Luke Chapter 1
Luke wrote his own account of the life of Jesus Christ, to make the message of salvation understandable to those outside the Jewish world. He wrote in the form of a letter to a man named Theophilis after carefully investigating all the facts about Christ.
The story starts out with a man named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God and followed all of the commandments and statutes of the Lord. They had no children for Elizabeth was barren and they were both advanced in age.
When Zechariah was serving as a priest, he was chosen to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense, while all of the people were waiting outside praying at the hour of incense. An angel of the Lord appeared to him standing on the right side of the altar. When Zechariah saw the angel, he was troubled and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth shall bear a son, and you shall name him John. You will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. He must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.”
Zechariah questioned the angel and said, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
The angel answered him and said, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.”
Because Zechariah had questioned this and did not believe his words, the angel made it so he would be silent and unable to speak until the day that the foretold would be fulfilled.
Meanwhile, the people were waiting out front and were wondering what was taking Zechariah so long. When he came out, he was unable to speak to them and realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs, but remained mute. When his week of service was complete, he returned home.
Soon after this, his wife Elizabeth conceived and went into seclusion for five months. She said, “The Lord has done this for me! In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people for having no children.”
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to the city of Nazareth in Galilee. He was to visit a virgin named Mary who was engaged to marry a man named Joseph. He said to Mary, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
Confused and troubled she tried to understand what the angel had meant. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son you will name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will rein over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age. She used to be called barren, but now she is in the sixth month.”
Mary responded, “I am the servant of the Lord. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Within a few days, Mary went to the hill country of Judea to visit Elizabeth. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Elizabeth exclaimed with a loud cry, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I honored that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
Mary responded with a song of praise, and stayed with Elizabeth about three months before returning to her own home.
The time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. When her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, everyone rejoiced with her.
When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah after his father, but Mary said, “No! His name is John!”
They said, “None of your relatives have that name,” and they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.”
At that moment Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising the Lord.
Fear and awe fell upon the people, and all of these things were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea. All that heard of it laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What will this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.”
Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave a prophecy.
“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
-Luke 1:68-80
because he has visited and redeemed
his people.
He has sent us a mighty Savior
from the royal line of his servant David,
just as he promised
through his holy prophets long ago.
Now we will be saved from our enemies
and from all who hate us.
He has been merciful to our ancestors
by remembering his sacred covenant-
the covenant he swore with an oath
to our ancestor Abraham.
We have been rescued from our enemies
so we can serve God without fear,
in holiness and righteousness
for as long as we live.
And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the
Most High,
because you will prepare the way
for the Lord.
You will tell his people how to find
salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about
to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.”
John grew up and became strong in spirit. He lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.
Luke Chapter 2
In those days, a decree went out from the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. All returned to their ancestral towns to register for the census. Since Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea. Joseph and his betrothed Mary traveled the three day journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
While they were there, it came time for Mary to give birth. She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
That night there were shepherds out in the field, guarding their flocks of sheep. Just then, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.
They were filled with fear, but the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to the people. The Savior, yes the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the City of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast heavenly host of others, the armies of heaven, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in highest heaven,
Luke 2:14
and peace on earth to those with whom
God is pleased.”
When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger. After seeing the child, they told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them. All who heard the shepherd’s story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.
The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
After eight days, the baby was circumcised and named Jesus, the name given to him by the angel even before he was conceived. Then it was time for their purification according to the Law of Moses after the birth of a child. The Law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” His parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
At that time, there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon who was righteous and devout. He was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day, the Spirit led him to the temple.
When Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the Law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
“Lord, now you are letting your servant
-Luke 2:29-32
depart in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
that you have prepared for all people.
He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory to your people Israel.”
His father and mother marveled at what was said about him and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, “This child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
There was also a prophetess named Anna there in the Temple. She was very old and after only seven years of marriage her husband died. She had lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along as Simeon was talking to Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. After the celebration was over and they were returning home to Nazareth, they noticed Jesus was not with them. He had stayed behind in Jerusalem.
