Jesus Is Alive

(Matthew 28.1-10; Mark 16.1-8; John 20.1-10)

24 Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared. ² When they found the stone rolled away from the entrance, ³ they went in. But they did not find the body of the Lord^[a] Jesus, ⁴ and they did not know what to think.

Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. ⁵ The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? ^6 (A) Jesus isn't here! He has been raised from death. Remember that while he was still in Galilee, he told you, ⁷ ‘The Son of Man will be handed over to sinners who will nail him to a cross. But three days later he will rise to life.’ ” ⁸ Then they remembered what Jesus had said.

^9-10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some other women were the ones who had gone to the tomb. When they returned, they told the eleven apostles and the others what had happened. ¹¹ The apostles thought it was all nonsense, and they would not believe.

¹² But Peter ran to the tomb. And when he stooped down and looked in, he saw only the burial clothes. Then he returned, wondering what had happened.^[b]

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

(Mark 16.12,13)

¹³ That same day two of Jesus' disciples were going to the village of Emmaus, which was about eleven kilometers from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ As they were talking and thinking about what had happened, ¹⁵ Jesus came near and started walking along beside them. ¹⁶ But they did not know who he was.

¹⁷ Jesus asked them, “What were you talking about as you walked along?”

The two of them stood there looking sad and gloomy. ¹⁸ Then the one named Cleopas asked Jesus, “Are you the only person from Jerusalem who didn't know what was happening there these last few days?”

¹⁹ “What do you mean?” Jesus asked.

They answered:

Those things that happened to Jesus from Nazareth. By what he did and said he showed that he was a powerful prophet, who pleased God and all the people. ²⁰ Then the chief priests and our leaders had him arrested and sentenced to die on a cross. ²¹ We had hoped that he would be the one to set Israel free! But it has already been three days since all this happened.

²² Some women in our group surprised us. They had gone to the tomb early in the morning, ²³ but did not find the body of Jesus. They came back, saying they had seen a vision of angels who told them that he is alive. ²⁴ Some men from our group went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said. But they didn't see Jesus either.

²⁵ Then Jesus asked the two disciples, “Why can't you understand? How can you be so slow to believe all that the prophets said? ²⁶ Didn't you know that the Messiah would have to suffer before he was given his glory?” ²⁷ Jesus then explained everything written about himself in the Scriptures, beginning with the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets.^[c]

²⁸ When the two of them came near the village where they were going, Jesus seemed to be going farther. ²⁹ They begged him, “Stay with us! It's already late, and the sun is going down.” So Jesus went into the house to stay with them.

³⁰ After Jesus sat down to eat, he took some bread. He blessed it and broke it. Then he gave it to them. ³¹ At once they knew who he was, but he disappeared. ³² They said to each other, “When he talked with us along the road and explained the Scriptures to us, didn't it warm our hearts?” ³³ So they got up and returned to Jerusalem.

The two disciples found the eleven apostles and the others gathered together. ³⁴ And they learned from the group that the Lord was really alive and had appeared to Peter. ³⁵ Then the disciples from Emmaus told what happened on the road and how they knew he was the Lord when he broke the bread.

What Jesus' Followers Must Do

(Matthew 28.16-20; Mark 16.14-18; John 20.19-23; Acts 1.6-8)

³⁶ While Jesus' disciples were talking about what had happened, Jesus appeared and greeted them. ³⁷ They were frightened and terrified because they thought they were seeing a ghost.

³⁸ But Jesus said, “Why are you so frightened? Why do you doubt? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet and see who I am! Touch me and find out for yourselves. Ghosts don't have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

⁴⁰ After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹ The disciples were so glad and amazed that they could not believe it. Jesus then asked them, “Do you have something to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish. ⁴³ He took it and ate it as they watched.

⁴⁴ Jesus said to them, “While I was still with you, I told you that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Books of the Prophets, and in the Psalms^[d] had to happen.”

⁴⁵ Then he helped them understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He told them:

The Scriptures say that the Messiah must suffer, then three days later he will rise from death. ⁴⁷ They also say that all people of every nation must be told in my name to turn to God, in order to be forgiven. So beginning in Jerusalem, ⁴⁸ you must tell everything that has happened. ^49 (B) I will send you the one my Father has promised,^[e] but you must stay in the city until you are given power from heaven.

Jesus Returns to Heaven

(Mark 16.19,20; Acts 1.9-11)

^50 (C) Jesus led his disciples out to Bethany, where he raised his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ As he was doing this, he left and was taken up to heaven.^{[f] 52} After his disciples had worshiped him,^[g] they returned to Jerusalem and were very happy. ⁵³ They spent their time in the temple, praising God.

Turn Back to God

13 About this same time Jesus was told that Pilate had given orders for some people from Galilee to be killed while they were offering sacrifices. ² Jesus replied:

Do you think that these people were worse sinners than everyone else in Galilee just because of what happened to them? ³ Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will also be killed. ⁴ What about those 18 people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were worse than everyone else in Jerusalem? ⁵ Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don't turn back to God, every one of you will also die.

A Story about a Fig Tree

⁶ Jesus then told them this story:

A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. One day he went out to pick some figs, but he didn't find any. ⁷ So he said to the gardener, “For three years I have come looking for figs on this tree, and I haven't found any yet. Chop it down! Why should it take up space?”

⁸ The gardener answered, “Master, leave it for another year. I'll dig around it and put some manure on it to make it grow. ⁹ Maybe it will have figs on it next year. If it doesn't, you can have it cut down.”

Healing a Woman on the Sabbath

¹⁰ One Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, ¹¹ and a woman was there who had been crippled by an evil spirit for 18 years. She was completely bent over and could not straighten up. ¹² When Jesus saw the woman, he called her over and said, “You are now well.” ¹³ He placed his hands on her, and at once she stood up straight and praised God.

^14 (A) The man in charge of the synagogue was angry because Jesus had healed someone on the Sabbath. So he said to the people, “Each week has six days when we can work. Come and be healed on one of those days, but not on the Sabbath.”

¹⁵ The Lord replied, “Are you trying to fool someone? Won't any one of you untie your ox or donkey and lead it out to drink on a Sabbath? ¹⁶ This woman belongs to the family of Abraham, but Satan has kept her bound for 18 years. Isn't it right to set her free on the Sabbath?” ¹⁷ Jesus' words made his enemies ashamed. But everyone else in the crowd was happy about the wonderful things he was doing.

A Mustard Seed and Yeast

(Matthew 13.31-33; Mark 4.30-32)

¹⁸ Jesus said, “What is God's kingdom like? What can I compare it with? ¹⁹ It is like what happens when someone plants a mustard seed in a garden. The seed grows as big as a tree, and birds nest in its branches.”

²⁰ Then Jesus said, “What can I compare God's kingdom with? ²¹ It is like what happens when a woman mixes yeast into three batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises.”

The Narrow Door

(Matthew 7.13,14,21-23)

²² As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he taught the people in the towns and villages. ²³ Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

Jesus answered:

²⁴ Do all you can to go in by the narrow door! A lot of people will try to get in, but will not be able to. ²⁵ Once the owner of the house gets up and locks the door, you will be left standing outside. You will knock on the door and say, “Sir, open the door for us!”

