he was, while others said he only looked like him. But he told them, "I am that man."

"Then how can you see?" they asked.

He answered, "Someone named Jesus made some mud and smeared it on my eyes. He told me to go and wash it off in the Pool of Siloam. When I did, I could see."

"Where is he now?" they asked.

"I don't know," he answered.

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The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

(John 9: 13-34)

The day when Jesus made the mud and healed the blind man was a Sabbath. So the people took the man to the Pharisees. The Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight, and he answered, "Jesus made some mud and smeared it on my eyes. Then after I washed it off, I could see."

Some of the Pharisees said, "This man Jesus doesn't come from God. If he did, he would not break the law of the Sabbath."

But others asked, "How could someone who is a sinner work such a miracle?"

Since the Pharisees could not agree among themselves, they asked the man, "What do you say about this one who healed your eyes?"

"He is a prophet!" the man replied.

The Jewish leaders still would not believe that the man had once been blind and now has received his sight. So they sent for his parents and asked them, "Is this the son that you said was born blind? How can he now see?"

The man's parents answered, "We are certain that he is our son, and we know that he was born blind. But we don't know how he got his sight or who gave it to him. Ask him! He is old enough to speak for himself."

The man's parents said this because they were afraid of their leaders. The leaders had already decided that anyone who believed that Jesus was the Christ would be expelled from the synagogue.

The leaders called the man back and said, "Promise before God that you will tell the truth! We know that this man Jesus is a sinner."

The man replied, "I don't know if he is a sinner or not. All I know is that I used to be blind, but now I can see!"

"What did he do to you?" they asked. "How did he cure you of your blindness?"

The man answered, "I have already told you once, and you refused to listen. Why do you want me to tell you again? Do you also want to become his disciples?"

The leaders hurled insults at the man and said, "You are his follower! We are followers of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but we don't even know where Jesus comes from."

"How strange!" the man replied. "He healed my eyes, and yet you don't know where he comes from. We know that God listens only to people who love and obey him. God doesn't listen to sinners. Nobody has ever heard before of anyone giving sight to someone who was born blind. Unless he came from God, Jesus would not be able to do anything."

The leaders treated the man with disdain; "You have been a sinner since the day you were born! Now you think you can teach us?" Then they expelled him from the synagogue."

Spiritual Blindness

(John 10: 35-41)

When Jesus heard that the man had been thrown out of the synagogue, he went and found the man. Then Jesus asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

He replied, "Sir, if you will tell me who he is, I will put my faith in him."

"You have already seen him," Jesus answered, "and right now he is talking with you."

The man said, "Lord, I put my faith in you!" Then he worshiped Jesus.

Jesus said, "I came into this world to judge. I came to give sight to the blind, and so that those who see will become blind."

When some Pharisees heard Jesus say this, they asked, "Are we blind too?"

Jesus answered, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But now that you claim to see, your guilt remains."

A Parable about Shepherds and Sheep

(John 10: 1-6)

Jesus said: "I tell you the truth that only thieves and robbers climb over the fence instead of going in through the gate to get to the sheep. The shepherd enters through the gate. The sheep know their shepherd's voice. He calls each of them by name and leads them out.

When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice. The sheep will not follow strangers. They don't recognize a stranger's voice, and they run away."

Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was talking about.

Jesus Is the Good Shepherd

(John 10: 7-19)

Jesus said: "I tell you the truth. I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not listen to any of them. I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved. Through me they will come and go and find pasture. A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep. Hired workers are not like the shepherd. They don't own the sheep. So when they see a wolf coming, they run off and leave the sheep. Then the wolf attacks and scatters the flock. Hired workers run away because they don't care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me. Just as the Father knows me, I know the Father, and I lay down my life for my sheep. I have other sheep that are not in this sheep pen. I must bring them together too, when they hear my voice. Then there will be one flock of sheep and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is because I give up my life, so that I may receive it back again. No one takes my life from me. I give it up willingly! I have the authority to give it up and the authority to receive it back again, just as my Father commanded me to do.

The Lord Sends Out the Seventy-Two Disciples

(Luke10. 1-24)

Later the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them out two by two ahead of him to every town and village where he was about to go. He said to them: "There is a large harvest in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to gather in his harvest. Now go, but remember, I am sending you like lambs to a pack of wolves. Don't take along a purse or a bag or sandals; and don't stop to greet people on the road. When you enter a home, say, 'Peace be with this house.' If a man of peace is living there, your prayer for peace will bless him. If he is not a man of peace, take back your greeting of peace. Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because workers deserve to be paid. Don't move around from house to house.

If the people of a town welcome you, eat whatever they offer. Heal the sick who are there and say, 'God's kingdom will soon be here!' But if the people of a town refuse to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'We are shaking the dust of your town from our feet as a warning to you. Just remember this, God's kingdom will soon be here!' I assure you that on the Judgment Day God will be more merciful to the people of Sodom than to the people of that town!"

The Unbelieving Towns

(Luke 10. 13: 16; Matthew 11.20-24)

Then Jesus began to warn the cities where he performed most of his miracles because they would not concede that they were sinners. "How horrifying it will be for you people of Chorazin! How horrifying for you people of Bethsaida also! If the miracles that took place in your towns had happened in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have repented long ago. They would have dressed in sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on their heads. On the Day of Judgment God will be more merciful to the people of Tyre and Sidon than he will be to you people. And as for you, Capernaum, do you think you will be lifted up to heaven? No, you will go down to hell!

"Whoever listens to you, my followers, listens to me. Anyone who rejects you rejects me. And anyone who rejects me is really rejecting my father who sent me."

The Return of the Seventy-Two

(Luke 10: 17-20)

When the seventy-two followers returned, they were excited and said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed when we spoke in your name!"

Jesus said: "I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. I have given you the power to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome the power of your enemy Satan. Nothing can harm you. However, don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you. Be happy that your names are written in heaven!"

Jesus Thanks His Father

(; Luke 10:21-24; Matthew 11.25-27)

At that same time, Jesus was full of the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, and he said: "My Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you because you have hidden all these things from wise and learned people and showed it to the unlearned. Yes, Father, that is how you wanted it to happen. My Father has given all things to me. No one knows who the Son is except the Father and no one really knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Jesus then turned to his disciples and said to them in private, "You are really blessed to see what you see! Many prophets and kings were eager to see what you see and to hear what you hear. But I tell you that they did not see or hear."

People took sides because of what Jesus had told them. Many of them said, "He has a demon in him! He is crazy! Why listen to him?" But others said, "How could anyone with a demon in him say these things? No one like that could give sight to a blind person!"

The Good Samaritan

(Luke 10: 25 -37)

An expert in the Law of Moses stood up and asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus replied, "What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?"

The man answered, "The Scriptures say, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and love your neighbors as yourself.' "

Jesus said, "You have given the right answer. Do this and you will live."

But the man wanted to justify his question. So he asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbour?"

Jesus replied: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him. They stole his clothes, beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he passed him by and walked on the other side of the road. Later a Levite came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side. Then a man from Samaria, as he was travelling, came along that same road. When he saw the man lying there, he felt sorry for him. So he attended to his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, "Please take care of this man, and when I return, if there is any other expense due to you, I will pay you the extra."

Then Jesus asked, "Which of these three people do you consider was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?"

The expert in the law answered, "The one who showed pity."

Jesus said, "Go and do the likewise."

At the Home of Martha and Mary

(Luke 10: 38 -42)

As Jesus and his disciples were traveling along, they came to a village where, a woman named Martha welcomed Jesus into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the Lord's feet and was listening to what he said. Martha was concerned about all the work that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!"

"Martha, Martha!" the Lord answered. "You are worried and upset about so many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is the better thing to do, and it will not be taken away from her."

Jesus' teaching on Prayer

(Luke 1: 13 –37; Matthew 6.9-13; 7.7-11)

When Jesus had finished praying, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his followers to pray." So Jesus told them, "Pray in this way: 'Our Father, who is in Heaven, hallowed (honoured) be your name. (May) Your kingdom come. (May) Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread (the food we need), and forgive our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation (protect us from giving in to temptation) and deliver us from all evil."

Then Jesus went on to say: "Suppose one of you goes to a friend in the middle of the night and says, 'Let me borrow three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has dropped in, and I don't have a thing for him to eat.' And suppose your friend inside answers, 'Don't bother me! The door is bolted, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you something.' Let me tell you, while he may not get up and give you the bread, just because you are his friend, he will get up and give you as much as you need, simply because you are persistent enough to keep on asking. So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish? Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg?

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father be ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks."

Jesus and Beelzebub, the Ruler of Demons

(Luke 11: 14 –23; Matthew 12.22-30; Mark 3.20-27)

Jesus forced a demon out of a man who could not talk. And after the demon had gone out, the man started speaking. The crowd watching was amazed. But some people said, "He forces out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons!" Others wanted to put Jesus to the test. So they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said: "A country where people fight each other will end up in ruin. And a family that fights will break up. If Satan fights against himself, how can his kingdom last? Yet you say that I force out demons by the power of Beelzebub. If I use his power to force out demons, whose power do your own followers use to force them out? Your own followers prove that you are wrong. But if I use God's power to force out demons, it proves that God's kingdom has already come to you. When a strong man arms himself and guards his home, his possessions are safe. But if a stronger man comes and defeats him, he will carry off the weapons in which the strong man trusted and then divide up what he stole. He who is not with me is against me, and who does not gather with me, scatters.

Return of an Evil Spirit

(Luke 11: 24 –26; Matthew 12.43-45)

"When an evil spirit leaves a person, it travels through the desert, looking for a place to rest. But when it doesn't find a place, it says, 'I will go back to the home I left.' When it gets there and finds the place clean and tidy, it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits worse than itself. They all come and make their home there, and that person ends up in a worse shape than he was at the beginning."

Being Really Blessed

(Luke 11: 27 –28)

While Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the woman who gave birth to you and nursed you!"

Jesus replied, "That's true, but the people who are really blessed are the ones who hear the word of God and obey it!"

A Sign from God

(Luke 11: 29 –32; Matthew 12.38-42; Mark 8.12)

As crowds were gathering around Jesus, he said: "You people of today are evil! You keep looking for a miraculous sign from God. But the only sign you will be given is the one that happened to Jonah. Just as Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, the Son of man will be a sign for the people of this day. On the Day of Judgment, the Queen of Sheba will stand up and accuse the people of today, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon, and indeed now, one greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up on judgment day with the people of this day and condemn them, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and indeed one greater than Jonah is here."

### Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law of Moses

(Luke 11: 37 –54; Matthew 23.1-36; Mark 12.38-40; Luke 20.45-47)

When Jesus finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him home for a meal. Jesus accepted the invitation and sat down to eat. But the Pharisee was surprised that Jesus did not wash his hands before eating. So the Lord said to him: "You Pharisees clean the outside of your cups and dishes, but on the inside you are greedy and evil. This is foolish. Didn't God make both the outside and the inside? If you would only give what is in your cups and dishes to the poor, everything will be clean to you. You Pharisees are in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your gardens, such as mint and rue and all the other herbs. But you deceive people, and you don't love God. You should be fair and kind to others and still give a tenth to God. You Pharisees are in for trouble because you love the front seats in the synagogues, and you like to be greeted with reverence in the market. But you are in for trouble! You are like unmarked graves that people walk on without even knowing it."

A teacher of the Law of Moses spoke up, "Teacher, you insult us by saying these cruel things about us."

Jesus said: "You teachers are also in for trouble! You load people down with heavy burdens, but you won't stretch out a finger to help them carry those loads. Yes, you are really in for trouble. You build fine tombs to honor the prophets your own people murdered long ago. So you give evidence that you approve of what your forefathers did, or else you would not have built monuments for the prophets they murdered. Because of this, God in his Wisdom said, 'I will send prophets and apostles to you. But you will murder some and persecute others.' You people living today will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets who have been murdered since the beginning of the world. This includes every prophet from the time of Abel to the time of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you. You people will certainly be punished for all of this. You teachers of the Law of Moses are really in for trouble because you have taken away the keys to the door of knowledge about God. You never go in, and you keep others from going in."

Jesus was about to leave, but the teachers and the Pharisees began to oppose him and tried to make him say what he thought about other things. This was in the hope that they could catch him out by his saying something that was wrong.

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Warnings and encouragements

(Luke 12: 1 –3)

As thousands of people crowded around Jesus, to the extent that they were stepping on each other, he said to his disciples: "Be on your guard against the dishonest teaching of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Everything that is covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known. Whatever you say in the dark will be heard in the daylight. Whatever you whisper in a closed room will be shouted from the housetops.

The One To Fear

(Luke 12: 4 –7; Matthew 10.28-31)

"My friends, don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but after that, there is nothing else they can do. God is the one you must fear. Not only can he take your life, but he also has the power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

"Aren't five sparrows sold for just two pennies? Yet God doesn't forget a single one of them. Even the hairs on your head are counted. So don't be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.

Telling Others about Christ

(Luke 12: 8 –11; Matthew 10.32, 33; 12.32; 10.19, 20)

"I assure you that if you tell others publicly that you belong to me, the Son of Man will do the same for you before the angels of God. But if you reject me publicly, you will be rejected in front of them. If you speak against the Son of Man, you can be forgiven, but if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you cannot be forgiven. When you are brought to trial in the synagogues or before rulers or officials, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say. For the Holy Spirit will tell you at that time what to say."

A Rich Fool

(Luke 12: 13 –21)

A man in a crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of what our father left us when he died."

Jesus answered, "My friend, who appointed me as judge to divide property between you and your brother?" Then he said to the crowd, "Watch out! Be on your guard against being greedy! A man's life does not consist of the things he owns, no matter how much he has."

Then Jesus told them this parable: "A rich man's farm produced a big crop. So he began to think to himself, 'What can I do? I don't have a place large enough to store everything.'

Later, he said to himself, 'Now I know what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I can store all my grain and other goods. Then I'll be able to say to myself, 'I have stored up enough good things to last for years to come. Now I can live it up! I can Eat, drink, and be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be taken from you. Then who will get those things that you have stored up for yourself?' This is what happens to people who store up everything for themselves, but are not rich in God's sight."

Do Not Worry, Trust in God

(Luke 12: 22 –29; Matthew 6.25-34)

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "And so I tell you not to worry about your life! Don't worry about having enough to eat or wear. Life is more than food or clothing. Look at the ravens! They don't plant or harvest. They don't have storehouses or barns. But God takes care of them. How much more important are you than any birds. Can worry make you live longer? If you don't have power over such small things, why worry about everything else? Look how the wild flowers grow! They don't work hard to make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of those flowers. If God gives such beauty to everything growing in the fields, which is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow, won't he do even more for you? Why do you have such little faith! Don't keep worrying about having enough to eat or drink. Only pagans (people who don't know God) worry about such things. Your Father knows what you need. Seek his Kingdom first, and these things will be provided for you.

Treasures in Heaven

(Luke 12: 32 –34; Matthew 6.19-21)

"Do not be afraid, my little flock. Your Father wants to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give the money to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will never wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never come to an end. Where thieves cannot steal it and moths cannot destroy it. Your heart will always be where your treasure is.

### Faithful and Unfaithful Servants

(Luke 12: 35 –48; Matthew 24.45-51)

"Be dressed and ready for service. Keep your lamps burning just like those servants who wait up for their master to return from a wedding feast. When he comes and knocks, they will open the door for him immediately. How fortunate are those servants if their master finds them awake and ready when he comes! I promise you that he will dress himself to serve and have his servants recline at the table so that he can serve them. Those servants are really fortunate if their master finds them ready, even though he comes late at night or early in the morning. And you can be sure that if the owner of a house knew when the thief was coming, he would not let his house be broken into. So you too must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at a time when you don't expect him."

Peter asked Jesus, "Does this parable apply to us, or do you mean it for everyone?"

