The Gospel According to Saint Mark
THE MINISTRY OF JOHN AND THE BEGINNING OF JESUS' WORK
This is the beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It was foretold in the prophets that a messenger would be sent to prepare the way, like a voice crying out in the wilderness to make the Lord’s paths straight. In fulfillment of this, John appeared in the wilderness, baptizing people in the river Jordan and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People from all over Judea and Jerusalem came to him, confessing their sins and being baptized. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair with a leather belt and sustained himself on locusts and wild honey.
He preached that one mightier than he was coming, one whose sandal straps he was not worthy to untie. John stated, "I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost."
In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens open and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove. A voice from heaven declared, "Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Immediately after, the Spirit led him into the wilderness, where he remained for forty days. He was tempted by Satan, lived among the wild animals, and was ministered to by angels.
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. He proclaimed, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two fishermen, the brothers Simon and Andrew, casting a net into the sea. Jesus called to them, "Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men." At once, they left their nets and followed him. A little further on, he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee, in their boat mending nets. He called them, and they immediately left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants to follow him.
They went to Capernaum, and on the Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and began to teach. The people were astonished at his doctrine because he taught with authority, unlike the scribes. In the synagogue was a man possessed by an unclean spirit, who cried out, "Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God." Jesus rebuked the spirit, saying, "Hold thy peace, and come out of him." The spirit convulsed the man, cried out with a loud voice, and came out of him. Everyone was amazed and questioned what new doctrine this was, for with authority he commanded even unclean spirits, and they obeyed. His fame quickly spread throughout the entire region of Galilee.
Upon leaving the synagogue, Jesus, along with James and John, went to the house of Simon and Andrew. There, Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever. Jesus took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her immediately, and she began to serve them. That evening, after sunset, people brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons, and the whole city gathered at the door. He healed many of various diseases and cast out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew who he was.
Very early the next morning, Jesus went to a solitary place to pray. Simon and his companions searched for him and, upon finding him, said, "All men seek for thee." But Jesus replied, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth." He then traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
A man with leprosy came to him, knelt down, and pleaded, "If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and said, "I will; be thou clean." The leprosy left him at once, and he was cleansed. Jesus sent him away with a strict warning not to tell anyone, but to show himself to the priest and offer the sacrifices commanded by Moses as a testimony. However, the man went out and spread the news so widely that Jesus could no longer enter a city openly but stayed in deserted places, where people still came to him from every direction.
CONFLICTS OVER AUTHORITY AND TRADITION
After some days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and it was heard that he was in a house. A crowd gathered so large that there was no room left, not even near the door, and he preached to them. Four men arrived, carrying a man sick with palsy. Unable to get through the crowd, they uncovered the roof above Jesus and lowered the man on his bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
Some scribes sitting there reasoned in their hearts that this was blasphemy, for only God can forgive sins. Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, asked them, "Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?" He then said, "But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins," and turning to the sick man, commanded, "I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house." The man immediately stood up, took his bed, and walked out in front of everyone. They were all amazed and glorified God, saying they had never seen anything like it.
Jesus went out again by the seaside, and a multitude gathered, whom he taught. As he passed by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, at his tax collector’s booth and said, "Follow me." Levi arose and followed him. Later, as Jesus ate at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with him and his disciples, for many such people followed him. When the scribes and Pharisees saw him eating with them, they asked his disciples why their master ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus overheard and responded, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting, and they came to Jesus asking why his disciples did not fast. Jesus answered them with a question: "Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?" He explained that as long as they have the bridegroom, they cannot fast, but the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away, and then they will fast. He added that no one sews a piece of new cloth on an old garment, or the patch will tear away, making the tear worse. Similarly, no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or the wine will burst the skins and be lost; new wine must be put into new wineskins.
On another occasion, as Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, his disciples began to pluck ears of corn. The Pharisees asked him why they were doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath. He answered by reminding them of what David did when he and his men were hungry, how he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which was lawful only for priests to eat. Jesus concluded, "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."
APPOINTMENT OF THE TWELVE AND GROWING OPPOSITION
Jesus entered the synagogue again, where there was a man with a withered hand. His opponents watched to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, so they could accuse him. Jesus told the man to stand up and then asked the onlookers, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?" When they remained silent, he looked at them with anger, grieved by their hard hearts, and told the man, "Stretch forth thine hand." The man stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. The Pharisees then went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus.
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, followed by a great multitude from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumaea, beyond the Jordan, and from around Tyre and Sidon, who had heard of his great works. He told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him because the crowd was so large, lest they crush him. He had healed many, and those with diseases pressed forward to touch him. Whenever unclean spirits saw him, they would fall down and cry out, "Thou art the Son of God," but he strictly ordered them not to reveal his identity.
He went up on a mountain and called to him those he wanted, and they came. He appointed twelve, whom he named apostles, to be with him and to be sent out to preach with the power to heal sicknesses and cast out demons. The twelve were: Simon (whom he named Peter); James and his brother John, sons of Zebedee (whom he named Boanerges, meaning "sons of thunder"); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who would betray him.
After they went into a house, the crowd gathered again, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his friends heard of this, they went to take charge of him, for they said he was out of his mind. Scribes from Jerusalem accused him, saying, "He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils." Jesus responded with parables, asking how Satan could cast out Satan. He explained that a kingdom or house divided against itself cannot stand, and if Satan rises against himself, he cannot stand but has come to an end. He said no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his goods without first tying up the strong man.
He then gave a solemn warning: "Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemIES wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation." He said this because they claimed he had an unclean spirit.
Then his mother and brothers arrived and, standing outside, sent someone to call for him. The crowd told him his family was outside seeking him. He replied, "Who is my mother, or my brethren?" Looking at those seated around him, he said, "Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother."
PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM AND POWER OVER NATURE
Jesus began to teach by the sea again, and a large crowd gathered, so he got into a boat and sat in it on the water while the people remained on the shore. He taught them many things in parables, beginning with the parable of the sower. He told of a sower whose seed fell in four different places: on the path, where birds ate it; on stony ground, where it grew quickly but withered for lack of roots; among thorns, where it was choked; and on good ground, where it produced a crop yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold. He concluded, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
When he was alone, his disciples and others asked him about the parable. He told them that the mystery of the kingdom of God was given to them, but to outsiders, everything is said in parables so that they may see but not perceive, and hear but not understand, lest they turn and be forgiven. He then explained the parable: the sower sows the word. The seed on the path represents those who hear, but Satan immediately takes the word away. The stony ground represents those who receive the word with joy but have no root and fall away during affliction or persecution. The seed among thorns represents those who hear the word, but the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and desires for other things choke it, making it unfruitful. The good ground represents those who hear the word, accept it, and produce fruit.
He continued with more parables, asking if a lamp is brought to be put under a basket or a bed, rather than on a stand. He stated that nothing is hidden that will not be revealed. He urged them to be careful what they hear, for the measure they use will be measured to them, and even more will be given to those who hear. To those who have, more will be given, but from those who have not, even what they have will be taken away.
He likened the kingdom of God to a man who scatters seed on the ground and, whether he sleeps or rises, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. The earth produces grain by itself—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel. When the grain is ripe, he puts in the sickle because the harvest has come. He also compared the kingdom to a mustard seed, which is the smallest of seeds but grows into the largest of garden plants with large branches, providing shade for birds. He spoke the word to them with many such parables, as they were able to understand, and he did not speak to them without a parable, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.
That evening, he said to his disciples, "Let us pass over unto the other side." They left the crowd and took him in the boat, accompanied by other small boats. A great storm arose, and waves crashed into the boat, nearly swamping it. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him, crying, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" He arose, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still." The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He asked them, "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" They were terrified and said to one another, "What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
DEMONSTRATIONS OF HEALING POWER
They crossed to the country of the Gadarenes, and as Jesus stepped out of the boat, a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. This man lived among the tombs, and no one could restrain him, not even with chains, as he would break them apart; no one could tame him. Night and day, he would cry out in the mountains and tombs, cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and worshipped him, crying out, "What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not." Jesus had already commanded the spirit to come out. When Jesus asked his name, he replied, "My name is Legion: for we are many," and begged Jesus not to send them out of the country.
A large herd of swine was feeding on a nearby mountain, and the demons begged to be sent into them. Jesus gave them permission. The unclean spirits entered the swine, and the herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea and were drowned. Those tending the pigs fled and reported it in the city and countryside, and people came to see what had happened. They found the demon-possessed man sitting with Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. Witnesses told them about the man and the swine, and the people began to urge Jesus to leave their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been healed begged to go with him, but Jesus told him to go home and tell his friends what great things the Lord had done for him. The man went and proclaimed throughout the Decapolis what Jesus had done, and everyone marveled.
When Jesus crossed back to the other side of the sea, a large crowd gathered. A synagogue leader named Jairus fell at Jesus’ feet and pleaded with him, saying his little daughter was at the point of death, and asking him to come lay his hands on her so she could be healed and live. As Jesus went with him, the crowd thronged him.
In the crowd was a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered under many doctors, spent all her money, and only grown worse. Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him and touched his garment, believing she would be healed if she could just touch his clothes. Immediately, her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed. Jesus, aware that power had gone out from him, turned and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" His disciples pointed out the crowd pressing around him, but he kept looking for the one who had done it. The woman, trembling with fear, came and fell before him and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."
While he was still speaking, people came from Jairus's house with the news that his daughter was dead. Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Be not afraid, only believe." He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John. At the house, he saw a commotion of people weeping and wailing. He asked them why they were making such a fuss, stating the girl was not dead but asleep, and they laughed at him. After putting everyone out, he took the child's parents and his three disciples into the room where she was lying. He took her by the hand and said, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Damsel, I say unto thee, arise." The twelve-year-old girl immediately stood up and walked. They were utterly astonished. He gave them strict orders not to tell anyone and commanded that she be given something to eat.
MINISTRY, REJECTION, AND MIRACLES
Jesus left that place and returned to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. On the Sabbath, he taught in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, questioning where he got his wisdom and the power to perform mighty works. They asked, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Jesus told them, "A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house." He could do no mighty work there except to heal a few sick people by laying his hands on them, and he marveled at their unbelief. He then went around teaching in the nearby villages.
He called the twelve and sent them out two by two, giving them power over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for their journey but a staff—no bag, no bread, no money—and to wear sandals but not to take an extra coat. He told them to stay in whatever house they entered until they left that place. If a town would not receive or hear them, they were to shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against it. The disciples went out, preaching that people should repent. They cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil, healing them.
King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had spread. Some said John the Baptist had risen from the dead, which was why he had miraculous powers. Others thought he was Elijah, and still others, a prophet like one of the old prophets. But Herod insisted, "It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead." Herod had arrested John and imprisoned him because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom Herod had married. John had told Herod it was not lawful for him to have his brother’s wife. Herodias held a grudge and wanted to kill John but could not, because Herod feared John, knowing he was a just and holy man, and protected him.
On his birthday, Herod gave a feast for his nobles and commanders. Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, pleasing Herod and his guests. The king promised her with an oath to give her whatever she asked, up to half his kingdom. She consulted her mother, who told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist. She immediately returned to the king and requested John’s head on a platter. The king was distressed, but because of his oath and his guests, he granted her request. He sent an executioner to the prison, who beheaded John and brought his head on a platter to the girl, who gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
The apostles returned and told Jesus all they had done and taught. He invited them to a deserted place to rest, as many people were coming and going, leaving them no time to eat. They went away by boat to a desolate place, but the people saw them leaving, and many ran from all the cities and arrived ahead of them. When Jesus saw the large crowd, he had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.
Late in the day, the disciples suggested sending the people away to buy food, but Jesus told them, "Give ye them to eat." They questioned if they should spend two hundred denarii on bread. He asked how many loaves they had; they found five loaves and two fish. He instructed the people to sit in groups on the green grass, and they sat in ranks of hundreds and fifties. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to distribute. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterwards, they collected twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. About five thousand men had eaten.
Immediately, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead to Bethsaida while he dismissed the crowd. Then he went up on a mountain to pray. By evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars against a contrary wind. Around the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea, and intended to pass them by. When they saw him, they thought it was a ghost and cried out in terror. He spoke to them, "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid." He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were utterly amazed, for their hearts were hardened, and they had not understood the miracle of the loaves.
After crossing over, they landed at Gennesaret. When they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus and ran throughout the region, bringing the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. In every village, city, or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, begging to touch even the fringe of his garment; and all who touched it were healed.
TEACHINGS ON PURITY AND HEALING
Pharisees and some scribes from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating with unwashed hands, which they considered defiled. The Pharisees and all the Jews follow the tradition of the elders, not eating unless they wash their hands in a particular way, and observing many other traditions like the washing of cups, pots, and vessels. They asked Jesus why his disciples transgressed this tradition. He called them hypocrites, quoting Isaiah: "This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
Jesus accused them of setting aside God's commandments to hold to their own traditions. He gave an example: Moses commanded to honor one’s father and mother, but they taught that if a man declares his property as "Corban" (a gift dedicated to God), he is freed from his duty to his parents, thus nullifying God's word for the sake of their tradition.
He then called the crowd and told them to understand that nothing entering a man from the outside can defile him; rather, it is what comes out of a man that defiles him. Later, when asked by his disciples to explain, he chided their lack of understanding. He explained that food enters the stomach, not the heart, and is then expelled. What truly defiles a person comes from within, from the heart: evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.
Jesus then traveled to the region of Tyre and Sidon. He entered a house, wishing to remain unknown, but he could not escape notice. A Greek woman of Syrophoenician origin, whose daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, fell at his feet and begged him to cast the demon out. Jesus told her, "Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs." She replied, "Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs." Impressed by her answer, he told her the demon had left her daughter. When she returned home, she found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.
Leaving Tyre and Sidon, he went through the region of the Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. There, people brought him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, asking Jesus to lay his hand on him. Jesus took him aside, put his fingers into the man’s ears, spat, and touched his tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, "Ephphatha," meaning, "Be opened." The man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak plainly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone, but the more he insisted, the more widely they proclaimed it. The people were overwhelmingly astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."
CONFESSION, PROPHECY, AND THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
In those days, a very large crowd had been with Jesus for three days and had nothing to eat. He called his disciples and expressed compassion for them, not wanting to send them away hungry lest they faint. His disciples wondered how they could find enough bread in such a remote place. Jesus asked how many loaves they had, and they answered, "Seven." He instructed the crowd to sit on the ground, took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute. They also had a few small fish, which he blessed and set before the people. Everyone ate and was satisfied, and they collected seven baskets of leftover pieces. About four thousand people had eaten.
After dismissing them, he and his disciples got into a boat and went to the region of Dalmanutha. The Pharisees came and began to question him, testing him by asking for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, "Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation." He then left them, got back into the boat, and crossed to the other side.
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread and had only one loaf with them. Jesus warned them, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod." They reasoned among themselves that he said this because they had no bread. Aware of their discussion, Jesus questioned their hardened hearts and lack of understanding, asking if they did not remember the feeding of the five thousand with five loaves and the twelve baskets they collected, or the feeding of the four thousand with seven loaves and the seven baskets they collected. He asked, "How is it that ye do not understand?"
They came to Bethsaida, where people brought a blind man to him, begging him to touch him. Jesus took the man by the hand, led him out of the town, spat on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, asking if he could see anything. The man looked up and said, "I see men as trees, walking." Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again, and his sight was fully restored. Jesus sent him home with instructions not to enter the town or tell anyone there.
Jesus and his disciples went to the towns of Caesarea Philippi. On the way, he asked them, "Whom do men say that I am?" They replied that some said John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the prophets. He then asked, "But whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ." Jesus strictly warned them not to tell anyone about him.