But the owner will answer, “I don't know a thing about you!”

²⁶ Then you will start saying, “We dined with you, and you taught in our streets.”

^27 (B) But he will say, “I really don't know who you are! Get away from me, you evil people!”

^28 (C)(D) Then when you have been thrown outside, you will weep and grit your teeth because you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God's kingdom. ²⁹ People will come from all directions and sit down to feast in God's kingdom. ^30 (E) There the ones who are now least important will be the most important, and those who are now most important will be least important.

Jesus and Herod

³¹ At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “You had better get away from here, because Herod^[a] wants to kill you!”

³² Jesus said to them:

Go tell that fox, “I am going to force out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and three days later I'll be through.” ³³ But I am going on my way today and tomorrow and the next day. After all, Jerusalem is the place where prophets are killed.

Jesus Loves Jerusalem

(Matthew 23.37-39)

^34 (F) Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and have stoned the messengers who were sent to you. I have often wanted to gather your people, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you wouldn't let me. ^35 (G) Now your temple will be deserted. You won't see me again until the time when you say,

Jesus Heals a Sick Man

14 One Sabbath, Jesus was having dinner in the home of an important Pharisee, and everyone was carefully watching Jesus. ² All of a sudden a man with swollen legs stood up in front of him. ³ Jesus turned and asked the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses, “Is it right to heal on the Sabbath?” ⁴ But they did not say a word.

Jesus took hold of the man. Then he healed him and sent him away. ^5 (H) Afterwards, Jesus asked the people, “If your son or ox falls into a well, wouldn't you pull him out at once, even on the Sabbath?” ⁶ There was nothing they could say.

How To Be a Guest

⁷ Jesus saw how the guests had tried to take the best seats. So he told them:

^8 (I) When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the best place. Someone more important may have been invited. ⁹ Then the one who invited you will come and say, “Give your place to this other guest!” You will be embarrassed and will have to sit in the worst place.

¹⁰ When you are invited to be a guest, go and sit in the worst place. Then the one who invited you may come and say, “My friend, take a better seat!” You will then be honored in front of all the other guests. ^11 (J) If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.

¹² Then Jesus said to the man who had invited him:

When you give a dinner or a banquet, don't invite your friends and family and relatives and rich neighbors. If you do, they will invite you in return, and you will be paid back. ¹³ When you give a feast, invite the poor, the paralyzed, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴ They cannot pay you back. But God will bless you and reward you when his people rise from death.

The Great Banquet

(Matthew 22.1-10)

¹⁵ After Jesus had finished speaking, one of the guests said, “The greatest blessing of all is to be at the banquet in God's kingdom!”

¹⁶ Jesus told him:

A man once gave a great banquet and invited a lot of guests. ¹⁷ When the banquet was ready, he sent a servant to tell the guests, “Everything is ready! Please come.”

¹⁸ One guest after another started making excuses. The first one said, “I bought some land, and I've got to look it over. Please excuse me.”

¹⁹ Another guest said, “I bought five teams of oxen, and I need to try them out. Please excuse me.”

²⁰ Still another guest said, “I've just now married, and I can't be there.”

²¹ The servant told his master what happened, and the master became so angry he said, “Go as fast as you can to every street and alley in town! Bring in everyone who is poor or paralyzed or blind or lame.”

²² When the servant returned, he said, “Master, I've done what you told me, and there is still plenty of room for more people.”

²³ His master then told him, “Go out along the back roads and make people come in, so my house will be full. ²⁴ Not one of the guests I first invited will get even a bite of my food!”

Being a Disciple

(Matthew 10.37,38)

²⁵ Large crowds were walking along with Jesus, when he turned and said:

^26 (K) You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot follow me unless you love me more than you love your own life.

^27 (L) You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and follow me.

²⁸ Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won't you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it? ²⁹ Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you. ³⁰ They will say, “You started building, but could not finish the job.”

³¹ What will a king do if he has only 10,000 soldiers to defend himself against a king who is about to attack him with 20,000 soldiers? Before he goes out to battle, won't he first sit down and decide if he can win? ³² If he thinks he won't be able to defend himself, he will send messengers and ask for peace while the other king is still a long way off. ³³ So then, you cannot be my disciple unless you give away everything you own.

Salt and Light

(Matthew 5.13; Mark 9.50)

³⁴ Salt is good, but if it no longer tastes like salt, how can it be made to taste salty again? ³⁵ It is no longer good for the soil or even for the manure pile. People simply throw it out. If you have ears, pay attention!

One Sheep

(Matthew 18.12-14)

15 ^(M) Tax collectors^[b] and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. ² So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, “This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this story:

⁴ If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? ⁵ And when you find it, you will be so glad that you will put it on your shoulder ⁶ and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, “Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.”

⁷ Jesus said, “In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over 99 good people who don't need to.”

One Coin

⁸ Jesus told the people another story:

What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them? Won't she light a lamp, sweep the floor, and look carefully until she finds it? ⁹ Then she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, “Let's celebrate! I've found the coin I lost.”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “In the same way God's angels are happy when even one person turns to him.”

Two Sons

¹¹ Jesus told them yet another story:

Once a man had two sons. ¹² The younger son said to his father, “Give me my share of the property.” So the father divided his property between his two sons.

¹³ Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a foreign country, where he wasted all his money in wild living. ¹⁴ He had spent everything, when a bad famine spread through that whole land. Soon he had nothing to eat.

¹⁵ He went to work for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take care of his pigs.^{[c] 16} He would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating,^[d] but no one gave him a thing.

¹⁷ Finally, he came to his senses and said, “My father's workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death! ¹⁸ I will go to my father and say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.’ ”

²⁰ The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him.

²¹ The son said, “Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son.”

²² But his father said to the servants, “Hurry and bring the best clothes and put them on him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals^[e] for his feet. ²³ Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate. ²⁴ This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found.” And they began to celebrate.

²⁵ The older son had been out in the field. But when he came near the house, he heard the music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants over and asked, “What's going on here?”

²⁷ The servant answered, “Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father ordered us to kill the best calf.” ²⁸ The older brother got so angry that he would not even go into the house.

His father came out and begged him to go in. ²⁹ But he said to his father, “For years I have worked for you like a slave and have always obeyed you. But you have never even given me a little goat, so that I could give a dinner for my friends. ³⁰ This other son of yours wasted your money on prostitutes. And now that he has come home, you ordered the best calf to be killed for a feast.”

³¹ His father replied, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we should be glad and celebrate! Your brother was dead, but he is now alive. He was lost and has now been found.”

A Dishonest Manager

16 Jesus said to his disciples:

A rich man once had a manager to take care of his business. But he was told that his manager was wasting money. ² So the rich man called him in and said, “What is this I hear about you? Tell me what you have done! You are no longer going to work for me.”