The Lord answered: "Who then is the faithful and wise servant? He is the one who the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their food supplies at the proper time. How fortunate that servant will be when the master comes and finds him doing this. A servant who is always faithful will surely be put in charge of everything the master owns. But suppose the servant thinks that the master is taking a long time coming. Suppose that servant starts beating all the other servants and eats and drinks and gets drunk. If that happens, the master will come on a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. That servant will then be cut into pieces and thrown out with the servants who are disobedient. The servant who is not ready or willing to do what his master wants him to do will be beaten severely. But the servant who doesn't know what his master wants him to do will not be beaten so hard for doing wrong. If God gives you a lot, he will expect a lot from you. But if he gives you much more than a lot, he will require much more from you.

Not Peace, but Division

(Luke 12: 49 –53; Matthew 10.34-36)

"I came to set fire to the earth, and I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to go through, and how distressed I am until it is over. Do you think that I came to bring peace on earth? No indeed! I came to cause division by making people choose sides. A family of five will be divided, with two of them against the other three. Fathers and sons will turn against one another, and mothers will be against daughters. Mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law will also turn against each other."

Jesus Is Rejected

(John 10. 22-42)

That winter, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Temple Festival. One day he was walking in the part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch, when the people gathered all around him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly!"

Jesus answered: "I have already told you, but you refuse to believe me. The things I do by my Father's authority speak on my behalf. But you don't believe me since you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, so that they will never be lost. No one can snatch them away from me. My Father gave them to me, and he is greater than all others. No one can snatch them from his care. The Father and I are one."

Once again the people picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus said, "I have done many good things in your presence that my Father sent me to do. Which one are you going to stone me for?"

They replied, "We are not stoning you because of any good thing you did. We are stoning you because you blasphemed. You are only a man, but you are claiming to be God!"

Jesus replied: "In the Scriptures you read, doesn't God say, 'You are gods'? (See Psalm 82:6) We know that the Scriptures are true forever, and God called the people to whom his message was given gods. So what about me, the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why do you accuse me of blasphemy for saying that I am the Son of God? If I don't do as my Father does, then you should not believe me. But if I do what my Father does, you should believe because of that, even if you don't have faith in me. Then you will know for certain that the Father is one with me, and I am one with the Father."

Once again they wanted to seize Jesus, but he escaped from them. Then he crossed the Jordan to the place where John had earlier been baptizing. He stayed there and many people came to him. They were saying, "Although John didn't work any miracles, everything he said about Jesus is true." And a lot of those people also put their faith in Jesus.

Enter by the Narrow Door

(Luke 13: 22-30; Matthew 7.13, 14, 21-23)

While making his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went through towns and villages teaching the people. Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"

Jesus answered: " Do your best to go in by the narrow door, because many will try to get in, but will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and locks the door, you will be left standing outside. You will knock on the door and say, 'Sir, open the door for us!'

But the owner will answer, 'I don't know who you are or where you come from.'

Then you will start saying, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'

But he will say, 'I don't know where you come from! Get away from me, you evil people!'

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God's kingdom, but you yourselves will be thrown out. People will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south, and will take their places at the feast in God's kingdom. Then those who are now last will be first, and those who are now first will be last."

Jesus' Sorrow for Jerusalem

(Luke 13: 31-30);

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Leave this place and go elsewhere! Herod wants to kill you."

Jesus said to them: "Go and tell that fox, 'I am going to force out demons and heal people today and tomorrow. Three days later I shall finish my work.' However, I am going on my way today and tomorrow and the next day. After all, it is not right that any prophet should be killed outside Jerusalem.

"Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and have stoned the messengers who were sent to you. How many times have I wanted to gather your people together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings? But you wouldn't let me. Now your temple will be left desolate. You won't see me again until the time when you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' "

Jesus Heals a Sick Man

(Luke 14: 1-5)

One Sabbath, Jesus was having dinner in the home of a leading Pharisee; and everyone was carefully watching him. There in front of him was a man with swollen arms and legs. Jesus turned and asked the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" But they did not say a word.

Jesus took hold of the man. Then he healed him and sent him away. Afterwards, Jesus said to the people, "If any one of you had a son or an ox that fell into a well, wouldn't you pull him out right away, even on the Sabbath?" There was nothing they had to say about this.

How To Be a Guest

(Luke 14: 7-14)

Jesus noticed that some of the guests had tried to take the best seats. So he told this parable to all of them: "When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the best place. It could happen that someone more eminent than you may have been invited. Then the one who invited you will have to come and say, 'Give your place to this other guest!' Then you will be embarrassed and will have to sit in the worst place. Instead, when you are invited to be a guest, go and sit in the worst place, so that the one who invited you may come and say, 'My friend, take a better place.' This way you will then be honoured in front of all the other guests. If you exalt yourself above others, you will be humbled. But if you humble yourself, you will be exalted." Then Jesus said to his host: "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, don't invite your friends and family and relatives and rich neighbors. If you do, they will invite you in return, and you will be paid back. When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then although they cannot pay you back, God will bless you and reward you when his blameless people rise from death."

The Great Banquet

(Luke 14; 15-30; Matthew 22.1-10)

Just as Jesus had finished saying this, one of the guests said, "The greatest blessing of all will be to sit down at the feast in the kingdom of God."

Jesus said to him: "A man once prepared a great banquet and invited a lot of guests. When it was time for the banquet, he sent a servant to tell the guests, 'Come, everything is ready.'

But one guest after another started making excuses. The first one told the servant, 'I bought some land, and I need to go and inspect it. Please excuse me.' Another guest said, 'I bought five pairs of oxen, and I need to try them out. Please excuse me.' Still another guest said, 'I just got married, so I can't be there.' The servant went back and reported all this to his master. When he heard it, the master became so irritated that he said, 'Go as fast as you can to every street and alley in town, and bring in everyone who is poor or crippled or blind or lame.'

Soon the servant returned and said to his master, 'I've done what you told me to, but there is still plenty of room for more people.' The master then told his servant, 'Go out into the country roads and lanes and make people come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you not one of the guests I first invited will taste my food!' "

The Cost of Being a Disciple

(Luke 14: 25-33; Matthew 10.37, 38)

Once when large crowds were walking along with him, Jesus turned to them and said:

"One cannot be my disciple, unless that person loves me more than he loves his father and mother, his wife and children, and his brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life. You cannot be my disciple unless you take up your cross and follow me. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Before you start building, won't you sit down and try to estimate how much it will cost and see if you have enough money to pay for it? Otherwise, you might start building the tower, but not be able to finish it. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you. They will say, 'You started building, but you cannot finish the job.' What if a king who has only ten thousand soldiers to defend himself goes out against a king who is about to attack him with twenty thousand soldiers? Before he goes out to battle, won't he first sit down and consider whether his army is strong enough to face the other king? If he doesn't think he'll be able to defend himself, he will send messengers and ask for peace while the other king is still a long way off. In the same way, unless you give up everything you have, you cannot be my disciple."

The Lost Sheep

(Luke 15: 1-7; Matthew 18.12-14)

A lot of tax collectors and sinners were gathering round to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started murmuring, "This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them."

Then Jesus told them this story: "If one of you had a hundred sheep, and one went astray, what would you do? Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine where they are and go look for the lost sheep until you found it? And once you've found it, wouldn't you be so delighted that you would put it on your shoulder and carry it home. Then you would call in your friends and neighbors and say, 'Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.' " Jesus continued, "In the same way there will be more joy in heaven because of one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine good people who don't need to."

The Lost Coin

(Luke 15: 8-10)

Jesus told the people another parable: "If a woman has ten silver coins and loses one, what would she do? Wouldn't she light a lamp, sweep the house and look carefully until she found it? Then she would call in her friends and neighbors and say, "Let's rejoice! I've found the coin I lost." Then Jesus said, "In the same way God's angels rejoice over one sinner who repents and turns to him."

The Parable of the Wasteful Son

(Luke 15: 11-32)

Jesus also told them another story: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to his father, 'Give me my share of the estate.' So the father divided his property between his two sons. Not long after that, the younger son gathered together all his possessions and left for a far away country, where he squandered all his money in wild living. Then after he had spent everything, a terrible famine spread through the entire land and he had no money left to buy food. So he went and hired himself out to a man in that country, who sent him out into the fields to take care of his pigs. He was so hungry that he longed to fill his stomach with what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. In the end, he came to his senses and said, 'My father's workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me like one of your hired workers.' '

"So he got up and made his way back to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 'Father', the son said, 'I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy enough to be called your son.' But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Get a nice fat calf and prepare it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life again. He was lost and now is found.' So they began to celebrate.

"Meanwhile, the older son was out in the field. When he came near the house, he could hear the music and dancing. So he called one of the servants over and asked him, 'What's going on?'

"The servant answered, 'Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father ordered us to kill the best calf.'

"The older brother got so angry that he wouldn't even go into the house. So his father came out and pleaded with him to come on in. But the older brother said to his father, 'For years I have worked for you like a slave and have always obeyed you. But you have never even given me a little goat, so that I could have a feast with friends. This other son of yours has squandered your money on prostitutes. And now that he has come home, you ordered the best calf to be killed for a feast.'

'My son,' his father replied, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. Right now we should be glad and celebrate because this brother of yours was dead and he is now alive again. He was lost and has now been found.' "

A Dishonest Manager

(Luke 16:1-13)

Jesus said to his disciples: "There was a rich man who had a manager to take care of his business, and he was told that his manager was wasting money. So the rich man sent for him and asked, 'What's this I hear about you? Give me a complete account of what it is you have done, because you are no longer going to work for me.'

"The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now that my master is going to dismiss me from my job? I can't dig ditches, and I'm ashamed to beg. Ah! I know what I'll do so that after I've lost my job people will welcome me into their homes.' Then one by one he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe my master?'

'A hundred barrels of olive oil,' the man answered. 'Here's your account', the manager said. 'Sit down and write 'fifty'. 'The manager asked someone else who was in debt to his master, 'How much do you owe?' 'A thousand bushels of wheat,' the man replied. The manager said, 'Take your account and write "eight hundred". The master then praised his dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly. That's how it is. The people of this world act more shrewdly when looking after themselves than the people who belong to the light.

"My disciples, I tell you to use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into an eternal home. Anyone who can be trusted in small matters can also be trusted in large matters. But anyone who is dishonest in small affairs will be dishonest in large affairs. If you cannot be trusted with worldly wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? No one can be the slave of two masters. He will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

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Some Sayings of Jesus

((Luke 16:14-18; Matthew 11.12, 13; 5.31, 32; Mark 10.11, 12)

When the Pharisees, who really loved money, heard what Jesus said, they sneered at him. But Jesus told them: "You are always making yourselves look okay in other people's sight. But God knows what is in your hearts. For the things that most people think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned. Until the time of John the Baptist, people had to obey the Law of Moses and the books of the Prophets. But since God's kingdom has been preached, everyone is trying hard to get in. But it will be easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest detail of the Law to be done away with. Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery. And the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

(Luke 16:19-31)

"There was once a rich man who wore expensive clothes and lived in the finest luxury every day. There was also a poor beggar named Lazarus, whose body was covered with sores, and dogs kept coming up to lick them. This man was brought to the gate of the rich man's house in the hope that he might eat the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. The poor man died, and angels took him to sit beside Abraham in heaven. The rich man also died and was buried. But he went to Hades and was suffering terribly. He looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus at his side. So he called out, 'Father Abraham, take pity on me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I'm suffering terribly in this fire.'

But Abraham answered, 'My son, remember that while you lived, you had been given everything good, while Lazarus had it very badly. Now he is happy here, while you are in pain. And besides all that, there is a deep ditch lying between us that no one from either side can cross over.'

"In reply, the rich man said, 'Father Abraham, then please send Lazarus to my father's home. Let him warn my five brothers, so that they won't come to this horrible place.'

Abraham answered, 'Your brothers have Moses and the prophets to warn them. They should listen to what they say.' Then the rich man said, 'No, Father Abraham, that's not enough. But if only someone from the dead would go to them, they would listen and turn to God.'

But Abraham said, 'If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, then they won't be persuaded to listen, even if someone came back from the dead."

About Sin

((Luke 17:1-7; Matthew 18.6, 7, 21, 22; Mark 9.42)

Jesus said to his disciples: "There will always be something that causes people to sin. But there will be deep trouble for anyone who causes other people to sin. It would be better for such a person to be thrown into the ocean with a millstone tied around his neck than to cause one of these little ones to sin. So be careful what you do. If your brother sins against you, reprimand him, and if he repents, forgive him. Even if he sins against you seven times and each time says, 'I am sorry,' you should still forgive that person."

About Faith

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." Jesus replied: "If you had faith equal in size to a mustard seed, you could tell this mulberry tree to pull itself up, roots and all, and go and plant itself in the sea! And it would."

About Service

"Suppose one of you had a servant who came in from plowing or from taking care of the sheep. Would you say to the servant, 'Come on in and have something to eat'? No, you wouldn't say that. You would say, 'Fix me something to eat. Get ready to serve me, so I can have my meal. Then later on you can eat and drink.' Servants don't expect special thanks for doing what they are supposed to do. And that's how it should be with you. When you've done all you should, then say, 'We are merely servants, and we have simply done our duty.' "

The Death of Lazarus

(John 11:1-16)

Another man, called Lazarus, who lived in the town of Bethany was sick. He had two sisters, Mary and Martha. This Mary was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord's head and wiped his feet with her hair. The sisters sent a message to the Lord and told him that his good friend Lazarus was sick. When Jesus heard this, he said, "His sickness won't lead to death, it will bring glory to God, and his Son will also receive glory through it."

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and brother. However, he stayed in the place where he was for two more days. Then after that he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

"But Rabbi," they said, "A short time ago, the people there wanted to stone you to death! Why do you want to go back?"

Jesus answered, "Aren't there twelve hours in each day? If you walk during the day, you won't stumble because you will have the light of this world. But if you walk during the night, you will stumble, because you have no light." Then he told them, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, and I am going there to wake him up."

The disciples replied, "Lord, if he is asleep, he will get better." Jesus really meant that Lazarus was dead, but they thought he was talking only about sleep.

Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead! For your sake, I am glad that I wasn't there, because now you will have a chance to put your faith in me. Let's go to him."

Then Thomas, whose nickname was 'Didymus' (the twin), said to the other disciples, "Come on. Let's go, so we can die with him."

Jesus and the Resurrection of life

(John 11:17-27)

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was only about two miles from Jerusalem, and many Judeans had come from the city to comfort Martha and Mary because of their brother's death. When Martha heard that Jesus had arrived, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Yet I know that even now God will do anything you ask."

Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again!"

Martha answered, "I know that he will be raised to life on the last day, when all the dead are raised."

Jesus then said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Everyone who believes in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never really die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord!" she replied. "I believe that you are Christ, the Son of God. You are the one who was to come into the world."

Jesus Weeps

(John 11:28-34)

After Martha said this, she went and called her sister Mary aside, "The Teacher is here, and he is asking for you."

As soon as Mary heard this, she got up and went out to Jesus. He was still outside the village where Martha had gone to meet him. When they saw her quickly leave the house, many of the people who had come to comfort Mary thought she was going out to the tomb to mourn. So they followed her. Then when Mary went to where Jesus was, as soon as she saw him, she knelt at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

When Jesus saw that Mary and the people with her were crying, he was deeply upset, and asked, "Where have you laid his body?"

They replied, "Lord, come and you will see."

Jesus wept.

Then the people said, "See how much he loved Lazarus."

But some of them said, "When he can give sight to the blind, why couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?"

Lazarus is Brought to Life

(John 11:38-44)

Then Jesus, still deeply upset, went to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone rolled against the entrance. Then he told the people to roll the stone away. But Martha said, "Lord, Lazarus has been dead four days. There will be a dreadful smell."

Jesus replied, "Didn't I tell you that if you had faith, you would see the glory of God?"