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise again after three days. He spoke of this openly. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But Jesus turned, looked at his disciples, and rebuked Peter, saying, "Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."
Calling the crowd and his disciples, he said, "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." He taught that whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for his sake and the gospel's will save it. He asked what profit a man gains by winning the whole world if he loses his soul. He warned that if anyone is ashamed of him and his words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.
DIVINE GLORY AND HUMAN WEAKNESS
Jesus assured them, "Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power." About six days later, he took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain by themselves, where he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any launderer on earth could make them. Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with Jesus. Peter, not knowing what to say in their fear, suggested making three shelters—one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. A cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son: hear him." Suddenly, they saw no one but Jesus.
As they came down the mountain, Jesus instructed them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant. They asked him why the scribes say Elijah must come first. Jesus affirmed that Elijah does come first to restore all things, but also pointed to the scriptures about the Son of Man suffering and being rejected. He then told them, "Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him."
When they rejoined the other disciples, they saw a large crowd and scribes arguing with them. The people were amazed to see Jesus and ran to greet him. He asked the scribes what they were arguing about. A man from the crowd explained that he had brought his son, who had a mute spirit that would seize him, cause him to foam at the mouth, grind his teeth, and become rigid. He had asked the disciples to cast it out, but they could not.
Jesus lamented, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?" and had the boy brought to him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately convulsed the boy, who fell, rolled on the ground, and foamed at the mouth. Jesus asked the father how long this had been happening, and the father replied, "Of a child," adding that the spirit often threw him into fire or water to destroy him. He pleaded with Jesus for compassion and help. Jesus told him, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." The father cried out with tears, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Seeing the crowd running toward them, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, commanding it to come out and never enter the boy again. The spirit cried out, convulsed the boy violently, and came out, leaving him like a corpse. But Jesus took him by the hand, lifted him up, and he arose.
Later, in the house, the disciples asked Jesus privately why they couldn't cast out the spirit. He told them, "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting."
They passed through Galilee, and Jesus wanted to keep their journey private so he could teach his disciples. He told them, "The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day." But they did not understand and were afraid to ask him about it.
In Capernaum, in the house, Jesus asked his disciples what they had been arguing about on the way. They remained silent, for they had been disputing who among them was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said, "If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all." He then took a child, placed him among them, and holding him in his arms, said that whoever receives such a child in his name, receives him, and whoever receives him, receives the One who sent him.
John told Jesus they had seen someone casting out demons in his name and had forbidden him because he was not one of their group. Jesus replied, "Forbid him not," explaining that no one who performs a miracle in his name can easily speak evil of him, for "he that is not against us is on our part." He promised that anyone who gives even a cup of water to them because they belong to Christ will not lose their reward.
He warned sternly that it would be better for a person to have a millstone hung around their neck and be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones who believe in him to stumble. He used strong metaphors, saying if a hand, foot, or eye causes one to sin, it is better to cut it off or pluck it out and enter life maimed than to have two of each and be cast into the unquenchable fire of hell, "where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." He stated that everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice salted with salt. He concluded, "Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another."
TEACHINGS ON WEALTH, SERVICE, AND THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM
Jesus traveled to the region of Judea by way of the area beyond the Jordan, where people again gathered, and he taught them as he usually did. Some Pharisees came to test him, asking if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife. He countered by asking what Moses commanded. They replied that Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away. Jesus explained that Moses wrote this precept because of the hardness of their hearts.
From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason, a man will leave his parents and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate. Later, in the house, his disciples asked him about this again. He told them that whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.
People brought young children for him to touch, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was displeased and said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." He declared that anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will not enter it. Then he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them, and blessed them.
As he was setting out on his way, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked, "Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" Jesus responded, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." He then listed the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother. The man replied that he had kept all these from his youth. Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me." The man's face fell, and he went away sad, for he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and remarked to his disciples how difficult it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were astonished. Jesus repeated, "Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." They were amazed beyond measure, asking who then could be saved. Jesus told them that with men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible.
Peter then said that they had left everything to follow him. Jesus assured them that everyone who has left house, family, or lands for his sake and the gospel's will receive a hundred times as much in this present age—with persecutions—and eternal life in the age to come. He added that many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
On the way up to Jerusalem, Jesus walked ahead of his disciples, who were amazed and afraid. He took the twelve aside and told them again what was going to happen to him. He said they were going to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man would be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, who would condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles. They would mock, scourge, spit on, and kill him, and on the third day, he would rise again.
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him with a request that he do for them whatever they asked. They asked to sit at his right and left hand in his glory. Jesus told them they did not know what they were asking. He questioned if they could drink the cup he drank or be baptized with the baptism he was baptized with. They affirmed they could. Jesus confirmed they would indeed share his cup and baptism, but to grant seats at his right and left was not his to give, but for those for whom it has been prepared. When the other ten disciples heard this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and taught that while Gentile rulers lord it over their subjects, it should not be so among them. Whoever wants to be great among them must be their servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
As they were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. Hearing it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me." Many rebuked him, but he cried out all the more. Jesus stopped and had him called. The people told the blind man to be of good cheer, for Jesus was calling him. Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. Jesus asked him what he wanted, and the blind man replied, "Lord, that I might receive my sight." Jesus told him, "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM AND CONFRONTATION IN THE TEMPLE
As they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples ahead. He instructed them to go into the village where they would find a colt tied, on which no one had ever sat, and to bring it to him. If anyone questioned them, they were to say the Lord needed it. They went and found the colt as described and untied it. When the owners asked what they were doing, they gave the reason Jesus had provided, and they were allowed to take it.
They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their garments on it, and he sat on it. Many people spread their garments on the road, while others spread branches they had cut from the trees. Those in front and those behind shouted, "Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest." Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. After looking around at everything, since it was late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
The next day, as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing a fig tree with leaves in the distance, he went to see if it had any fruit. He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to the tree, "No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever," and his disciples heard him.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. He taught them, "Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves." The chief priests and scribes heard this and looked for a way to kill him, for they feared him because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. That evening, he went out of the city.
In the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said, "Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away." Jesus told them to have faith in God, assuring them that if anyone says to a mountain, ‘Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes it will happen, it will be done for them. He taught them that whatever they ask for in prayer, if they believe they have received it, it will be theirs. He also instructed them that when they pray, they must forgive anyone they have anything against, so that their Father in heaven may also forgive their trespasses.
They returned to Jerusalem, and as Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, scribes, and elders confronted him, demanding to know by what authority he did these things. Jesus said he would answer if they first answered his question: "The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?" They reasoned among themselves that if they said "from heaven," he would ask why they didn't believe John, but if they said "of men," they feared the people, who all held that John was a prophet. So they answered that they did not know. Jesus then replied, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."
PARABLES AND CHALLENGING QUESTIONS
Jesus began to speak to them in parables, telling of a man who planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey. At harvest time, he sent servants to collect his share of the fruit, but the tenants beat one, stoned and wounded another, and killed a third, doing the same to many others. Finally, he sent his beloved son, thinking they would respect him. But the tenants saw the heir and killed him to seize the inheritance. Jesus asked what the owner of the vineyard would do. He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. He then quoted the scripture: "The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner." The leaders knew he had spoken the parable against them and wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd.
They sent some Pharisees and Herodians to trap him in his words. They flattered him, acknowledging his integrity, and then asked if it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. Knowing their hypocrisy, Jesus asked for a penny and questioned whose image and inscription were on it. They replied, "Caesar's." Jesus then told them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." They marveled at his answer.
Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a hypothetical question. They described a woman who had been married to seven brothers in succession, all of whom died childless. They asked whose wife she would be in the resurrection. Jesus told them they erred because they knew neither the scriptures nor the power of God. In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage but will be like the angels. Regarding the rising of the dead, he reminded them of the passage in the book of Moses where God spoke from the bush, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." He concluded that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
One of the scribes, who had heard the debate and was impressed by Jesus' answer, asked him which was the first commandment of all. Jesus replied, "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." He added, "The second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." The scribe agreed that Jesus spoke the truth, saying that to love God and neighbor is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. Seeing that he had answered wisely, Jesus told him, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." After that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
While teaching in the temple, Jesus asked how the scribes could say that the Christ is the Son of David, when David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, called him Lord. The common people listened to him with delight. In his teaching, he warned them to beware of the scribes, who love public recognition and positions of honor but devour widows' houses and make long prayers for pretense, saying they will receive greater condemnation.
Sitting opposite the treasury, Jesus watched people putting money in. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins. He called his disciples and told them that this poor widow had put in more than all the others, for they gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything she had.
PROPHECY OF THE END TIMES
As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples remarked on the magnificent stones and buildings. Jesus replied that not one stone would be left on another; all would be thrown down. Later, on the Mount of Olives, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately when these things would happen and what the sign would be.
Jesus began to warn them to watch out that no one deceives them, for many will come in his name claiming to be the Christ. He told them not to be alarmed by wars and rumors of wars, as these must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and there will be earthquakes, famines, and troubles, but these are only the beginning of sorrows.
He told them they would be handed over to councils, beaten in synagogues, and stand before rulers and kings for his sake, as a testimony. The gospel must first be preached to all nations. When arrested, they should not worry beforehand what to say, for the Holy Spirit will give them the words. Brother will betray brother to death, and children will rise against their parents. They will be hated by all for his name's sake, but the one who endures to the end will be saved.
He spoke of seeing the "abomination of desolation" standing where it ought not, at which point those in Judea should flee to the mountains without delay. It would be a time of woe for pregnant women and nursing mothers, and they should pray their flight is not in winter. This period will be a time of affliction unlike any since the beginning of creation. For the sake of the elect, the Lord has shortened those days. He warned them not to believe anyone who claims Christ has appeared, for false Christs and false prophets will arise, performing signs and wonders to deceive even the elect.
After that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. Then people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. He will send his angels to gather his elect from the four corners of the earth.
He used the parable of the fig tree, noting that when its branches become tender and put out leaves, summer is near. Likewise, when they see these things happening, they will know that it is near, right at the door. He affirmed that this generation would not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but his words will not. However, of that day or hour, no one knows—not the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. He urged them to be on guard, to watch and pray, for they do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey who leaves his servants in charge, each with an assigned task, and commands the doorkeeper to keep watch. Therefore, they must watch, because they do not know when the master of the house will return. What he says to them, he says to all: "Watch."
THE LAST SUPPER, BETRAYAL, AND ARREST
Two days before the Passover, the chief priests and scribes were looking for a sly way to arrest and kill Jesus, but they decided against doing it during the festival to avoid a riot. While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she broke and poured on his head. Some present were indignant, calling it a waste and saying it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. But Jesus defended her, saying she had done a beautiful thing for him. He reminded them that the poor are always with them, but he would not be. She did what she could, anointing his body beforehand for burial. He declared that wherever the gospel is preached, what she had done would be told in her memory.
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus. They were delighted and promised him money, and he began to look for an opportunity. On the first day of Unleavened Bread, the disciples asked Jesus where they should prepare the Passover meal. He sent two disciples into the city, telling them they would meet a man carrying a jar of water whom they should follow. They were to ask the owner of the house he entered where the guest room was for the Master. The owner would show them a large, furnished upper room, where they were to make preparations. They found everything just as Jesus had told them.
That evening, Jesus arrived with the twelve. As they were eating, he said, "Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me." They were saddened and began to ask him one by one, "Is it I?" He replied it was one of the twelve, one who dipped his bread in the bowl with him. He stated the Son of Man would go as it is written of him, but woe to the man who betrays him; it would be better for that man if he had never been born.
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "Take, eat: this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said, "This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many," and that he would not drink of the fruit of the vine again until he drank it new in the kingdom of God.
After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus told them they would all fall away that night, for it is written, "I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." But he promised to go ahead of them to Galilee after he had risen. Peter insisted that even if all others fell away, he would not. Jesus replied, "Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice." Peter insisted even more vehemently that he would not deny him, even if it meant dying with him, and all the others said the same.
They came to a place called Gethsemane, and he told his disciples to sit while he prayed. He took Peter, James, and John with him and became deeply distressed and troubled, telling them his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. He asked them to stay there and keep watch. Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that the hour might pass from him, crying, "Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." When he returned to the three disciples, he found them sleeping. He said to Peter, "Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?" He urged them to watch and pray to avoid temptation, for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. He went away a second time and prayed the same words, and upon returning, found them asleep again. He came a third time and said, "Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand."
While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived with a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, scribes, and elders. The betrayer had arranged a signal: the one he kissed was the man to be arrested. Judas went directly to Jesus, said, "Master, master," and kissed him. The crowd seized Jesus. One of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Jesus asked the crowd if they had come out with swords and clubs as if he were a thief. He reminded them he was with them daily, teaching in the temple, and they did not arrest him then, but the scriptures must be fulfilled. All his disciples deserted him and fled. A young man, wearing only a linen cloth, who was following Jesus, was seized by the crowd, but he fled naked, leaving the cloth behind.
They took Jesus to the high priest, where all the chief priests, elders, and scribes had assembled. Peter followed at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest's palace, where he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire. The chief priests and the whole council sought testimony against Jesus to put him to death but found none. Many testified falsely, but their stories did not agree. Some falsely claimed they heard him say, "I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands," but even their testimony was inconsistent. The high priest stood up and asked Jesus why he did not answer the accusations, but Jesus remained silent. The high priest then asked him directly, "Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus replied, "I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." The high priest tore his clothes, declared it blasphemy, and asked the council for their verdict. They all condemned him as worthy of death. Some then began to spit on him, blindfold him, strike him, and mock him, and the guards beat him.
Meanwhile, as Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the high priest's servant girls saw him warming himself and said, "And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth." But he denied it, saying he didn't know or understand what she was talking about, and went out to the entryway, and a rooster crowed. The servant girl saw him again and told the bystanders that he was one of them, which he denied again. A little later, others said to Peter that he surely was one of them, for he was a Galilean. But he began to curse and swear, "I know not this man of whom ye speak." Immediately, the rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered Jesus's words—"Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice"—and he broke down and wept.
TRIAL, CRUCIFIXION, AND BURIAL
First thing in the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the entire council made their decision. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "Thou sayest it." The chief priests accused him of many things, but he gave no answer. Pilate, amazed at his silence, asked him again to respond to the numerous charges, but Jesus still said nothing.
It was the custom at the festival for the governor to release one prisoner whom the people requested. A man named Barabbas was in prison with insurrectionists who had committed murder. The crowd cried out, asking Pilate to do for them as he usually did. Pilate asked if they wanted him to release the "King of the Jews," for he knew the chief priests had handed Jesus over out of envy. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas instead. When Pilate asked what he should do with the one they called the King of the Jews, they shouted, "Crucify him." Pilate asked what crime he had committed, but they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him."
Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified. The soldiers led Jesus into the hall called the Praetorium and called together the whole company. They put a purple robe on him, twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head, and began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They struck him on the head with a staff, spit on him, and fell on their knees in mock worship. After they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him out to be crucified.
They compelled a passerby, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means "the place of the skull"). They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. There they crucified him. They divided his clothes by casting lots. It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They crucified two thieves with him, one on his right and one on his left, fulfilling the scripture that said, "And he was numbered with the transgressors."
Those who passed by hurled insults, shaking their heads and saying, "Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross." The chief priests and scribes also mocked him among themselves, saying, "He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also reviled him.
At the sixth hour, darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" (which means, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"). Some bystanders thought he was calling for Elijah. One man ran, filled a sponge with vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to him to drink, saying, "Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down." With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he died, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God."
Some women were watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These women had followed and cared for him in Galilee, and many others who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
As evening approached, on the day of Preparation (the day before the Sabbath), Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent member of the Council who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate was surprised to hear he was already dead and, after confirming it with the centurion, gave the body to Joseph. Joseph bought linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. He then rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
THE RESURRECTION AND THE GREAT COMMISSION
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could go anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb, wondering who would roll the stone away from the entrance for them. But when they looked up, they saw that the very large stone had been rolled away.