³ The manager said to himself, “What shall I do now that my master is going to fire me? I can't dig ditches, and I'm ashamed to beg. ⁴ I know what I'll do, so that people will welcome me into their homes after I've lost my job.”

⁵ Then one by one he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, “How much do you owe my master?”

⁶ “A hundred barrels of olive oil,” the man answered.

So the manager said, “Take your bill and sit down and quickly write ‘50.’ ”

⁷ The manager asked someone else who was in debt to his master, “How much do you owe?”

“A thousand sacks^[f] of wheat,” the man replied.

The manager said, “Take your bill and write ‘800.’ ”

⁸ The master praised his dishonest manager for looking out for himself so well. That's how it is! The people of this world look out for themselves better than the people who belong to the light.

^9 (N) My disciples, I tell you to use wicked wealth to make friends for yourselves. Then when it is gone, you will be welcomed into an eternal home. ¹⁰ Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters. ¹¹ If you cannot be trusted with this wicked wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? ¹² And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? ^13 (O) You cannot be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Some Sayings of Jesus

(Matthew 11.12,13; 5.31,32; Mark 10.11,12)

¹⁴ The Pharisees really loved money. So when they heard what Jesus said, they made fun of him. ¹⁵ But Jesus told them:

You are always making yourselves look good, but God sees what is in your heart. The things that most people think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned.

^16 (P) Until the time of John the Baptist, people had to obey the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets.^[g] But since God's kingdom has been preached, everyone is trying hard to get in. ^17 (Q) Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter of the Law does.

^18 (R) It is a terrible sin^[h] for a man to divorce his wife and marry another woman. It is also a terrible sin for a man to marry a divorced woman.

Lazarus and the Rich Man

¹⁹ There was once a rich man who wore expensive clothes and every day ate the best food. ²⁰ But a poor beggar named Lazarus was brought to the gate of the rich man's house. ²¹ He was happy just to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. His body was covered with sores, and dogs kept coming up to lick them. ^22 (S) The poor man died, and angels took him to the place of honor next to Abraham.^[i]

The rich man also died and was buried. ^23 (T) He went to hell^[j] and was suffering terribly. When he looked up and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side, ²⁴ he said to Abraham, “Have pity on me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and touch my tongue. I'm suffering terribly in this fire.”

²⁵ Abraham answered, “My friend, remember that while you lived, you had everything good, and Lazarus had everything bad. Now he is happy, and you are in pain. ²⁶ And besides, there is a deep ditch between us, and no one from either side can cross over.”

²⁷ But the rich man said, “Abraham, then please send Lazarus to my father's home. ²⁸ Let him warn my five brothers, so they won't come to this horrible place.”

²⁹ Abraham answered, “Your brothers can read what Moses and the prophets^[k] wrote. They should pay attention to that.”

³⁰ Then the rich man said, “No, that's not enough! If only someone from the dead would go to them, they would listen and turn to God.”

³¹ So Abraham said, “If they won't pay attention to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even to someone who comes back from the dead.”

Faith and Service

(Matthew 18.6,7,21,22; Mark 9.42)

17 Jesus said to his disciples:

There will always be something that causes people to sin. But anyone who causes them to sin is in for trouble. A person who causes even one of my little followers to sin ² would be better off thrown into the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their neck. ^3 (U) So be careful what you do.

Correct any followers^[l] of mine who sin, and forgive the ones who say they are sorry. ⁴ Even if one of them mistreats you seven times in one day and says, “I am sorry,” you should still forgive that person.

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Make our faith stronger!”

⁶ Jesus replied:

If you had faith no bigger than a tiny mustard seed, you could tell this mulberry tree to pull itself up, roots and all, and to plant itself in the ocean. And it would!

⁷ If your servant comes in from plowing or from taking care of the sheep, would you say, “Welcome! Come on in and have something to eat”? ⁸ No, you wouldn't say that. You would say, “Prepare me something to eat. Get ready to serve me, so I can have my meal. Then later on you can eat and drink.” ⁹ Servants don't deserve special thanks for doing what they are supposed to do. ¹⁰ And that's how it should be with you. When you've done all you should, then say, “We are merely servants, and we have simply done our duty.”

Ten Men with Leprosy

¹¹ On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy^[m] came toward him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and shouted, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

^14 (V) Jesus looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”^[n]

On their way they were healed. ¹⁵ When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God. ¹⁶ He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria.

¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Weren't ten men healed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?” ¹⁹ Then Jesus told the man, “You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well.”

God's Kingdom

(Matthew 24.23-28,37-41)

²⁰ Some Pharisees asked Jesus when God's kingdom would come. He answered, “God's kingdom isn't something you can see. ²¹ There is no use saying, ‘Look! Here it is’ or ‘Look! There it is.’ God's kingdom is here with you.”^[o]

²² Jesus said to his disciples:

The time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not. ²³ When people say to you, “Look there,” or “Look here,” don't go looking for him. ²⁴ The day of the Son of Man will be like lightning flashing across the sky. ²⁵ But first he must suffer terribly and be rejected by the people of today. ^26 (W) When the Son of Man comes, things will be just as they were when Noah lived. ^27 (X) People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day when Noah went into the big boat. Then the flood came and drowned everyone on earth.

^28 (Y) When Lot^[p] lived, people were also eating and drinking. They were buying, selling, planting, and building. ²⁹ But on the very day Lot left Sodom, fiery flames poured down from the sky and killed everyone. ³⁰ The same will happen on the day when the Son of Man appears.

^31 (Z) At that time no one on a rooftop^[q] should go down into the house to get anything. No one in a field should go back to the house for anything. ^32 (AA) Remember what happened to Lot's wife.^[r]

^33 (AB) People who try to save their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives will save them. ³⁴ On that night two people will be sleeping in the same bed, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. ^35-36 Two women will be together grinding wheat, but only one will be taken. The other will be left.^[s]

³⁷ Then Jesus' disciples spoke up, “But where will this happen, Lord?”

Jesus said, “Where there is a corpse, there will always be vultures.”^[t]

A Widow and a Judge

18 Jesus told his disciples a story about how they should keep on praying and never give up:

² In a town there was once a judge who didn't fear God or care about people. ³ In that same town there was a widow who kept going to the judge and saying, “Make sure that I get fair treatment in court.”

⁴ For a while the judge refused to do anything. Finally, he said to himself, “Even though I don't fear God or care about people, ⁵ I will help this widow because she keeps on bothering me. If I don't help her, she will wear me out.”

⁶ The Lord said:

Think about what that crooked judge said. ^7 (AC) Won't God protect his chosen ones who pray to him day and night? Won't he be concerned for them? ⁸ He will surely hurry and help them. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find on this earth anyone with faith?

A Pharisee and a Tax Collector

⁹ Jesus told a story to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on everyone else:

¹⁰ Two men went into the temple to pray.^[u] One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.^{[v] 11} The Pharisee stood over by himself and prayed,^[w] “God, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage like other people. And I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there. ¹² I go without eating^[x] for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn.”

^13 (AD) The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, “God, have pity on me! I am such a sinner.”

