Jesus the Way to the Father

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe^[a] in God; believe also in me.^{(A) 2} In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?^{[b] 3} And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.^{(B) 4} And you know the way to the place where I am going.”^{[c] 5} Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.^{(C) 7} If you know me, you will know^[d] my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

¹² Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If in my name you ask me^[a] for anything, I will do it.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep^[b] my commandments.^{(A) 16} And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,^[c] to be with you forever.^{(B) 17} This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be^[d] in^[e] you.^(C)

¹⁸ “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ¹⁹ In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.^{(D) 21} They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me, and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”^{(E) 22} Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?”

The Arrest of Stephen

⁸ Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit^[a] with which he spoke.^{(A) 11} Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”^{(B) 12} They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. ¹³ They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law,^{(C) 14} for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth^[b] will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.”^{(D) 15} And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Stephen’s Speech to the Council

7 Then the high priest asked him, “Are these things so?” ² And Stephen replied:

“Brothers^[c] and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,^(E)

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do.^{(A) 52} Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers.^{(B) 53} You are the ones who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.”^(C)

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴ When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen.^{[a] 55} But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.^{(D) 56} “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”^{(E) 57} But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. ⁵⁸ Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.^{(F) 59} While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”^{(G) 60} Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.^[b](H)