Entering the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Be not affrighted," he said. "Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you." Trembling and bewildered, the women fled from the tomb and said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, who were mourning and weeping, but they did not believe her when they heard he was alive and had been seen by her. Afterward, he appeared in a different form to two of them as they were walking in the country. They went and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.
Later, he appeared to the eleven as they were eating. He rebuked them for their unbelief and stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. He said to them, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." He told them that signs would accompany those who believe: in his name they would drive out demons, speak in new tongues, pick up snakes with their hands, and be unharmed by drinking deadly poison. They would also place their hands on sick people, who would get well.
After the Lord had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Concise Summary
The Gospel of Mark presents a fast-paced narrative of the life of Jesus Christ, emphasizing his authority as the Son of God through miracles and authoritative teaching, culminating in his sacrificial death as a ransom for many and his triumphant resurrection. The account consistently highlights the theme of servant leadership and the cost of discipleship while calling for repentance and faith in the good news of God's coming kingdom.
The Gospel According to Saint Matthew
GENEALOGY AND BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
This is the record of the lineage of Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, who was a descendant of Abraham. The generations are as follows: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac of Jacob, and Jacob of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar; Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab of Nahshon, and Nahshon of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab; Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed of Jesse. Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam of Abijah, and Abijah of Asa. Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat of Jehoram, and Jehoram of Uzziah. Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham of Ahaz, and Ahaz of Hezekiah. Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh of Amon, and Amon of Josiah. Josiah was the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile, Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud of Eliakim, and Eliakim of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok of Akim, and Akim of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, and Matthan of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom Jesus, who is called the Christ, was born. In total, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
The birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way: his mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, decided to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name JESUS, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded and took Mary as his wife, but he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son, whom he named Jesus.
THE VISIT OF THE MAGI, FLIGHT TO EGYPT, AND RETURN
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem asking where the one who had been born king of the Jews was, explaining that they had seen his star in the east and had come to worship him. When King Herod heard this, he and all Jerusalem were disturbed. He called together the chief priests and scribes and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They told him it was to be in Bethlehem of Judea, as written by the prophet.
Herod then secretly called the Magi and determined the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem with instructions to search for the child and report back, so that he too could go and worship him. After leaving the king, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. Seeing the star, they were overjoyed. They entered the house and saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.
After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him to take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt, for Herod was going to search for the child to kill him. Joseph immediately left for Egypt by night with the child and his mother, and he stayed there until Herod’s death, fulfilling the prophecy, "Out of Egypt I called my son." When Herod realized he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious and ordered the slaughter of all boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah about weeping and great mourning in Ramah.
After Herod's death, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream in Egypt, instructing him to return to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life were dead. Joseph took the child and his mother and went to Israel. But upon hearing that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in his father Herod's place, he was afraid to go there. Being warned again in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee and settled in a town called Nazareth, fulfilling the prophets' words that he would be called a Nazarene.
THE MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
In those days, John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." He was the one spoken of by the prophet Isaiah as the voice of one crying in the wilderness to prepare the Lord's way. John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, he had a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region of the Jordan went out to him, and confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" He urged them to produce fruit in keeping with repentance and not to presume their lineage from Abraham, for God could raise up children for Abraham from stones. He warned that the ax was already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. He explained, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." He described this coming one as having a winnowing fan to clear his threshing floor, gathering the wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. John tried to deter him, saying he needed to be baptized by Jesus, but Jesus replied, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized and came up from the water, heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS AND BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY
Jesus was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Jesus answered, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple, challenging him to throw himself down, quoting scripture that angels would protect him. Jesus replied, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Finally, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, promising to give them all to him if he would bow down and worship him. Jesus said, "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali, to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah about a great light dawning on the people living in darkness. From that time on, Jesus began to preach, "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in a boat with their father, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the region across the Jordan followed him
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down, and his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
He told them they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world, whose good deeds should shine before others to glorify their Father in heaven. He explained that he had not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them, and that until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter or stroke will disappear from the Law. Therefore, whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven, for one's righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees and scribes to enter the kingdom.
He then deepened the understanding of the law. He taught that the command against murder extends to anger against a brother, and reconciliation must precede worship. The command against adultery extends to lustful thoughts. He advised radical action, like removing an eye or hand, if it causes one to sin, rather than having the whole body thrown into hell. Regarding divorce, he stated that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. He forbade swearing oaths altogether, telling them to simply let their 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and their 'No,' 'No.' Instead of "an eye for an eye," he commanded not to resist an evil person, but to turn the other cheek, give one's cloak as well as their coat, and go a second mile when compelled to go one. He taught them to give to those who ask and to love their enemies and pray for their persecutors, so they may be children of their Father in heaven, who sends sun and rain on both the evil and the good. To be perfect, as their heavenly Father is perfect, their love and greetings must extend beyond just their own.
Jesus instructed them to practice righteousness not for show, but in secret. When giving to the needy, do not announce it as the hypocrites do; when praying, do not do it publicly for praise, but go into a private room. He warned against babbling like pagans, for the Father knows their needs before they ask. He taught them to pray in this manner: "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." He emphasized that forgiveness from the Father is conditional on forgiving others. When fasting, they should not look somber like hypocrites, but should anoint their heads and wash their faces so that their fasting is seen only by the Father.
He warned against storing up treasures on earth, where they can be destroyed, but to store up treasures in heaven, for where one's treasure is, there their heart will be also. He taught that a person cannot serve two masters, such as God and money. Therefore, they should not worry about their life, what to eat or wear, but should seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to them. He pointed to the birds of the air and the lilies of the field as examples of God’s provision, reminding them that each day has enough trouble of its own.
He commanded, "Judge not, that ye be not judged," for the same measure used to judge others will be used against them. He questioned the hypocrisy of pointing out a speck in a brother's eye while ignoring the plank in one's own. He cautioned against giving what is sacred to dogs or pearls to pigs. He encouraged them to ask, seek, and knock, for everyone who does so receives, finds, and has the door opened. Just as an earthly father gives good gifts, so the heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask. He summarized the Law and the Prophets with the Golden Rule: "all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."
He advised entering through the narrow gate, for the way to destruction is broad, while the way to life is narrow. He warned of false prophets in sheep's clothing who are inwardly ravenous wolves, recognizable by their fruit. Not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom, but only the one who does the will of the Father. He concluded by likening anyone who hears his words and puts them into practice to a wise man who built his house on the rock, which stood firm against the storm. In contrast, anyone who hears but does not act is like a foolish man who built on sand, and his house fell with a great crash. When Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
A SERIES OF HEALINGS AND THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
When Jesus came down from the mountain, a man with leprosy worshiped him, saying he could be made clean if Jesus was willing. Jesus touched him and said, "I will; be thou clean," and he was immediately healed. Jesus instructed him to tell no one but to show himself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded.
In Capernaum, a centurion came to him for help, saying his servant was paralyzed and suffering terribly. Jesus offered to go and heal him, but the centurion said he was not worthy for Jesus to come under his roof, and asked him to simply speak the word for his servant to be healed, expressing his understanding of authority. Jesus marveled at his great faith, greater than any he had found in Israel, and declared that many will come from the east and west to feast in the kingdom of heaven, while the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown into darkness. He told the centurion his servant was healed, and it was so at that very hour.
Jesus then went to Peter's house and healed his mother-in-law of a fever by touching her hand. That evening, many who were demon-possessed and sick were brought to him, and he healed them all, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy. Seeing the crowd, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. A scribe offered to follow him anywhere, but Jesus replied that unlike foxes and birds, "the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." To another disciple who asked to first bury his father, Jesus said, "Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead."
As they crossed the lake in a boat, a furious storm arose, but Jesus was asleep. The disciples woke him, crying out that they were going to drown. He rebuked them for their little faith, then rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed, asking what kind of man could command even the winds and the sea.
On the other side, in the region of the Gergesenes, two demon-possessed men met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. They shouted, "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" A herd of swine was feeding nearby, and the demons begged Jesus to send them into the herd. He said, "Go," and they entered the pigs, which then rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died. The herdsmen fled to the town and reported everything. The whole town came out to meet Jesus and pleaded with him to leave their region.
FURTHER MIRACLES AND THE CALLING OF DISCIPLES
Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to his own town. There, some men brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the man his sins were forgiven. At this, some teachers of the law thought he was blaspheming. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus challenged them, asking whether it was easier to forgive sins or to heal. To show that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, he told the paralyzed man to get up, take his mat, and go home. The man did so, and the crowd, seeing this, was filled with awe and praised God for giving such authority to man.
As Jesus went on, he saw a tax collector named Matthew sitting at his booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples why their teacher ate with such company. On hearing this, Jesus said it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. He told them to learn the meaning of "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice," for he had not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
Then John’s disciples asked why they and the Pharisees fasted often, but his disciples did not. Jesus answered with an analogy of a wedding, asking how the guests can mourn while the bridegroom is with them. He said the time for fasting will come when the bridegroom is taken from them. He also taught that new patches are not for old garments, nor new wine for old wineskins, as both would be ruined; rather, new wine is for new wineskins.
While he was speaking, a synagogue leader knelt before him and said his daughter had just died, but if Jesus came and placed his hand on her, she would live. Jesus and his disciples followed him. On the way, a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, thinking she would be healed. Jesus turned and saw her and said, "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole." She was healed at that moment. When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the noisy crowd, he told them to leave, for the girl was not dead but asleep. They laughed at him, but after he put them outside, he took her by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread throughout the region.
As Jesus left, two blind men followed him, crying out for mercy. When he had gone indoors, they came to him, and he asked if they believed he was able to do this. They replied, "Yea, Lord." Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith be it unto you," and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly not to let anyone know, but they went out and spread his fame. Afterward, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to him. When the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed, but the Pharisees said he drove out demons by the prince of demons. Jesus continued to travel through all the towns and villages, teaching, preaching the gospel, and healing every disease. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."
THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE
Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. The names of the twelve apostles are: first, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
He sent these twelve out with instructions not to go among the Gentiles or Samaritans, but rather to the lost sheep of Israel. They were to preach that the kingdom of heaven is near, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and drive out demons, giving freely as they had freely received. They were not to take any gold, silver, or copper, nor a bag for the journey, extra clothing, sandals, or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.
In any town they entered, they were to find a worthy person and stay at their house. They were to offer a greeting of peace, which would remain if the home was deserving, or return to them if not. If any place would not welcome them, they were to shake the dust off their feet as a warning. He declared that it would be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
He warned them, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." He told them to be on their guard against men who would hand them over to councils and flog them. They would be brought before governors and kings for his sake, and at that time, the Spirit of their Father would speak through them. Brother would betray brother, and children would rebel against parents; they would be hated by all for his name's sake, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When persecuted in one place, they were to flee to another.
He taught that a disciple is not above his master; if the head of the house is called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household. They should not be afraid, for what is concealed will be disclosed. What he told them in the dark, they were to speak in the daylight. They should not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, they should fear God, who can destroy both in hell. Reminding them of God's care even for sparrows, he assured them of their greater value. He promised to acknowledge before his Father whoever acknowledges him before others, and to disown whoever disowns him.
He declared he did not come to bring peace, but a sword, causing division even within families. He taught that love for him must surpass love for family, and that anyone who does not take up their cross and follow him is not worthy of him. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for his sake will find it. He concluded that whoever welcomes them welcomes him and the One who sent him, and that anyone who gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones will certainly not lose their reward.
QUESTIONS, REBUKES, AND INVITATIONS
After instructing his twelve disciples, Jesus went on to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" Jesus replied, "Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see," citing that the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. He added, "blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."
As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus spoke to the crowd about John, describing him not as a reed shaken by the wind or a man in fine clothes, but as a prophet, and more than a prophet—the very messenger prophesied to prepare the way. Jesus declared that among those born of women, none has risen greater than John the Baptist, yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing. He identified John as the Elijah who was to come. He compared that generation to children in the marketplace who refuse to dance or mourn, saying they called John demon-possessed for his ascetic life and called the Son of Man a glutton and drunkard for eating and drinking with sinners.
Jesus then began to denounce the towns where most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent, pronouncing woes on Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, stating it would be more bearable for Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom on the day of judgment. At that time, Jesus prayed, thanking the Father for hiding these things from the wise and revealing them to little children. He declared that all things had been committed to him by the Father and that no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. He concluded with an invitation: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me... for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
CONFLICTS OVER THE SABBATH AND AUTHORITY
One Sabbath, Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain to eat. When the Pharisees saw this, they accused his disciples of doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath. Jesus responded by citing the example of David and his companions eating the consecrated bread, and how temple priests on duty on the Sabbath are considered innocent. He stated that one greater than the temple was now there, and if they had understood the meaning of "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice," they would not have condemned the innocent. He concluded, "For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."
On another Sabbath, he entered a synagogue where a man with a shriveled hand was present. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. He responded by asking if any of them, having a sheep fall into a pit on the Sabbath, would not rescue it. Arguing that a person is much more valuable than a sheep, he declared it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. He then healed the man, whose hand was completely restored. The Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Aware of this, Jesus withdrew. Great crowds followed him, and he healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah about God's chosen servant who would bring justice to the nations. Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and Jesus healed him. The people were astonished and wondered if he could be the Son of David. But the Pharisees claimed he drove out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, explained that any kingdom or house divided against itself will fall. He argued that if he drove out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God had come upon them. He warned that whoever is not with him is against him.
He taught that all sins and blasphemies will be forgiven, except for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will not be forgiven. A tree is recognized by its fruit, and out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. He warned that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
Some Pharisees and teachers of the law asked for a sign. He called them a wicked and adulterous generation, stating that no sign would be given except the sign of the prophet Jonah. As Jonah was in the belly of a huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth. He said the men of Nineveh and the Queen of the South would condemn that generation at the judgment for their repentance and wisdom-seeking, respectively, in the presence of someone far greater. He then spoke of an impure spirit that returns to a person with seven more wicked spirits, making the final state of that person worse than the first.
While he was still talking, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. He was told they were waiting, but he gestured to his disciples and said, "Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."
PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM
That same day, Jesus sat by the lake, and such large crowds gathered that he got into a boat to teach them. He spoke many things in parables, including the parable of the sower whose seeds fell on four types of soil. When his disciples asked why he spoke in parables, he explained that the secrets of the kingdom were given to them but not to others, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy about people hearing but not understanding. He explained the parable of the sower in detail, with the seed representing the word of the kingdom and the different soils representing different kinds of hearts that receive it.
He then told other parables: the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed, but an enemy sowed weeds among it, and both were left to grow together until the harvest, when the weeds would be burned and the wheat gathered. It is also like a mustard seed that grows into a large tree, and like yeast that a woman mixed into flour until it worked all through the dough. Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables, fulfilling prophecy. Later, he explained the parable of the weeds to his disciples: the sower is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed are the people of the kingdom, the weeds are the people of the evil one, and the harvest is the end of the age when angels will separate the wicked for judgment from the righteous who will shine like the sun.
He continued with parables likening the kingdom to a hidden treasure, a merchant finding a pearl of great price, and a net that collected all kinds of fish, which were later sorted. After finishing these parables, he went to his hometown. There, he taught in the synagogue, and the people were amazed, but also offended. They questioned his wisdom and miracles, knowing him as the carpenter's son and knowing his family. Jesus remarked that a prophet is not without honor except in his own town and his own home, and he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST AND MIRACLES OF PROVISION
At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard reports about Jesus and told his attendants that this was John the Baptist risen from the dead. For Herod had arrested John and imprisoned him for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because John had told him it was not lawful for him to have her. Herod's birthday provided an opportunity for Herodias, whose daughter danced for Herod and pleased him so much that he promised with an oath to give her anything she asked. Prompted by her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. The king was distressed, but because of his oath, he ordered it to be done, and John was beheaded in prison. His disciples came and took his body and buried it, then went and told Jesus.