^14 (AE) Then Jesus said, “When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

(Matthew 19.13-15; Mark 10.13-16)

¹⁵ Some people brought their little children for Jesus to bless. But when his disciples saw them doing this, they told the people to stop bothering him. ¹⁶ So Jesus called the children over to him and said, “Let the children come to me! Don't try to stop them. People who are like these children belong to God's kingdom.^{[y] 17} You will never get into God's kingdom unless you enter it like a child!”

A Rich and Important Man

(Matthew 19.16-30; Mark 10.17-31)

¹⁸ An important man asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?”

¹⁹ Jesus said, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good. ^20 (AF) You know the commandments: ‘Be faithful in marriage. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not tell lies about others. Respect your father and mother.’ ”

²¹ He told Jesus, “I have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man.”

²² When Jesus heard this, he said, “There is one thing you still need to do. Go and sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower.” ²³ When the man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich.

²⁴ Jesus saw how sad the man was. So he said, “It's terribly hard for rich people to get into God's kingdom! ²⁵ In fact, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God's kingdom.”

²⁶ When the crowd heard this, they asked, “How can anyone ever be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus replied, “There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything.”

²⁸ Peter said, “Remember, we left everything to be your followers!”

²⁹ Jesus answered, “You can be sure that anyone who gives up home or wife or brothers or family or children because of God's kingdom ³⁰ will be given much more in this life. And in the future world they will have eternal life.”

Jesus Again Tells about His Death

(Matthew 20.17-19; Mark 10.32-34)

³¹ Jesus took the twelve apostles aside and said:

We are now on our way to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will happen there. ³² He will be handed over to foreigners,^[z] who will make fun of him, mistreat him, and spit on him. ³³ They will beat him and kill him, but three days later he will rise to life.

³⁴ The apostles did not understand what Jesus was talking about. They could not understand, because the meaning of what he said was hidden from them.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

(Matthew 20.29-34; Mark 10.46-52)

³⁵ When Jesus was coming close to Jericho, a blind man sat begging beside the road. ³⁶ The man heard the crowd walking by and asked what was happening. ³⁷ Some people told him that Jesus from Nazareth was passing by. ³⁸ So the blind man shouted, “Jesus, Son of David,^[aa] have pity on me!” ³⁹ The people who were going along with Jesus told the man to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”

⁴⁰ Jesus stopped and told some people to bring the blind man over to him. When the blind man was getting near, Jesus asked, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see!” he answered.

⁴² Jesus replied, “Look and you will see! Your eyes are healed because of your faith.” ⁴³ At once the man could see, and he went with Jesus and started thanking God. When the crowds saw what happened, they praised God.

Zacchaeus

19 Jesus was going through Jericho, ² where a man named Zacchaeus lived. He was in charge of collecting taxes^[ab] and was very rich. ^3-4 Jesus was heading his way, and Zacchaeus wanted to see what he was like. But Zacchaeus was a short man and could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree.

⁵ When Jesus got there, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down! I want to stay with you today.” ⁶ Zacchaeus hurried down and gladly welcomed Jesus.

⁷ Everyone who saw this started grumbling, “This man Zacchaeus is a sinner! And Jesus is going home to eat with him.”

⁸ Later that day Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much^[ac] to everyone I have ever cheated.”

⁹ Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today you and your family have been saved,^[ad] because you are a true son of Abraham.^{[ae] 10 (AG)} The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.”

A Story about Ten Servants

(Matthew 25.14-30)

^11 (AH) The crowd was still listening to Jesus as he was getting close to Jerusalem. Many of them thought that God's kingdom would soon appear, ¹² and Jesus told them this story:

A prince once went to a foreign country to be crowned king and then to return. ¹³ But before leaving, he called in ten servants and gave each of them some money. He told them, “Use this to earn more money until I get back.”

¹⁴ But the people of his country hated him, and they sent messengers to the foreign country to say, “We don't want this man to be our king.”

¹⁵ After the prince had been made king, he returned and called in his servants. He asked them how much they had earned with the money they had been given.

¹⁶ The first servant came and said, “Sir, with the money you gave me I have earned ten times as much.”

¹⁷ “That's fine, my good servant!” the king said. “Since you have shown that you can be trusted with a small amount, you will be given ten cities to rule.”

¹⁸ The second one came and said, “Sir, with the money you gave me, I have earned five times as much.”

¹⁹ The king said, “You will be given five cities.”

²⁰ Another servant came and said, “Sir, here is your money. I kept it safe in a handkerchief. ²¹ You are a hard man, and I was afraid of you. You take what isn't yours, and you harvest crops you didn't plant.”

²² “You worthless servant!” the king told him. “You have condemned yourself by what you have just said. You knew I am a hard man, taking what isn't mine and harvesting what I've not planted. ²³ Why didn't you put my money in the bank? On my return, I could have had the money together with interest.”

²⁴ Then he said to some other servants standing there, “Take the money away from him and give it to the servant who earned ten times as much.”

²⁵ But they said, “Sir, he already has ten times as much!”

^26 (AI) The king replied, “Those who have something will be given more. But everything will be taken away from those who don't have anything. ²⁷ Now bring me the enemies who didn't want me to be their king. Kill them while I watch!”

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

(Matthew 21.1-11; Mark 11.1-11; John 12.12-19)

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying all this, he went on toward Jerusalem. ²⁹ As he was getting near Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples on ahead. ³⁰ He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks why you are doing this, just say, ‘The Lord^[af] needs it.’ ”

³² They went off and found everything just as Jesus had said. ³³ While they were untying the donkey, its owners asked, “Why are you doing that?”

³⁴ They answered, “The Lord^[ag] needs it.”

³⁵ Then they led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back and helped Jesus get on. ³⁶ And as he rode along, the people spread clothes on the road^[ah] in front of him. ³⁷ When Jesus started down the Mount of Olives, his large crowd of disciples were happy and praised God because of all the miracles they had seen. ^38 (AJ) They shouted,

³⁹ Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, make your disciples stop shouting!”

⁴⁰ But Jesus answered, “If they keep quiet, these stones will start shouting.”

⁴¹ When Jesus came closer and could see Jerusalem, he cried ⁴² and said:

It is too bad that today your people don't know what will bring them peace! Now it is hidden from them. ⁴³ Jerusalem, the time will come when your enemies will build walls around you to attack you. Armies will surround you and close in on you from every side. ⁴⁴ They will level you to the ground and kill your people. Not one stone in your buildings will be left on top of another. This will happen because you did not see that God had come to save you.^[ai]

Jesus in the Temple

(Matthew 21.12-17; Mark 11.15-19; John 2.13-22)

⁴⁵ When Jesus entered the temple, he started chasing out the people who were selling things. ^46 (AK) He told them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house should be a place of worship.’ But you have made it a place where robbers hide!”

^47 (AL) Each day, Jesus kept on teaching in the temple. So the chief priests, the teachers of the Law of Moses, and some other important people tried to have him killed. ⁴⁸ But they could not find a way to do it, because everyone else was eager to listen to him.

