New Testament in a Year
Jesus at last arrives at the miracle He was asked to perform: the healing of Jairus’s daughter. But He is too late—the girl is already dead. Although Jesus later raises other dead people back to life, up to this point He has not yet performed such a powerful miracle. No one has an inkling of His power over the forces of life and death. He allows only His closest disciples to see this first miracle of resurrection, and He urges everyone who sees it to keep it quiet. Nevertheless, it is this miracle that first demonstrates to those who see it that He does indeed have power over death itself.
6 Jesus went back into His own hometown where He had grown up, and His disciples followed Him there. 2 When the Sabbath came, He went into the synagogue in Nazareth and began to teach as He had done elsewhere, and many of those who heard Him were astonished.
Those in the Synagogue: Where did He gain this wisdom? And what are all these stories we’ve been hearing about the signs and healings He’s performed? Where did He get that kind of power? 3 Isn’t this Jesus, the little boy we used to see in Joseph’s carpenter shop? Didn’t He grow up to be a carpenter just like His father? Isn’t He the son of Mary over there and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, Simon, and their sisters? Who does He think He is?
And when they had thought about it that way, they became indignant and closed themselves to His message.
Jesus (seeing this): 4 A prophet can find honor anywhere except in his hometown, among his own people, and in his own household.
5 He could not do any of His great works among them except with a few of the sick, whom He healed by laying His hands upon them. 6 He was amazed by the stubbornness of their unbelief.
Jesus went out among the villages teaching, 7 and He called the twelve to Him and began to send them out in pairs. He gave them authority over unclean spirits 8 and instructed them to take nothing with them but a staff: no money, no bread, no bag, 9 nothing but the sandals on their feet and the coat[a] on their back.
Jesus: 10 When you go into a house, stay there until it is time for you to leave that town. 11 And if someone will not accept you and your message, when you leave, shake off the dust of that place from your feet as a judgment against it. [On the day of judgment, that city will wish for the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah.][b]
12 And so His disciples went out into the countryside, preaching the changed life[c] as Jesus had taught them, 13 casting out unclean spirits and anointing the sick with oil to heal them.
14 Jesus had become so well known that King Herod received reports of all that Jesus was doing. Some were saying[d] that John the Baptist[e] had been raised from the dead and that these mighty works were the fruits of his resurrection.
Others (disagreeing): 15 No, this Jesus is Elijah, returned to work on the earth.
And still others said He was another of the prophets.
Herod (to himself): 16 No, it is John, the prophet I beheaded, risen from the dead.
For the blood of John was on his hands. 17-18 Herod had imprisoned John in the days before Jesus began His teaching. John had preached to Herod that he should not have married his own brother’s wife, Herodias, for so it is written in the Hebrew Scriptures: “It is not lawful for one to marry his brother’s wife.”[f]
19 Herodias held a grudge against John and would have had him killed, but she couldn’t. 20 Herod feared John as a holy and righteous man and did what he could to protect him. John taught hard truths,[g] and yet Herod found he usually liked hearing them.
So Herod had put John in prison instead of executing him; 21-22 and there John sat until Herod’s birthday, when the governor held a great state dinner. That night, Herod’s stepdaughter danced beautifully for the state officials; and the king proclaimed a solemn vow in the presence of his honored guests, military officers, and some of the leading men of Galilee.
Herod: Ask me whatever you wish, and I will grant it. 23 Whatever you want, I will give you—up to half my province.
24 She went out and consulted with her mother, Herodias, who had only one great desire and told her daughter what she must say.
Herod’s Stepdaughter (immediately, in response to Herod): 25 I want the head of John the Baptist[h]—right now—delivered to me on a platter.
26 Herod was horrified, but he had sworn an oath and could not break his word in front of his invited guests. 27 So immediately he sent an executioner to the prison to behead John and bring them the head. 28 It was brought to the girl upon a platter, and she took it to her mother.
29 When John’s disciples were told of this, they came for his body and gave it a proper burial.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.