After the stone had been rolled aside, Jesus looked up toward heaven and prayed, "Father, I thank you that have heard me. I know that you always answer my prayers. But I said this, so that the people here would believe that you sent me."

When Jesus had finished praying, he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" The man who had been dead came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of burial cloth, and a cloth covered his face. Jesus then told the people, "Take off the burial clothes and let him go."

### The Plot To Kill Jesus

(John 11:45-54; Matthew 26.1-5; Mark 14.1, 2; Luke 22.1, 2)

Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw the things that Jesus did, and put their faith in him. Others went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish Council) to consider what they should do. They said, "This man is working a lot of miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on like this, everyone will put their faith in him. Then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation."

One of the council members, Caiaphas, who was also high priest that year, spoke up and said, "You know nothing at all! Don't you realize that it is better for one person to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed?" Actually, he did not say this of his accord. As high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation. Yet Jesus would not die just for the Jewish nation. He would die to bring together all of God's scattered people. From that day on, the council plotted to put Jesus to death. Because of this plot against him, Jesus stopped going around in public. Instead, he went to the town of Ephraim, which was near the desert, and he stayed there with his disciples.

Ten Men with Leprosy

(Luke17: 11- 19)

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy came toward him. They stood at a distance and shouted, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

Jesus looked at them and said, "Go and show yourselves to the priests."

And as they went they were cleansed. When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, praising God loudly. He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria.

Jesus asked, "Weren't ten men healed? Where are the other nine? Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?" Then Jesus told the man, "You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well."

God's Kingdom

(Luke17:20-37; Matthew 24.23-28, 37-41)

Some Pharisees asked Jesus when God's kingdom would come. He answered, "God's kingdom isn't something you can see. There is no use saying, 'Look! Here it is' or 'Look! There it is.' God's kingdom is within you." Then Jesus said to his disciples: "The time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. If someone says to you, 'Look there,' or 'Look here,' don't go looking for him. The day of the Son of Man will be like lightning flashing across the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by the people of today. When the Son of Man comes, things will be just as they were when Noah lived. People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day when Noah entered the Ark. Then the flood came and drowned everyone on earth (See Genesis, Chapter 7). It was the same in the days of Lot. People were also eating and drinking. They were buying, selling, planting, and building. But on the very day Lot left Sodom, fiery flames poured down from the sky and killed everyone (See Genesis, Chapter 19). The same will happen on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, no one who is on a rooftop should go down into the house to get anything. Likewise, no one in a field should go back to the house for anything. Remember what happened to Lot's wife. People who try to save their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives will save them. On that night two people will be sleeping in the same bed. One will be taken away, but the other one will be left. Two women will be grinding wheat together. One will be taken away, but the other will be left behind."

The disciples asked him, "Where Lord? Jesus replied, "Where there is a corpse, the buzzards will always gather."

A Widow and a Judge

(Luke18. 1- 8)

Then Jesus told his disciples this parable about how one should keep on praying and never give up: "There was an unjust judge in a certain town who didn't fear God or care about people. In that same town there was a widow who kept coming to the judge and saying, 'Provide me with justice against the one who is against me.' For some time the judge refused to do anything. But, finally, he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about people, will help this widow because if I don't help her, she will keep on bothering me and will wear me out.'

The Lord said: "Think about what that unjust judge said. Now won't God provide justice to his chosen ones who pray to him day and night? Will he be slow in helping them? He will see that they get justice quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on this earth?"

A Pharisee and a Tax Collector

(Luke18. 9- 13)

This is a parable Jesus told to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on everyone else: "Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up by himself and prayed, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people who are greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage. And I am glad that I am not like that tax collector over there. I fast twice a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn.'

"The tax collector, however, stood at a distance and would not even lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he pounded his chest and prayed, 'God, have pity on me, because I am a sinner.'

I tell you that the tax collector went home justified before God, rather than the Pharisee. Everyone who praises himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will receive praise."

Teaching about Divorce

(Matthew 19.1-12Mark 10.1-12)

When Jesus finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the part of Judea that is east of the Jordan River. Large crowds followed him, and he healed their sick people. Some Pharisees came to Jesus wanting to test him. They asked, "Is it right for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?"

Jesus replied, "You have read the scriptures. What does the Law of Moses say about that?" They answered, "Moses allows a man to write out divorce papers and send his wife away." (See Deuteronomy 24:1-4)

Jesus replied, "You are so heartless! That's why Moses allowed you to divorce your wife. God did not intend it to be that way. Don't you know that from the beginning the Creator made people male and female? That's why a man will leave his father and mother and get married. He unites with his wife. Then they are no longer two people, but united as one. Therefore what God has put together, no one should separate."

The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Why did Moses say that a man could write out divorce papers and send his wife away?"

Jesus said, "I say that unless your wife has been sexually immoral, you must not divorce her in order to marry someone else. If you do, you are committing adultery."

The disciples then said, "If that is the situation between a man and a woman, isn't it better not to get married."

Jesus replied, "Only those people who have been given the gift of staying single can accept this teaching. Some people are unable to marry because of the way they were born or because of what someone has done to them. Others stay single in order to serve God better. Anyone who can accept this teaching should do so."

When Jesus and his disciples were back in the house, the disciples asked Jesus about what he had said. Jesus told them, "Any man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against his wife. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man she also commits adultery."

Jesus Blesses Little Children

(Matthew 19.13-15; Mark 10.13-16; Luke 18.15-17)

Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them by placing his hands on them. But his disciples told the people to stop bothering him. When Jesus saw this happening, he said, "Allow the children to come to me. Don't try to stop them. The kingdom of Heaven belongs to little children such as these. I promise you that you cannot get into God's kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does." So Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them by placing his hands on them. Then he went on from there.

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A Rich Young Man

(Matt 19.16- 20:16; Mark 10.17-31; Luke 18.18-30)

As Jesus was walking down a road, a man came up to him. He knelt down, and asked, "Good teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? Only God is good. If you want to have eternal life, you must obey his commandments."

"Which ones?" the man asked.

Jesus replied, "Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not tell lies. Honour your father and mother, and love your neighbour as much as you love yourself."

The man answered, "Teacher, I have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man."

Jesus looked closely at the man and said, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell everything you own and give the money away to the poor. Then you will have a treasure in heaven. Once you have done that, come and follow me."

When the man heard Jesus say this, he went away sad because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "I tell you it is hard for rich people to get into God's kingdom!" The disciples were shocked to hear this. So Jesus told them again, "It's terribly hard to get into God's kingdom. In fact, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God's kingdom."

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly surprised and asked, "How can anyone ever be saved?"

Jesus looked straight at them and said, "There are some things that people cannot do, but with God all things are possible."

Peter said, "We have left everything to be your followers! What will we receive?"

Jesus answered: "I promise you that in the future renewed world, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, all of you who have become my followers will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has departed from their home or brothers and sisters or father and mother or children or land for me will be given a hundred times as much. And in the world to come, they will have eternal life. But many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first."

Workers in a Vineyard

(Matthew 20: 1-16)

Jesus described the kingdom of heaven as being like this. He said: "Early one morning a landowner went out to hire some men to work in his vineyard. After he had agreed to pay them the usual wage for a day's work, he sent them off to his vineyard. About nine o'clock that same morning, the landowner saw some other people standing in the marketplace with nothing to do. He told them that if they would go and work in his vineyard, he would pay them a fair wage. So they went. Then at noon and again about three in the afternoon he returned to the market. And each time he made the same agreement with others who were hanging around with nothing to do. Finally, at about five in the afternoon, the man went back and found some others still standing around with nothing to do. So he asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'

'Because no one has hired us,' they answered.

"Then the landowner invited them to go and work in his vineyard.

"When evening came the owner of the vineyard told his foreman to call the workers in and give them their money. He also told the man to begin by paying the ones who were hired last.

"The workers who had been hired at five in the afternoon were given a full day's pay. So when the workers who had been hired first came to be paid, they thought they would be given more than the others. But instead when they were given the same amount. So they began complaining to the owner of the vineyard. They said, 'The ones who were hired last worked for only one hour. Yet you paid them the same as you paid us, while we worked in the hot sun all day long.'

"The owner answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. After all, I paid you exactly what we agreed on. Now take your money and go home. I want to pay the men who came last the same as I paid you? Don't I have the right to do what I want to do with my own money? Why should you be jealous, because I want to be generous?' "

Jesus then said, "So it is. Everyone who is first will be last, and everyone who is last will be first. For many will be called, but few will be chosen."

Jesus Again Tells about His Death

(Mark 10.32-34; Matthew 20.17-19; Luke 18.31-34)

The disciples were astonished at what they heard, while others who followed were afraid. Then, as Jesus was leading his followers toward Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and again told them what was going to happen to him. He said: "We are now on our way to Jerusalem where everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will take place. He will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses. They will sentence him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him. They will beat him and kill him. But three days later he will rise to life."

The apostles did not understand what Jesus was talking about. The meaning was hidden from them.

A Mother's Request

(Matt 20. 20-28; Mark 10.35-45)

The mother of James and John came to Jesus with her two sons. She knelt down and asked Jesus to do her a special favour. Jesus asked her what she wanted. She said, "When you come into your kingdom, please let one of my sons sit at your right side and the other at your left." Jesus answered, "You don't really know what you're asking! Can you drink from the cup that I must soon drink from and be baptized as I must be baptized?"

"Yes, we can." James and John answered.

Then Jesus replied, "You certainly will drink from the cup from which I must drink. And you will be baptized just as I must! But it isn't for me to say who will sit at my right side and at my left. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my father."

When the other ten other disciples heard this, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called the disciples together and said: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles like to order their people around. And their high officials have full power over everyone they rule. But don't be like them. Whoever wishes to be great, must be the servant others. And whoever wants to be first, must be the slave of the rest. The Son of Man did not come to be a served, but to be a servant who will give his life to rescue many people."

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

(Luke 18.35-43; Matthew 20.29-34; Mark 10.46-52)

When Jesus was approaching Jericho; a blind man by the name of Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside begging. He could hear the crowd walking by and asked what was happening. Some people told him that Jesus from Nazareth was passing by. When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"

The people who were going along with Jesus told the man to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, "Son of David, have pity on me!"

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him over!"

They called out to the blind man and said, "Don't be afraid. Come on. He is calling for you." The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus.

Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

"Lord, I want to see!" he answered.

Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight. Your eyes are healed because of your faith." Immediately the man could see. So he praised God and began to follow Jesus. When the crowds saw what happened, they also praised God.

Zacchaeus

(Luke 19: 1-10)

Jesus was passing through Jericho, where there lived a man called Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was very rich. Zacchaeus, like everyone else, wanted to see Jesus. But since he was a short man and could not see over the crowd, he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree. When Jesus came by the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down! I want to stay with you today." Zacchaeus quickly came down and gladly welcomed Jesus.

All the people who saw this began to mutter, "This man Zacchaeus is a sinner! And Jesus is going home to eat with him."

Later that day Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated."

Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "Today salvation has come to your house, because you too are a true son of Abraham. The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost."

A Parable about Ten Servants

(Luke 19: 11-28; Matthew 25: 14-30)

As Jesus was getting close to Jerusalem, the crowd was still listening to him. Many of them thought that God's kingdom would soon appear, so Jesus told them this parable: "A man of noble birth once went to a distant country to be appointed king and then to return. But before leaving, he called in ten of his servants and gave each of them some money. He told them, 'Use this to earn more money until I get back.' But the people of his country hated him, and they sent messengers to the distant country to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

However, the man was appointed king, and when he returned he called in his servants. He asked them how much they had earned with the money they had been given. The first servant came and said, 'Sir, with the money you gave me I have earned ten times as much.'

'Well done, my good servant!' the king said. 'Since you have shown that you can be trusted with a small amount, you will be given ten cities to take charge of.'

"The second one came and said, 'Sir, with the money you gave me, I have earned five times as much.'

"The king said, 'You take charge of five cities.'

"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your money. I kept it safe in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you because you are a hard man. You take what isn't yours, and you reap crops you didn't sow.'

'You are worthless servant!' the king replied. 'You condemn yourself with your own words. You know that I am a hard man, taking what isn't mine and reaping what I don't sow. Why didn't you deposit my money in the bank, so that when I returned, I could have had the money plus interest.'

"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take the money away from him and give it to the servant who earned ten times as much.'

'But Sir', they said, 'He already has ten times as much!'

" The king replied, 'I tell you, to those who have something more will be given. But as for those who don't have anything, even what they have will be taken away from them. Now bring me the enemies who didn't want me to be their king, and kill them in front of me' " When Jesus had finished saying all this, he went on toward Jerusalem.

The Jews Look for Jesus in the Temple

(John 11: 55-57)

It was almost time for the Jewish Passover festival. Many of the Jewish people who lived out in the country had come to Jerusalem to get themselves ready for it. They looked around for Jesus. Then when they were in the temple, they asked each other, "What do you think? Will Jesus come here for Passover?"

The chief priests and the Pharisees told the people to let them know if any of them saw Jesus. That is how they hoped to arrest him.

### At Bethany

(John 12: 1-11; Matthew 26.6-13; Mark 14.3-9)

Six days before Passover Jesus went back to Bethany, where he had raised Lazarus from death. A meal had been prepared for Jesus. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus himself was there. Mary took a bottle of very expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' feet. Then she wiped them with her hair, and the sweet fragrance of the perfume filled the house.

A disciple named Judas Iscariot was there. He was the one who was going to betray Jesus. He objected and asked, "Why wasn't this perfume sold for a very large sum of money given to the poor?" Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it.

Jesus replied, "Leave her alone! She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor with you, but you won't always have me."

A Plot To Kill Lazarus

(John 12: 9-11)

A lot of people came to the house when they heard that Jesus was there. They also wanted to see Lazarus, because Jesus had raised him from death. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, because he was the reason why many of the people were turning away from them and putting their faith in Jesus.

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

(Mark 11.1-11; Matt 21. 1-9; Luke 19.28-40; John 12.12-19)

Jesus and his disciples came near Jerusalem and reached Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives. When they were getting close to Jerusalem, Jesus sent two of the disciples on ahead. He told them, "Go into the next village where you will at once find a donkey and her colt that has never been ridden. Untie the colt and bring it to me. If anyone asks why you are doing that, say, 'The Lord needs it and will soon bring it back."

The disciples left and found the colt tied near a door that faced the street. While they were untying it, some of the people standing there asked, "Why are you untying the donkey?" They told them what Jesus had said, and the people let them take it. The disciples led the colt to Jesus. Then they put some of their clothes on its back, and helped Jesus get on. Many people spread clothes on the road, while others went to cut palm branches from the fields

The next day a large crowd was in Jerusalem for Passover. When they heard that Jesus was coming for the festival, they took the palm branches and went out to greet him. When Jesus was starting down the Mount of Olives, his large crowd of followers were happy and praised God because of all the miracles they had seen. They shouted "Hosanna! Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! God bless the coming kingdom of our ancestor David. Hosanna in the highest! Peace in heaven and glory to God."

So God's promise came true, just as the prophet had said: "Say to the people of Jerusalem: 'See, your King is now coming. He is gentle and is riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.' " (See Zechariah 9:9)

Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, make your disciples stop shouting!"

But Jesus answered, "If they keep quiet, these very stones will start shouting."

At first, Jesus' disciples did not understand. But after Jesus had been raised to glory, they remembered all these things. Everything had happened exactly as the Scriptures said they would.

When Jesus came to Jerusalem, everyone in the city was excited and asked, "Who can this be?" The crowd answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." Much of the crowd had come to meet Jesus, because they had seen him call Lazarus out of the tomb. They kept telling others about him and this miracle. Because of this, the Pharisees said to each other, "We are not getting anywhere! The world is following Jesus."