A Question about Jesus' Authority

(Matthew 21.23-27; Mark 11.27-33)

20 One day, Jesus was teaching in the temple and telling the good news. So the chief priests, the teachers, and the nation's leaders ² asked him, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”

³ Jesus replied, “I want to ask you a question. ⁴ Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?”

⁵ They talked this over and said to each other, “We can't say God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe John. ⁶ And we can't say it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize. The crowd will stone us to death, because they think John was a prophet.”

⁷ So they told Jesus, “We don't know who gave John the right to baptize.”

⁸ Jesus replied, “Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do.”

Renters of a Vineyard

(Matthew 21.33-46; Mark 12.1-12)

^9 (AM) Jesus told the people this story:

A man once planted a vineyard and rented it out. Then he left the country for a long time. ¹⁰ When it was time to harvest the crop, he sent a servant to ask the renters for his share of the grapes. But they beat up the servant and sent him away without anything. ¹¹ So the owner sent another servant. The renters also beat him up. They insulted him terribly and sent him away without a thing. ¹² The owner sent a third servant. He was also beaten terribly and thrown out of the vineyard.

¹³ The owner then said to himself, “What am I going to do? I know what. I'll send my son, the one I love so much. They will surely respect him!”

¹⁴ When the renters saw the owner's son, they said to one another, “Someday he will own the vineyard. Let's kill him! Then we can have it all for ourselves.” ¹⁵ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Jesus asked, “What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? ¹⁶ I'll tell you what. He will come and kill those renters and let someone else have his vineyard.”

When the people heard this, they said, “This must never happen!”

^17 (AN) But Jesus looked straight at them and said, “Then what do the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘The stone the builders tossed aside is now the most important stone of all’? ¹⁸ Anyone who stumbles over this stone will get hurt, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces.”

¹⁹ The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses knew that Jesus was talking about them when he was telling this story. They wanted to arrest him right then, but they were afraid of the people.

Paying Taxes

(Matthew 22.15-22; Mark 12.13-17)

²⁰ Jesus' enemies kept watching him closely, because they wanted to hand him over to the Roman governor. So they sent some men who pretended to be good. But they were really spies trying to catch Jesus saying something wrong. ²¹ The spies said to him, “Teacher, we know you teach the truth about what God wants people to do. And you treat everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are. ²² Tell us, should we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?”

²³ Jesus knew they were trying to trick him. So he told them, ²⁴ “Show me a coin.” Then he asked, “Whose picture and name are on it?”

“The Emperor's,” they answered.

²⁵ Then he told them, “Give the Emperor what belongs to him and give God what belongs to God.” ²⁶ Jesus' enemies could not catch him saying anything wrong there in front of the people. They were amazed at his answer and kept quiet.

Life in the Future World

(Matthew 22.23-33; Mark 12.18-27)

^27 (AO) The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. So some of them came to Jesus ^28 (AP) and said:

Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother.

²⁹ There were once seven brothers. The first one married, but died without having any children. ³⁰ The second one married his brother's widow, and he also died without having any children. ³¹ The same thing happened to the third one. Finally, all seven brothers married this woman and died without having any children. ³² At last the woman died. ³³ When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be? All seven brothers had married her.

³⁴ Jesus answered:

The people in this world get married. ³⁵ But in the future world no one who is worthy to rise from death will either marry ³⁶ or die. They will be like the angels and will be God's children, because they have been raised to life.

^37 (AQ) In the story about the burning bush, Moses clearly shows that people will live again. He said, “The Lord is the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”^{[aj] 38} So the Lord isn't the God of the dead, but of the living. This means that everyone is alive as far as God is concerned.

³⁹ Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses said, “Teacher, you have given a good answer!” ⁴⁰ From then on, no one dared to ask Jesus any questions.

About David's Son

(Matthew 22.41-46; Mark 12.35-37)

⁴¹ Jesus asked, “Why do people say that the Messiah will be the son of King David?^{[ak] 42 (AR)} In the book of Psalms, David himself says,

⁴⁴ David spoke of the Messiah as his Lord, so how can the Messiah be his son?”

Jesus and the Teachers of the Law of Moses

(Matthew 23.1-36; Mark 12.38-40; Luke 11.37-54)

⁴⁵ While everyone was listening to Jesus, he said to his disciples:

⁴⁶ Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes, and they like to be greeted in the market. They want the front seats in the synagogues and the best seats at banquets. ⁴⁷ But they cheat widows out of their homes and then pray long prayers just to show off. These teachers will be punished most of all.

A Widow's Offering

(Mark 12.41-44)

21 Jesus looked up and saw some rich people tossing their gifts into the offering box. ² He also saw a poor widow putting in a few cents. ³ And he said, “I tell you that this poor woman has put in more than all the others. ⁴ Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had.”

The Temple Will Be Destroyed

(Matthew 24.1,2; Mark 13.1,2)

⁵ Some people were talking about the beautiful stones used to build the temple and about the gifts that had been placed in it. Jesus said, ⁶ “Do you see these stones? The time is coming when not one of them will be left in place. They will all be knocked down.”

Warning about Trouble

(Matthew 24.3-14; Mark 13.3-13)

^7 (AS) Some people asked, “Teacher, when will all this happen? How can we know when these things are about to take place?”

⁸ Jesus replied:

Don't be fooled by those who will come and claim to be me. They will say, “I am Christ!” and “Now is the time!” But don't follow them. ⁹ When you hear about wars and riots, don't be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but this isn't the end.

¹⁰ Nations will go to war against one another, and kingdoms will attack each other. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, and in many places people will starve to death and suffer terrible diseases. All sorts of frightening things will be seen in the sky.

¹² Before all this happens, you will be arrested and punished. You will be tried in your synagogues and put in jail. Because of me you will be placed on trial before kings and governors. ¹³ But this will be your chance to tell about your faith.

^14 (AT) Don't worry about what you will say to defend yourselves. ¹⁵ I will give you the wisdom to know what to say. None of your enemies will be able to oppose you or to say that you are wrong. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed by your own parents, brothers, family, and friends. Some of you will even be killed. ¹⁷ Because of me, you will be hated by everyone. ¹⁸ But don't worry!^{[am] 19} You will be saved by being faithful to me.

Jerusalem Will Be Destroyed

(Matthew 24.15-21; Mark 13.14-19)

²⁰ When you see Jerusalem surrounded by soldiers, you will know that it will soon be destroyed. ²¹ If you are living in Judea at this time, run to the mountains. If you are in the city, leave it. And if you are out in the country, don't go back into the city. ^22 (AU) This time of punishment is what is written about in the Scriptures. ²³ It will be an awful time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children! Everywhere in the land people will suffer horribly and be punished. ²⁴ Some of them will be killed by swords. Others will be carried off to foreign countries. Jerusalem will be overrun by foreign nations until their time comes to an end.

When the Son of Man Appears

(Matthew 24.29-31; Mark 13.24-27)

^25 (AV) Strange things will happen to the sun, moon, and stars. The nations on earth will be afraid of the roaring sea and tides, and they won't know what to do. ²⁶ People will be so frightened that they will faint because of what is happening to the world. Every power in the sky will be shaken.^{[an] 27 (AW)} Then the Son of Man will be seen, coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ When all of this starts happening, stand up straight and be brave. You will soon be set free.