His parents didn’t notice at first because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him there.
Three days later they finally found him in the temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him they were astonished. They didn’t know what to think. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know I must be in my father’s house?” But, they didn’t understand what that meant.
Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and all the people.
Luke Chapter 3
At this time, a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. So John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River preaching that the people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
Luke 3:4-6
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
Clear the road for him!
The valleys will be filled,
and the mountains and hills made level.
The curves will be straightened,
and the rough places made smooth.
And then all people will see
the salvation sent from God.’”
When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgement is poised and ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”
The crowds asked him, “What should we do?”
John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”
Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized, and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”
Soldiers came and asked him, “What shall we do?” John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your wages.”
The people were expecting the Messiah to come soon, and were questioning whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all by saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming. So much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
John used many such warnings as he preached the good news to the people.
John ended up publicly criticizing Herod, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying his brother’s wife and for his many wrong doings; and he locked John up in prison.
One day when all the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven saying, “You are my beloved Son; and you bring me great joy.”
The genealogy of Jesus was listed as Jesus being the son of Joseph, and tracking all the way back to Adam being the son of God.
At this point Jesus had started his ministry. He was about thirty years old.
Luke Chapter 4
Now Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Since Jesus was fasting, he ate nothing at all during this time and grew very hungry.
When Jesus’ hunger was greatest and his resistance lowest the devil, trying to make an attractive temptation, said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
Jesus answered, “No, it is written that ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’”
Then the devil led him up to a high place and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. I will give it all to you if you worship me.”
Jesus replied, “The scripture says, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the scripture says ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”
Jesus answered him and said, “The scripture also says ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
With that, the devil was done testing him and left, until the next opportunity came.
Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power and began his ministry. Reports about him spread quickly throughout the whole region. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. He was handed the scroll of Isaiah the prophet. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
-Luke 4:18-19
because he has anointed me
to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives
will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
and that the time of the Lord’s favor
has come.”
He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. He spoke to the people saying, “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled today!”
Everyone spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that came from his mouth. But they were amazed and asked, “How can this be? Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
Jesus knew that no prophet was accepted in their hometown, and when he spoke of things done in Elijah’s time the crowd became furious. All the people in the synagogue jumped up and mobbed him, driving him out of town. They brought him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built and intended to push him over the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue every Sabbath day. There too, the people were amazed at his teaching, because he spoke with authority.
Once when he was in the synagogue a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit, cried out, “Go away! Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God.”
“Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” he ordered. Then the demon threw the man to the floor without hurting him, as the crowd watched.
All the people were amazed and exclaimed, “What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!”
The news about Jesus spread quickly through every village in the surrounding area.
When Jesus left that day, he went to Simon’s home where he found Simon’s mother-in-law sick with a high fever. “Please heal her,” everyone begged.
Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began preparing a meal for them.
As the sun was setting that day, the people of the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one of them.
Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But because he knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak.
Early the next morning, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them. But he replied, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns also, because this is why I was sent.”
He continued to travel around, preaching in synagogues all throughout Judea.
Luke Chapter 5
One day when Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds were gathered to listen to him and the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fisherman had left them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats belonging to Simon, and asked him to push it into the water. He sat down in the boat and taught the people from there.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”
“Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you said so, I’ll let down the nets again.”
This time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear. They shouted to their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.
When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me–I’m such a sinful man.” For he and all his companions were astonished at the number of fish they had caught.
Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people.”
As soon as they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Jesus.
In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord, if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”
Yet the news about him spread all the more, and crowds of people came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Another day when Jesus was preaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, were sitting nearby. It seemed that these men came from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.
Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The Pharisees and teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.”
Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home.”
Immediately, as everyone watched, he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen remarkable things today!”
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi, sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, leaving everything, and followed him.
Later, Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with scum; tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, the sick do. I have not come to call those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”
They said to him, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”
Jesus answered, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it to the old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment and ruined it, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out, and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”
Luke Chapter 6
One Sabbath day, Jesus was walking through some grain fields, and his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed off the husks with their hands, and ate the grain. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”
Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests could eat. He also shared with his companions.” And Jesus added, “The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath.”