When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat to a solitary place. The crowds followed him on foot from the towns. Seeing the large crowd, he had compassion and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples suggested sending the crowds away to buy food. Jesus told them to give the people something to eat. They had only five loaves and two fish. He directed the people to sit on the grass, and after giving thanks, he distributed the food through his disciples. All ate and were satisfied, and twelve baskets of leftovers were collected. The number of men who ate was about five thousand, besides women and children.
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd and went up on a mountainside to pray. The boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him, they were terrified, thinking it was a ghost. But Jesus told them not to be afraid. Peter asked to come to him on the water, and Jesus told him to come. Peter walked on the water toward Jesus, but when he saw the wind, he became afraid and began to sink, crying out for the Lord to save him. Jesus immediately caught him, chiding his little faith. When they climbed into the boat, the wind died down, and those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Of a truth thou art the Son of God." When they crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret, where the people recognized him and brought all their sick, begging to touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
DISPUTES ON TRADITION AND HEALING
Some Pharisees and teachers of the law from Jerusalem asked Jesus why his disciples broke the tradition of the elders by not washing their hands before eating. He replied by asking why they broke the command of God for the sake of their tradition, citing how they nullified the command to honor parents by allowing a person to declare their resources as a gift to God. He called them hypocrites, quoting Isaiah. He then explained to the crowd that what enters the mouth does not defile a person, but what comes out of the mouth does. He later explained to Peter that evil thoughts, murder, adultery, and other evils proceed from the heart and are what truly defile a person.
Leaving that place, Jesus went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity cried out to him for mercy for her demon-possessed daughter. He did not answer at first, and then stated he was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. He told her it was not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs. She replied, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Jesus commended her great faith and told her that her request was granted, and her daughter was healed at that moment.
Jesus then went along the Sea of Galilee and up a mountainside. Great crowds brought the lame, blind, crippled, and mute, and he healed them, causing the people to praise the God of Israel. Jesus then called his disciples and expressed compassion for the crowd that had been with him for three days and had nothing to eat. They had seven loaves and a few small fish. After giving thanks, he fed the four thousand men, besides women and children, and seven baskets of leftovers were collected. He then sent the crowd away and got into the boat to go to the region of Magdala.
DEMANDS FOR A SIGN AND PETER'S CONFESSION
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus by asking for a sign from heaven. He rebuked them for being able to interpret the appearance of the sky but not the signs of the times. He called them a wicked and adulterous generation and said no sign would be given except the sign of Jonah. After he left, the disciples realized they had forgotten bread. Jesus warned them to be on their guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They misunderstood, thinking he was referring to bread, until he reminded them of the two feedings of the multitudes, and then they understood he was talking about their teaching.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" They gave various answers—John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. "But whom say ye that I am?" he asked. Simon Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus declared Peter blessed, for this was revealed not by flesh and blood, but by his Father in heaven. He then said to Peter, "thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church," giving him the keys of the kingdom of heaven with the authority to bind and loose on earth. Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
From that time on, Jesus began to explain that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things, be killed, and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and rebuked him, but Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." He then told his disciples that anyone who would come after him must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for his sake will find it. He warned that the Son of Man would come in his Father’s glory and reward each person according to what they have done. He concluded by saying that some standing there would not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
THE TRANSFIGURATION AND FURTHER TEACHING
After six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain, where he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Moses and Elijah appeared, talking with him. Peter offered to put up three shelters for them. While he was speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." The disciples fell facedown in terror, but Jesus came and touched them, telling them not to be afraid. When they looked up, they saw only Jesus. As they were coming down, Jesus instructed them not to tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man had been raised from the dead.
The disciples asked why the scribes say that Elijah must come first. Jesus replied that Elijah does come and will restore all things, but he explained that Elijah had already come, and they did not recognize him but had done to him as they pleased. In the same way, the Son of Man was going to suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood he was talking about John the Baptist.
When they came to the crowd, a man knelt before Jesus and asked for mercy for his son, who had seizures and suffered greatly. He said the disciples could not heal him. Jesus, lamenting the unbelieving and perverse generation, had the boy brought to him. He rebuked the demon, and the boy was healed. When the disciples asked why they could not drive it out, Jesus replied, "Because of your unbelief," explaining that faith as small as a mustard seed could move mountains. He added that this kind of demon only comes out by prayer and fasting.
While in Galilee, Jesus again told his disciples that the Son of Man was going to be betrayed and killed, and on the third day be raised to life. The disciples were filled with grief. In Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax asked Peter if his teacher paid the tax. Peter said yes. When Peter entered the house, Jesus spoke first, asking from whom earthly kings collect taxes—from their own children or from others. Peter replied, "Of strangers," and Jesus said the children are exempt. However, so as not to cause offense, he told Peter to go to the lake, catch the first fish, and he would find a coin in its mouth to pay the tax for both of them.
DISCOURSE ON HUMILITY AND FORGIVENESS
At that time, the disciples asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He called a little child to him and said that unless they change and become like little children, they would never enter the kingdom. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of a child is the greatest. He warned that it would be better to be drowned with a millstone around one's neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. He spoke of woe to the world because of such offenses and warned that the angels of these little ones always see the face of his Father in heaven.
He told the parable of the shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to find one that wandered off, rejoicing more over that one found sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not wander. He said it is not the Father's will that any of these little ones should perish.
He then gave instructions for dealing with a brother who sins against you: first go privately, then take one or two others as witnesses, and if that fails, tell it to the church. If the person refuses to listen even to the church, they are to be treated as a pagan or a tax collector. He affirmed that whatever they bind or loose on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven.
Peter asked how many times he should forgive a brother who sins against him—up to seven times? Jesus answered, "Until seventy times seven." He then told the parable of a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. A man who owed ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him, and since he could not pay, the master ordered him and his family to be sold. The servant fell on his knees and begged for patience, and the master took pity on him, canceled the debt, and let him go. But that servant then went out and found a fellow servant who owed him a hundred silver coins. He choked him, demanding payment. Though his fellow servant begged for patience, he refused and had him thrown into prison. When the other servants saw this, they told their master. The master called the wicked servant in, rebuked him for his lack of mercy after receiving such great mercy himself, and handed him over to be tortured until he paid back all he owed. Jesus concluded, "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."
TEACHINGS ON MARRIAGE, WEALTH, AND THE KINGDOM
When Jesus had finished these sayings, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan, healing the great crowds that followed him. Some Pharisees tested him by asking if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason. He replied by citing creation, where God made them male and female and ordained that a man leave his parents and be united to his wife, becoming one flesh. He concluded, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." When they asked why Moses commanded giving a certificate of divorce, Jesus said it was because their hearts were hard, but it was not that way from the beginning. He stated that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.
His disciples commented that if this was the situation, it was better not to marry. Jesus explained that not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it has been given, speaking of those who are eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom.
Little children were brought to him for prayer and the laying on of hands. The disciples rebuked those who brought them, but Jesus said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." A young man asked what good thing he must do to get eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments. When the man said he had kept them all, Jesus told him that if he wanted to be perfect, he should sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow him. The young man went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus then told his disciples that it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven, easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Amazed, the disciples asked who then could be saved. Jesus replied that with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Peter noted that they had left everything to follow him and asked what there would be for them. Jesus promised that at the renewal of all things, they would sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and that everyone who has left homes or family for his sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. He concluded, "But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first."
THE FINAL JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM
Jesus told a parable of a landowner who hired workers for his vineyard at different hours of the day, agreeing to pay the first ones a denarius for the day and the later ones whatever was right. When evening came, he paid all the workers a denarius, starting with the last ones hired. Those hired first complained they had worked longer for the same pay. The landowner replied that he was not being unfair, as they had agreed to the wage, and he had the right to be generous with his own money. Jesus concluded, "So the last shall be first, and the first last."
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and told them that the Son of Man would be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, who would condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, flogged, and crucified, and on the third day, he would be raised to life.
The mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and asked that they might sit at his right and left in his kingdom. Jesus told them they didn't know what they were asking and questioned if they could drink the cup he was going to drink. They replied that they could. Jesus said they would indeed drink his cup, but the positions of honor were not his to grant. When the other ten disciples heard about this, they were indignant. Jesus called them together and taught that unlike the rulers of the Gentiles, whoever wants to become great among them must be a servant, just as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.
As they were leaving Jericho, two blind men sitting by the road shouted for mercy. The crowd rebuked them, but they shouted louder. Jesus stopped, called them, and asked what they wanted. They asked that their eyes be opened. Jesus had compassion on them, touched their eyes, and immediately they received their sight and followed him.
THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY AND CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, Jesus sent two disciples to a village to get a donkey and a colt, telling them to say "The Lord hath need of them" if questioned. This was to fulfill the prophecy of the King coming meekly on a donkey. The disciples brought the animals, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks and branches on the road, shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest." The whole city was stirred, and the multitude announced that this was Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth.
Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, declaring, "It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. The chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw his wonderful acts and heard the children shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David." Jesus quoted scripture to them about praise from the mouths of children and then left for Bethany, where he spent the night.
Early in the morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he found nothing on it but leaves and said, "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever." Immediately, the tree withered. The disciples were amazed. Jesus told them that with faith, they could not only do this but could also move mountains, and they would receive whatever they ask for in prayer.
When he entered the temple, the chief priests and elders questioned his authority. Jesus replied with a question about the origin of John's baptism. They could not answer without either incriminating themselves or angering the people, so they said they didn't know. Jesus then refused to tell them by what authority he acted. He then told the parable of two sons, one who initially refused to work in the vineyard but later went, and one who agreed but did not go. They agreed the first son did his father's will, and Jesus told them that tax collectors and prostitutes were entering the kingdom of God ahead of them because they believed John, whom the leaders had rejected. He followed this with the parable of a landowner whose tenants beat and killed his servants and finally his son. He asked what the owner would do, and they replied he would destroy those wicked men and rent the vineyard to others. Jesus applied the scripture about the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone, stating that the kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
CONFRONTATIONS, QUESTIONS, AND DENUNCIATIONS
Jesus spoke another parable about a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. The invited guests refused to come, so the king sent his armies to destroy those murderers and burned their city. He then sent his servants to invite everyone they could find from the streets, and the wedding hall was filled. But the king found a man not wearing wedding clothes and had him thrown out into the darkness. Jesus concluded, "For many are called, but few are chosen."
The Pharisees plotted to trap him and sent their disciples along with the Herodians. They asked if it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus, perceiving their evil intent, asked for the coin used for the tax. He then asked whose image was on it, and upon their reply, he said, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."
The Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, posed a question about a woman who had been married to seven brothers, asking whose wife she would be at the resurrection. Jesus corrected them, saying they did not know the Scriptures or the power of God, for in the resurrection people will be like the angels and will not marry. He affirmed the resurrection by quoting God’s words to Moses, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," explaining that God is the God of the living, not the dead.
When the Pharisees heard he had silenced the Sadducees, an expert in the law tested him by asking for the greatest commandment. Jesus replied, "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Jesus then questioned the Pharisees about the Christ, asking whose son he is. They answered, "The Son of David." He then asked how David, speaking in the Spirit, could call him 'Lord'. No one could answer him, and from that day on, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Jesus then warned the crowds and his disciples about the scribes and Pharisees. He said to obey their teachings based on Moses' seat, but not their actions, for they do not practice what they preach. They do everything to be seen by others, loving places of honor and titles. He instructed his followers not to be called 'Rabbi' or 'father' or 'instructor,' for they have one Master and one Father in heaven, and they are all brothers. The greatest among them must be a servant; for those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
He pronounced a series of woes upon the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites for shutting people out of the kingdom, devouring widows' houses, and making their converts twice the children of hell. He called them blind guides for their convoluted teachings on oaths and for tithing herbs while neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness. He rebuked them for cleaning the outside of the cup while inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence, and for appearing righteous while being full of hypocrisy and wickedness. He condemned them for building tombs for the prophets their ancestors killed, thus testifying that they were their descendants. He called them a brood of vipers and foretold that they would kill and persecute the prophets and wise men he would send, bringing upon that generation the guilt for all the righteous blood shed on earth. He concluded with a lament over Jerusalem for rejecting him, declaring that their house is left to them desolate and they will not see him again until they say, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."
THE OLIVET DISCOURSE: PROPHECY OF THE END TIMES
As Jesus left the temple, his disciples pointed out its buildings. He told them that not one stone would be left on another. On the Mount of Olives, the disciples asked privately for the sign of his coming and of the end of the age. Jesus warned them against deception by false messiahs and told them not to be alarmed by wars and famines, as these are the beginning of birth pains. He foretold persecution, betrayal, and the rise of false prophets.
He said that when they see the "abomination of desolation," those in Judea should flee. This will be a time of great distress, unequaled in history, but shortened for the sake of the elect. Immediately after this tribulation, cosmic signs will appear, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. All the nations will mourn as they see him coming on the clouds with power and great glory, and he will send his angels to gather his elect.
He taught them the parable of the fig tree as a lesson in recognizing the signs that his coming is near. Heaven and earth will pass away, but his words will never pass away. However, no one knows the day or hour, only the Father. He compared his coming to the days of Noah, when people were caught unaware by the flood. He urged them to keep watch, for their Lord will come at an hour when they do not expect him, like a thief in the night. A faithful and wise servant will be found doing his duty, but an evil servant who assumes a delay will be caught by surprise and punished.
PARABLES OF JUDGMENT
Jesus continued, saying the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps to meet the bridegroom. Five were foolish and took no extra oil, while five were wise and did. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all slept. At the midnight cry, the foolish virgins' lamps were going out, and they had to go buy more oil. While they were gone, the bridegroom arrived, and the wise virgins went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. When the others returned, the Lord said to them, "I know you not." Jesus concluded, "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour."
He also told the parable of a man who entrusted his property to his servants before a long journey. He gave five talents to one, two to another, and one to a third, each according to his ability. The first two doubled their money, but the third dug a hole and hid his. Upon the master's return, the first two were praised as "good and faithful" servants and given more responsibility. The third servant returned the single talent, blaming the master's harshness for his fear-driven inaction. The master condemned him as wicked and lazy, took his talent, and gave it to the one with ten, explaining that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Finally, Jesus described the final judgment, when the Son of Man comes in his glory. He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep on his right will inherit the kingdom prepared for them because they fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and cared for the sick and imprisoned. When they ask when they did this, the King will reply, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." The goats on his left will be sent into eternal fire because they failed to do these things, and the King will tell them, "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." These will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
THE FINAL DAYS: BETRAYAL, ARREST, AND TRIAL
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he told his disciples that the Passover was two days away, and the Son of Man would be handed over to be crucified. The chief priests and elders assembled and plotted to arrest Jesus in a sly way and kill him, but not during the festival.
While Jesus was in Bethany, a woman anointed his head with very expensive perfume. The disciples were indignant at the waste, but Jesus said she had done a beautiful thing for him, preparing his body for burial. Then Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and agreed to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus sent disciples to prepare the Passover at a specific man's house in the city. That evening, as he was eating with the twelve, he announced that one of them would betray him. He identified the betrayer as the one who dipped his hand into the bowl with him. When Judas asked, "Is it I?" Jesus replied, "Thou hast said."
During the meal, Jesus took bread, broke it, and gave it to them, saying it was his body. He then took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying it was his blood of the covenant, shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. After singing a hymn, they went to the Mount of Olives, where Jesus predicted they would all fall away. Peter declared he never would, but Jesus foretold that before the rooster crowed, Peter would disown him three times.
