Jesus Begins Work in Galilee

When Jesus heard that John had been ·put in prison [arrested], he ·went back [withdrew] to Galilee.

“If your ·enemy [opponent; adversary; accuser] is taking you to court, ·become friends [reach agreement; settle matters] quickly, ·before you go [on the way] to court. Otherwise, your ·enemy [opponent; adversary; accuser] might turn you over to the judge, and the judge might give you to the ·guard [officer; warden] to ·put [throw] you in ·jail [prison].

John the Baptist was in prison, but he heard about ·what Christ was doing [or the deeds/actions of the Messiah]. So John sent some of his ·followers [disciples] to Jesus.

·Sometime before this, [^LFor] Herod had arrested John, ·tied him up [chained/bound him], and put him into prison. Herod did this because of Herodias, who had been the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother.

He sent soldiers to the prison to cut off John’s head.

“But ·the first servant [^Lhe] refused. He threw ·the other servant [him] into prison until he could pay everything he owed.

The master was very angry and ·put the servant in prison to be punished [^Ldelivered him to the tormenters/torturers] until he could pay everything he owed.

I was ·without clothes [naked], and you ·gave me something to wear [clothed me]. I was sick, and you ·cared for [visited; looked after] me. I was in prison, and you ·visited [came to] me.’

When did we see you sick or in prison and ·care for [come to] you?’

I was ·alone and away from home [a stranger], and you did not ·invite me into your house [welcome/receive me]. I was ·without clothes [naked], and you ·gave me nothing to wear [did not clothe me]. I was sick and in prison, and you did not ·care for [visit; look after] me.’

“Then those people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or ·alone and away from home [a stranger] or ·without clothes [naked] or sick or in prison? When did we see these things and not ·help [serve; care for] you?’

Pilate Tries to Free Jesus

Every year at the ·time of Passover [festival/feast] the governor would free [^Lfor the crowd] one prisoner whom the people chose.

At that time there was a man in prison, named Barabbas, who was ·known to be very bad [well known; notorious].

Jesus Announces the Good News

After John was put in prison [^Cby Herod Antipas; cf. 6:14–29], Jesus went into Galilee, preaching the ·Good News [Gospel] ·from [about] God.

Herod himself had ·ordered [sent] his soldiers to arrest John and ·put [bound; chained] him in prison ·in order to please [^Lbecause of] his wife, Herodias. She had been the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother, but then Herod had married her.

Immediately the king sent ·a soldier [an executioner] to bring John’s head. The ·soldier [executioner] went and cut off John’s head in the prison

Pilate Tries to Free Jesus

Every year at the ·time of the Passover [festival/feast] the governor would free one prisoner whom the people ·chose [requested].

At that time, there was a man named Barabbas in prison, one of a group of rebels who had committed murder during ·a riot [the uprising/insurrection].

The crowd came to Pilate and began to ask him to free a prisoner as he always did.

So Herod ·did something even worse [^Ladded this to all his sins]: He ·put [locked; shut up] John in prison.

“·The Lord has put his Spirit in me [^LThe Spirit of the Lord is on me], because he ·appointed [^Lanointed; ^Cat Jesus’ baptism he was anointed by the Spirit as the Messiah, meaning the Anointed One] me to ·tell [proclaim; preach] the ·Good News [Gospel] to the poor. He has sent me to ·tell the captives they are free [proclaim liberty/release for the captives/prisoners] and to tell the blind that they can see again [Is. 61:1]. God sent me to free ·those who have been treated unfairly [the oppressed; Is. 58:6]

If your ·enemy [opponent; accuser] is taking you ·to court [before the magistrate/ruler], try hard to settle it on the way. If you don’t, your enemy might ·take [drag] you to the judge, and the judge might turn you over to the officer, and the officer might throw you into ·jail [prison].

They will ·be killed by [^Lfall by the mouth of] the sword and taken as ·prisoners [captives] to all nations. Jerusalem will be ·crushed [trampled] by Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles is ·over [fulfilled].

But Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and even to die with you!”

| Every year at the Passover Feast, Pilate had to release one prisoner to the people.|