When Jesus came closer and could see Jerusalem, he wept and cried out: "If only your people today would have know what would bring them peace! But now it is hidden from them. Jerusalem, the time will come when your enemies will build walls around you to attack you. Armies will surround you and close in on you from every side. They will level you to the ground and kill your people. They will not leave one stone of a building left on top of another. All this will happen because you failed to see that God had come to save you."

After Jesus had gone to Jerusalem and into the temple, he looked around at all the things there. By now it was already late in the day, so he went back to Bethany with the twelve disciples.

Jesus Puts a Curse on a Fig Tree

(Mark 11.12-14, 20-24; Matt 21. 18-19;)

The next morning, as Jesus and his disciples were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. From a distance Jesus saw a fig tree covered with leaves, so he went to see if there were any figs on it. But there weren't any, because it wasn't the season for figs. Then Jesus spoke to the tree saying, "No one will ever again eat fruit from this tree!" The disciples heard him say this.

Jesus in the Temple

(Mark 11.15-19; Matt 21. 12-17; Luke 19.45-48; John 2.13-22)

On reaching Jerusalem with his disciples, Jesus went into the temple and began chasing out everyone who was selling and buying there. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those who were selling doves. Jesus would not let anyone carry anything that was for sale through the temple. Then he taught the people and said, "The Scriptures say, 'My house should be called a place of worship for all nations.' But you have made it a den of thieves." (See Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11)

Blind and lame people came to Jesus in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the Law saw his miracles and heard the children shouting praises to the Son of David they became angry. These men said to Jesus, "Don't you hear what those children are saying?"

"Yes, I do!" Jesus answered. "Haven't you read what the Scriptures say, 'From the lips of children and infants you have perfected praise?' " (See Psalm 8:2) Then Jesus and his disciples left the city and went out to the village of Bethany, where he spent the night.

### A Lesson from the Fig Tree

(Mark 11. 20-25; Matthew 21.20-2)

The next morning, as the disciples walked past the fig tree (that Jesus had earlier put a curse on), they noticed that it was completely dried up. Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree. Then he said to Jesus, "Teacher, look! The tree you put a curse on has dried up."

Jesus told his disciples: "Have faith in God. If anyone has faith in God and does not doubt, he will be able to tell this mountain to get up and move itself into the sea, and it will. Whatever you ask for in prayer, have faith that you will receive it and it will be yours. And whenever you stand up to pray, if you hold anything against anyone, you must forgive him or her for what they have done to you. Then your Father in heaven will forgive you your sins."

A Question about Jesus' Authority

(Mark 11.27-33; Matt. 21:23-22:46; Luke 20.1-8)

Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem. Then while Jesus was teaching in the temple and telling the good news, some chief priests, the leaders nation and the teachers of the Law of Moses came over to him. They asked him, "What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?"

Jesus answered, "I have also got one question to ask you. If you answer it, I will tell you where I got the right to do these things. Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?"

They discussed this among themselves and said to each other, "We can't say that God gave John this right, because then he will ask us why we didn't believe John." And we can't say that it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize. If we do that, the crowd will stone us to death, because they think John was a prophet." So they told Jesus, "We don't know who gave John the right to baptize."

Jesus replied, "Then neither will I tell you who gave me the right to do what I do"

A Story about Two Sons

(Matthew 21:28-32)

Jesus then continued: "What do you think about this. A man who had two sons, went to the older son and said, "Go and work in the vineyard today" His son told him that he would not do it, but later he changed his mind and went. The father then told his younger son to go work in the vineyard. The boy said he would, but he didn't go. Which one of the sons did what the father wanted?

"The older one," the chief priests and leaders answered.

Then Jesus told them: "Let me tell you that tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you ever will! When John the Baptist came to show you how to do right, you would not listen to him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you still would not change your minds and believe."

Parable of the Tenants in a Vineyard

(Matthew 21.33-4; Mark 12.1-12; Luke 20.9-19)

Jesus told the chief priests and leaders another parable: "There was a land owner who planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit to crush the grapes in, and built a lookout tower. Then he rented out his vineyard to some tenants and went on a journey. When it was harvest time, the owner sent some servants to his tenants in order to get his share of the produce. But the renters seized them all. Then they beat up the first one, killed second one, and stoned the third one. The owner continued sending servant after servant, but the tenants treated them the same way, beating some of them and killed others. Finally, the owner sent his own son, whom he loved very much, to the renters, because he thought they would respect him. But when the tenants saw the man's son, they said to each other, 'This is the owner's son. One day he will own the vineyard. Let's kill him! Then we can have his inheritance.' So they seized him too, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him."

Jesus asked, "When the owner of that vineyard returns, what do you suppose he will do to those tenants?"

The chief priests and leaders answered, "He will have them killed, and then he will rent out his vineyard to some other tenants who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time." Jesus replied, "Haven't you read what the Scriptures say, 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the most important stone of all. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'. (See psalm 118:22-23) I tell you that that God's kingdom will be taken from you and given to people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls over this stone will be broken, and anyone it falls on will be crushed."

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard these parables, they knew that Jesus was talking about them. So they looked for a way to arrest Jesus. But they were afraid to, because the people thought he was a prophet

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

(Matthew 22: 1-14; Luke 14.15-24)

Jesus went on to tell another parable to teach the people: "The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a king gave a wedding banquet for his son. The king sent some servants to tell the guests who had been invited to come to the banquet. But the guests refused. So he sent some other servants to the guests saying, 'The banquet is ready! The oxen and fattened calves have all been prepared. Everything is ready. Come to the banquet!' But the guests paid no attention. Some went off to their farms; some went to attend to their businesses, and others even seized the servants, beat them up and killed them. This infuriated the king so much that he sent an army to destroy those murderers and burn their city down. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but the people I invited don't deserve to come. Go out to the street corners and invite anyone you meet to come to the banquet.' So the servants went out into the streets and brought in everyone they could find, good or bad. And the banquet room was filled with people. However, when the king went in to meet the guests, he noticed that one of them wasn't wearing appropriate wedding clothes. The king asked, 'Friend, why didn't you put on proper clothes for the wedding?' But the guest didn't have an excuse. So the king gave orders to have him tied hand and foot and thrown outside into the darkness, where people will be weeping and gnashing their teeth in pain. Many are invited, but only a few are chosen."

About Paying Taxes

(Matthew 22.15-22; Mark 12.13-17; Luke 20.20-26)

The Pharisees kept watching Jesus closely, because they wanted to hand him over to the Roman governor. They got together and planned how they could trap Jesus into saying something incorrect. In an attempt to do this, they sent some of their cohorts and some of Herod's supporters to him. Then they said to Jesus, "Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You teach the truth about God's will for man without being concerned about what people might think. You also treat everyone with the same respect and you are not swayed by people's status. Tell us then what you think. Is it right for us to we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?"

But Jesus knew their evil intentions. He said, "Why are you trying to trick me? You hypocrites! Show me see a coin for paying taxes." They brought him a silver coin, and he asked them, "Whose picture is on the coin and whose name is on it?"

"Caesar's," they replied.

Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God."

When they heard Jesus say this they were stunned. They were unable to catch him out, so they left him and went away.

About Rising from Death

(Luke 20.27-40 Matthew 22.23-33; Mark 12.18-27)

Some Sadducees, who did not believe that people would rise from the dead, came to Jesus with a question: "Teacher", they said, "Moses wrote that if a married man should die and leave no children, his brother should marry the widow, and that any children they might have would be brought up as the son of the dead brother. Well once there were seven brothers. The oldest one got married, but died without having any children. Then the second one married his brother's widow, and he also died without having any children. Then the third one did the same thing. In the end, all seven brothers married that same woman and died without leaving any children. Finally the woman died. Now, at the resurrection from the dead, whose wife will this woman be? All seven brothers married her."

Jesus answered: "You are mistaken, because you don't know the Scriptures or anything about the power of God. The people in this world marry. But in the next life no one who is worthy to rise from death will either get married or die. They will be like angels and will be God's children, because they have been raised to life. Moses clearly shows that people will live again. In the passage about the burning bush, he speaks of the Lord as, 'The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' (See Exodus 3:1-6) The Lord isn't the God of the dead; he is the God of the living."

The crowds were astounded to hear Jesus give this reply. Some of the teachers of the Law said, "That was a good answer, Teacher!" After that, no one dared to ask Jesus any further questions.

The Greatest Commandment

(Mark 12.28-34; Matthew 22.34-40; Luke 10.25-28)

One of the teachers of the Law of Moses was listening to the debate between Jesus and the Sadducees. When he heard Jesus give a good answer, he asked him, "What is the most important commandment?" Jesus answered, "The most important one is this: 'Listen, Israel! There is only one Lord and God. You must love him with all your heart, and with all your soul, with your whole mind, and all your strength.' The second most important commandment is this: 'Love your neighbour as much as you love yourself.' There are no commandments more important than these."

The man replied, "Teacher, you are certainly right to say there is only one God. It is also true that we must love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and that we must love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Obeying these commandments is more important than making sacrifices and burnt offerings."

Jesus acknowledged that the man had given a sensible answer, so he told him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that, no one dared ask Jesus any more questions.

Whose Son is the Messiah?

(Matthew 22.41-46Mark 12.35-37; Luke 20.41-44)

While the Pharisees were still there, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Messiah? Whose family will he come from?"

They answered, "He will be a son of King David."

Jesus said to them, "How is it then that King David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him Lord? For he says, 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right side until I put your enemies under your feet.' (See Psalms 110:1) If David called the Messiah his Lord how can he be his son?"

No one was able to give Jesus an answer, and from that day on, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law of Moses

(Matt 23. 1-39;Mark 12.38-40; Luke 11.37-52; 20.45-47)

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are the experts on the Law of Moses. So you need to obey all that they teach you. However, don't be like them, because they don't practice what they preach. They say one thing and do something else. They place heavy loads on people's shoulders but don't lift a finger to help. They take advantage of widows, rob them of their homes and then make a show of praying long prayers in public. These teachers will be punished severely. Everything they do is done for the public to see. They make a big show of wearing Scripture verses on their foreheads and arms, and they wear big tassels on their garments for everyone to see. They love the best seats at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues. They love to have people greet them in the market places and call them 'Rabbi'. But none of you should be called 'Rabbi', because you have only one Master and all of you are like brothers and sisters. And don't call anyone on earth your father, for you have only one Father, the Father in heaven. Nor should you be called 'leader'. The Messiah is your only leader. Whoever wishes to be the greatest should be the servant of the others. Whoever places himself above others will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself, will receive honour.

"You Pharisees and teachers of the Law are hypocrites and will pay for it! You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You won't go in yourselves, and you keep others from going in. You Pharisees and teachers of the Law are hypocrites and will pay for it! You journey over land and sea to win one convert. And when you succeed, you make that person more deserving of hell than you are. It will be terrible for you! You are supposed to lead others, but you are blind. You teach that if anyone swears by the temple, it doesn't really matter. But you say that if someone swears by the gold in the temple, that person is bound by the oath. You blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also teach that it doesn't matter if a person swears by the altar. But you say that if someone swears by the gift on the altar, that person is bound by the oath. Are you blind? Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So then, when a person swears by the altar that person also swears by everything on it. And when a person swears by the temple, that person also swears by God, who lives there. So also, when a person swears by heaven, that person is swearing by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.

"It will be terrible for you Pharisees and teachers of the law. You hypocrites! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect the more important teachings of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and honesty. These are the things you should practice without neglecting the others. You blind leaders! You strain a small fly out of your drink but swallow a camel. It will be terrible for you Pharisees and teachers of the law. You hypocrites. You wash the outside of your cups and dishes, while inside there is nothing but greed and selfishness. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of a cup, and then the outside will also be clean. It will be terrible for you Pharisees and teachers of the law. You hypocrites! You're like whitewashed tombs. On the outside they look beautiful, but inside they are full of bones and decaying corpses. In the same way, on the outside you appear good, but inside you are full of evil and hypocrisy. It will be terrible for you Pharisees and teachers of the law. You hypocrites! You build monuments for the prophets and decorate the tombs of those who lived good lives. You also claim that had you lived during the time of your ancestors, you would not have taken part in killing the prophets. By saying that, you are really admitting that you are the descendants of the ones who killed the prophets. You carry on doing everything they did. You snakes and children of snakes! How do you expect to escape going to hell? For this reason, I will send to you prophets and wise people and teachers, but you will kill some of them or nail them to a cross. Others you will flog in your synagogues or pursue them from town to town. As a result, you will be held guilty for the murder of every innocent person, beginning with the good man Abel. This also includes Zechariah's son, Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I promise you that this generation of people living will be punished for all these things!

Jesus Loves Jerusalem

(Matthew 23: 37-39; Luke 13.34, 35)

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and stoned those that were sent to you. Oh how often I have longed to gather your people to me, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you are not willing to let me. And so your temple will be abandoned and empty. I tell you, you won't see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

A Widow's Offering

(Mark 12.41-44; Luke 21.1-4)

Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box, watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money. Then, a poor widow came along and dropped in two small coins, which were worth only about two pennies. So Jesus told his disciples to come over to him. Then he said: "I tell you that this poor widow has put more in the offerings box than all the others. Everyone else gave what he or she had to spare. But this woman, even though she is very poor, put in everything she had to live on."

Some Greeks Want To Meet Jesus

(John 12: 20-22)

Some Greeks were among those who had gone to Jerusalem to worship during the festival. Philip from Bethsaida in Galilee happened to be there too. So the Greeks went to him and said, "Sir, we would like to meet Jesus." Philip told Andrew. Then the two of them went to Jesus and told him.

The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up

(John 12: 23-36)

Jesus said: "The time has come for the Son of Man to receive his glory. I tell you for certain that unless a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it will never be more than a single grain. But if it dies, then it will produce many grains. Whoever loves his own life will lose it. But if you give it up in this world you will be given eternal life. Whoever wants to serve me, must go with me, so that my servants will be with me wherever I am. And if you serve me, my Father will honor you.

"Right now I am deeply troubled, and I what shall I say? Shall I say 'Father, keep me from this time of suffering? The fact is; I came into the world to suffer. So Father, bring glory to your own name."

Then a voice came from heaven called out, "I have already brought glory to myself, and I will do it again!" The crowd that was there heard the voice, and some of them thought it was thunder, while others thought an angel had spoken to Jesus. Then Jesus said to the crowd, "That voice spoke for your sakes, not mine. Now is the time for this world's people to be judged, and the ruler of this world (Satan) will be overthrown! When I am lifted up above the earth, I will draw everyone to me." Jesus was talking about the kind of death he was going to suffer.

The crowd said to Jesus, "The Scriptures teach that the Messiah will live forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"

Jesus answered, "The light will be with you for only a little longer. Walk in the light while you are able to, before the darkness overtakes you. Because the person who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Have faith in the light while it is with you, so that you will become children of the light."

The People Refuse To Have Faith in Jesus

(John 12: 36-43)

After Jesus had said these things, he left and went into hiding. Even though he had performed a lot of miracles among the people, they still did not believe in him. This happened so that what the prophet Isaiah had foretold would prove to be true. "Who has believed our message? And to whom has your mighty strength been revealed?" (See Isaiah 53: 1) The people could not believe in Jesus, because as Isaiah had also said, "The Lord has blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, so that they would not be able to see or understand, and so that they would not turn to the Lord and be healed." (See Isaiah 6: 9)

Isaiah said this, because he saw the glory of Jesus and spoke about him. Even so, many of the leaders put their faith in Jesus, but they did not tell anyone about it for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue. The Pharisees had already given orders for the people not to have anything to do with anyone who had faith in Jesus. They loved praise from men more than they loved praise from God.

Jesus Came To Save the World

(John 12: 44-50)

In a loud voice Jesus said: "Everyone who believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me. And everyone who has seen me has seen the one who sent me. I am the light that has come into the world. For this reason, nobody who believes in me will stay in the dark. If anyone hears my words and does not believe, I will not judge him, because I did not come into the world to judge it, but to save it. But everyone who rejects me and does not accept what I teach will be judged on the last day by what I have said. I don't speak on my own behalf. I speak only what the Father who sent me has commanded me to say. I know that his commands will bring eternal life. That is why I tell you exactly what the Father has told me."