In Gethsemane, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and, in deep sorrow, prayed to the Father for the cup of suffering to be taken from him, yet submitting to God's will. He found the disciples sleeping three times. Then, he announced his betrayer was at hand. Judas arrived with an armed crowd, identified Jesus with a kiss, and they arrested him. One of Jesus' companions drew a sword and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant, but Jesus rebuked him. The disciples then fled.
Jesus was taken to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the council sought false evidence to put him to death. Finally, two came forward with a distorted version of his words about the temple. When Jesus remained silent, the high priest demanded to know if he was the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus affirmed, "Thou hast said," and spoke of the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven. The high priest tore his clothes, accused him of blasphemy, and the council condemned him to death. They then spat in his face and beat him. Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, and just as he did, a rooster crowed. Peter went outside and wept bitterly.
CRUCIFIXION, DEATH, AND BURIAL
In the morning, the chief priests and elders decided to put Jesus to death. They delivered him to Pilate, the governor. When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse, returned the thirty pieces of silver, and hanged himself. The priests used the money to buy the potter's field.
Before Pilate, Jesus was accused by the chief priests and elders but made no reply, to the governor's great amazement. It was Pilate’s custom to release a prisoner at the festival, and he offered the crowd a choice between Barabbas, a notorious prisoner, and Jesus. Persuaded by the chief priests, the crowd asked for Barabbas. When Pilate asked what to do with Jesus, they all shouted, "Let him be crucified." Though Pilate found him innocent and washed his hands of the matter, the people cried out, "His blood be on us, and on our children." Pilate released Barabbas and had Jesus flogged and handed over for crucifixion.
The governor's soldiers stripped Jesus, put a scarlet robe and a crown of thorns on him, and mocked him as "King of the Jews." They spit on him, struck him, and then led him away to be crucified. They forced Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross. At Golgotha, they crucified him between two thieves. They divided his garments by casting lots. Above his head, they placed the written charge: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Passersby, chief priests, and even the thieves crucified with him hurled insults at him.
From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the land. About three, Jesus cried out, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" After being offered vinegar, he cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. At that moment, the temple curtain was torn in two, the earth shook, rocks split, and tombs broke open. The centurion and those with him, witnessing these events, exclaimed, "Truly this was the Son of God."
That evening, Joseph of Arimathea, a rich disciple of Jesus, asked Pilate for the body. Pilate ordered it to be given to him. Joseph wrapped the body in a clean linen cloth and placed it in his own new tomb, rolling a large stone in front of the entrance. The next day, the chief priests and Pharisees asked Pilate to secure the tomb, lest the disciples steal the body and claim he had risen. Pilate granted them a guard, and they made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and posting the guard.
THE RESURRECTION AND THE GREAT COMMISSION
At dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended, rolled back the stone, and sat on it. The guards were so afraid they became like dead men. The angel told the women not to be afraid, for Jesus, who was crucified, had risen. He showed them the empty place and instructed them to quickly tell the disciples that he was going ahead of them into Galilee.
So the women hurried away with fear and great joy to tell the disciples. Suddenly, Jesus met them. They clasped his feet and worshiped him. He told them not to be afraid but to tell his brothers to go to Galilee, where they would see him. Meanwhile, some of the guards reported to the chief priests what had happened. The priests bribed the soldiers to say the disciples had stolen the body while they were asleep.
Then the eleven disciples went to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him, though some doubted. Jesus came to them and said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Concise Summary
The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus Christ as the long-awaited Messiah and King who fulfills Old Testament prophecies, delivering authoritative teachings like the Sermon on the Mount to establish the principles of the kingdom of heaven. The narrative culminates in his rejection by Israel's leaders, his sacrificial death, and his triumphant resurrection, concluding with the commission for his disciples to teach all nations.
The Gospel According to Saint Luke
PREFACE AND THE BIRTHS OF JOHN AND JESUS ANNOUNCED
Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.
In the time of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both v
One day, as Zechariah was serving as priest, he was chosen by lot to go into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. While the assembled worshipers were praying outside, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. Zechariah was startled and gripped with fear. But the angel said, "Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John." The angel foretold that John would be a joy and delight, great in the sight of the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, and would turn many in Israel back to God, going before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Zechariah asked for a sign, given his and his wife's old age. The angel, identifying himself as Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, declared that Zechariah would be silent and unable to speak until the day this happened, because he did not believe the words which would be fulfilled in their proper time. Meanwhile, the people wondered at his long delay in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them, and they realized he had seen a vision. After his time of service was completed, he returned home, and his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, remaining in seclusion for five months.
In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel greeted her as one who is highly favored, but she was greatly troubled by his words. The angel reassured her, telling her she had found favor with God and would conceive and give birth to a son, whom she was to call Jesus. He would be great and called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God would give him the throne of his father David to reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom would never end.
Mary asked how this could be, since she was a virgin. The angel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the power of the Most High would overshadow her, so the holy one to be born would be called the Son of God. He also informed her that her relative Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy in her old age, for no word from God will ever fail. Mary answered, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." Then the angel left her.
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaimed that Mary was blessed among women and blessed was the child she would bear. The baby in her womb leaped for joy at the sound of Mary's greeting. Mary then proclaimed a song of praise, known as the Magnificat, magnifying the Lord for his mercy on her and on his people Israel, a mercy promised to Abraham and his descendants forever. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives rejoiced with her. On the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother said his name was to be John. When they made signs to his father to find out what he would like the child to be called, he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. The neighbors were all filled with awe. Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied in a song of praise known as the Benedictus. He praised God for raising up a horn of salvation in the house of David, and he spoke to his child, John, saying he would be called a prophet of the Most High and would go before the Lord to prepare the way for him. The child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.
THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he bel
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at nigh
When the angels had left them, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. They spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God.
On the eighth day, the child was circumcised and named Jesus, the name the angel had given him. When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written that every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice of two doves or two young pigeons.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying he could now depart in peace, for his eyes had seen God's salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Israel. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary that the child was destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and that a sword would pierce her own soul also.
There was also a prophet, Anna, who was very old and never left the temple, worshiping night and day. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. After Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to their own town of Nazareth in Galilee. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went u
PREPARATION FOR MINISTRY
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea and Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of Isaiah, to prepare the way for the Lord so that all people will see God's salvation.
John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance." He told them not to rely on their descent from Abraham. He instructed the people to share their possessions, told tax collectors not to collect more than required, and advised soldiers not to extort money or accuse people falsely.
The people were waiting expectantly, wondering if John might be the Messiah. John answered them all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh... he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." He described this one as having a winnowing fork to clear his threshing floor, gathering the wheat into his barn and burning the chaff. But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch for marrying his brother's wife, Herodias, and for all his other evil deeds, Herod locked John up in prison.
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased."
Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph. His genealogy is then traced back through Heli, Matthat, Levi, and many others, through David, Jesse, Boaz, and Judah, all the way back to Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham, and further back through Noah and his ancestors to Seth, who was the son of Adam, who was the son of God.
THE BEGINNING OF JESUS' GALILEAN MINISTRY
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days. The devil tempted him to turn a stone into bread, but Jesus answered with scripture that man does not live on bread alone. The devil then showed him all the kingdoms of the world and offered him their authority and glory if Jesus would worship him. Jesus rebuked him, quoting scripture that one must worship and serve God only. The devil then took him to Jerusalem, had him stand on the highest point of the temple, and challenged him to throw himself down, again quoting scripture. Jesus answered, "It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread. He was glorified by everyone as he taught in their synagogues. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue and stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him, and he read the passage about the Spirit of the Lord anointing him to proclaim good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, and to set the oppressed free. He then told them, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."
All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips, though they questioned if he was not just Joseph's son. He anticipated their skepticism, acknowledging that no prophet is accepted in his hometown. He reminded them of the widow at Zarephath in Sidon during Elijah's time and Naaman the Syrian in Elisha's time, both non-Israelites who received God's help when many in Israel did not. All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They drove him out of the town and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
Then he went down to Capernaum, where he taught on the Sabbath, and the people were amazed because his words had authority. In the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon cried out that Jesus had come to destroy them, identifying him as the Holy One of God. Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the man without injuring him. The people were all amazed at his authority and power over impure spirits.
After leaving the synagogue, he went to the home of Simon, whose mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. Jesus rebuked the fever, and it left her, and she immediately got up and began to wait on them. At sunset, people brought all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "Thou art Christ the Son of God," but he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah. At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place, but the people sought him out and tried to keep him from leaving. But he said, "I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent." And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.
CALLING DISCIPLES AND CONFLICT WITH LEADERS
One day, as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him to hear the word of God. He saw two boats at the water’s edge and got into one belonging to Simon, asking him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he told Simon to go out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch. Simon explained they had worked all night and caught nothing, but at Jesus' word, he would let down the nets. They caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. They signaled their partners in the other boat, James and John, to help, and both boats were filled so full they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." He and all his companions were astonished at the catch. Jesus said to Simon, "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him.
While in one of the towns, a man covered with leprosy saw Jesus, fell with his face to the ground, and begged him to make him clean. Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will: be thou clean," and immediately the leprosy left him. Jesus ordered him not to tell anyone, but to show himself to the priest and offer the sacrifices commanded by Moses. Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
On another day, while Pharisees and teachers of the law from Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem were present, some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. Since they could not get through the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him down into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Man, thy sins are forgiven thee." The Pharisees and scribes began to think that he was blaspheming, as only God can forgive sins. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, asked whether it was easier to say 'Your sins are forgiven' or to say 'Get up and walk.' To show them that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, he told the paralyzed man to get up, take his mat, and go home. The man did so, praising God, and everyone was amazed and filled with awe.
After this, Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax booth and said, "Follow me." Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples about eating and drinking with such people. Jesus answered them, "They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
They then questioned him about fasting, pointing out that the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast often, but his do not. Jesus replied by asking if they could make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them. The time for fasting would come when he is taken away. He also told them a parable that no one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one, nor do they pour new wine into old wineskins, lest both be ruined. New wine must be poured into new wineskins. He concluded that no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, "The old is better."
THE SABBATH, THE TWELVE, AND THE SERMON ON THE PLAIN
On a Sabbath, Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands and eating the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked why they were doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath. Jesus answered them by recalling how David entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which was lawful only for priests. Then he said to them, "The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath." On another Sabbath, he healed a man with a shriveled right hand in the synagogue after questioning the scribes and Pharisees about whether it is lawful to do good or evil, to save life or to destroy it, on the Sabbath. They were furious and began to discuss what they might do to Jesus.
One of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he chose twelve of his disciples, whom he designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
He went down with them and stood on a level place where a large crowd from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon had come to hear him and to be healed. The whole crowd tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed be ye poor: for your's is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you... for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day... for your reward is great in heaven." But he also pronounced woes: "Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!"
He commanded them to love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, and pray for those who mistreat them. He instructed them to be generous and to treat others as they would want to be treated. He told them to be merciful, just as their Father is merciful. He taught them not to judge or condemn, but to forgive and give, for the measure they use will be measured back to them. He told them that a student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher, and warned against hypocrisy in correcting others. He explained that a tree is known by its fruit, and a person's words flow from the heart. He questioned why they called him 'Lord, Lord,' but did not do what he said, comparing the one who hears and acts to a man who builds a house on a rock, which stands firm, while the one who hears and does not act is like a man who builds a house on the ground without a foundation, which collapses in a storm.
MIRACLES AND TEACHINGS ON FAITH
When Jesus had finished his sayings, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a servant, whom he valued highly, who was sick and about to die. He sent Jewish elders to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant, attesting to the centurion's worthiness and love for their nation. As Jesus was on his way, the centurion sent friends to say that he did not deserve to have Jesus under his roof and asked him just to say the word for his servant to be healed. Jesus was amazed at this great faith, and when the men returned to the house, they found the servant well.
The next day, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and a large crowd was with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Weep not." He touched the bier, and said, "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." The dead man sat up and began to talk. Fear seized all the people, and they praised God, saying a great prophet had appeared.
John’s disciples told him about all these things. John sent two of them to Jesus to ask, "Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?" At that very time, Jesus cured many people. He told the messengers to go back and report what they had seen and heard: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
After they left, Jesus spoke to the crowd about John, calling him much more than a prophet and the greatest among those born of women, yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. He compared that generation to children who would neither dance when piped to nor weep when mourned for, criticizing both John's asceticism and his own fellowship with sinners.
One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating there, so she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. The Pharisee thought that if Jesus were a prophet, he would know who was touching him. Jesus told him a parable of a creditor who forgave two debtors, one owing a large amount and one a small amount, and asked which would love him more. Simon the Pharisee rightly judged it was the one who had the bigger debt forgiven. Jesus then contrasted the woman's actions—washing his feet with tears, kissing them, and anointing them with perfume—with Simon’s lack of hospitality. He declared that her many sins had been forgiven, as her great love had shown, and told her, "Thy sins are forgiven... Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
PARABLES AND POWERFUL DEEDS
After this, Jesus traveled about, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna, who were helping to support them out of their own means.
When a large crowd gathered, he told the parable of a sower whose seed fell on the path, on rock, among thorns, and on good soil. He later explained to his disciples that the seed is the word of God, and the different soils represent how people receive it. He said that a lamp is meant to be put on a stand to give light, for what is hidden will be disclosed. He then taught that his mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.
One day he and his disciples were in a boat when a storm came up, and they were in great danger. They woke the sleeping Jesus, who got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. He asked them, "Where is your faith?" In the region of the Gerasenes, they were met by a demon-possessed man who lived in the tombs. The demons, who called themselves Legion, begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss but into a nearby herd of pigs. Jesus gave them permission, and the demons went into the pigs, which rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. The man was found restored, and though the people urged Jesus to leave, the man went and told all over the town how much Jesus had done for him.
When Jesus returned, a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, fell at his feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, about twelve years old, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years touched the edge of his cloak and was instantly healed. Jesus asked who touched him, and the woman, seeing she could not go unnoticed, told everyone why she had touched him and how she had been healed. He said to her, "Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace." While he was still speaking, someone came from Jairus's house to say the girl was dead. Jesus told Jairus not to be afraid, but only to believe. At the house, he took the child by the hand and said, "Maid, arise." Her spirit returned, and she stood up.
THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE AND THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM
Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick, instructing them to take nothing for the journey. They went out and preached and healed everywhere. Herod the tetrarch was perplexed by all that was happening, wondering if John had been raised from the dead.
When the apostles returned, they reported what they had done. Jesus then took them to a place near Bethsaida, but the crowds followed. He welcomed them and spoke about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. As evening approached, the Twelve suggested sending the crowd away, but Jesus told them to give the people something to eat. With only five loaves and two fish, Jesus gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to distribute to about five thousand men, who all ate and were satisfied, with twelve baskets of leftover pieces gathered afterward.
Once, when Jesus was praying in private, he asked his disciples, "Whom say the people that I am?" After they relayed the various opinions, he asked, "But whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God." Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone and said that the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected, be killed, and on the third day be raised to life. He then told them all that whoever wants to be his disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow him.
About eight days later, he took Peter, John, and James up a mountain to pray, and he was transfigured before them. His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning, and Moses and Elijah appeared in glorious splendor, speaking about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. A cloud appeared and a voice said, "This is my beloved Son: hear him." The next day, a man in the crowd pleaded for his demon-possessed son, whom the disciples could not heal. Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy, and lamented the unbelieving generation.
