Lazarus Dies at Bethany

11 Now a man was sick—Lazarus from Bethany,^(A) the village of Mary and her sister Martha.^{(B) 2} Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair,^(C) and it was her brother Lazarus who was sick. ³ So the sisters sent a message to him: “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

⁴ When Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God,^(D) so that the Son of God^(E) may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. ⁶ So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was. ⁷ Then after that, he said to the disciples, “Let’s go to Judea^(F) again.”

⁸ “Rabbi,”^(G) the disciples told him, “just now the Jews tried to stone you,^(H) and you’re going there again?”

⁹ “Aren’t there twelve hours in a day?” Jesus answered. “If anyone walks during the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world.^{(I) 10} But if anyone walks during the night,^(J) he does stumble, because the light is not in him.”

¹¹ He said this, and then he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep,^(K) but I’m on my way to wake him up.”

¹² Then the disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well.”

¹³ Jesus, however, was speaking about his death, but they thought he was speaking about natural sleep. ¹⁴ So Jesus then told them plainly, “Lazarus has died. ¹⁵ I’m glad for you that I wasn’t there so that you may believe. But let’s go to him.”

¹⁶ Then Thomas^(L) (called “Twin”^[a]) said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go too so that we may die with him.”

The Resurrection and the Life

¹⁷ When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb^(M) four days. ¹⁸ Bethany was near Jerusalem^(N) (less than two miles^[b] away). ¹⁹ Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother.

²⁰ As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary remained seated in the house. ²¹ Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. ²² Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

²³ “Your brother will rise^(O) again,” Jesus told her.

²⁴ Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”^(P)

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am^(Q) the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me,^(R) even if he dies, will live.^{(S) 26} Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.^(T) Do you believe this?”

²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe you are the Messiah,^(U) the Son^(V) of God, who comes into the world.”^(W)

Jesus Shares the Sorrow of Death

²⁸ Having said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

²⁹ As soon as Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him.^{(X) 30} Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw that Mary got up quickly and went out. They followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb^(Y) to cry there.

³² As soon as Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet^(Z) and told him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died!”

³³ When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved^[c] in his spirit^(AA) and troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you put him?” he asked.

“Lord,” they told him, “come and see.”

³⁵ Jesus wept.^(AB)

³⁶ So the Jews said, “See how he loved^(AC) him!” ³⁷ But some of them said, “Couldn’t he who opened the blind man’s eyes^(AD) also have kept this man from dying?”

The Seventh Sign: Raising Lazarus from the Dead

³⁸ Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.^{(AE) 39} “Remove the stone,” Jesus said.

Martha, the dead man’s sister, told him, “Lord, there is already a stench because he has been dead four days.”

⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory^(AF) of God?”^(AG)

⁴¹ So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank^(AH) you that you heard me.^{(AI) 42} I know that you always hear me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so that they may believe you sent^(AJ) me.” ⁴³ After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

⁴⁵ Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what he did believed in him.^{(AK) 46} But some of them went to the Pharisees^(AL) and told them what Jesus had done.

⁴⁷ So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin^(AM) and were saying, “What are we going to do since this man is doing many signs? ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans^(AN) will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

⁴⁹ One of them, Caiaphas,^(AO) who was high priest^(AP) that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You’re not considering that it is to your^[d] advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.”^{(AQ) 51} He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die^(AR) for the nation, ⁵² and not for the nation only, but also to unite the scattered children^(AS) of God. ⁵³ So from that day on they plotted to kill him.^(AT)

⁵⁴ Jesus therefore no longer walked openly^(AU) among the Jews but departed from there to the countryside near the wilderness,^(AV) to a town called Ephraim, and he stayed there with the disciples.

⁵⁵ Now the Jewish Passover^(AW) was near, and many went up to Jerusalem^(AX) from the country to purify themselves before the Passover. ⁵⁶ They were looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple,^(AY) “What do you think? He won’t come to the festival,^(AZ) will he?” ⁵⁷ The chief priests^(BA) and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it so that they could arrest him.

Pentecost

2 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.^{(A) 2} Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind^(B) came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.^{(C) 3} They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. ⁴ Then they were all filled^(D) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,^[a] as the Spirit enabled them.^(E)

⁵ Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation^(F) under heaven. ⁶ When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. ⁷ They were astounded and amazed, saying,^[b] “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?^{(G) 8} How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,^{(H) 10} Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts),^{(I) 11} Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” ¹² They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.”^(J)

Peter’s Sermon

¹⁴ Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. ¹⁵ For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning.^{[c] 16} On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

²² “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know.^{(P) 23} Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used^[e] lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him.^{(Q) 24} God raised him up, ending the pains of death,^(R) because it was not possible for him to be held by death. ²⁵ For David says of him:

²⁹ “Brothers and sisters, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.^{(U) 30} Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendants^[g] on his throne.^{(V) 31} Seeing what was to come, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He^[h] was not abandoned in Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay.^[i](W)

³² “God has raised^(X) this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. ³³ Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God^(Y) and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit,^(Z) he has poured out^(AA) what you both see and hear. ³⁴ For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:

³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”^(AC)

Call to Repentance

³⁷ When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” ^(AD)

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent^(AE) and be baptized,^(AF) each of you, in the name^(AG) of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off,^(AH) as many as the Lord our God will call.” ⁴⁰ With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt^[k] generation!” ^{(AI) 41} So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them.

A Generous and Growing Church

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching,^(AJ) to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.^(AK)

⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles.^{(AL) 44} Now all the believers were together and held all things in common.^{(AM) 45} They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts,^{(AN) 47} praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number^[l] those who were being saved.^(AO)

Healing of a Lame Man

3 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer^(AP) at three in the afternoon.^{[m] 2} A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple.^{(AQ) 3} When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. ⁴ Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” ^{(AR) 7} Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.^{(AS) 9} All the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.^(AT)

Preaching in Solomon’s Colonnade

¹¹ While he^[n] was holding on to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astonished, ran toward them in what is called Solomon’s Colonnade.^{(AU) 12} When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors,^(AV) has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate,^(AW) though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ You denied the Holy and Righteous One^(AX) and asked to have a murderer released to you.^{(AY) 15} You killed the source^[o] of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this.^{(AZ) 16} By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.

¹⁷ “And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your leaders also did.^{(BA) 18} In this way God fulfilled what he had predicted through all the prophets—that his Messiah would suffer.^{(BB) 19} Therefore repent^(BC) and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out,^{(BD) 20} that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus, who has been appointed^(BE) for you as the Messiah. ²¹ Heaven must receive him until the time of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about through his holy prophets from the beginning.^{(BF) 22} Moses said:^[p] The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. ²³ And everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be completely cut off from the people.^[q](BG)

²⁴ “In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also foretold these days. ²⁵ You are the sons^[r] of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.^{[s](BH) 26} God raised up his servant^[t] and sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”^(BI)