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Warning about Trouble

(Matthew 24.3-14; Luke 21.7-19; Mark 13.3-13)

Jesus left and was going from the temple when his disciples came over and said, "Look at all these buildings!" Jesus replied, "Yes, take note of them all. For I tell you that they will all be torn down! Not one stone here will be left upon another."

Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him in private. They asked, "When will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place?" Jesus answered, "Be careful that no one deceives you. For many will come and claim to be me. They will say, "I am Christ!" But don't follow them. When you hear about wars and revolutions, don't be frightened. These things will have to happen first, but the end will not come right away. Nations will go to war against nations, and kingdoms will attack each other. There will be great earthquakes, famines and terrible diseases. There will be terrifying sights and great signs coming from the sky. But this is just the beginning of troubles. Be on your guard. Before all this happens, you will be arrested and persecuted. You will be handed over and tried in the synagogues. Because of me, you will be put in jail and even killed. All mankind will hate you. Many will give up their faith and will betray and hate each other. Then many false prophets will come and fool a lot of people. Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving one another. But before the end comes, the good news must be preached to all nations. When you are arrested, don't worry about how you will defend yourselves. I will give you the wisdom to know what to say. None of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say. Brothers and sisters will betray each other and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved.

The Awful Horror

(Matthew 24.15-21; Mark 13.14-23; Luke 21.20-24)

"One day you will see the "Awful Horror" of which the prophet Daniel spoke, where it should not be, in the holy place. (See Daniel 9: 27, and 11:31). Whoever reads this, needs to understand! When this happens, let those people living in Judea run to the mountains. If you are on the roof of your house, don't go inside to get anything. If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. It will be a terrible time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. Pray that you won't have to run away during winter or on a Sabbath. This will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again. If it weren't for God shortening the time, no one will be left alive. But because of God's chosen ones, he will make the time shorter. If at that time someone says, 'Here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!' Don't believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will come and work great miracles and signs and they will try to fool God's chosen people. But take note. I have warned you ahead of time. If you are told that the Messiah is out in the desert, don't go there! And if you are told that he is in the inner rooms, don't believe it! The Son of Man will appear like lightning that flashes from east to west. Where there is a carcass, the vultures will gather.

When the Son of Man Appears

(Matthew 24.29-31; Mark 13.24-27; Luke 21.25-28)

"Soon after the tribulation of those days, the sun will become dark, and the moon will no longer shine. The stars will fall from heaven, and the stars in the sky will be driven from their courses. The nations on earth will be afraid of the roaring sea and the raging tides, and they won't know what to do. People will be so frightened that they will faint because of what is happening to the world. Then a sign will appear in the sky. And there will be the Son of Man. All nations on earth will weep when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will send his angels with the sound of a loud trumpet call, to gather his chosen ones together from all over the earth. When all these things start to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near."

A Lesson from a Fig Tree

(Matthew 24.32-35Mark 13.28-31; Luke 21.29-33)

Then Jesus told them: "Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its branches become tender and start putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come. I can promise you that this generation will not be ended until all this happens. The sky and the earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Time

(Matthew 24: 36-44; Mark 13.32-37; Luke 17.26-30, 34-36)

"No one knows the day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven or the Son. Only the Father knows. When the Son of Man appears, things will be just as they were in the days of Noah. Right up to the day of the flood, after Noah went into the Ark, people were eating, drinking, and getting married. They knew nothing about what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes again. Two men will be in the same field, but only one will be taken. The other will be left behind. Two women will be at the mill grinding a meal: one will be taken; the other will be left behind. So be ready, because you don't know when your Lord will come. It is like what happens when a man goes away for a while and places his servants in charge of everything. After he gives each of them jobs to do, he orders the guard at the door to keep watch. So be on your guard then, because you don't know when the master of the house will come back. It could be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or in the morning. If he comes suddenly, don't let him find you sleeping. What I am saying to you, I say to everyone. Understand this! If the owner of a house knew when a thief was coming, he would be on guard so as to not to let the thief break in. So too, you must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him.

Faithful and Unfaithful Servants

(Matthew 24: 45-51; Luke 12.35-48)

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant? He is the one that the master will place in charge the other servants to give them their food supplies at the proper time? It will be good for that servant if his master comes and finds him doing so when he returns. You can be sure that the master will put him in charge of all he owns. But suppose that the servant is a bad one, and thinks to himself that the master will be away for a long time. And suppose that he starts beating the other servants and eats and drinks with drunkards. If that happens, the master will surely return on a day when the servant does not expect him. Then he will cut the servant in pieces and make him share the fate of the hypocrites. There he will cry and gnash his teeth in pain.

A Story about Ten Girls

(Matthew 25: 1-13)

"The kingdom of heaven is like this: Once there were ten virgins who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps, but didn't take any extra oil with them, while the ones who were wise took along extra jars of oil for their lamps. Now the bridegroom was late arriving, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. Then in the middle of the night someone shouted, 'Here's the groom! Come to meet him!' Then all the virgins got up and started trimming their lamps. Then the foolish ones said to the wise ones, 'Let us have some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.'

'No,' the wise ones replied. 'There's not enough oil for all of us! Go and buy some for yourselves.'

But while the foolish virgins were on their way to get some oil, the groom arrived. The ones who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. Then the doors were closed. Later the others returned and shouted, 'Sir, sir! Open the door for us!' But the bridegroom replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you!' Therefore, always be ready, because you don't know the day or the hour when the Son of Man is coming.

A Story about Three Servants

(Matthew 25: 14-30; Luke 19.11-27)

"The kingdom is also like what happened when a man who was about to go on a journey, called his servants and put them in charge of all he owned. The man knew what their abilities were, so he gave five thousand coins to the first servant, two thousand to the second, and one thousand to the third. Then he went on his journey. As soon as the man had gone, the servant who had been given five thousand coins invested it and earned five thousand more. In the same way, the servant who had been given two thousand coins invested it and earned two thousand more. But the servant who was given one thousand coins dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

"After a long time, the master of those servants returned and asked them what they had done with his money. The first servant who had been given five thousand coins brought them in together with the extra five thousand that he had earned and said, 'Sir, you entrusted me with five thousand coins, and I have earned five thousand more.'

'Well done!' his master replied. 'You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of a small amount, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!'

"Next, the servant who had been given two thousand coins came in and said, 'Sir, you entrusted me with two thousand coins, and I have earned two thousand more.'

'Well done!' his master replied. 'You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a small amount, but now I will also put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!

"Then the servant who had been given one thousand coins came in and said, 'Sir, I know that you are hard to get along with. You harvest what you don't plant and gather crops where you haven't scattered seed. I was frightened and went out and hid your money in the ground. Here is every single coin!' The master replied, 'You are a lazy good-for-nothing servant! You know that I harvest what I don't plant and gather crops where I haven't scattered seed. You should have put my money in the bank, so that it could have earned me interest.' Then the master said, 'Take the money away from him and give it to the servant with ten thousand coins! Everyone who has something will be given more, and they will have more than they need. As for those who don't have anything, even what they have will be taken away from them. This servant is worthless. Take him and throw him out into the darkness where people will cry and gnash their teeth in pain.'

The Final Judgment

(Matthew 25: 31-46)

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all of his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you whom my father has blessed, and receive your inheritance in the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created. For when I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me into your house, and when I needed clothes, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.' Then the righteous ones will ask, 'Lord, when did we give you something to eat or drink? When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear, or visit you while you were sick or in jail?' The king will answer, 'Whenever you did it for those people who seemed to be the least important, you did it for me.' Then the king will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me you are under God's curse. Go into the everlasting fire that is prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry, but you did not give me anything to eat, I was thirsty, but you did not give me anything to drink. I was a stranger, but you did not welcome me in to your house, I was naked, but you did not give me any clothes to wear. I was sick and you did not take care of me, I was in jail, but you did not visit me.' Then the people will ask, 'Lord, when did we fail to help you when you were hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in jail?' The king will reply, 'Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me.' Those people will be sent off to eternal punishment. But the righteous ones will have eternal life."

A Warning

(Luke 21: 34-38)

"Be on your guard. Don't spend all of your time thinking about feasting, drinking and worrying about life, because the final day will suddenly catch you like a trap. That day will surprise everyone on earth. Be on the alert and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Each day Jesus taught in the temple, and each evening he went out and spent the night on the Mount of Olives. Early each morning the people came to the temple to hear him teach.

The Plot To Kill Jesus

(Matthew 26.1-5Mark 14.1, 2; Luke 22.1, 2; John 11.45-53)

When Jesus had finished teaching all these things, he said to his disciples, "As you know, in two days time it will be the Passover festival. That is when the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies to be nailed to a cross."

At that very time the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathering at the palace of Caiaphas the high priest. They met there to make plans to have Jesus arrested and put to death. But they wanted to do this secretly, because they were afraid of what the people might do if they found out. They were saying, "We must not do it during the festival, because the people will riot."

At Bethany

( _John 12: 1-11;_ Matthew 26.6-13; Mark 14.3-9)

Six days before Passover Jesus went back to Bethany, where he had raised Lazarus from death. A meal had been prepared for him at the house of Simon the leper, a man who once had leprosy. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus himself was there. While Jesus was eating, Mary took a bottle of very expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' feet. Then she wiped them with her hair, and the sweet fragrance of the perfume filled the house.

A disciple named Judas Iscariot was there. He was the one who was going to betray Jesus. He and some other guests started to complain when they saw what Mary did. Judas asked, "Why wasn't this perfume sold for a very large sum of money given to the poor?"

Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it.

Jesus said: "Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. You will always have the poor with you. And whenever you want to, you can always help them. But you will not always have me here with you. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body in advance to prepare it for burial. I can assure you that wherever the good news is told all over the world, what she has done will be remembered and told in memory of her."

Judas and the Chief Priests

(Luke 22.3-6; Matthew 26.14-16; Mark 14.10-11)

After that, Satan entered the heart of Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve apostles. He went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and offered to help them arrest Jesus. He asked them, "How much will you give me if I help you arrest Jesus. They were pleased to hear this, and they promised to pay him thirty pieces of silver. Judas agreed and started looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them when the crowds were not around.

Jesus Eats the Passover Meal with His Disciples

(Mark 14.12-21; Matthew 26.17-25; Luke 22.7-13; John 13.21-30)

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lambs were being killed, Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, "Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal?" So Jesus gave Peter and John the following instructions, "Go, into the city where you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, and when he goes into a house, say to the owner, 'Our teacher wants to know where is the room where he can eat the Passover meal with his disciples.' Then the owner will take you upstairs and show you a large room furnished and ready for you to use. Prepare the meal there." The two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal.

That evening when Jesus was eating with his twelve disciples, he said, "I tell you that one of you will surely betray me and hand me over to my enemies."

The disciples were very upset, and each one said to Jesus, "Lord, you can't mean me, do you!" He answered, "It will be one of you twelve men. The one who dips his bread in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. But it's going to be terrible for the one who betrays me! That man would be better off if he had never been born." Judas said, "Teacher, you surely don't mean me!"

"Yes, it is you!" Jesus replied. Later, Judas did betray him.

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The Lord's Supper

(Luke 22.14-23; Matthew 26.26-30; Mark 14.22-26; 1 Corinthians 11.23-25)

When the time came for Jesus and the apostles to eat, he said to them, "I have wanted so much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer. However, I tell you that I will not eat another Passover meal until it is fulfilled in God's kingdom."

Then as they were eating, Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed it and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, "Take this and eat it. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Then Jesus took a cup of wine in his hands, gave thanks to God, and said to his disciples, "Take this wine and share it. It is my blood, which has been poured out for you, and with it God makes his new agreement so that many people will have their sins forgiven. I tell you that from now on I am not going to drink any more wine until God's kingdom comes."

An Argument about Greatness

(Luke 22:24-30)

During the meal, the apostles got into a dispute about which one of them should be considered the greatest. So Jesus told them: "The Gentile kings have power over their people, and powerful rulers call themselves friends of the people. But don't be like them. The one among you who is the greatest must behave as if he was the youngest, and the leader should be like the servant. Who do people think is the greatest, a person who is served or one who serves? Isn't it the one who is served? But I have been with you as a servant. You have stayed with me all through my trials, so just as my Father has given me the right to rule as a king, so I will give you the same right. You will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will each sit on a throne to judge the twelve tribes of Israel."

Jesus Washes the Feet of His Disciples

(John 13: 1-20)

It was just before the Passover festival, and Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and to return to the Father. He had always loved his followers in this world, and he loved them to the very end.

The evening meal had started, and the devil had already made Judas Iscariot decide to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power and that he had come from God and was about to return to God. So during the meal Jesus got up, removed his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around his waist. Then he poured some water into a large basin and he began washing his disciples' feet and drying them with the towel he was wearing. But when he came to Simon Peter, that disciple asked, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You don't really understand what I am doing, but later you will understand."

"No! You will never wash my feet!" Peter replied.

"Unless I wash you," Jesus told him, "you cannot be associated with me."

"Lord," said Peter, "Wash not only my feet but also my hands and my head."

Jesus answered, "Anyone who has bathed and is clean all over needs only to wash his feet. You, my disciples, are clean, except for one of you." Jesus already knew who was going to betray him. That is why he said, "Except for one of you."

After Jesus had washed their feet, he put his outer garment back on and sat down again. Then he said: "Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me your teacher and Lord, and you should, because that is who I am. Therefore, if your Lord and teacher washes your feet, you should also wash one another's feet. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. I tell you for certain that no servant is greater than his master, and no messenger is greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, God will bless you, if you put them into practice. I am not referring to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But what the Scriptures say must come true. This is what they say, 'The man who shares my bread has turned against me!' (See Psalm 41:9) I am telling you this before it all happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe who I am. I tell you for certain that anyone who welcomes my messengers also welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me."

Jesus Tells What Will Happen to Him

(John 13: 21-30; Matthew 26.20-25; Mark 14.17-21; Luke 22.21-23)

After Jesus had said these things, he was deeply troubled in his spirit. Then he announced to his disciples, "I tell you for certain that one of you will betray me."

His disciple looked at one another puzzled about what he meant. Jesus' favoured disciple was sitting next to him at the meal, so Simon Peter motioned him to find out which one Jesus meant. So the disciple turned toward Jesus and asked, "Lord, who is it?"

Jesus answered, "I will dip this piece of bread in the dish of sauce. The one I give to is the one I am talking about." Then Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan took control of him. Jesus said, "Go quickly, Judas, and do what you are about to do." None of the others at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. But because Judas was in charge of the money, some of them thought that Jesus might have been telling him to go and buy something that was needed for the festival. Another thought was that Jesus was telling him to give some money to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread, he went out in to the night.

The New Command

(John 13: 31-35)

After Judas had gone, Jesus said: "Now the Son of Man's glory is revealed, and God's glory is revealed through him. Then, after God is given glory because of him, God will bring glory to the Son of Man in himself, and God will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you for a little while longer. Then you will look for me, but you won't find me. I tell you just as I told the people, "You cannot go where I am going." Now I am giving you a new commandment. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love each other."

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

(John 13: 36-38; Matthew 26.31-35; Mark 14.27-31; Luke 22.31-34)

"Lord, where are you going?" Simon Peter asked.

Jesus answered, "You can't follow me where I am going now, but later on you will follow me."

Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I go with you now? I am ready to die for you!"

"Would you really die for me?" Jesus asked. "I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me."

Jesus Is the Way to the Father

(John 14; 1-14)

Jesus said to his disciples, "Don't let your hearts be troubled! Trust in God and trust in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father's house. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. I wouldn't tell you this, unless it was true. And after I have prepared a place for you, I will come back and take you with me, so that you will be where I am. You know the way that leads to the place where I am going."