While everyone was marveling, Jesus told his disciples to let his words sink in: the Son of Man was going to be delivered into the hands of men. They did not understand. An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus took a little child and said that whoever welcomes a little child in his name welcomes him, and that the least among them all is the greatest. When James and John tried to stop a man driving out demons in Jesus's name, Jesus told them not to, "for he that is not against us is for us."
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He sent messengers to a Samaritan village to get things ready for him, but the people did not welcome him because he was heading for Jerusalem. When James and John suggested calling fire down from heaven to destroy them, Jesus rebuked them. As they were walking along the road, several people expressed a desire to follow him, but Jesus challenged their commitment, telling one that the Son of Man has no place to lay his head, and another to let the dead bury their own dead and instead go and proclaim the kingdom of God. To a third, he said, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTY-TWO AND THE GOOD SAMARITAN
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go, telling them the harvest was plentiful but the workers were few. He sent them out like lambs among wolves, instructing them to carry no purse, bag, or sandals. They were to heal the sick and announce that the kingdom of God has come near. The seventy-two returned with joy, saying even the demons submitted to them in his name. Jesus told them not to rejoice that the spirits submit to them, but to rejoice that their names are written in heaven.
At that time, Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, praised the Father for revealing things to little children that were hidden from the wise. An expert in the law tested him, asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus directed him to the law, and the man answered correctly: to love God with all one's being and to love one's neighbor as oneself. When the man then asked, "And who is my neighbour?" Jesus replied with the parable of the Good Samaritan, telling of a man who was robbed and left half dead, ignored by a priest and a Levite, but cared for by a Samaritan who showed him great mercy. Jesus then told the expert in the law to go and do likewise.
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. Her sister Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said, but Martha was distracted by all the preparations. She asked the Lord to tell her sister to help her, but Jesus replied that she was worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary had chosen what is better, and it would not be taken away from her.
TEACHINGS ON PRAYER AND OPPOSITION
One day Jesus was praying, and when he finished, one of his disciples asked him to teach them to pray, just as John taught his disciples. He gave them the Lord's Prayer. He then told a parable of a friend who goes to another at midnight for bread, illustrating that because of the petitioner's boldness and persistence, the friend will give him what he needs. Jesus encouraged them: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." He reasoned that if even evil earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.
Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some said he drove out demons by Beelzebub, while others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. Jesus knew their thoughts and explained that a divided kingdom is ruined. He warned that whoever is not with him is against him. As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out a blessing on his mother, but he replied, "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it."
He declared the crowd a wicked generation for asking for a sign, stating that the only sign given would be the sign of Jonah. He then gave a series of woes against the Pharisees for their meticulous tithing while neglecting justice and the love of God, and for loving positions of honor. He also pronounced woes on the experts in the law for loading people down with burdens they themselves would not lift, and for taking away the key to knowledge. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law then began to oppose him fiercely, trying to catch him in something he might say.
DISCOURSES ON DISCIPLESHIP AND WATCHFULNESS
Meanwhile, a crowd of many thousands had gathered. Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, warning them against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. He told them not to be afraid of those who can only kill the body, but to fear God. He assured them of their value to God, who numbers the very hairs of their head. He taught that whoever publicly acknowledges him will be acknowledged by the Son of Man before the angels of God.
Someone in the crowd asked Jesus to tell his brother to divide the inheritance with him. Jesus declined to be a judge or an arbiter and warned everyone against all kinds of greed, for life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. He told the parable of a rich fool whose land yielded an abundant harvest and who planned to build bigger barns to store his wealth for a life of ease, but God said to him, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee." Jesus concluded that this is how it will be for whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.
He then told his disciples not to worry about their life or body, for God, who feeds the ravens and clothes the lilies, knows their needs. Instead, they should seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to them as well. He told them to sell their possessions and give to the poor, providing for themselves a treasure in heaven that will not fail. He urged them to be ready and dressed for service, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, for the Son of Man will come at an hour when they do not expect him. In response to Peter's question, Jesus told the parable of the faithful and wise manager, contrasting his reward with the punishment of the unfaithful servant, noting that from the one who has been given much, much will be demanded.
He stated that he had come to bring fire and division on the earth, even within families. He chided the crowds for being able to interpret the weather but not the present time, urging them to settle matters quickly with their adversaries.
CALLS TO REPENTANCE AND PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus asked if they thought those Galileans were worse sinners than all the others, or if the eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem. He answered, "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." He then told the parable of a fig tree that had borne no fruit for three years, whose owner wanted to cut it down, but the vinedresser asked for one more year to cultivate it.
On a Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue and healed a woman who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. The synagogue leader was indignant that he had healed on the Sabbath, but Jesus called him a hypocrite, pointing out that they untie their animals for water on the Sabbath. He argued that this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan had kept bound for eighteen years, should be set free on the Sabbath. His opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted.
Jesus then asked what the kingdom of God is like. He compared it to a mustard seed that grew into a tree, and to yeast that a woman worked into a large amount of flour. As he made his way to Jerusalem, someone asked him if only a few people were going to be saved. He told them to make every effort to enter through the narrow door, for many will try to enter and will not be able to once the owner of the house has closed the door. He lamented over Jerusalem for killing the prophets, saying their house is left to them desolate and they would not see him again until they say, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."
TEACHINGS ON HUMILITY AND DISCIPLESHIP
One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, and he healed a man suffering from abnormal swelling. He asked the Pharisees and experts in the law if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, and when they remained silent, he pointed out that they would rescue a child or an ox that fell into a well on the Sabbath. When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them a parable about taking the lowest place at a wedding banquet, so that the host might honor them by moving them up higher, for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. He also told his host that when giving a luncheon or dinner, he should invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, who cannot repay him, so that he will be blessed and repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.
Hearing this, a guest exclaimed how blessed it is to eat at the feast in the kingdom of God. Jesus then told the parable of a great banquet to which many invited guests made excuses. The master, angered, then sent his servant to bring in the poor and crippled from the streets and lanes, and then from the roads and country lanes, to fill his house, declaring that none of the first guests would get a taste of his banquet.
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and told them that anyone who comes to him and does not hate their own family and even their own life cannot be his disciple. He taught about counting the cost of discipleship, like a builder planning a tower or a king going to war, concluding that those who do not give up everything cannot be his disciples.
PARABLES OF THE LOST
The tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus, but the Pharisees and teachers of the law muttered that he welcomed sinners and ate with them. Then Jesus told them three parables. First, the parable of the lost sheep, in which a shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep and rejoices upon finding it, illustrating that there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Second, the parable of the lost coin, in which a woman with ten silver coins who loses one, searches carefully until she finds it and rejoices with her friends, illustrating the joy of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
Third, he told the parable of the lost son. A man had two sons, and the younger one asked for his inheritance, which he then squandered in a distant country. When a severe famine hit, he ended up feeding pigs and longed to eat their food. Coming to his senses, he decided to return to his father and ask to be made like one of his hired servants. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, was filled with compassion, ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. He ordered the best robe, a ring, and sandals for his son, and a feast with the fattened calf, celebrating because his son who was dead was alive again. The older brother, who had been faithfully working, became angry and refused to join the celebration. The father pleaded with him, explaining that they had to celebrate because his brother was lost and is found.
PARABLES ON WEALTH AND THE AFTERLIFE
Jesus told his disciples the parable of a shrewd manager who was about to be fired. To secure his future, the manager wisely reduced the debts of his master's debtors. The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. Jesus taught his disciples to use worldly wealth to gain friends for eternity and emphasized that whoever is trustworthy with very little can also be trusted with much. He concluded, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." The Pharisees, who loved money, sneered at him. Jesus told them that what people value highly is detestable in God's sight. He stated that it is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
He then told the story of a rich man who lived in luxury and a beggar named Lazarus, who lay at his gate covered with sores. The beggar died and was carried by angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and went to hell, where he was in torment. He begged Abraham to send Lazarus to cool his tongue with water, but Abraham explained there was a great chasm fixed between them. The rich man then begged for Lazarus to be sent to warn his five brothers, but Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them." When the rich man insisted they would repent if someone from the dead went to them, Abraham said, "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
TEACHINGS ON FORGIVENESS, FAITH, AND THE COMING KINGDOM
Jesus told his disciples that things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. He instructed them to rebuke a brother who sins, and to forgive him if he repents, even if he sins against them seven times in a day. The apostles asked the Lord to increase their faith, and he replied that if they had faith as small as a mustard seed, they could command a mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would obey. He then taught them about a servant’s duty, explaining that even after doing everything they are told to do, they should say, "We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."
On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus was met by ten men with leprosy who called out for mercy. He told them to go show themselves to the priests, and as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, a Samaritan, came back, praising God and thanking Jesus. Jesus asked, "Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" and told the man his faith had made him well.
When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied that it does not come with careful observation, "for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." He told his disciples that the days are coming when they will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man but will not see it. He warned them not to be deceived by false claims of his return, for his day will be like lightning that flashes across the sky. But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. His coming would be like the days of Noah and Lot, when people were caught unaware by disaster. He gave instructions for that day of his revelation, urging them not to turn back for possessions and to remember Lot's wife.
PARABLES ON PRAYER AND TEACHINGS ON THE KINGDOM
Jesus told his disciples a parable about a persistent widow and an unjust judge to show them that they should always pray and not give up. The judge, who neither feared God nor cared about people, eventually granted the widow's plea for justice simply to stop her from bothering him. Jesus argued that if an unjust judge would respond, God would surely bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night.
He also told a parable to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on others. Two men went to the temple to pray: a Pharisee who thanked God he was not like other people and listed his religious deeds, and a tax collector who stood at a distance, beat his breast, and prayed, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Jesus said that it was the tax collector who went home justified before God, for "every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to touch. When the disciples rebuked them, Jesus called the children to him and said, "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." A certain ruler asked him what he must do to inherit eternal life. After the ruler claimed to have kept all the commandments from his youth, Jesus told him he still lacked one thing: to sell everything he had, give it to the poor, and follow him. The ruler became very sad because he was very wealthy. Jesus remarked how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.
He then took the Twelve aside and told them for a third time about his impending suffering, death, and resurrection in Jerusalem, but they did not understand. As he approached Jericho, a blind man sitting by the roadside begging heard the crowd and asked what was happening. When he was told Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, he cried out, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me." Though rebuked, he shouted all the more. Jesus stopped and asked what he wanted, and the man replied, "Lord, that I may receive my sight." Jesus said, "Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God, and all the people also praised God.
ZACCHAEUS, PARABLES, AND THE ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A wealthy chief tax collector named Zacchaeus, who was short, climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and told Zacchaeus to come down, as he must stay at his house that day. Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly, but the people muttered that Jesus had gone to be the guest of a sinner. Zacchaeus stood up and declared to the Lord that he would give half his possessions to the poor and repay anyone he had cheated four times over. Jesus announced that salvation had come to his house that day, for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Because he was near Jerusalem, and the people thought the kingdom of God was going to appear at once, he told the parable of a nobleman who went to a distant country to receive a kingdom. He gave ten of his servants ten minas to put to work. Upon his return as king, he rewarded the servants who had earned more, but he condemned the servant who had hidden his mina out of fear, taking it from him. He then commanded that his enemies who did not want him to be king be brought and killed in his presence.
After this, Jesus went on ahead, ascending to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples to find a colt that had never been ridden, telling them to say "The Lord hath need of him." They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. The whole crowd of disciples began to joyfully praise God for all the miracles they had seen, shouting, "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest." Some Pharisees in the crowd told him to rebuke his disciples, but he replied that if they kept quiet, the stones would cry out.
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it, lamenting that it did not recognize the things that would bring it peace. He foretold its future destruction by its enemies. When he entered the temple courts, he drove out those who were selling, declaring that his house is a house of prayer, but they had made it a den of thieves. He taught at the temple every day, and while the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were trying to kill him, they could not find a way because all the people hung on his words.
THE FINAL CONFRONTATIONS AND PROPHECIES
One day in the temple, the chief priests, scribes, and elders confronted Jesus and demanded to know by what authority he was doing these things. He countered with a question about John's baptism, which they were unable to answer, so he in turn refused to answer them. He then told the people the parable of the tenants who killed the servants and the son of the vineyard's owner, after which the religious leaders knew he had spoken this parable against them.
Spies were sent to trap him. They asked if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. He asked for a denarius and, pointing to Caesar’s image, told them to render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. Then some Sadducees came with a question about the resurrection, which Jesus answered by explaining the nature of life after death. He also affirmed the identity of Christ as David's Lord. In the hearing of all the people, he warned his disciples against the scribes who sought honor but devoured widows' houses.
He saw a poor widow put two small copper coins into the temple treasury and declared that she had put in more than all the others because she, out of her poverty, put in all she had to live on. When some of his disciples remarked on the temple's beauty, Jesus prophesied its complete destruction. This led to a lengthy discourse on the signs of the end times, including wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, and persecution of his followers. He foretold the desolation of Jerusalem and the distress of nations, followed by the coming of the Son of Man in a cloud with power and great glory. He urged them to be watchful and pray always. During these days, he taught in the temple, and each evening he spent the night on the Mount of Olives.
THE PASSION OF CHRIST
The Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to kill Jesus. Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who then went to the authorities and agreed to betray Jesus. On the day the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed, Jesus sent Peter and John to prepare the meal. At the supper, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you." He did the same with the cup, saying, "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." He then announced that the hand of his betrayer was with him at the table.
A dispute arose among the disciples about who was the greatest. Jesus taught them that the greatest should be like the youngest, and the leader like the one who serves. He warned Simon Peter that Satan had asked to sift all of them as wheat, but he had prayed for Peter's faith. He foretold Peter's three denials before the rooster crowed that day.
Jesus then went to the Mount of Olives to pray, asking his disciples to pray that they would not fall into temptation. In anguish, he prayed for the cup of suffering to be taken from him, yet submitted to the Father's will. An angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He was arrested when Judas betrayed him with a kiss. After healing the ear of a high priest's servant, which one of his followers had cut off, Jesus was taken to the high priest's house. Peter followed and, while warming himself by a fire, denied knowing Jesus three times. The rooster crowed, the Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter went outside and wept bitterly. The men guarding Jesus mocked and beat him. At daybreak, the council of elders condemned him.
The whole assembly led him to Pilate, accusing him of subverting the nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be a king. Pilate found no basis for a charge against him. Upon learning Jesus was a Galilean, he sent him to Herod, who also found him not guilty of any crime deserving death. Pilate again declared Jesus innocent, but the crowd, stirred up by the chief priests, shouted for his crucifixion and the release of Barabbas, a man imprisoned for insurrection and murder. Pilate gave in to their demands.
As the soldiers led Jesus away, they seized Simon from Cyrene and put the cross on him. A large number of people, including women who mourned for him, followed. Jesus was crucified at the place called the Skull between two criminals. From the cross, he prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." The rulers and soldiers mocked him, and an inscription was placed over him reading, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. One of the criminals hurled insults, but the other defended Jesus and asked to be remembered in his kingdom, to whom Jesus promised paradise. Darkness came over the land from noon until three, the sun stopped shining, and the temple curtain was torn in two. Jesus called out, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit," and breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Certainly this was a righteous man."
Joseph of Arimathea, a good and upright man, asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. He took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth, and placed it in a new tomb. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes, but rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.
THE RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away and, upon entering, did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. Suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them and asked why they were looking for the living among the dead. They announced that he had risen, reminding the women of his words in Galilee about his crucifixion and resurrection. The women returned and told the eleven and all the others, but their words seemed like nonsense. Peter, however, ran to the tomb and saw only the strips of linen.
That same day, two of them were going to a village called Emmaus. Jesus himself came up and walked along with them, but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked what they were discussing, and they recounted the events of the crucifixion and the report of the empty tomb. Jesus then explained to them from all the Scriptures what was said concerning himself. As they approached the village, they urged him to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared. They returned at once to Jerusalem and found the eleven gathered, who exclaimed that the Lord had risen and appeared to Simon.