A Lesson from a Fig Tree

(Matthew 24.32-35; Mark 13.28-31)

²⁹ Then Jesus told them a story:

When you see a fig tree or any other tree ³⁰ putting out leaves, you know that summer will soon come. ³¹ So, when you see these things happening, you know that God's kingdom will soon be here. ³² You can be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all of this takes place. ³³ The sky and the earth won't last forever, but my words will.

A Warning

³⁴ Don't spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you ³⁵ like a trap. This day will surprise everyone on earth. ³⁶ Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you.

^37 (AX) Jesus taught in the temple each day, and he spent each night on the Mount of Olives. ³⁸ Everyone got up early and came to the temple to hear him teach.

A Plot To Kill Jesus

(Matthew 26.1-5,14,16; Mark 14.1,2,10,11; John 11.45-53)

22 ^(AY) The Festival of Thin Bread, also called Passover, was near. ² The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus, because they were afraid of what the people might do. ³ Then Satan entered the heart of Judas Iscariot,^[ao] who was one of the twelve apostles.

⁴ Judas went to talk with the chief priests and the officers of the temple police about how he could help them arrest Jesus. ⁵ They were very pleased and offered to pay Judas some money. ⁶ He agreed and started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus when the crowds were not around.

Jesus Eats with His Disciples

(Matthew 26.17-25; Mark 14.12-21; John 13.21-30)

⁷ The day had come for the Festival of Thin Bread, and it was time to kill the Passover lambs. ⁸ So Jesus said to Peter and John, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us to eat.”

⁹ But they asked, “Where do you want us to prepare it?”

¹⁰ Jesus told them, “As you go into the city, you will meet a man carrying a jar of water.^[ap] Follow him into the house ¹¹ and say to the owner, ‘Our teacher wants to know where he can eat the Passover meal with his disciples.’ ¹² The owner will take you upstairs and show you a large room ready for you to use. Prepare the meal there.”

¹³ Peter and John left. They found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

The Lord's Supper

(Matthew 26.26-30; Mark 14.22-26; 1 Corinthians 11.23-25)

¹⁴ When the time came for Jesus and the apostles to eat, ¹⁵ he said to them, “I have very much wanted to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ I tell you I will not eat another Passover meal until it is finally eaten in God's kingdom.”

¹⁷ Jesus took a cup of wine in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he told the apostles, “Take this wine and share it with each other. ¹⁸ I tell you that I will not drink any more wine until God's kingdom comes.”

¹⁹ Jesus took some bread in his hands and gave thanks for it. He broke the bread and handed it to his apostles. Then he said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this as a way of remembering me!”

^20 (AZ) After the meal he took another cup of wine in his hands. Then he said, “This is my blood. It is poured out for you, and with it God makes his new agreement. ^21 (BA) The one who will betray me is here at the table with me! ²² The Son of Man will die in the way that has been decided for him, but it will be terrible for the one who betrays him!”

²³ Then the apostles started arguing about who would ever do such a thing.

An Argument about Greatness

^24 (BB) The apostles got into an argument about which one of them was the greatest. ^25 (BC) So Jesus told them:

Foreign kings order their people around, and powerful rulers call themselves everyone's friends.^{[aq] 26 (BD)} But don't be like them. The most important one of you should be like the least important, and your leader should be like a servant. ^27 (BE) Who do people think is the greatest, a person who is served or one who serves? Isn't it the one who is served? But I have been with you as a servant.

²⁸ You have stayed with me in all my troubles. ²⁹ So I will give you the right to rule as kings, just as my Father has given me the right to rule as a king. ^30 (BF) You will eat and drink with me in my kingdom, and you will each sit on a throne to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus' Disciples Will Be Tested

(Matthew 26.31-35; Mark 14.27-31; John 13.36-38)

³¹ Jesus said, “Simon, listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does when he separates wheat from the husks.^{[ar] 32} But Simon, I have prayed that your faith will be strong. And when you have come back to me, help the others.”

³³ Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to jail and even to die with you.”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “Peter, I tell you that before a rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will say three times that you don't know me.”

Moneybags, Traveling Bags, and Swords

^35 (BG) Jesus asked his disciples, “When I sent you out without a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals, did you need anything?”

“No!” they answered.

³⁶ Jesus told them, “But now, if you have a moneybag, take it with you. Also take a traveling bag, and if you don't have a sword,^[as] sell some of your clothes and buy one. ^37 (BH) Do this because the Scriptures say, ‘He was considered a criminal.’ This was written about me, and it will soon come true.”

³⁸ The disciples said, “Lord, here are two swords!”

“Enough of that!” Jesus replied.

Jesus Prays

(Matthew 26.36-46; Mark 14.32-42)

³⁹ Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives, as he often did, and his disciples went with him. ⁴⁰ When they got there, he told them, “Pray that you won't be tested.”

⁴¹ Jesus walked on a little way before he knelt down and prayed, ⁴² “Father, if you will, please don't make me suffer by drinking from this cup.^[at] But do what you want, and not what I want.”

⁴³ Then an angel from heaven came to help him. ⁴⁴ Jesus was in great pain and prayed so sincerely that his sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood.^[au]

⁴⁵ Jesus got up from praying and went over to his disciples. They were asleep and worn out from being so sad. ⁴⁶ He said to them, “Why are you asleep? Wake up and pray that you won't be tested.”

Jesus Is Arrested

(Matthew 26.47-56; Mark 14.43-50; John 18.3-11)

⁴⁷ While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd came up. It was led by Judas, one of the twelve apostles. He went over to Jesus and greeted him with a kiss.^[av]

⁴⁸ Jesus asked Judas, “Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

⁴⁹ When Jesus' disciples saw what was about to happen, they asked, “Lord, should we attack them with a sword?” ⁵⁰ One of the disciples even struck at the high priest's servant with his sword and cut off the servant's right ear.

⁵¹ “Enough of that!” Jesus said. Then he touched the servant's ear and healed it.

⁵² Jesus spoke to the chief priests, the temple police, and the leaders who had come to arrest him. He said, “Why do you come out with swords and clubs and treat me like a criminal? ^53 (BI) I was with you every day in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. But this is your time, and darkness^[aw] is in control.”

Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus

(Matthew 26.57,58,67-75; Mark 14.53,54,66-72; John 18.12-18,25-27)

⁵⁴ Jesus was arrested and led away to the house of the high priest, while Peter followed at a distance. ⁵⁵ Some people built a fire in the middle of the courtyard and were sitting around it. Peter sat there with them, ⁵⁶ and a servant girl saw him. Then after she had looked at him carefully, she said, “This man was with Jesus!”

⁵⁷ Peter said, “Woman, I don't even know that man!”

⁵⁸ A little later someone else saw Peter and said, “You are one of them!”

“No, I'm not!” Peter replied.