On another Sabbath, Jesus was preaching in the synagogue and there was a man there with a deformed hand. The teachers and the Pharisees watched Jesus carefully, for if he would heal the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward.
Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil; to save life or to destroy it?”
He looked around at all of them, and then told the man to stretch out his hand. He did so, and his hand was completely restored. At this, the enemies of Jesus were furious and wild with rage, and they discussed what they should do with him.
Within a few days he went to the mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. When day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. There names were:
- Simon, whom he named Peter
- Andrew, Peter’s brother
- James
- John
- Philip
- Bartholomew
- Matthew
- Thomas
- James, the son of Alphaeus
- Simon, who he called Zealot
- Judas, the son of James
- Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor
When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, with a great crowd of people from all over Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. They all came to hear him and be healed of their diseases, and those troubled with evil spirits were healed. Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.
Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,
“Blessed are you who are poor,
-Luke 6:20-38
for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. And remember their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.
What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
What sorrow awaits you who are well fed now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now, for your laughing will turn to mourning and weeping.
What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.
But I say to you who are willing to listen, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone takes your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back.
Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.
Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
Then Jesus told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they both not fall in the pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
And why worry about a speck in someone’s eye
when you have a log in your own?
How can you say, ‘Let me take the speck that is in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”
Jesus also said, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil person produces evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”
Jesus asked, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ when you do not do what I say? I will show you what it is like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.
Luke Chapter 7
When Jesus had finished speaking to the people, he returned to Capernaum. At that time, the highly valued slave of a Roman centurion, or officer, was sick and near death. The centurion heard of Jesus, and sent some elders of the Jews to ask him to come and heal his servant. They went and pleaded with Jesus earnestly that he was worthy of his help. They said that this man loved their nation and he had even built a synagogue for them.
So Jesus went with them. They were not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come to my house. I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.”
When Jesus heard this, he marveled at him, and turned to the crowd that followed him, and said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.
Soon afterward Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd followed him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the town was with her.
When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her, and said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
Fear seized the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us. God has come to help his people.” The news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. John called for two of his disciples, and he sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
In the hour, Jesus healed many people of diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John’s disciples,
“Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. God blesses the ones who are not offended by me.”
-Luke 7:22-23
After John’s messengers had left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds,
“What kind of man did you go into the desert to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of the wind? Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,
-Luke 7:24-28
‘I will send my messenger ahead of
you,
and he will prepare your way before
you.’
I tell you, among those who ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!”
When the people heard this, even the tax collectors, agreed that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism. Then Jesus asked,
“To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,
-Luke 7:31-35
‘We played wedding songs,
and you didn’t dance;
so we played funeral songs,
and you didn’t weep.’
For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man, has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners! But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.”
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. As she knelt behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him and what kind of woman she is. She is a sinner!”
Jesus answered his thoughts, saying, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
Then Jesus told him this story: “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed five hundred pieces of silver, and the other owed fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had a bigger debt cancelled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not greet me with a kiss, but this woman has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little, loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Then those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke Chapter 8
Jesus was traveling about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. He had his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.
One day a large crowd had gathered from town after town and were listening to Jesus speak. Jesus told them this parable: A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
As he said these things, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that the scripture might be fulfilled:
‘When they look, they won’t really see.
When they hear, they won’t understand.’
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in time of testing they fall away. The seeds that fell among the thorns stand for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”
Then Jesus said, “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”
Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn’t get near him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to see you.” But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear God’s word and obey it.”
One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake and their boat was filling with water and they were in danger.
The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. The storm stopped and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he commands, even the winds and the water obey him!”
They arrived in the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. As Jesus stepped out of the boat onto land, he was met with a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but lived among the tombs.
When he saw Jesus he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!”
Jesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power.
Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“Legion,” he replied, for he was filled with many demons. The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the abyss.