As they were talking, Jesus himself stood among them and said, "Peace be unto you." Terrified, they thought they saw a ghost. He showed them his hands and his feet, had them touch him to see he was not a spirit, and ate a piece of broiled fish in their presence. He told them everything must be fulfilled that was written about him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures, explaining that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. He told them they were witnesses and that he was going to send what his Father had promised, but they must stay in the city until they have been clothed with power from on high.
He led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, lifted up his hands, and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising and blessing God.
Concise Summary
The Gospel of Luke provides an orderly and compassionate account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, emphasizing his role as the savior for all people, especially the poor, women, and outcasts. It traces his journey from a humble birth to his teachings, miracles, sacrificial death, and ultimate resurrection, culminating in his ascension and the promise of the Holy Spirit for his followers.
The Gospel According to Saint John
THE ETERNAL WORD AND THE FIRST DISCIPLES
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning, and through him all things were made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
A man named John was sent from God as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John testified concerning him, crying out, "This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me." From his fullness, we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has made him known.
When the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask John who he was, he confessed freely, "I am not the Christ." They asked if he was Elijah or the Prophet, and he answered "No." When pressed for an answer to give to those who sent them, he said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord," as the prophet Isaiah had said. These Pharisees then questioned why he baptized if he was not the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet. John replied that he baptized with water, but among them stood one they did not know, the one who comes after him, the straps of whose sandals he was not worthy to untie. This all happened at Bethabara on the other side of the Jordan.
The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." He identified Jesus as the one he had spoken of who was preferred before him because he existed before him. John explained that he came baptizing with water so that Jesus might be revealed to Israel. He then gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him." John had been told by the one who sent him to baptize that the man on whom he saw the Spirit descend and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Ghost. John declared that he had seen and testified that this is the Son of God.
The next day, John was with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus pass by, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him and followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus asked what they wanted. They asked him, "Rabbi, where dwellest thou?" and he invited them to come and see. It was about the tenth hour, and they spent that day with him. One of these men was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messias." He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas" (which is, by interpretation, a stone).
The next day, Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." Philip, who was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter, found Nathanael and told him they had found the one Moses and the prophets wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nathanael was skeptical, asking if any good thing could come out of Nazareth, but Philip urged him to "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him. Jesus replied that he had seen him under the fig tree before Philip called him. Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel." Jesus told him he would see greater things, promising, "Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."
THE BEGINNING OF SIGNS AND AUTHORITY
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, "They have no wine." Jesus replied, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come." His mother then told the servants, "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with water, and they filled them to the brim. Then he told them to draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.
When the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine, without knowing where it had come from, he called the bridegroom aside. He remarked that everyone else serves the best wine first, but the bridegroom had saved the best until now. This, the first of his signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. After this, he went down to Capernaum with his mother, brothers, and disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves, he said, "Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise." His disciples remembered that it is written: "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."
The Jews then demanded of him, "What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." They retorted that it had taken forty-six years to build the temple, questioning how he could raise it in three days. But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said and believed the scripture and his words. While he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people and did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
DISCOURSE ON NEW BIRTH AND BELIEF
A Pharisee named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council, came to Jesus at night and acknowledged him as a teacher from God, for no one could perform his signs unless God were with him. Jesus declared, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus asked how someone could be born when they are old. Jesus explained that no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. He compared the work of the Spirit to the wind, which blows wherever it pleases, and though its sound is heard, its origin and destination are unknown.
When Nicodemus asked how these things could be, Jesus expressed surprise that a teacher of Israel would not understand them. He said that he speaks of what he knows and has seen, but his testimony is not accepted. If they did not believe earthly things, how could they believe heavenly things? He stated that no one has gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already. This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, but whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them and baptized. John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water. An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and complained that the one he had testified about was now baptizing, and everyone was going to him. John replied that a person can receive only what is given them from heaven. He reminded them he had said he was not the Messiah but was sent ahead of him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom rejoices to hear his voice. John said his joy was complete, concluding, "He must increase, but I must decrease."
John further testified that the one who comes from above is above all; the one who comes from heaven is above all and testifies to what he has seen and heard. The one who has accepted his testimony has certified that God is true. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, to whom God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains
THE LIVING WATER AND THE SECOND SIGN
When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—although it was his disciples who baptized—he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. He had to go through Samaria, and he came to a town called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired from the journey, sat down by the well.
A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus asked her for a drink. The woman was surprised that a Jew would ask a Samaritan woman for a drink, as Jews did not associate with Samaritans. Jesus told her that if she knew the gift of God and who was asking her for a drink, she would have asked him, and he would have given her living water. He explained that whoever drinks the water he gives will never thirst again but will have in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
The woman asked for this water. Jesus then told her to call her husband. When she said she had no husband, Jesus revealed that she had had five husbands and the man she now had was not her husband. The woman perceived he was a prophet and raised the issue of the proper place of worship—her ancestors' mountain or Jerusalem. Jesus explained that a time is coming when true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for God is spirit. The woman spoke of the coming Messiah who would explain everything, and Jesus declared, "I that speak unto thee am he."
Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. The woman left her water jar and went back to the town, telling the people to come see a man who told her everything she ever did. Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony. They urged him to stay, and he stayed for two days. Many more became believers because of his words, telling the woman they now believed not just because of what she said but because they had heard for themselves and knew that he is truly the Christ, the Savior of the world.
After two days, he left for Galilee. He had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country, but the Galileans welcomed him, for they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival. He visited Cana of Galilee again, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. He begged Jesus to come and heal his son, who was close to death. Jesus told him, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." The official pleaded for him to come before his child died. Jesus replied, "Go thy way; thy son liveth." The man took Jesus at his word and departed. On his way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. He learned the fever had left him at the very hour Jesus had spoken to him. So he and his whole household believed. This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea into Galilee.
HEALING AT BETHESDA AND THE SON'S DIVINE AUTHORITY
Sometime later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Near the Sheep Gate was a pool called Bethesda, which was surrounded by five covered colonnades where a great number of disabled people used to lie. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and learned how long he had been in this condition, he asked him, "Wilt thou be made whole?" The man explained he had no one to help him into the pool when the water was stirred. Then Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders told the man it was unlawful for him to carry his mat. He replied that the man who made him well had told him to do it. The man later found Jesus in the temple, and Jesus told him, "sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." The man then went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.
So, they persecuted Jesus for doing these things on the Sabbath. Jesus said to them, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." For this reason they tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Jesus gave them this answer: the Son can do only what he sees his Father doing. The Father loves the Son and shows him all he does, and will show him even greater works. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He declared that whoever hears his word and believes the one who sent him has eternal life and has crossed over from death to life. An hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and live. The Son has life in himself and authority to judge. All who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
Jesus continued that he could do nothing by himself; he judges only as he hears, and his judgment is just. He stated that if he testifies about himself, his testimony is not true, but there is another who testifies in his favor. They had sent to John, who testified to the truth. Jesus's works, which the Father had given him to finish, also testified that the Father had sent him. And the Father himself, who sent him, has testified concerning him, though they have never heard his voice nor seen his form. He told them to search the Scriptures, for they testify about him, yet they refuse to come to him to have life. He knew they did not have the love of God in their hearts, for they received honor from one another but failed to seek the honor that comes from God alone. He concluded that Moses, in whom they put their trust, would be their accuser, for if they had believed Moses, they would have believed him, since Moses wrote about him.
THE BREAD OF LIFE DISCOURSE
Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee, and a great crowd of people followed him. He went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. Seeing the large crowd, he asked Philip where they could buy bread for all the people to eat. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, "There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?" Jesus had the people sit down. He then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were seated, and did the same with the fish. They all had as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. The people, seeing this miraculous sign, said, "This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." Jesus, knowing they intended to make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, got into a boat, and set off for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. After they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water, and they were frightened. But he said to them, "It is I; be not afraid." Then they willingly took him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore realized Jesus had not gotten into the boat with his disciples. They got into boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. When they found him, they asked when he had arrived. Jesus told them they were looking for him not because of the signs they saw, but because they ate the loaves and had their fill. He urged them not to work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give them. They asked what they must do to work the works of God, and Jesus replied, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
They then asked for a sign, reminding him that their ancestors ate manna in the wilderness. Jesus clarified that it was his Father who gives the true bread from heaven, the bread of God which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. He then declared, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." He stated that it is the Father's will that he should lose none of those given to him, but raise them up at the last day.
The Jews began to grumble because he said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." Jesus told them that no one can come to him unless the Father draws them. He repeated, "I am that bread of life," and "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." This caused a dispute among the Jews. Jesus then said plainly that unless they eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, they have no life in them. He who does so has eternal life, dwells in him, and he in them.
On hearing this, many of his disciples said, "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" Knowing their grumbling, Jesus asked if this offended them. He explained that it is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words he had spoken are full of the Spirit and life. From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. Jesus asked the Twelve, "Will ye also go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied that he had chosen the twelve, yet one of them was a devil, speaking of Judas Iscariot.
CONFLICT AT THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
After this, Jesus stayed in Galilee, as the Jewish leaders in Judea were seeking to kill him. When the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers urged him to go to Judea to show his works to the world. Jesus told them his time had not yet come, but after his brothers had left for the festival, he also went, but in secret. At the festival, the Jews were watching for him, and there was widespread whispering about him among the crowds.
About halfway through the festival, Jesus went up to the temple courts and began to teach. The Jews were amazed, asking how he knew so much without having been formally taught. Jesus answered that his teaching was not his own but came from the one who sent him. He challenged them for seeking to kill him after he performed one healing on the Sabbath. Some people from Jerusalem questioned if the leaders truly knew he was the Messiah, while others doubted because they knew his origins. Jesus cried out in the temple that they did not know the true one who sent him, but that he knew him.
Many in the crowd believed in him. The Pharisees and chief priests sent temple guards to arrest him. Jesus told them he would be with them a little while longer, and then he would go to the one who sent him. On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me... out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." He was speaking of the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
The people were divided over him. Some said he was the Prophet, others the Messiah, while some questioned if the Messiah could come from Galilee. The temple guards returned without him, telling the chief priests and Pharisees, "Never man spake like this man." Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier, reminded them that their law does not condemn anyone without first hearing them, but he was rebuked.
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD AND SPIRITUAL PARENTAGE
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, and early in the morning he appeared again in the temple courts. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery and challenged him with the law of Moses, which commanded stoning. Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." One by one they left, until only Jesus was left with the woman. He asked her if anyone had condemned her, and she said no. "Neither do I condemn thee," Jesus declared. "go, and sin no more."
Later, Jesus spoke again, saying, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." He entered a long debate with the Pharisees and others. He defended the truth of his testimony because it was twofold: his own and the Father's who sent him. He told them they would die in their sins if they did not believe that he is the one he claims to be. To the Jews who had believed him, he said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
They argued that as Abraham's descendants, they had never been slaves. Jesus explained that everyone who sins is a slave to sin, but if the Son sets them free, they will be free indeed. He confronted their murderous intent, contrasting their deeds with the works of Abraham. He declared that they belonged to their father, the devil, a murderer from the beginning and the father of lies. He challenged anyone to prove him guilty of sin. He honored his Father and did not seek his own glory. He promised that whoever keeps his word will never see death. They accused him of being demon-possessed, since Abraham and the prophets had died. Jesus replied that it is his Father who glorifies him and that their father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing his day. When they questioned how he could have seen Abraham, being not yet fifty years old, Jesus declared, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself and slipped away from the temple.
THE HEALING OF THE MAN BORN BLIND
As he went along, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked if this man or his parents had sinned. Jesus said neither, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. He then spat on the ground, made some mud, and put it on the man’s eyes, telling him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man went and washed, and came home seeing.
His neighbors and others who had known him as a beggar were amazed. He told them how a man named Jesus had healed him. They brought him to the Pharisees. Since Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes on a Sabbath, the Pharisees were divided. Some said Jesus was not from God, while others asked how a sinner could perform such signs. They questioned the man, who declared Jesus was a prophet. They then interrogated his parents, who confirmed he was their son and was born blind, but directed the Pharisees to ask him how he was healed, as he was of age.
The Pharisees summoned the man again and told him to give praise to God, for they knew Jesus was a sinner. The man replied, "one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." After further questioning, he grew bold, asking if they too wanted to become Jesus' disciples. They hurled insults at him and threw him out of the synagogue.
Jesus heard what had happened and found the man, asking him, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" The man asked who he was, and Jesus replied, "Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee." The man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. Jesus then said he had come into the world for judgment, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind. Some Pharisees who were with him asked if they were blind too. Jesus said, "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."
THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND DIVINE UNITY
Jesus then used the illustration of a sheep pen, stating that the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep, whom the sheep know and follow. He declared, "I am the door of the sheep... I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." He contrasted himself with the thief who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, saying, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
He then said, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." He distinguished himself from a hired hand who abandons the sheep. He knows his sheep and his sheep know him, just as the Father knows him and he knows the Father—and he lays down his life for the sheep. He spoke of other sheep not of that pen, which he must also bring, so there shall be one flock and one shepherd. He has the authority to lay down his life and take it up again. The Jews were again divided because of these words.
Later, at the Festival of Dedication in Jerusalem, the Jews gathered around him, asking him to tell them plainly if he was the Messiah. Jesus replied that he had told them, but they did not believe, citing the works he did in his Father's name as his witness. He told them, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish." He stated that his Father, who is greater than all, had given them to him, and no one can snatch them out of his Father's hand. He then made the profound claim, "I and my Father are one."
At this, they picked up stones to stone him again. He asked them for which of his many good works from the Father they were stoning him. They replied it was for blasphemy, because he, a mere man, claimed to be God. He defended his words by quoting their own law and through the evidence of his works. They tried to seize him again, but he escaped their grasp and went back across the Jordan, where many people came to him and believed.
THE RAISING OF LAZARUS
A man named Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha, was sick. The sisters sent word to Jesus. When he heard, Jesus said the sickness would not end in death but was for God’s glory. He stayed where he was for two more days, then told his disciples they would go back to Judea. He told them their friend Lazarus had fallen asleep, but he was going there to wake him up. He then told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sakes I am glad I was not there, so that ye may believe."
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Martha went out to meet him and expressed her belief that if he had been there, her brother would not have died. Jesus assured her that her brother would rise again. Martha affirmed her belief in the resurrection at the last day, to which Jesus replied, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live... Believest thou this?" Martha confessed her faith that he was the Messiah.
Mary then came, weeping, and fell at Jesus’ feet. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. He wept. He came to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance, and told them to take away the stone. He prayed to the Father, and then called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Many of the Jews who had seen what Jesus did believed in him. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what had happened. The chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. They worried that if they let him continue, everyone would believe in him, and the Romans would come and take away both their temple and their nation. Then Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, prophesied that it was better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to perish, and that Jesus would die not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on, they plotted to take his life.
THE ANOINTING, TRIUMPHAL ENTRY, AND FINAL PUBLIC DISCOURSE
Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where a dinner was given in his honor. Mary took a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume, and anointed Jesus’ feet, wiping them with her hair. Judas Iscariot objected to the waste, but Jesus defended her action as a preparation for his burial. The chief priests then made plans to kill Lazarus as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were putting their faith in Jesus.
The next day, a great crowd that had come for the festival took palm branches and went out to meet Jesus, shouting, "Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, fulfilling prophecy.