⁵⁹ About an hour later another man insisted, “This man must have been with Jesus. They both come from Galilee.”

⁶⁰ Peter replied, “I don't know what you are talking about!” Right then, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

⁶¹ The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered that the Lord had said, “Before a rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will say three times that you don't know me.” ⁶² Then Peter went out and cried bitterly.

⁶³ The men who were guarding Jesus made fun of him and beat him. ⁶⁴ They put a blindfold on him and said, “Tell us who struck you!” ⁶⁵ They kept on insulting Jesus in many other ways.

Jesus Is Questioned by the Council

(Matthew 26.59-66; Mark 14.55-64; John 18.19-24)

⁶⁶ At daybreak the nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses got together and brought Jesus before their council. ⁶⁷ They said, “Tell us! Are you the Messiah?”

Jesus replied, “If I said so, you wouldn't believe me. ⁶⁸ And if I asked you a question, you wouldn't answer. ⁶⁹ But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right side of God All-Powerful.”

⁷⁰ Then they asked, “Are you the Son of God?”^[ax]

Jesus answered, “You say I am!”^[ay]

⁷¹ They replied, “Why do we need more witnesses? He said it himself!”

Pilate Questions Jesus

(Matthew 27.1,2,11-14; Mark 15.1-5; John 18.28-38)

23 Everyone in the council got up and led Jesus off to Pilate. ² They started accusing him and said, “We caught this man trying to get our people to riot and to stop paying taxes to the Emperor. He also claims that he is the Messiah, our king.”

³ Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Those are your words,” Jesus answered.

⁴ Pilate told the chief priests and the crowd, “I don't find him guilty of anything.”

⁵ But they all kept on saying, “He has been teaching and causing trouble all over Judea. He started in Galilee and has now come all the way here.”

Jesus Is Brought before Herod

⁶ When Pilate heard this, he asked, “Is this man from Galilee?” ⁷ After Pilate learned that Jesus came from the region ruled by Herod,^[az] he sent him to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at that time.

⁸ For a long time Herod had wanted to see Jesus and was very happy because he finally had this chance. He had heard many things about Jesus and hoped to see him work a miracle.

⁹ Herod asked him a lot of questions, but Jesus did not answer. ¹⁰ Then the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses stood up and accused him of all kinds of bad things.

¹¹ Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus and insulted him. They put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. ¹² That same day Herod and Pilate became friends, even though they had been enemies before this.

The Death Sentence

(Matthew 27.15-26; Mark 15.6-15; John 18.39—19.16)

¹³ Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people. ¹⁴ He told them, “You brought Jesus to me and said he was a troublemaker. But I have questioned him here in front of you, and I have not found him guilty of anything that you say he has done. ¹⁵ Herod didn't find him guilty either and sent him back. This man doesn't deserve to be put to death! ^16-17 I will just have him beaten with a whip and set free.”^[ba]

¹⁸ But the whole crowd shouted, “Kill Jesus! Give us Barabbas!” ¹⁹ Now Barabbas was in jail because he had started a riot in the city and had murdered someone.

²⁰ Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he spoke again to the crowds. ²¹ But they kept shouting, “Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!”

²² Pilate spoke to them a third time, “But what crime has he done? I have not found him guilty of anything for which he should be put to death. I will have him beaten with a whip and set free.”

²³ The people kept on shouting as loud as they could for Jesus to be put to death. ²⁴ Finally, Pilate gave in. ²⁵ He freed the man who was in jail for rioting and murder, because he was the one the crowd wanted to be set free. Then Pilate handed Jesus over for them to do what they wanted with him.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

(Matthew 27.31-44; Mark 15.21-32; John 19.17-27)

²⁶ As Jesus was being led away, some soldiers grabbed hold of a man named Simon who was from Cyrene. He was coming in from the fields, but they put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

²⁷ A large crowd was following Jesus, and in the crowd a lot of women were crying and weeping for him. ²⁸ Jesus turned to the women and said:

Women of Jerusalem, don't cry for me! Cry for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ Someday people will say, “Women who never had children are really fortunate!” ^30 (BJ) At that time everyone will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” They will say to the hills, “Hide us!” ³¹ If this can happen when the wood is green, what do you think will happen when it is dry?^[bb]

³² Two criminals were led out to be put to death with Jesus. ³³ When the soldiers came to the place called “The Skull,”^[bc] they nailed Jesus to a cross. They also nailed the two criminals to crosses, one on each side of Jesus.

^34-35 (BK) Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people! They don't know what they're doing.”^[bd]

While the crowd stood there watching Jesus, the soldiers gambled for his clothes. The leaders insulted him by saying, “He saved others. Now he should save himself, if he really is God's chosen Messiah!”