Thomas said, "Lord, we don't even know where you are going! So how can we know the way?"

Jesus answered. "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. But from now on, you do know him, and you have seen him."

Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need."

Jesus answered: "Philip, I have been with you for a long time. Don't you know who I am yet? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you ask me to show you the Father? Don't you believe that I am one with the Father and that the Father is one with me? What I say isn't said on my own. Rather, it is the Father who lives in me who does these things. Trust in me when I say that the Father is one with me and that I am one with the Father. Or at least have faith in me because of the evidence of the miracles I do. I tell you the truth that if you put your trust in me, you will do the same things that I am doing. You will do even greater things, now that I am going back to the Father. And whatever you ask for in my name, I will do. This way the Son will bring honor to the Father. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it."

The Holy Spirit Is Promised

(John 14; 15-31)

Jesus said to his disciples: "If you love me, keep my commandments. Then I will ask the Father to send you another counsellor, the Holy Spirit, who will be with you forever. The Holy Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don't see or know him. But you will know him, because he will live with you and will keep on living in you. I won't leave you like orphans. I will come back to you. In a little while the people of this world won't be able to see me, but you will see me. And because I live, you also will live. Then you will know that I am with my Father, and that you are with me, just as I am with you. If you love me, you will obey my commandments, and my Father will love you. I will also love you and show myself to you."

Then the other Judas, not Judas Iscariot, spoke up and asked, "Lord, what do you mean by saying that you will show yourself to us, but you will not show yourself to the people of this world?" Jesus replied: "If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them. Anyone who does not love me does not obey my teaching. What they have heard me say doesn't really come from me, but from the Father who sent me. I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will come and teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you. I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid. You heard me say to you that I am going and that I will also come back to you. If you really love me, you should be glad that I am going back to the Father, because he is greater than I am. I have told you this before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will have faith in me. I cannot speak with you much longer, because the ruler of this world (Satan) is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and I do exactly what my Father has commanded. Now, let us go from here."

Jesus Is the True Vine

(John 15: 1-17)

Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts away every branch in me that doesn't produce fruit. But he prunes those branches that do produce fruit, so that they will produce even more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you remain in me, and I remain in you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a dry branch that is thrown away and withered. Such branches are gathered up and burned in a fire. If you remain in me, and let my teachings remain in you, then you may ask for whatever you want, and your prayer will be answered. When you become fruitful, you bring honour to my Father, and in this way you show that you are disciples of mine. I have loved you, just as my Father has loved me. So remain in my love.

" If you obey me, I will love you; just as my Father loves me, because I have obeyed him. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Now I tell you to love each other, as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that he would sacrifice his life for his friends. And you are my friends, if you do what I command. I don't speak to you as my servants, because servants don't know what their master is doing, so. I speak to you as my friends, and I have told you everything that my Father has told me.

You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. So this is what I command you to do, love one another.

The World Will Hate the Disciples

(John 15: 18 to 16: 4)

"If the people of this world hate you, keep in mind that they hated me first. If you belonged to the world, people would love you as one of their own. But you don't belong to the world. I have chosen you to come out of the world, and that is why its people hate you. Remember what I told you. No servant is greater than his master. So if people ill-treat me, they will ill-treat you too. If they obeyed my teaching, they would obey yours too. People will treat you this way because you belong to me, and because they don't know the one who sent me. They would not be guilty of sin, if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they cannot claim to have an excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me, hates my Father also. They have seen me do things that no one else has ever done. Therefore, if they had not seen me do these things, they would not be guilty. But they did see me do these things, and yet they still hate me, and my Father too. This however, was bound to happen so that what is written in the Scriptures would come true, 'People hated me for no reason at all.' (See Psalm35: 19 and 69:4)

I will send you the Counsellor (The Holy Spirit) who comes from the Father and shows what is true. The Spirit will help you and will speak about me. Then you will also speak to others about me, because you have been with me from the beginning.

"I am telling you all this so that you will not be afraid. You will be put out of the synagogues. And the time is coming when people will kill you and think they are doing God a favour. They will do such things because they neither know the Father nor me. I am saying this to you now, so that when the time comes, you will remember that I forewarned you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

(John 16: 4-15)

"I didn't tell you these things at first because I was with you. But now I am going back to the Father who sent me, and yet none of you asks me where I am going. Your hearts are very sad from hearing all of this. But I tell you the truth. I am going to do what is best for you. That is why I am going away. The Helper (the Holy Spirit) will not come to help you unless I go away. After I am gone, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will show the people of this world the truth about sin and God's justice and the judgment. The Spirit will show them that they are wrong about sin, because they do not believe in me. They are wrong about God's justice, because I am going to the Father, and you will not see me anymore. And they are wrong about the judgment, because the ruler of this world (Satan) has already judged. I have much more to say to you, but right now it would be more than you could tolerate. When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn't speak on his own authority. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is yet to come. The Spirit will bring glory to me by taking my message and telling it to you. All that the Father has is mine. That is why I have said that the Spirit will take what I say and make it known to you."

Sorrow Will Turn into Joy

(John 16: 16-33)

Jesus said to his disciples, "For a little while you won't see me, but after a while you will see me. "

Some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he mean by saying that for a little while we won't see him, but after a while we will see him? What does he mean by saying that he is going to the Father? What is this 'little while' that he is talking about? We don't understand what he is telling us."

Jesus knew that they had some questions, so he said: "You are wondering what I meant when I said that for a little while you won't see me, but after a while you will see me. I tell you for certain that you will cry and be sad, but the world will be happy. You will be sad, but later your sadness will turn to gladness. When a woman is about to give birth, she is in great pain. But after it is all over, she forgets the pain and is happy, because she has brought a child into the world. You are now very sad. But later I will see you, and you will be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel. When that time comes, you won't have to ask me about anything. I tell you for certain that the Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. You have not asked for anything in this way before, but now you must ask in my name. Then it will be given to you, so that you will be completely happy.

" I have used figures of speech to explain to you what I have been talking about. But the time will come when I will speak to you plainly about the Father and will no longer use examples like these. You will ask the Father in my name, and I won't have to ask him for you. God the Father loves you because you love me, and you believe that I have come from him. I came from the Father into the world, but I am leaving the world and returning to the Father."

The disciples said, "Now you are speaking plainly to us! You are not using figures of speech. At last we can see that you know everything, and we don't have any more questions. Now we believe that you truly have come from God."

Jesus replied: "Do you really believe me? The time will come and is already here when all of you will be scattered. Each of you will go back home and leave me by myself. But the Father will be with me, and I won't be alone. I have told you this, so that you might have peace in your hearts by being united with me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world."

Jesus Prays for Himself

(John 17: 1-30)

After Jesus spoke these words to his disciples, he looked up toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come for you to bring glory to your Son, in order that he may bring glory to you. You have given him power over all people; so that he would give eternal life to everyone you give him. This is eternal life, to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. I have brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you gave me to do. Now, Father, give me back the glory that I had with you before the world was created. You have given me some followers from this world, and I have shown them what you are like. They belonged to you, but you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your word. They know that everything I have came from you. I told my followers what you told me, and they accepted it. They know that I came from you, and they believe that you are the one who sent me. I am praying for them, but I am not praying for those who belong to this world. My followers belong to you, and I am praying for them. All that I have is yours, and all that you have is mine, and they will bring glory to me. Holy Father, I am no longer in the world. I am coming to you, but my followers are still in the world. So keep them safe by the power of your name, the name that you have given me. Then they will be one with each other, just as you and I are one. While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of your name, the name you gave me. I protected them, and not one of them was lost, except the one who was destined to be lost so that what is written in the Scriptures would come to fulfillment. I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers will have the same complete joy that I do. I gave them your message, and the people of this world hate them, because they don't belong to this world, just as I don't. Father, I don't ask you to take my followers out of the world, but protect them from the evil one. They don't belong to this world, just as I don't. Your word is the truth. So let them be dedicated to you by this truth. I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me. I have given myself to you completely for their sake, so that they may be completely dedicated to you. I am not praying just for these followers, but also for everyone else who believes what my followers will say about me. I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with you and you are one with me. May they also be one with us, so that the people of this world will believe that you sent me?

"I have honoured my followers in the same way that you honoured me, in order that they may be one with each other, just as we are one. I am one with them, and you are one with me, so that they may become completely one. Then this world's people will know that you sent me. They will know that you love my followers as much as you love me. Father, I want everyone you have given me to be with me, wherever I am. Then they will see the glory that you have given me, because you loved me before the world was created. Father, the people of this world don't know you. But I know you, and my followers know that you sent me. I taught them about you, and I will teach them even more, so that the love that you have for me will be in them, and I will be one with them." Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

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### Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

(Matthew 26.36-46; Mark 14.32-42; Luke 22.39-46)

Jesus went, as he often did, up to the Mount of Olives and his disciples went with him. When they arrived there, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." Then he said, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took along Peter and James and John, the sons of Zebedee. He was very sad and deeply distressed. Then he said to them, "The sorrow I feel is so great that I feel close to death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Jesus walked on a little further, and then he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering from me. But do what you want, and not what I want." Then he returned and found the three disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, "Could you men not stay awake with me for just one hour? Watch and pray that you will not be led into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Jesus went back again and prayed and said, "My Father, if there is no other way for this cup of suffering to be taken away, I will still do what you want." Then an angel from heaven came to him and strengthened him. In great anguish Jesus prayed so earnestly that his sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood.

When Jesus returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open. They were so sleepy and so worn out from sadness that they did not know what to say. Jesus went away again and prayed the same way. When he returned to the disciples the third time, he said, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough of that! The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinful men. Get up! Let us go. The one who will betray me is already here."

After this, Jesus and his disciples crossed the Kidron Valley and went into a garden that was there.

Jesus Is Arrested

(Matthew 26.47-56Mark 14.43-50; Luke 22.47-53; John 18.3-12)

Jesus had often met in this garden with his disciples. Judas, the traitor knew where the place was, so he went to the garden with some Roman soldiers and temple guards, who had been sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees. They carried torches, lanterns, and weapons. Jesus was already aware of everything that was going to happen, but he still asked, "Who are you looking for?"

They answered, "We are looking for Jesus from Nazareth!"

Jesus said, "I am he!" At that they all fell backwards to the ground.

Jesus again asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"We are looking for Jesus from Nazareth," they answered.

This time Jesus replied, "I have already told you that I am he. If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go." This happened so that the words he had earlier spoken would come to pass: "I did not lose any of those you gave me."

Judas had tipped off the Roman soldiers and temple guards beforehand, "Arrest the man I greet with a kiss. Tie him up and lead him away." Then Judas went over to Jesus said, "Hello, Teacher!" as he greeted him with a kiss.

Jesus replied, "My friend, why are you here?" Then the men grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

Jesus asked Judas, "Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

When Jesus' disciples saw what was about to happen, they asked, "Lord, should we attack them with a sword?" One of the disciples, Peter, even struck at the high priest's servant with his sword and cut off the servant's right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

"Enough of that!" Jesus said. "Put your sword away. I must drink from the cup of suffering that the Father has given me." Then he touched the servant's ear and healed it. Jesus then said to the chief priests, the temple guards, and the leaders of the people who had come to arrest him, "Why have you come out with swords and clubs and why do you treat me like a criminal? I was with you every day in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. But all this took place, so that what was written by the prophets might come to pass. (See Isaiah 53: 2-11)

Subsequent to this, all of Jesus' disciples who were with him ran off and left him. One of those disciples was a young man wearing only a linen robe. The men tried to grab him, but he left the robe behind and ran away naked.

Jesus Is Brought to Annas

(John 18: 12-14; Matthew 26.57, 58; Mark 14.53, 54; Luke 22.54)

The Roman soldiers, together with the temple guards, arrested Jesus and tied him up. Then they took him at first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was the high priest that year. This Caiaphas was the same man who suggested to the Jewish leaders that it was better that one person should die for the people.

Jesus Is Questioned by the High Priest

(John 18:19-23; Matthew 26.59-66; Mark 14.55-64; Luke 22.66-71)

The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and the things he taught. Jesus replied, "I have spoken publicly in front of everyone. And I have always taught in the synagogues and in the temple, where all of our people come together. I have not said anything in secret. Why then do you question me? Why not question the people who heard me? They know what I have said." As soon as Jesus said this, one of the temple guards slapped him and said, "That's no way to talk to the high priest!"

Jesus answered, "If I have said something wrong, tell everyone here what it was. But if what I said was true, why did you hit me?"

Jesus Is Questioned by the Council

(Matthew 26.57-68; Mark 14.53-65; Luke 22.54, 55, 63-71; John 18.13, 14, 19-24)

After this, Jesus was led off to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the chief priests, the nation's leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses had gathered together.

The chief priests and the whole council tried to find a reason to accuse Jesus of a crime, so they could have him put him to death. But they could not find anyone who could provide one. A number of people told lies against Jesus, but there was disagreement about what they said. Finally, some men stood up and lied about him. They said, "We heard him say he would tear down this temple that we built, and then after three days he would erect another one, which would not be built by men." Yet even then there was disagreement about what they said. Then the high priest stood up before the council and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to say anything in your own defense? Do you not hear the accusations they are making against you?"

But Jesus did not answer. So the high priest asked him another question, "With the living God watching from above, you need to tell the truth. Tell us, are you the Christ, the Son of the blessed one?"

"Yes, I am!" Jesus answered. "But I tell all of you, soon you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the mighty one and coming on the clouds of heaven."

At that, the high priest tore off his clothes and shouted, "Why do we need any more witnesses? You heard him blaspheme! What is your decision?"

They answered, "He is guilty and deserves to die!"

Then some of the people began to spit on Jesus. They blindfolded him, punched him and said, "Guess who hit you!" They kept on insulting Jesus, then the guards took hold of him and they started to beat him.

Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus

(Matthew 26.69-75; Mark 14.66-72; Luke 22.56-62; John 18.15-18, 25-27)

During the time that Jesus was taken to Caiaphas the high priest, Simon Peter and another disciple (believed to be John) followed them. That disciple knew the high priest, and he followed Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest's house at a distance. Some people had lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and were warming themselves around it. Peter stayed outside near the gate. But the other disciple came back out and spoke to the girl at the gate. So she let Peter go in. While he was sitting there, she stared at him and said, "You were with Jesus from Nazareth!"

But in front of everyone Peter said, "That's not so! I don't know what you are talking about!" Then after Peter went out to the gate, a rooster crowed.

Another servant girl noticed him and said to some others there, "This man was with Jesus from Nazareth." Once again Peter denied it strongly saying, "I don't even know that man!"

A little while later some other people mingling in the courtyard walked over to Peter and said, "We know that you are one of them. We can tell by your accent. You talk like someone from Galilee.

"No, I am not!" Peter shouted back.

One of the high priest's servants was there also. He was a relative of the servant whose ear Peter had cut off, and he asked, "Didn't I see you in the garden with that man?"

At this, Peter began to curse and swear, "I don't even know the man you're talking about!"

Immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had told him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me." So Peter started crying.

Jesus Is Taken to Pilate

(Matthew 27.1, 2, 11-14Mark 15.1; Luke 23.1, 2; John 18.28-32)

Early the next morning at daybreak all the chief priests, the leaders and the teachers of the Law met together with the whole Sanhedrin (Jewish council) and decided that Jesus should be put to death. They brought Jesus before the Sanhedrin who asked him, "Tell us! Are you the Messiah?"

Jesus replied, "If I said so, you wouldn't believe me. And if I asked you a question, you wouldn't answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of God Almighty."

Then they asked, "Are you the Son of God?"

Jesus answered, "You say I am!"

They replied, "Why do we need more witnesses? He said it himself!" Then they tied him up and led him away to Pontius Pilate the Roman governor

The Death of Judas

(Matthew 27: 3-10; Acts 1.18, 19)

Now Judas who had betrayed Jesus, when he learned that Jesus had been sentenced to death, was exceedingly remorseful about what he had done. So he brought the thirty silver coins back to the chief priests and leaders and said, "I have sinned by betraying an innocent man"

"So what is that to us?" they replied.