Among those who went to worship at the festival were some Greeks who asked Philip to see Jesus. Jesus responded that the hour had come for the Son of Man to be glorified, using the analogy of a kernel of wheat that must die to produce many seeds. A voice from heaven then spoke, and Jesus explained that now is the time for judgment on this world, and that when he is lifted up from the earth, he will draw all people to himself, signifying the kind of death he was going to die. He then gave a final public exhortation, urging the people to walk in the light while they had it. Even after all the signs Jesus had performed, they still would not believe in him, fulfilling the word of Isaiah the prophet. Jesus then cried out that to believe in him is to believe in the one who sent him, and that he came not to judge the world, but to save it.
THE LAST SUPPER AND THE NEW COMMANDMENT
Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew his hour had come. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. At supper, he rose from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. He then began to wash his disciples' feet. When he came to Simon Peter, Peter objected, but Jesus told him that unless he was washed, he would have no part with him. After he finished, he explained that if he, their Lord and Teacher, had washed their feet, they also should wash one another’s feet as an example of servant leadership.
He was troubled in spirit and testified that one of them was going to betray him. He gave a piece of bread to Judas Iscariot, and after Judas took it, Satan entered into him. Jesus told him to do what he was about to do quickly, and Judas went out into the night.
After Judas left, Jesus said the Son of Man was now glorified. He gave them a new command: "That ye love one another; as I have loved you." He told them that by this love, everyone would know they were his disciples. When Peter asked where he was going and proclaimed he would lay down his life for him, Jesus foretold that before the rooster crowed, Peter would disown him three times.
THE FAREWELL DISCOURSE
Jesus comforted his troubled disciples, telling them to believe in God and in him. He spoke of going to prepare a place for them in his Father's house. Thomas asked how they could know the way, and Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." When Philip asked to be shown the Father, Jesus replied that anyone who has seen him has seen the Father, for he is in the Father and the Father is in him. He promised them they would do even greater works than he had done, because he was going to the Father, and he would do whatever they asked in his name.
He promised to ask the Father to give them another advocate to help them and be with them forever—the Spirit of truth. He would not leave them as orphans but would come to them. He told them that anyone who loves him will obey his teaching, and his Father will love them, and they will make their home with them. He promised that the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father would send in his name, would teach them all things and remind them of everything he had said. He left them with his peace.
He used the metaphor of a vine and its branches, saying, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." He is the vine, and they are the branches; if they remain in him and he in them, they will bear much fruit, for apart from him they can do nothing. He commanded them to love each other as he had loved them, stating that greater love has no one than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. He called them friends, not servants, and said he had chosen them to go and bear fruit that will last.
He warned them that the world would hate them as it hated him first. The world would persecute them because they are not of the world. He promised that when the Advocate comes, the Spirit of truth, he will testify about him, and they also must testify. He told them these things so they would not fall away when the time of persecution came. He explained it was for their good that he was going away, so the Advocate could come. The Spirit will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment. He said the Spirit would guide them into all truth and glorify him. He spoke of their impending sorrow being turned to joy, and that in that day they would ask the Father directly in his name. He stated plainly that he came from the Father and was now returning to the Father. He concluded, "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
THE HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER
Jesus then lifted his eyes to heaven and prayed. He prayed first for himself, that the Father would glorify the Son. He defined eternal life as knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he had sent. He then prayed for his disciples, asking the Holy Father to protect them by the power of his name, so that they may be one as he and the Father are one. He prayed not that they be taken out of the world, but that they be protected from the evil one and sanctified by the truth. Finally, he prayed for all who would believe in him through their message, "that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." He prayed that they would be with him where he is, to see the glory the Father had given him.
ARREST, TRIALS, AND DENIALS
After praying, Jesus went with his disciples to a garden across the Kidron Valley. Judas, knowing the place, arrived with a detachment of soldiers and officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. When Jesus identified himself as "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. Peter drew his sword and cut off the right ear of the high priest’s servant, but Jesus commanded him to put his sword away.
Jesus was bound and taken first to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest. Peter and another disciple followed. In the courtyard, Peter was identified as a disciple by a servant girl and denied it. The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus replied that he had spoken openly to the world and told them to ask those who heard him. For this, an official struck him. Annas then sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas. In the courtyard, Peter again denied being a disciple twice more. Immediately, a rooster began to crow.
Early in the morning, Jesus was led from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor, Pilate. Pilate came out and asked what charges they were bringing. He questioned Jesus, asking if he was the king of the Jews. Jesus answered that his kingdom is not of this world. Pilate asked, "What is truth?" and then went out again to the Jews and declared he found no basis for a charge against him. But it was their custom for him to release one prisoner at Passover, so he offered to release the "king of the Jews." They shouted back, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.
CRUCIFIXION, DEATH, AND BURIAL
Pilate then had Jesus flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head, clothed him in a purple robe, and mocked him. Pilate again declared him innocent, but the chief priests and their officials shouted, "Crucify him, crucify him." The Jewish leaders insisted he must die by their law because he claimed to be the Son of God. From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the leaders pressured him by saying that anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar. Pilate brought Jesus out and handed him over to be crucified.
Jesus, carrying his own cross, was led to the place of the Skull (Golgotha), where he was crucified between two others. Pilate had a notice prepared that read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. When the soldiers crucified him, they divided up his clothes, but cast lots for his seamless undergarment. Near the cross stood Jesus’ mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Jesus entrusted the care of his mother to the disciple whom he loved.
Knowing that all was now completed, Jesus said, "I thirst." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to his lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Because it was the day of Preparation, the soldiers broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus but did not break his legs because he was already dead. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water, fulfilling the Scriptures.
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, and together they took the body and wrapped it, with spices, in strips of linen. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
THE RESURRECTION APPEARANCES
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. She ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and told them the Lord's body had been taken. Both disciples ran to the tomb; the beloved disciple arrived first and saw the strips of linen lying there, and then Peter went inside and saw the burial cloth neatly folded. The other disciple then also went inside, and he saw and believed.
Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she saw two angels in white inside. They asked her why she was crying, and she replied that they had taken her Lord away. Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize it was him until he said her name, "Mary." She cried out "Rabboni!" Jesus instructed her not to hold on to him, for he had not yet ascended to the Father, but to go and tell his brothers.
On the evening of that first day, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be unto you." He showed them his hands and side. He then breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."
Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with them. When they told him they had seen the Lord, he said he would not believe it unless he saw the nail marks in his hands and put his hand into his side. A week later, Jesus appeared again among them and told Thomas to put his finger in his hands and his hand in his side. "be not faithless, but believing," he said. Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God." Jesus told him, "because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." Jesus performed many other signs that are not recorded in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
THE EPILOGUE: APPEARANCE IN GALILEE
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples by the Sea of Galilee. Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. Peter decided to go fishing, and the others went with him, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize it was him. He told them to throw their net on the right side of the boat. When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." Peter wrapped his outer garment around him and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, dragging the net full of 153 large fish. When they landed, they found a fire of burning coals with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus invited them to "Come and dine." He then took the bread and fish and gave it to them. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter three times, "lovest thou me?" Each time Peter affirmed his love, and each time Jesus commissioned him, "Feed my lambs," or "Feed my sheep." He then told Peter about the death by which he would glorify God, and said to him, "Follow me." Peter saw the beloved disciple following and asked about him. Jesus replied, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." This disciple is the one who testifies to these things and who wrote them down, and we know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well, so many that if every one were written down, the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
Concise Summary
The Gospel of John presents Jesus as the eternal Word of God made flesh, who reveals his divine identity through a series of miraculous signs and profound theological discourses. This account emphasizes that through belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, one can receive eternal life.
The Gospel According to Saint Mark
THE MINISTRY OF JOHN AND THE BEGINNING OF JESUS' WORK
CONFLICTS OVER AUTHORITY AND TRADITION
APPOINTMENT OF THE TWELVE AND GROWING OPPOSITION
PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM AND POWER OVER NATURE
DEMONSTRATIONS OF HEALING POWER
MINISTRY, REJECTION, AND MIRACLES
TEACHINGS ON PURITY AND HEALING
CONFESSION, PROPHECY, AND THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
DIVINE GLORY AND HUMAN WEAKNESS
TEACHINGS ON WEALTH, SERVICE, AND THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM
ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM AND CONFRONTATION IN THE TEMPLE
PARABLES AND CHALLENGING QUESTIONS
PROPHECY OF THE END TIMES
THE LAST SUPPER, BETRAYAL, AND ARREST
TRIAL, CRUCIFIXION, AND BURIAL
THE RESURRECTION AND THE GREAT COMMISSION
The Gospel According to Saint Matthew
GENEALOGY AND BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
THE VISIT OF THE MAGI, FLIGHT TO EGYPT, AND RETURN
THE MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS AND BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
A SERIES OF HEALINGS AND THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
FURTHER MIRACLES AND THE CALLING OF DISCIPLES
THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE
QUESTIONS, REBUKES, AND INVITATIONS
CONFLICTS OVER THE SABBATH AND AUTHORITY
PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM
THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST AND MIRACLES OF PROVISION
DISPUTES ON TRADITION AND HEALING
DEMANDS FOR A SIGN AND PETER'S CONFESSION
THE TRANSFIGURATION AND FURTHER TEACHING
DISCOURSE ON HUMILITY AND FORGIVENESS
TEACHINGS ON MARRIAGE, WEALTH, AND THE KINGDOM
THE FINAL JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM
THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY AND CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE
CONFRONTATIONS, QUESTIONS, AND DENUNCIATIONS
THE OLIVET DISCOURSE: PROPHECY OF THE END TIMES
PARABLES OF JUDGMENT
THE FINAL DAYS: BETRAYAL, ARREST, AND TRIAL
CRUCIFIXION, DEATH, AND BURIAL
THE RESURRECTION AND THE GREAT COMMISSION
The Gospel According to Saint Luke
PREFACE AND THE BIRTHS OF JOHN AND JESUS ANNOUNCED
THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS
PREPARATION FOR MINISTRY
THE BEGINNING OF JESUS' GALILEAN MINISTRY
CALLING DISCIPLES AND CONFLICT WITH LEADERS
THE SABBATH, THE TWELVE, AND THE SERMON ON THE PLAIN
MIRACLES AND TEACHINGS ON FAITH
PARABLES AND POWERFUL DEEDS
THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE AND THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM
THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTY-TWO AND THE GOOD SAMARITAN
TEACHINGS ON PRAYER AND OPPOSITION
DISCOURSES ON DISCIPLESHIP AND WATCHFULNESS
CALLS TO REPENTANCE AND PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM
TEACHINGS ON HUMILITY AND DISCIPLESHIP
PARABLES OF THE LOST
PARABLES ON WEALTH AND THE AFTERLIFE
TEACHINGS ON FORGIVENESS, FAITH, AND THE COMING KINGDOM
PARABLES ON PRAYER AND TEACHINGS ON THE KINGDOM
ZACCHAEUS, PARABLES, AND THE ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM
THE FINAL CONFRONTATIONS AND PROPHECIES
THE PASSION OF CHRIST
THE RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION
The Gospel According to Saint John
THE ETERNAL WORD AND THE FIRST DISCIPLES
THE BEGINNING OF SIGNS AND AUTHORITY
DISCOURSE ON NEW BIRTH AND BELIEF
THE LIVING WATER AND THE SECOND SIGN
HEALING AT BETHESDA AND THE SON'S DIVINE AUTHORITY
THE BREAD OF LIFE DISCOURSE
CONFLICT AT THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD AND SPIRITUAL PARENTAGE
THE HEALING OF THE MAN BORN BLIND
THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND DIVINE UNITY
THE RAISING OF LAZARUS
THE ANOINTING, TRIUMPHAL ENTRY, AND FINAL PUBLIC DISCOURSE
THE LAST SUPPER AND THE NEW COMMANDMENT
THE FAREWELL DISCOURSE
THE HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER
ARREST, TRIALS, AND DENIALS
CRUCIFIXION, DEATH, AND BURIAL
THE RESURRECTION APPEARANCES
THE EPILOGUE: APPEARANCE IN GALILEE
Unified Thematic Map
Core Themes (Present in 3-4 Documents)
Ministry of John the Baptist: Prophetic role, baptism of Jesus. (Mark 1, Matthew 3, Luke 3, John 1)
Temptation in the Wilderness: Jesus' forty days of fasting and temptation by Satan. (Mark 1, Matthew 4, Luke 4)
Calling of the Disciples: The initial calling and formal appointment of the twelve apostles. (Mark 1 & 3, Matthew 4 & 10, Luke 5 & 6, John 1)
Teachings in Parables: Use of parables to explain the Kingdom of God. (Mark 4 & 12, Matthew 13, 20-22 & 25, Luke 8, 13-16, 18-19)
Healing Miracles: Demonstrations of power over disease, leprosy, paralysis, and blindness. (Mark 1, 5-8; Matthew 4, 8-9, 12, 14-15, 20-21; Luke 4-9, 11, 13-14, 17-18, 22; John 4-5, 9)
Miracles Over Nature: Calming the storm and walking on water. (Mark 4 & 6, Matthew 8 & 14, Luke 8, John 6)
Feeding of the Multitude: Miraculous feeding of thousands with a few loaves and fish. (Mark 6 & 8, Matthew 14 & 15, Luke 9, John 6)
Conflict with Religious Leaders: Disputes over the Sabbath, tradition, and Jesus' authority. (Mark 2-3, 7, 11-12; Matthew 9, 12, 15, 21-23; Luke 5-6, 11, 13-14, 20; John 2, 5, 7-10)
Peter's Confession and the Passion Prediction: Peter's declaration of Jesus as the Christ, followed by Jesus foretelling his own death and resurrection. (Mark 8, Matthew 16, Luke 9, John 6)
The Transfiguration: Jesus' appearance in glory with Moses and Elijah. (Mark 9, Matthew 17, Luke 9)
Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem: Jesus' entry into the city acclaimed by crowds. (Mark 11, Matthew 21, Luke 19, John 12)
Cleansing of the Temple: Driving out the merchants and money changers. (Mark 11, Matthew 21, Luke 19, John 2)
Prophecy of the End Times (Olivet Discourse): Jesus' teachings about the destruction of the temple and the signs of the end of the age. (Mark 13, Matthew 24, Luke 21)
The Last Supper: The final Passover meal with the disciples. (Mark 14, Matthew 26, Luke 22, John 13)
Betrayal, Arrest, and Trial: Judas's betrayal, Jesus' arrest in Gethsemane, and trials before Jewish and Roman authorities. (Mark 14-15, Matthew 26-27, Luke 22-23, John 18)
Crucifixion and Death: The events of the crucifixion at Golgotha. (Mark 15, Matthew 27, Luke 23, John 19)
Burial of Jesus: Joseph of Arimathea burying Jesus' body in a tomb. (Mark 15, Matthew 27, Luke 23, John 19)
Resurrection and Appearances: The discovery of the empty tomb and Jesus' appearances to his followers. (Mark 16, Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20-21)
The Great Commission: Jesus' final instructions to his disciples to spread his message. (Mark 16, Matthew 28, Luke 24)
Connecting Themes (Present in 2 Documents) 20. Narrative of Jesus' Birth and Infancy: Detailed accounts of Jesus' genealogy, conception, and birth. (Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2) 21. The Sermon on the Mount/Plain: A collection of Jesus' core ethical teachings on blessings, the law, and righteous living. (Matthew 5-7, Luke 6)
Unique Insights
Luke's Unique Narratives and Parables: Includes the story of Zacchaeus, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the mission of the seventy-two, and the Ascension.
Matthew's Unique Narratives and Parables: Includes the visit of the Magi, the flight to Egypt, and parables such as the Weeds Among the Wheat, the Ten Virgins, and the Talents.
John's Unique Signs and Discourses: Includes the Theological Prologue (The Word), turning water into wine, the "I AM" statements, the raising of Lazarus, the discourse with Nicodemus, the washing of the disciples' feet, and the High Priestly Prayer.