Footnotes

1. 13.31 Herod: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great.
2. 15.1 Tax collectors: See the note at 3.12.
3. 15.15 pigs: The Jewish religion taught that pigs were not fit to eat or even to touch. A Jewish man would have felt terribly insulted if he had to feed pigs, much less eat with them.
4. 15.16 what the pigs were eating: The Greek text has “(bean) pods,” which came from a tree in Palestine. These were used to feed animals. Poor people sometimes ate them too.
5. 15.22 ring … sandals: These show that the young man's father fully accepted him as his son. A ring was a sign of high position in the family. Sandals showed that he was a son instead of a slave, since slaves did not usually wear sandals.
6. 16.7 A thousand sacks: The Greek text has “100 measures,” and each measure is about 10 or 12 sacks.
7. 16.16 the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
8. 16.18 a terrible sin: The Greek text uses a word that means the sin of being unfaithful in marriage.
9. 16.22 the place of honor next to Abraham: The Jewish people thought that heaven would be a banquet that God would give for them. Abraham would be the most important person there, and the guest of honor would sit next to him.
10. 16.23 hell: The Greek text has “hades,” which the Jewish people often thought of as the place where the dead wait for the final judgment.
11. 16.29 Moses and the prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
12. 17.3 followers: The Greek text has “brothers,” which is often used in the New Testament for followers of Jesus.
13. 17.12 leprosy: See the note at 4.27.
14. 17.14 show yourselves to the priests: See the note at 5.14.
15. 17.21 here with you: Or “in your hearts.”
16. 17.27,28 Noah … Lot: When God destroyed the earth by a flood, he saved Noah and his family. And when God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the evil people who lived there, he rescued Lot and his family (see Genesis 19.1-29).
17. 17.31 rooftop: See the note at 5.19.
18. 17.32 what happened to Lot's wife: She turned into a block of salt when she disobeyed God (see Genesis 19.26).
19. 17.35,36 will be left: Some manuscripts add, “Two men will be in the same field, but only one will be taken. The other will be left.”
20. 17.37 Where there is a corpse, there will always be vultures: This saying may mean that when anything important happens, people soon know about it. Or the saying may mean that whenever something bad happens, curious people gather around and stare. But the word translated “vulture” also means “eagle” and may refer to the Roman army, which had an eagle as its symbol.
21. 18.10 into the temple to pray: Jewish people usually prayed there early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
22. 18.10 tax collector: See the note at 3.12.
23. 18.11 stood over by himself and prayed: Some manuscripts have “stood up and prayed to himself.”
24. 18.12 without eating: See the note at 2.37.
25. 18.16 People who are like these children belong to God's kingdom: Or “God's kingdom belongs to people who are like these children.”
26. 18.32 foreigners: The Romans, who ruled Judea at this time.
27. 18.38 Son of David: The Jewish people expected the Messiah to be from the family of King David, and for this reason the Messiah was often called the “Son of David.”
28. 19.2 in charge of collecting taxes: See the note at 3.12.
29. 19.8 pay back four times as much: Both Jewish and Roman law said that a person must pay back four times the amount that was taken.
30. 19.9 saved: Zacchaeus was Jewish, but it is only now that he is rescued from sin and placed under God's care.
31. 19.9 son of Abraham: As used in this verse, the words mean that Zacchaeus is truly one of God's special people.
32. 19.31 The Lord: Or “The master of the donkey.”
33. 19.34 The Lord: Or “The master of the donkey.”
34. 19.36 spread clothes on the road: This was one way that the Jewish people welcomed a famous person.
35. 19.44 that God had come to save you: The Jewish people looked for the time when God would come and rescue them from their enemies. But when Jesus came, many of them refused to obey him.
36. 20.37 The Lord is the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: Jesus argues that if God is worshiped by these three, they must be alive, because he is the God of the living.
37. 20.41 the son of King David: See the note at 18.38.
38. 20.42 right side: The place of power and honor.
39. 21.18 But don't worry: The Greek text has “Not a hair of your head will be lost,” which means, “There's no need to worry.”
40. 21.26 Every power in the sky will be shaken: In ancient times people thought that the stars were spiritual powers.
41. 22.3 Iscariot: See the note at 6.16.
42. 22.10 a man carrying a jar of water: A male slave carrying water would probably mean that the family was rich.
43. 22.25 everyone's friends: This translates a Greek word that rulers sometimes used as a title for themselves or for special friends.
44. 22.31 separates wheat from the husks: See the note at 3.17.
45. 22.36 moneybag … traveling bag … sword: These were things that someone would take on a dangerous journey. Jesus was telling his disciples to be ready for anything that might happen. They seem to have understood what he meant (see 22.49-51).
46. 22.42 drinking from this cup: In the Scriptures “to drink from a cup” sometimes means to suffer.
47. 22.43,44 Then an angel … like drops of blood: Verses 43,44 are not in some manuscripts.
48. 22.47 greeted him with a kiss: It was the custom for people to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek.
49. 22.53 darkness: Darkness stands for the power of the devil.
50. 22.70 Son of God: This was one of the titles used for the kings of Israel.
51. 22.70 You say I am: Or “That's what you say.”
52. 23.7 Herod: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great.
53. 23.16,17 set free: Some manuscripts add, “Pilate said this, because at every Passover he was supposed to set one prisoner free for the Jewish people.”
54. 23.31 If this can happen when the wood is green, what do you think will happen when it is dry: This saying probably means, “If this can happen to an innocent person, what do you think will happen to one who is guilty?”
55. 23.33 “The Skull”: The place was probably given this name because it was near a large rock in the shape of a human skull.
56. 23.34,35 Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people! They don't know what they're doing”: These words are not in some manuscripts.

Cross references

1. 13.14 : Ex 20.9,10; Dt 5.13,14.
2. 13.27 : Ps 6.8.
3. 13.28 : Mt 22.13; 25.30.
4. 13.28,29 : Mt 8.11,12.
5. 13.30 : Mt 19.30; 20.16; Mk 10.31.
6. 13.34 : 2 Esd 1.30; 2.15-17.
7. 13.35 : Ps 118.26.
8. 14.5 : Mt 12.11.
9. 14.8-10 : Pr 25.6,7.
10. 14.11 : Mt 23.12; Lk 18.14.
11. 14.26 : 4 Macc 2.11-13; Mt 10.37.
12. 14.27 : Mt 10.38; 16.24; Mk 8.34; Lk 9.23.
13. 15.1,2 : Lk 5.29,30.
14. 16.9 : Tb 4.9-11.
15. 16.13 : Mt 6.24.
16. 16.16 : Mt 11.12,13.
17. 16.17 : Mt 5.18.
18. 16.18 : Mt 5.32; 1 Co 7.10,11.
19. 16.22 : 4 Macc 13.17.
20. 16.23,24 : 2 Esd 7.36; 8.59.
21. 17.3 : Mt 18.15.
22. 17.14 : Lv 14.1-32.
23. 17.26 : Gn 6.5-8.
24. 17.27 : Gn 7.5-24.
25. 17.28,29 : Gn 18.20—19.25.
26. 17.31 : Mt 24.17,18; Mk 13.15,16.
27. 17.32 : Gn 19.26.
28. 17.33 : Mt 10.39; 16.25; Mk 8.35; Lk 9.24; Jn 12.25.
29. 18.7 : Si 35.19.
30. 18.13 : Man 8.
31. 18.14 : Mt 23.12; Lk 14.11.
32. 18.20 a : Ex 20.14; Dt 5.18; b Ex 20.13; Dt 5.17; c Ex 20.15; Dt 5.19; d Ex 20.16; Dt 5.20; e Ex 20.12; Dt 5.16.
33. 19.10 : Mt 18.10,11.
34. 19.11-27 : Mt 25.14-30.
35. 19.26 : Mt 13.12; Mk 4.25; Lk 8.18.
36. 19.38 : Ps 118.26.
37. 19.46 : Is 56.7; Jr 7.11.
38. 19.47 : Lk 21.37.
39. 20.9 : Is 5.1.
40. 20.17 : Ps 118.22.
41. 20.27 : Ac 23.8.
42. 20.28 : Dt 25.5,6.
43. 20.37 : Ex 3.6.
44. 20.42,43 : Ps 110.1.
45. 21.7 : 2 Esd 4.51—5.19.
46. 21.14,15 : Lk 12.11,12.
47. 21.22 : Ho 9.7.
48. 21.25 : Is 13.10; Ez 32.7; Jl 2.31; Rev 6.12,13.
49. 21.27 : Dn 7.13; Rev 1.7.
50. 21.37 : Lk 19.47.
51. 22.1 : Ex 12.1-27.
52. 22.20 : Jr 31.31-34.
53. 22.21 : Ps 41.9.
54. 22.24 : Mt 18.1; Mk 9.34; Lk 9.46.
55. 22.25,26 : Mt 20.25-27; Mk 10.42-44.
56. 22.26 : Mt 23.11; Mk 9.35.
57. 22.27 : Jn 13.12-15.
58. 22.30 : Mt 19.28.
59. 22.35 : Mt 10.9,10; Mk 6.8,9; Lk 9.3; 10.4.
60. 22.37 : Is 53.12.
61. 22.53 : Lk 19.47; 21.37.
62. 23.30 : Ho 10.8; Rev 6.16.
63. 23.34,35 a : Ps 22.18; b Ps 22.7.