A large herd of pigs was feeding nearby on the hillside, and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter into the pigs. Jesus gave them permission and the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs. Then the entire herd plunged down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened.
When they came to Jesus they saw the man who had been freed of the demons sitting at Jesus’ feet. They saw that the man was dressed and fully sane, and they were afraid. Those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed.
Then all the people of the region of Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left, crossing back to the other side of the lake.
The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went all over town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.
When Jesus returned to the shore the crowds welcomed him, because they were expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house. His only daughter, a girl about twelve years old, was dying.
As Jesus went, he was surrounded by the crowds. A woman was there in the crowd who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, but no one could heal her. She came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.
“Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing up against you.”
But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, I know that power has gone out from me.”
Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
While he was still speaking to her, a messenger came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. He told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use bothering the teacher anymore.”
Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”
When they arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except for Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Stop weeping. She is not dead, she’s only asleep.”
They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!”
At that moment her spirit returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were amazed, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
Luke Chapter 9
One day Jesus called his twelve apostles together and he gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to cure diseases. He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal.
He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey; no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, or even a change of clothes. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”
So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.
When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about all that was going on he was perplexed. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. Others thought Jesus was Elijah, or one of the other prophets from long ago that had come back to life.
But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who then is this I hear such things about?” And he kept trying to see him.
When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus all that they had done. Then he took them with him and they went by themselves to a town called Bethsaida. But the crowds found out where he was going and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God and healed those who needed healing.
Late in the afternoon, the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowds away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging. There is nothing here in this remote place.”
Jesus said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
They replied, “We only have five loaves of bread and two fish, unless we go buy food for all these people.” There were about 5,000 men there.
Jesus said to his disciples, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.” The disciples did so and all the people sat down. Taking the five loaves of bread and the two fish, he looked up to the heavens and gave thanks. Breaking it into pieces, he kept giving the bread and the fish to the disciples to pass out to everyone. They all ate and were satisfied. When they finished, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the people say I am?”
They told him that some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say an ancient prophet risen from the dead. Jesus asked them, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “The Christ of God.”
Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law. He will be killed, but on the third day be raised from the dead.”
Then he said to all of them, “If anyone wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him up the mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightening. And behold, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor and began talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment in Jerusalem.
Now Peter and the others were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As the men were starting to leave, Peter, without knowing what he was saying blurted out, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters as memorials; one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him!” When the voice finished speaking, Jesus was there alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes him and he screams suddenly. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”
Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
Even as the boy came forward, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. They were all amazed at the majesty of God.
While everyone was marveling at what Jesus did, he said to his disciples, “Listen carefully and remember what I say. The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hand of his enemies.” But they did not understand what this meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
Then his disciples began arguing about which one of them was the greatest. But Jesus knew their thoughts, and brought a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”
“Master,” said John, “we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
When the days drew near for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead of him, who went into a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. When his disciples, James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the kingdom of God.”
Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Chapter 10
The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go on your way; I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And do not greet anyone on the road.”
“Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If those who live there are peaceful, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Don’t move around from home to home. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the worker deserves his wages.”
“When you enter a town and are welcome, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off to show we’ve abandoned you to your fate. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near!’ I assure you, even wicked Sodom will be better off than such a town on judgement day.”
“What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and ashes. Yes, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgement day than you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.”
Then he said to the disciples, “Anyone who listens to you listens to me. Anyone who rejects you rejects me. And anyone who rejects me rejects God who sent me.”
The seventy-two returned joyfully and reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”
And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
In that same hour, Jesus full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, father, for such was your gracious will. My father has entrusted everything to me. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those who the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
One day, an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him a question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But the man wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied with a story: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own donkey and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two silver pieces and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “Go, and do likewise.”
As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
“My dear Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are anxious and worried about many things, but only one thing is needed. There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke Chapter 11
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“Father, hallowed be your name.
-Luke 11:2-4
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone
who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.”
Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to his house at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’
I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
You fathers, if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
One day Jesus was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.” Others, trying to test Jesus, asked for a sign from heaven.