Judas threw down the money into the temple, departed and then went out and hanged himself.

The chief priests collected up the thirty pieces of silver and said, "We can't put this money in the temple treasury, because it was paid to have a man killed." So they had a meeting and decided to buy a field that belonged to a potter. The reason was to use the field as a graveyard to bury people from foreign lands. Because of this, people still call that place "The Field of Blood." So the words of the prophet came true, "They took the thirty silver coins, the price of a person among the people of Israel. They paid it for a potter's field, as the Lord had commanded." (See Zechariah 11: 11-13

.

Jesus Is Tried by Pilate

(John 18.28-38; Matthew 27.11-14; Mark 15.1-5; Luke 23.1-5)

When the Jews had led Jesus from Caiaphas' palace to the palace of the Roman governor, the crowd waited outside. Entering a Pagan dwelling, according to their law, would have made them unclean; therefore they would not be allowed to eat the Passover meal. So Pilate came outside and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?"

They answered, "This man is a criminal! We caught him trying to undermine and mislead our nation, telling them to stop paying taxes to the Emperor. He also claims to be the Christ, a king. That's why we brought him to you."

Pilate told them, "You take him and judge him by your own laws."

The crowd replied, "But we are not permitted to execute anyone." This happened so that what Jesus had said about his death would come true. (See Mathew 20: 18)

Pilate then went back inside the palace. Then he called Jesus over to him and asked, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

Jesus answered, "Is this your own question, or have others told you about me?"

"You know I'm not a Jew!" Pilate said. "Your own people and the chief priests handed you over to me. What is it that you have done?"

Jesus replied, "If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought to prevent me from being handed to the chief priests and leaders. But my kingdom is not of this world."

"So you are a king then," said Pilate.

"You are right in saying that I am a king," Jesus told him. "This is the reason I was born into this world, to reveal the truth. And everyone who seeks truth listens to me."

"What is truth?" Pilate asked Jesus.

The chief priests and leaders were shouting accusations against him, but Jesus did not say a word. Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the accusations they are making against you?" But Jesus gave no reply, which amazed the governor.

Jesus Is Brought before Herod

(Luke23. 6-12)

After Pilate learned that Jesus came from Galilee, he decided to send him to Herod, the ruler of that region, who was in Jerusalem at that time.

Herod was very pleased to see Jesus, because he had wanted to meet him for a long time. He had heard many things about Jesus and now that he had the chance, he hoped to see him work a miracle. Herod began to ask Jesus a lot of questions, but Jesus did not answer. Then the chief priests and the teachers of the Law, who were standing there, made all kinds of accusations against him. Herod and his soldiers mocked and ridiculed him. After that, they dressed him in a fine robe and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends, though before this they had been enemies.

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The Death Sentence

(Luke 23.13-26; Matthew 27.15-26; Mark 15.6-15; John 18.39—19.16)

Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders and the people and said to them, "You brought this man to me saying that he was inciting people to rebel. Yet I have questioned him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of anything you accuse him of. Neither did Herod find him guilty of anything. That's why he sent him back to me. He has done nothing to deserve to be put to death!"

While Pilate was sitting there judging the case, his wife sent him a message. It said, "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, because last night in a dream I suffered a lot on account of him."

Meanwhile, the whole crowd was shouting, "Kill Jesus! Release Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had been imprisoned because he had started a riot in the city and had murdered someone.

Pilate didn't want to have Jesus killed, so he appealed to the crowds again. But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" (Nail him to a cross) Pilate observed that the leaders had brought Jesus to him because they were jealous of him.

Again Pilate called out to the crowd, "Which of these two men do you want me to set free?"

"Barabbas!" they replied.

Then Pilate spoke to them a third time, "What then shall I to do with Jesus, who is called the Christ?"

They yelled out, "Crucify him!"

Pilate answered, "But why? What crime has he committed?"

"Crucify him!" they yelled even louder

"But what crime has he done? I have not found him guilty of anything for which he should be put to death. I will just have whipped and set him free."

The people kept on shouting as loud as they could for Jesus to be crucified. Finally, Pilate gave in. He saw that he was getting nowhere. There was nothing he could do and the people were rioting. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd and said, "I am innocent of this man's blood. The responsibility is yours!"

The people answered, "The blame for his death will be upon us and our children!"

Then Pilate freed Barabbas who had been imprisoned for rioting and murder, because he was the one the crowd wanted set free. Later on, Pilate handed Jesus over to the crowd to do what they wanted with him.

Jesus Is Sent to be Crucified

(John 19; 2-16; Matthew 27.15-31; Mark 15.6-20; Luke 23.13-25)

Before Jesus was handed over, the governor's soldiers led Jesus into the courtyard of the fortress and brought together the rest of the troops. They made a crown out of twisted thorns and placed it on Jesus' head. Then they covered him with a purple robe. After that they put a stick in his right hand and made fun of him, shouting, "Hey, you king of the Jews!" Then they spat on him, took the stick away from him and beat him on the head with it. Then they knelt down and pretended to worship him. They came up to him again and again saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" and began slapping him on the face.

Once again Pilate came out. This time he said to the Jews, "I will have Jesus brought out to you again. Then you can see for yourselves that I have not found him guilty."

When Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, "Here is the man!"

As soon as the chief priests and the temple police saw him, they yelled, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

Pilate told them, "You take him and crucify him! I can't find him guilty of anything."

The crowd replied, "He claimed to be the Son of God! According to our law, anyone who makes that claim must be put to death."

When Pilate heard this, he became very frightened. He went back inside the palace and asked Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave no answer.

"Why won't you answer my question?" Pilate asked. "Don't you realize that I have the power to free you or to nail you to a cross?"

Jesus replied, "You wouldn't have the power to do anything to me, unless God had given you that power. However, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of an even worse sin."

Pilate continued to try to set Jesus free. But the crowd kept shouting, "If you set this man free, you are no friend of the Caesar! Anyone who claims to be a king is an enemy of the Caesar."

When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out. Then he sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as "The Stone Pavement." In Aramaic this pavement is called "Gabbatha." It was about noon on the day before the Preparation of the Passover, and Pilate said to the crowd, "Look at your king!"

"Take him away! Take him away!" they shouted. "Crucify him!"

"You want me to crucify your king?" Pilate asked.

The chief priests replied, "We have no king but Caesar!" Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be nailed to a cross.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

(Matthew 27.31-44; Mark 15.22-32; Luke 23.27-43; John 19.17-27)

After the soldiers had mocked Jesus, they took off the robe and put him back into his own clothes. Then they led him off to be crucified. As they were going out, they came across a man from Cyrene called Simon, who was the father of Alexander and Rufus, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross.

They took Jesus to a place called Golgotha, which means 'The Place of a Skull.' (The place is sometimes referred to by its Latin name, 'Calvary') This place wasn't far from the city. There they gave Jesus some wine mixed with a bitter substance to ease the pain. But when Jesus tasted it, he refused to drink it.

A large number of people were following Jesus, among them were some women who were crying and wailing for him. Jesus turned to the women and said: "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't cry for me! Cry for yourselves and for your children. For the time is coming when people will say, 'Fortunate are the women who never had children, whose wombs never bore babies and whose breasts never nursed them!' At that time everyone will say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' They will say to the hills, 'Cover us up!' If such things can happen when the wood is green, what can happen when it is dry?"

Two other men, both criminals, were also being led out to be crucified. When the soldiers came to the place called 'The Skull,' they nailed Jesus to a cross. It was then about three hours after daybreak. As the soldiers were hammering Jesus to the cross, he called out, "Father, forgive them! They don't know what they're doing."

The soldiers crucified the two criminals one on each side of Jesus. People who passed by shouted insults at Jesus. They shook their heads and called out, "So you were going to tear down the temple and build it again in three days! If you are God's Son, why can't you save yourself and come down from the cross?" In the same manner, the chief priests, the leaders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses also poked fun at Jesus They said to one another, "He saved others, but he can't save himself. If he is the Christ, the king of Israel, he should come down from the cross! Then we will see and believe him. He trusts God; so let God rescue him, if he wants to. After all, he did say he was God's Son." The two criminals also said cruel things to Jesus.

After this, the soldiers sat down to keep a watch on him. On the cross, above his head, they put a sign that Pilate had ordered to be placed there. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." The words were written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

A short while later, the soldiers divided Jesus' clothes into four parts, one for each of them. But his outer garment was woven in one piece from top bottom, and it did not have any seams. So the soldiers said to each other, "Instead of ripping it apart, let's cast lots to see who gets it." This happened so that the Scriptures would come true, which say, "They divided up my clothes and gambled for my garments." (See Psalm 22:18) Then they did what they had decided to do.

One of the criminals hanging there continued to insult Jesus by saying, "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and save us!" But the other criminal told the first one off, "Don't you fear God? You are getting the same sentence as this man. We are getting what we deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he turned to Jesus and said, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom!"

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Many of the people read the charge against Jesus. So the chief priests went to Pilate to protest, "Why did you write that he is King of the Jews? Why didn't you write, 'This man claimed to be King of the Jews.' "

But Pilate told them, "What I have written, I have written."

Standing near the cross was Jesus' mother together with her sister, Mary, the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and his favoured disciple (John) with her, he said to his mother, "This man is now your son." Then he said to the disciple, "This woman is now your mother." From then on, that disciple took her into his own home.

The Death of Jesus

(Mark 15.33-41; Matthew 27.45-56; Luke 23.44-49; John 19.28-30)

At noon the whole country was covered in darkness and it stayed that way for three hours. Then Jesus cried out, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" Jesus knew that his work was now finished. And in order to make what was written in the Scriptures eventuate, he said, "I am thirsty!"

Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, "Listen. He is calling for Elijah." One of them ran and grabbed a sponge, soaked it in sour wine, and then he put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus' lips and said, "Let's wait and see if Elijah will come and take him down from the cross!" After Jesus received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished!" "Father," he shouted, "I put myself in your hands!" Then his head dropped and he died.

At that moment, the curtain hanging in the temple split in two from top to bottom. The earth shook. Rocks split apart. Graves opened, and many of God's people who had died were raised to life. They left their graves, and after Jesus had risen to life, they went into the holy city, where they were seen by many people.

When the officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus felt the earthquake and saw everything else that happened, they were terrified. A Centurion (A Roman army officer) was standing in front of Jesus. When he saw how Jesus died he said, "This man was truly the Son of God!"

A crowd had gathered to witness this terrible sight. After they had seen it, they went home beating their breasts in sorrowfulness. All of Jesus' close friends and the women who had followed him from Galilee and helped him stood at a distance and watched. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the James the younger and Joseph and Salome.

A Spear Is Stuck in Jesus' Side

(John 19.31-37)

Since the next day would be both a Sabbath and the Passover, the Jewish people did not want the bodies to remain on the crosses during that day. This was a special Sabbath. So those in authority asked Pilate to allow them to break the men's legs and take their bodies down. The soldiers first broke the legs of the two criminals who were nailed there. But, when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, thrust his spear into Jesus' side, and at once blood and water came out. We can be sure of this, because a truthful person who saw it happen told us so that you also may believe it.

All this was done so that what was written in the Scriptures would come true, "Not one of his bones will be broken". (See Psalm 34:20) plus the following, "They will look on me, the one in whose side they pierced with a spear." (See Zechariah 12:10)

Jesus Is Buried

(Mark 15.42-47; Matthew 27.57-61; Luke 23.50-56; John 19: 38-42)

It was now the evening before the Sabbath, and the Jewish people were preparing for the Sabbath. That evening a rich man called Joseph, from the town of Arimathea, boldly went to Pilate and asked him for Jesus' body. Joseph was an upright and highly regarded member of the Jewish council (the Sanhedrin) but did not agree with their actions and decisions against Jesus. He was actually one of Jesus' followers and was also waiting for God's kingdom to come, but he had kept this a secret, because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders.

Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. So he called in the army officer to ask how long ago Jesus had died. After the officer told him, Pilate let Joseph take Jesus' body away. So Joseph took the body down from the cross. Nicodemus, who had visited Jesus one night, also came with about seventy-five pounds of spices made from myrrh and aloes. The two men wrapped the body in a linen cloth together with the spices, which was how the Jewish people buried their dead. Then they put the body in Joseph's own tomb that had been cut into solid rock and where no one had ever been buried. The tomb was nearby, in a garden, and since it was the time to prepare for the Sabbath, they were in a hurry to put Jesus' body there. They rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb to close it up and then went away.

The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee went with Joseph and watched how Jesus' body was placed in the tomb. Then they went back home to prepare some spices and perfumes for his burial. But they rested on the Sabbath, as the Law commanded.

On the next day, which was a Sabbath, the chief priests and the Pharisees met with Pilate. They said, "Sir, we remember what that liar said while he was still alive. He said that in three days he would be raised to life. So you should order that the tomb be carefully guarded for three days, otherwise his disciples may come and steal his body and tell the people that he has been raised to life. This last lie will be even worse than the first one." Pilate said to them, "All right, take a guard and make the tomb as secure as you are able to." So they sealed the tomb by putting a seal on the stone and placed soldiers there to guard it.

Jesus Is Alive

(Mark 16.1-8;Matthew 28.1-8; Luke 24.1-12; John 20.1-10)

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Salome and Mary the mother of James bought some spices so that they could anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, at daybreak, they went to the tomb. On their way, they were asking one another, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance for us?" Then suddenly there was a strong earthquake and the Lord's angel came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone and sat on it. The angel's appearance was exceedingly bright like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow. The guards were so frightened that they started to shake and fell to the ground as if they were dead.

When the women found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance, they went in, but they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood wondering with concern, the angel said to the women, "Don't be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. But he is not here! He has risen to life. Come and see the place where he was lying. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus has been raised to life and is on his way to Galilee. Go there, and you will see him, just as I have said."

So the women, although frightened by all this, were filled with joy as they quickly rushed from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. They ran up to Simon Peter and another disciple loved by Jesus and said, "They have taken the Lord away from the tomb! We don't know where they have put him." The other apostles were very unconvinced by what the women told them. However, Peter and the other disciple started off towards the tomb. They were running together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and got to the tomb first. He bent over and saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter arrived. He went into the tomb and found the strips of cloth lying there. As well as that, he saw the piece of cloth that had been used to cover Jesus' head. It was folded up and placed aside by itself. Then the disciple who got there first also went into the tomb. When he saw for himself, he believed. But before this, Peter and the other disciple were not aware that the Scriptures said Jesus would rise from the dead.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

(John 20.11-18; Matthew 28.9-10; Mark 16: 9-11)

After this, the two of them went back to their homes, but Mary Magdalene stood crying outside the tomb. Earlier Jesus had cast seven demons out of her. She was still weeping, when she stooped down to look inside the tomb and saw two angels inside. They were dressed in white and were seated where Jesus' body had been. One was at the head and the other was at the foot. The angels asked Mary, "Why are you crying?" She replied, "They have taken my Lord's body away and I don't know where they have taken him to." The moment Mary said this; she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she did not recognize him. Jesus asked her, "Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have taken his body away, please tell me where it is, so that I can go and get him."

Then Jesus said to her, "Mary!"

She moved toward him and cried out "Rabboni", which in Aramaic means 'Teacher.'

Jesus said, "Don't hold on to me! I have not yet gone to the Father. Instead, go and tell my brothers that I am going to my Father and your Father. To my God and your God."

Mary Magdalene then went and told the news to the disciples, who were weeping and mourning, that she had seen the Lord. She also told them what Jesus had said to her.

