The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.^{(A) 17} When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.^{(B) 19} Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,^(C) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,^{(D) 20} and teaching^(E) them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you^(F) always, to the very end of the age.”^(G)

¹⁴ Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.^(A)

¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.^{(B) 16} Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.^{(C) 17} And these signs^(D) will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons;^(E) they will speak in new tongues;^{(F) 18} they will pick up snakes^(G) with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on^(H) sick people, and they will get well.”

¹⁹ After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven^(I) and he sat at the right hand of God.^{(J) 20} Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs^(K) that accompanied it.

³³ They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together ³⁴ and saying, “It is true! The Lord^(A) has risen and has appeared to Simon.”^{(B) 35} Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.^(C)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

³⁶ While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”^(D)

³⁷ They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.^{(E) 38} He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see;^(F) a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

⁴⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. ⁴¹ And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate it in their presence.^(G)

⁴⁴ He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you:^(H) Everything must be fulfilled^(I) that is written about me in the Law of Moses,^(J) the Prophets^(K) and the Psalms.”^(L)

⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer^(M) and rise from the dead on the third day,^{(N) 47} and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name^(O) to all nations,^(P) beginning at Jerusalem.^{(Q) 48} You are witnesses^(R) of these things. ⁴⁹ I am going to send you what my Father has promised;^(S) but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

The Ascension of Jesus

⁵⁰ When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany,^(T) he lifted up his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.^{(U) 52} Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. ⁵³ And they stayed continually at the temple,^(V) praising God.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders,^(A) Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace^(B) be with you!”^{(C) 20} After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.^(D) The disciples were overjoyed^(E) when they saw the Lord.

²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!^(F) As the Father has sent me,^(G) I am sending you.”^{(H) 22} And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.^{(I) 23} If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”^(J)

Jesus Appears to Thomas

²⁴ Now Thomas^(K) (also known as Didymus^[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side,^(L) I will not believe.”^(M)

²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace^(N) be with you!”^{(O) 27} Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”^(P)

²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed;^(Q) blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”^(R)

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs^(S) in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.^{(T) 31} But these are written that you may believe^[b](U) that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,^(V) and that by believing you may have life in his name.^(W)

Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

21 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples,^(X) by the Sea of Galilee.^[c](Y) It happened this way: ² Simon Peter, Thomas^(Z) (also known as Didymus^[d]), Nathanael^(AA) from Cana in Galilee,^(AB) the sons of Zebedee,^(AC) and two other disciples were together. ³ “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.^(AD)

⁴ Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.^(AE)

⁵ He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

⁶ He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.^(AF)

⁷ Then the disciple whom Jesus loved^(AG) said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. ⁸ The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.^{[e] 9} When they landed, they saw a fire^(AH) of burning coals there with fish on it,^(AI) and some bread.

¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.^{(AJ) 14} This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples^(AK) after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus Reinstates Peter

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”^(AL)

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”^(AM)

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”^(AN)

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?”^(AO) He said, “Lord, you know all things;^(AP) you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.^{(AQ) 18} Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death^(AR) by which Peter would glorify God.^(AS) Then he said to him, “Follow me!”^(AT)

²⁰ Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved^(AU) was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”)^{(AV) 21} When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

²² Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return,^(AW) what is that to you? You must follow me.”^{(AX) 23} Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers^(AY) that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who testifies to these things^(AZ) and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.^(BA)

²⁵ Jesus did many other things as well.^(BB) If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

³ After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them^(A) over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.^{(B) 4} On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait^(C) for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.^{(D) 5} For John baptized with^[a] water,^(E) but in a few days you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.”^(F)

⁶ Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore^(G) the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.^{(H) 8} But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;^(I) and you will be my witnesses^(J) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,^(K) and to the ends of the earth.”^(L)

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up^(M) before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white^(N) stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,”^(O) they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back^(P) in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

¹² Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem^(Q) from the hill called the Mount of Olives,^(R) a Sabbath day’s walk^[c] from the city.