He knew their thoughts, and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. Now if I drive out demons by Satan, by whom do your followers drive them out? So they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.
He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.
When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes through the desert seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ When it arrives, it finds that its former home is all swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and finds seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”
As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless your mother, who gave birth to you and nursed you.”
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
When the crowds were increasing, Jesus began to say, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. The Queen of the South will stand up against this generation on judgement day and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom. Now someone greater than Solomon is here, but you refuse to listen. The people of Nineveh will also stand up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it; for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here, but you refuse to repent.”
“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a basket. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant; it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”
When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him. So he went in and took his place at the table. The Pharisee was astonished to see that Jesus did not first wash before dinner; as is the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom.
Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.”
“What sorrow awaits you Pharisees, because you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.”
“What sorrow awaits you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the market place. Yes, what sorrow awaits for you, because you are like unmarked graves and people walk over them without knowing it.”
One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”
Jesus replied, “Yes, what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law, because you load people down with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden. What sorrow awaits for you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your own forefathers who killed them. But in fact, you stand as witnesses who agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you join in their crime by building the monuments!
Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute.’
“Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world; from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.”
“What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You don’t enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering.”
As Jesus was leaving, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law became hostile and tried to provoke him with many questions. They wanted to catch him in something he might say; to trap him with something they could use against him.
Luke Chapter 12
In the meantime, when so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!”
“I tell you my friends, do not be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I’ll tell you whom to fear; fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.” God even cares for little birds that are sold cheaply for food. “Indeed, the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”
“I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.”
When a person acknowledges that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus acknowledges that the individual is a loyal follower.
“Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”
“And when they bring you before the synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not be anxious or worry about how you should defend yourself or what you should say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Jesus replied, “Man, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have enough room to store all my grain and goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty stored up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.’”
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get what everything you worked for?’”
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Then Jesus turned to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Look at the ravens: they don’t plant or harvest or have a storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if your worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use in worrying over bigger things?”
“Don’t be concerned about what to eat or drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.”
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
“Be dressed and ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table, and will come and wait on them. He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.
“But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come when least expected.”
“I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against; or two in favor and three against.”
Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?”
“Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right? When you are on your way to court with your accuser, try to settle the matter before you get there. Otherwise, your accuser may drag you before the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.” You must settle accounts before it is too late!
Luke Chapter 13
About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the temple. Jesus asked, “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans?” Is that why they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent your sins and turn to God, you too will all perish.”
Then Jesus told this story: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’”
And he answered him, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then you can cut it down.’”
One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then he laid his hands on her, and immediately she could stand up straight, and she praised God.
But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Doesn’t each of you untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out for water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen years, be set free from what bound her, even on the Sabbath?”
When he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame and humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a tiny mustard seed, a man planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
Again, he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
Then Jesus went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He replied, “Strive to enter through the narrow door to God’s kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. Once the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you came from.’”
Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
But he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you came from. Get away from me, all you evildoers!’
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. And people will come from all over the world; from east and west, north and south, to take their places in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then.”
At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else, for Herod wants to kill you.”
Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and on the third day I will accomplish my purpose.’ Nevertheless, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the following day, for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Luke Chapter 14
One Sabbath day, Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, and the people were watching him carefully. There was a man there who was suffering from dropsy, whose arms and legs were swollen.
Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent.
When they refused to answer, Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away. Then he turned to them and asked, “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?” And they had nothing to say.
When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.
But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Then Jesus said to the host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”
When a man sitting at the table heard this, he said to Jesus, “What a blessing it will be to eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all began making excuses.
One said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became very angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’
So his master said, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes urge anyone you find to come, so that my house will be full. I tell you, none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”
Now great crowds accompanied Jesus and were following him. He turned to them and said, “If you want to be my disciple, you must, in comparison, hate everyone else. If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters; yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry your own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough to complete it? Otherwise, you might only complete the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would ridicule you, saying, ‘There’s the person who couldn’t afford to finish it.’”
“Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not first sit down and deliberate whether his army of ten thousand could defeat the twenty thousand marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away.”
“In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”
“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”
Luke Chapter 15
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus teach. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law grumbled and complained, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and carries it home. And when he gets home he calls together his friends and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me, I have found my lost sheep.’
In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me, I have found my lost coin.’
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
To illustrate the point further, Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate now that is coming to me.’ So he divided the property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he wasted all his money in wild and reckless living.
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs he longed for. But no one gave him anything.
When he came to his senses, he said, ‘At home even my father’s hired men have food enough to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy of being called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
But the father said to his servant, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once disobeyed your orders. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your money on prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
And he said to him, ‘My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again. He was lost, but now he is found!’”
Luke Chapter 16
Jesus told his disciples this story: “There was a rich man who had a manager handling his affairs, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your managements, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’
The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg. I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’
Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred bushels.’
The rich man had to admire the dishonest manager for being so shrewd. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you have not been faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all of this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men. You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.
Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is eager to get in. But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for one dot of God’s law to become void.
For example, a man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery. And the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Jesus continued speaking, “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, who was covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to sit by Abraham’s side at the heavenly banquet.
The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.
Then the man said, ‘Then I beg you Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s house. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them.’
‘No, Father Abraham!’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Luke Chapter 17
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves!
If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he wrongs you seven times a day, and each time turns again and asks for forgiveness, you must forgive.”
The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”
The Lord answered, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
When a servant comes in from plowing or looking after the sheep, does his master say, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat and drink; you may eat later.’
Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”
As Jesus continued toward Jerusalem, he traveled along the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’
As he looked at them he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. This man was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has healed you.”
One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?”
Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, there are no visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the Kingdom of God is within you.”
Then he said to the disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it. People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running after them or follow them. For the Son of Man in his days will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business, eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. Likewise, no one in the field should return home for anything.
Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
On that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding flour together; one will be taken and the other left.”
“Where will this happen, Lord? the disciples asked.
Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”
Luke Chapter 18
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show them that they should always pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’
For a while he refused, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’”
Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says and learn a lesson from him. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
He also told this story to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else. Jesus said, “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other was a despised a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people; cheaters, sinners, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of all I get.’
But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, for I am a sinner.’
I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
People were also bringing their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.
But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them; for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child with total dependence, full trust, frank openness, and complete sincerity will never enter it.”
Once a religious teacher asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’”
“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”
Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?”
He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”
Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”
“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.”
Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”
The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”
Immediately he recovered his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
Luke Chapter 19
Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a story, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the Kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them mina, or ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Engage in business until I come back.’
But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’
He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
The first one came and said, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’
‘Well done, my good servant,’ the king replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’
The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’
His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’
But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’
His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’
Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’
‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’
‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king, bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’”
After telling this story, Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethpage and Bethany, at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples, saying, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’
Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’
They replied, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down to the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully praising God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”
“I tell you,” he said, “if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”
Then Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling animals for sacrifices. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My house will be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of thieves.”
Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the leaders among the people began planning how to kill him. Yet they could not find a way to do it, because all the people hung on every word he said.
Luke Chapter 20
One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him.
“Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”
“Let me ask you a question first,” he replied. “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or from men?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”
Jesus said, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Now Jesus turned to the people again and told them this story: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers, and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.
But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.
He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
‘What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?’ Jesus asked. ‘He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.’”
When the people heard this, they said, ‘May this never be!’
Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.’
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he whom it falls will be crushed.”
The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them; they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the people’s reaction.
Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They hoped to catch Jesus saying something that could be reported to the Roman governor, so he would arrest Jesus.
So the spies questioned him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Cesar or not?”
He saw through their trickery and said, “Show me a Roman coin. Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
“Cesar’s,” they replied.
He said to them, “Then give to Cesar what is Cesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
They were unable to trap him by what he said in front of the people. Instead, they were amazed at his answer, and they became silent.