Report of the Guard

(Matthew: 11-15)

While the women were on their way, some soldiers who had been on guard at the tomb went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. So the chief priests had a meeting with the leaders and discussed a plan to bribe the soldiers with a large some of money. They told the soldiers to tell everyone that Jesus' disciples came during the night and stole his body while they were asleep. They also told the soldiers that if the governor were to hear about this, they would talk to him and speak in their defense. So the soldiers took the money and did what they were instructed to do. To this day, this version of the story is still spread among the Jewish people.

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Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

(Luke 24: 13-35; Mark 16.12, 13)

Now on that same day, two of Jesus' disciples were walking to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. As they were talking and thinking about what had happened, Jesus approached them and started to walk along side them. But they did not know who he was. Jesus asked them, "What were you talking about as you walked along?"

The two of them stood there looking sad and gloomy. Then one of them, who was called Cleopas, asked Jesus, "Are you the only person in Jerusalem right now who doesn't know what has been happening during these last few days?"

"Tell me what has happened?" Jesus said.

They answered: "We were talking about those things that happened to Jesus from Nazareth. This man was a prophet. He showed his Godly power in word and deed by what he did in front of all the people. But the chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be arrested and sentenced to death by crucifixion. We had hoped that he was the one who was going to liberate Israel. This is the third day since all this happened. Some women in our group told us something that really amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning, but did not find the body of Jesus in it. They came back, saying that they had seen a vision of angels who told them that he is alive. Some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said. But they didn't see Jesus either."

Then Jesus said to them, "How foolish you are. Why does it take you so long to believe all that the prophets said? Did you not know that the Messiah would have to suffer before he entered into his glory?" Jesus then explained to them everything that was written about himself in the Scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and then those written by the Prophets.

As they came near the village they were heading for, Jesus carried on as if he were going farther. But they pleaded with him to stay with them. It was late in the day and the sun was going down. So Jesus went into the house to stay with them. When Jesus sat down to eat, he took some bread, gave thanks and broke it. Then he gave it to them. All at once they recognized who it was. But he disappeared from sight. They said to each other, "Didn't it warm our hearts when he talked with us along the road and explained the Scriptures to us?"

So they immediately got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the eleven apostles and the others gathered together and saying that it was true. The Lord had risen and had appeared to Peter. Then the two disciples told what happened on the road to Emmaus and how they recognized it was the Lord when he broke the bread.

### What Jesus' Followers Must Do

(Luke 24: 36-43; Matthew 28.16-20; Mark 16.14-18; John 20.19-23)

On the evening of that same Sunday, because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, the disciples locked themselves in a room. While Jesus' disciples were discussing what had happened, suddenly the Lord appeared in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you". They were terrified because they thought they were seeing a ghost.

But Jesus said, "Why are you so frightened? Why do you doubt who I am? Look at my hands and my feet and see that it is I! Touch me and you will know, for ghosts don't have flesh and bones as you can see that I have." Then Jesus showed them his hands and his feet.

The disciples were so happy and excited, but they still could not believe it. So Jesus asked them, "Do you have anything to eat?" They gave him a piece of cooked fish, which he took and ate as they looked on.

After this, Jesus said, "Peace be with you again". Then he said, "Just as the Father has sent me, I am sending you." Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, they will be forgiven. But if you don't forgive their sins, they will not be forgiven."

Jesus and Thomas

(John 20: 24-29)

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas who was called the Twin, was not with the others when Jesus appeared to them. So they told him that they had seen the Lord! But Thomas said, "Unless, I see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger, and unless I put my hand where the spear went into his side I won't believe."

A week later the disciples were together again indoors. This time, Thomas was with them. Then while the doors were still locked, Jesus came in and stood in the middle of the group. He greeted his disciples saying "Peace be with you". Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and look at my hands, then put your hand into my side! Now stop doubting and have faith!"

Thomas replied, "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus said, "Thomas, you now believe because you have seen me. Blessed are the people who have not seen me yet believe in me".

Why John Wrote His Book

(John 20: 30-31)

Jesus performed many other miracles in front of his disciples, but not all of them are written in this book. But these have been written so that you will believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. If you believe in him, you will have life.

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

(John 21: 1-14)

After this, Jesus later appeared again to his disciples along the shore of Lake Tiberias. This is how he did it. Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael (who came from Cana in Galilee), and the brothers James and John (the sons of Zebedee) were there, together with two other disciples. Simon Peter said to them, "I'm going fishing!" The others said, "We will go with you." So they went out in their boat, but they didn't catch a thing that night.

As dawn was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize whom it was. Jesus called out, "Friends, have you caught anything yet?"

They answered. "No!"

So he said to them, "Drop your net down on the right side of your boat, and you will catch some fish."

So they did as Jesus instructed, and they caught so many fish in the net that they couldn't pull it up into the boat. Jesus' favoured disciple (John) said to Peter, "It's the Lord!" When Simon heard that it was the Lord, he put back on the clothes that he had taken off while he was working and jumped into the water, since the boat was not far from the shore. The other disciples stayed in the boat and dragged in the net full of fish.

When the other disciples went ashore, they saw a charcoal fire with some bread and fish on it. Jesus said to his disciples, "Bring some of the fish you just caught."

Simon Peter got back into the boat and dragged the net to shore. In it were one hundred and fifty-three large fish, but even though there were so many fish, the net still did not rip. Jesus said to them, "Come and eat!"

None of the disciples dared ask him who he was, because they knew he was the Lord. Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave some of it to his disciples. Then he did the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from death.

Jesus and Peter

(John 21: 15-19)

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than the others do?"

"Yes, Lord", he answered, "you know I do!"

Then Jesus said, "Feed my lambs".

Then Jesus asked a second time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter answered, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you!"

"Then take care of my sheep," Jesus told him. Then Jesus asked a third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was offended because Jesus had asked him a third time if he loved him. So he told Jesus, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you."

Jesus replied, "Feed my sheep. I tell you for certain that when you were a young man, you prepared yourself to go wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you up and lead you where you don't want to go."

Jesus said this to tell Peter how he would die and bring glory to God. Then he said to Peter, "Follow me!"

Jesus and His Favoured Disciple

(John 21: 20-23)

Peter turned round and saw that the other disciple whom Jesus loved was behind them. He was the same man who had leaned close to Jesus at the meal and had asked, "Lord, who is going to betray you?" When Peter saw that disciple, he asked Jesus, "Lord, what about him?"

Jesus answered, "What has that got to do with you, if I want him to live until I return? You must follow me."

So the rumour spread among the followers of Jesus that this disciple would not die. But Jesus had not said that John would not die. He said, "If I want him to live until I return, what has that got to do with you". He is the disciple who has spoken of these things and written them down: and we know that what he said is true.

Jesus did many other things. If they were all written in books, I don't suppose there would be room enough in the whole world for all the books.

What Jesus' Followers Need to Do

(Matt 28:16-20; Mark 16.14-18; Luke 24.36-49; John 20.19-23; Acts 1.6-8)

Jesus' eleven disciples went to a mountain in Galilee, where Jesus had told them to meet him. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some of them still doubted. Jesus approached them and said: "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have commanded you to do. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world." Then he told them: "Go and preach the good news to all peoples. Whoever believes in me and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe me will be condemned. Believers in me will be given the power to perform miracles. By using my name they will force out demons, and they will speak in strange tongues. They will be able to handle snakes and drink poison and not be hurt. They will also heal sick people by placing their hands on them."

Then Jesus said to them, "While I was still with you, I told you that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Books of the Prophets, and in the Psalms had to happen." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He told them: "The Scriptures explain that the Messiah must suffer, then three days later must rise from death. They also say that in his name all people of every nation must be told to repent and turn to God, in order to be forgiven. So beginning in Jerusalem, you must tell everything that has happened. I will send you the one my Father has promised (The Holy Spirit), but you must stay in the city until the power from heaven comes down upon you."

Jesus Returns to Heaven

(Luke 24.50-53; Mark 16.19, 20; Acts 1.9-11)

After that, Jesus led his disciples out to Bethany, where he raised his hands and blessed them. As he was blessing them, he left and was taken up to heaven. His disciples worshipped him, then they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. From there they started to preach everywhere. The Lord was with them, and the miracles they worked proved that their message was true. They returned to Jerusalem and were very happy. They were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.

The End

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Table of contents

Introduction

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ.

Introduction to Luke's Gospel.

The Announcement of the Birth of John the Baptist.

Zechariah gives thanks and Praise to God.

An Angel announces the Birth of Jesus.

An angel appears to Joseph in a dream.

Mary Visits Elizabeth.

Mary's Song of Praise.

The birth of Jesus.

The Shepherds.

Simeon Praises the Lord.

The Prophetess Anna Speaks about the Child Jesus.

The Return to Nazareth.

The Wise Men from the East.

The Escape to Egypt.

The Killing of the Children.

The Return from Egypt.

The young Jesus in the Temple.

The Preaching of John the Baptist.

John the Baptist denies that he is the Messiah.

The Lamb of God

The First Disciples of Jesus.

Jesus Chooses Philip and Nathaniel

The Baptism of Jesus.

Jesus and the Devil

Jesus at a Wedding in Cana

Jesus in the Temple

Jesus Knows What People Are Like

Jesus and Nicodemus

The testimony of John the Baptist

The One Who Comes from Heaven

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

The Disciples rejoin Jesus

Jesus Heals an Official's son.

Jesus Begins His Work

Jesus Chooses Four Fishermen to Follow Him

The People of Nazareth Turn against Jesus

Jesus Heals Peters Mother-in-law.

Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy.

Jesus Heals a Crippled Man

Jesus Chooses Levi

People Ask about Going without Eating

A Question about the Sabbath

A Man with a Crippled Hand

Large Crowds Come to Jesus

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles

The Sermon on the Mount

Blessings

Salt and Light

Teaching the Law of Moses

Teaching about Anger

About adultery

Teaching about Divorce

Insincere Promises

Teaching about Revenge

Loving your enemies

Teaching about charity

Teaching about Prayer

Worshiping God by Fasting

Treasures in Heaven

The Light of the Body

Regarding Money

Do Not Worry

About Judging Others

Ask, Search, Knock

The Narrow Gate

A Tree and Its Fruit

A Warning

The wise and foolish Builders

The faith of a Centurion

Jesus Raises the Widow's Son

Jesus and John the Baptist

### The Unbelieving Towns

Rest for the Weary

Jesus at the Home of Simon the Pharisee

Women Who Helped Jesus

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

A Parable about a Farmer

Why Jesus Used Parables

Jesus Explains the Story about the Farmer

The parable of the weeds

Parables about the Mustard Seed and Yeast

Another Parable about Seeds

The Reason for Teaching with Parables

Jesus Explains the Parable about the Weeds

A Hidden Treasure

A Valuable Pearl

A lamp under a bowl

A Fish Net

New and Old Treasures

Some Who Wanted To Go with Jesus

Two Men with Demons in Them

Jesus calms a Storm

A Man with Evil Spirits

A Dying Girl and a Sick Woman

The People of Nazareth Turn against Jesus

Jesus Has Pity on People

Instructions for the Twelve Apostles

Warning about Trouble

The One To Fear

Telling Others about Christ

Not Peace, but Trouble

Receiving Rewards

The Death of John the Baptist

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Jesus Walks on the Water

The Teaching of the Ancestors

What Really Makes People Unclean

The faith of a Canaanite Woman

Jesus Heals a Man Who Was Deaf and Could Hardly Talk

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

A Demand for a Sign from Heaven

The Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

Peter's Declaration about Jesus?

Jesus Speaks about His Suffering and Death

The Transfiguration

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon

Jesus Again Speaks about His Death

Paying the Temple Tax

Who Is the Greatest?

Temptations To Sin

The Lost Sheep

Whoever is not against Jesus is for Him

When Someone Sins against you

Allowing and prohibiting

The parable of the unmerciful servant

Jesus goes to the Feast of Tabernacles

A Samaritan Village Refuses To Receive Jesus

The cost of Following Jesus

Jesus at the Festival of Tabernacles

Is Jesus the Messiah

Temple Guards Sent to Arrest Jesus

Streams of Life-Giving Water

The People Take Sides over Jesus

The Leaders Refuse To Have Faith in Jesus

A Woman Caught in Adultery

Jesus the Light for the World

You Cannot Go Where I Am Going

The Truth Will Set You Free

Your Father Is the Devil

Jesus and Abraham

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

Spiritual Blindness

A Parable about Shepherds and Sheep

Jesus Is the Good Shepherd

The Lord Sends Out the Seventy-Two Disciples

The Unbelieving Towns

The Return of the Seventy-Two

Jesus Thanks His Father

The Good Samaritan

At the Home of Martha and Mary

Jesus' teaching on Prayer

Jesus and Beelzebub, the Ruler of Demons

Return of an Evil Spirit

Being Really Blessed

A Sign from God

Jesus Condemns the Pharisees andTeachers of the Law of Moses

Warnings and encouragements

The One To Fear

Telling Others about Christ

A Rich Fool

Do Not Worry, Trust in God

Treasures in Heaven

Faithful and Unfaithful Servants

Not Peace, but Division

Jesus Is Rejected

Enter by the Narrow Door

Jesus' Sorrow for Jerusalem

Jesus Heals a Sick Man

How To Be a Guest

The Great Banquet

The Cost of Being a Disciple

The Lost Sheep

The Lost Coin

The Parable of the Wasteful Son

A Dishonest Manager

Some Sayings of Jesus

The Rich Man and Lazarus

About Sin

About Faith

About Service

The Death of Lazarus

Jesus and the Resurrection of life

Jesus Weeps

Lazarus is Brought to Life

The Plot To Kill Jesus

Ten Men with Leprosy

God's Kingdom

A Widow and a Judge

A Pharisee and a Tax Collector

Teaching about Divorce

Jesus Blesses Little Children

A Rich Young Man

Workers in a Vineyard

Jesus Again Tells about His Death

A Mother's Request

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

Zacchaeus

A Parable about Ten Servants

The Jews Look for Jesus in the Temple

At Bethany

A Plot To Kill Lazarus

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

Jesus Puts a Curse on a Fig Tree

Jesus in the Temple

A Lesson from the Fig Tree

A Question about Jesus' Authority

A Story about Two Sons

Parable of the Tenants in a Vineyard

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

About Paying Taxes

About Rising from Death

The Greatest Commandment

Whose Son is the Messiah?

Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law of Moses

Jesus Loves Jerusalem

A Widow's Offering

Some Greeks Want To Meet Jesus

The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up

The People Refuse To Have Faith in Jesus

Jesus Came To Save the World

Warning about Trouble

The Awful Horror

When the Son of Man Appears

A Lesson from a Fig Tree

No One Knows the Day or Time

Faithful and Unfaithful Servants

A Story about Ten Girls

A Story about Three Servants

The Final Judgment

A Warning

The Plot To Kill Jesus

At Bethany

Judas and the Chief Priests

Jesus Eats the Passover Meal with His Disciples

The Lord's Supper

An Argument about Greatness

Jesus Washes the Feet of His Disciples

Jesus Tells What Will Happen to Him

The New Command

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

Jesus Is the Way to the Father

The Holy Spirit Is Promised

Jesus Is the True Vine

The World will Hate the Disciples

The Work of the Holy Spirit

Sorrow Will Turn into Joy

Jesus Prays for Himself

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

Jesus Is Arrested

Jesus Is Brought to Annas

Jesus Is Questioned by the High Priest

Jesus Is Questioned by the Council

Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus

Jesus Is Taken to Pilate

The Death of Judas

Jesus Is Tried by Pilate

Jesus Is Brought before Herod

The Death Sentence

Jesus Is Sent to be Crucified

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

The Death of Jesus

A Spear Is Stuck in Jesus' Side

Jesus Is Buried

Jesus Is Alive

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

Report of the Guard

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

What Jesus' Followers Must Do

Jesus and Thomas

Why John Wrote His Book

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

Jesus and Peter

Jesus and His Favoured Disciple

What Jesus' Followers Need to do

Jesus Returns to Heaven

The End