Then Jesus was approached by some of the Sadducees, religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead, and they came to Jesus with a question. “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us a law that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.
Well, suppose there are seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. So the second brother married the widow, but he also died. Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children.
Finally, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”
Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth. But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. And they will never die again. In this report they will be like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.
But now, as to whether the dead will be raised; even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”
Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said Teacher!” And no one dared to ask him anymore questions.
Then Jesus presented them with a question. “How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David? David himself declares in the Book of Psalms:
‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit in the place of honor at my
right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under
your feet.’
Since David called the Messiah ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”
While all the people in the crowds were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then for a show make lengthy prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.”
Luke Chapter 21
Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”
Some of his disciples were talking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, “The time is coming when not one stone will be left on another, every one of them will be thrown down.”
“Teacher,” they asked, “when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?”
He replied, “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilence. And there will be terrors and fearful events, and great signs from heaven.
But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.
So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!
You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm, you will win your souls.
And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.
For those will be the days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled.
How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations of the world. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
There will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”
Then he told them this story: “Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near.
I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
Be careful. Don’t let your hearts be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the anxieties and worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap.
For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”
Every day Jesus taught at the temple, and every evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives. The crowds gathered at the temple early each morning to hear him.
Luke Chapter 22
Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction.
Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.
They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”
“Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.
He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’
He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.
And when the hour came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”
He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it into pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after the supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people, an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. For it is determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.”
The disciples began to argue and question among themselves about which of them it might be who would ever do such a thing.
Then they began to argue among themselves about which of them was considered to be the greatest. Jesus said to them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different.
Those who are among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.
You have stayed with me in my time of trial. And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom; and you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Jesus continued, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. So when you have repented and turned back to me again, strengthen your brothers.”
Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler’s bag, or an extra pair of sandals, did you need anything?”
“No,” they answered.
“But now,” he said, “take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one! For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the rebels.’ Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true.”
The disciples said, “Look Lord, we have two swords among us.”
“That’s enough,” he said.
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.
When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”
While he was still speaking, a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to greet him with a kiss, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, “Lord, should we fight? We brought our swords!” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.”
So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there.
A servant girl noticed him in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
A little later someone else saw him and said, “You must be one of them.”
“No, man, I’m not!” Peter replied.
About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is Galilean, too.”
But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.
The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?” And they hurled all sorts of terrible insults at him.
At daybreak all the elders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law, and Jesus was led before them. “If you are the Christ,” they said, “tell us.”
Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I ask you a question, you won’t answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”
He replied, “You say that I am.”
Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”
Luke Chapter 23
The entire council rose and took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. They began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man misleading our nations and forbidding us to give tribute to Cesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus replied, “You have said so.”
Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no guilt in this man.” But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer.
Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations. Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.
That day Herod and Pilate became friends, as before this they had been enemies.
Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, and said to them, “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent.
Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done deserves death. Therefore, I will punish him by having him flogged, and then release him.”
With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” Barabbas had been thrown into prison for insurrection to the city, and for murder.
Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore, I will have him punished and then release him.”
But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded.
As they requested, he released Barabbas, the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder. But he surrendered Jesus over to them to do as they wished.
As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
A large crowd trailed behind, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’
People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’ For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they nailed him to the cross. There they crucified him, along with the criminals; one on his right side, the other on his left.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he really is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”
The soldiers also came up and mocked him by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
A sign was fastened above him which read:
THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the temples was torn down the middle.
Then Jesus shouted, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” And with those words he breathed his last.
The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” When all the people who had gathered to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the council, a good and up-right man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God.
Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took the body down from the cross, wrapped it in linen cloth, and placed it in a new tomb cut in the rock. This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of Preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin.
As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.
Luke Chapter 24
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!
Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words.
When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.
But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked.
“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who performed powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people.
But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.
In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.
Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”
He said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?”
Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
As they approached the village which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!
They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”
Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peach be with you.”
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.”
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Sources Used
Holy Bible, English Standard Version
The NIV Study Bible
New Believers Bible, New Testament: Greg Laurie