Bible in 90 Days

Jesus Heals a Boy Who Is Controlled by an Evil Spirit

¹⁴ When Jesus and those who were with him came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them. The teachers of the law were arguing with them. ¹⁵ When all the people saw Jesus, they were filled with wonder. And they ran to greet him.

¹⁶ “What are you arguing with them about?” Jesus asked.

¹⁷ A man in the crowd answered. “Teacher,” he said, “I brought you my son. He is controlled by an evil spirit. Because of this, my son can’t speak anymore. ¹⁸ When the spirit takes hold of him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth. He grinds his teeth. And his body becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit. But they couldn’t do it.”

¹⁹ “You unbelieving people!” Jesus replied. “How long do I have to stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

²⁰ So they brought him. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a fit. He fell to the ground. He rolled around and foamed at the mouth.

²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“Since he was a child,” he answered. ²² “The spirit has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us. Please help us.”

²³ “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for the one who believes.”

²⁴ Right away the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!”

²⁵ Jesus saw that a crowd was running over to see what was happening. Then he ordered the evil spirit to leave the boy. “You spirit that makes him unable to hear and speak!” he said. “I command you, come out of him. Never enter him again.”

²⁶ The spirit screamed. It shook the boy wildly. Then it came out of him. The boy looked so lifeless that many people said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand. He lifted the boy to his feet, and the boy stood up.

²⁸ Jesus went indoors. Then his disciples asked him in private, “Why couldn’t we drive out the evil spirit?”

²⁹ He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Jesus Speaks a Second Time About His Coming Death

³⁰ They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were. ³¹ That was because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men. They will kill him. After three days he will rise from the dead.” ³² But they didn’t understand what he meant. And they were afraid to ask him about it.

Who Is the Most Important Person?

³³ Jesus and his disciples came to a house in Capernaum. There he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴ But they kept quiet. On the way, they had argued about which one of them was the most important person.

³⁵ Jesus sat down and called for the 12 disciples to come to him. Then he said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last. They must be the servant of everyone.”

³⁶ Jesus took a little child and had the child stand among them. Then he took the child in his arms. He said to them, ³⁷ “Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me also welcomes the one who sent me.”

Anyone Who Is Not Against Us Is for Us

³⁸ “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name. We told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

³⁹ “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me. ⁴⁰ Anyone who is not against us is for us. ⁴¹ What I’m about to tell you is true. Suppose someone gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah. That person will certainly not go without a reward.

Leading People to Sin

⁴² “What if someone leads one of these little ones who believe in me to sin? If they do, it would be better if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. ^43-44 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It would be better for you to enter God’s kingdom with only one hand than to go into hell with two hands. In hell the fire never goes out. ^45-46 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It would be better to enter God’s kingdom with only one foot than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷ If your eye causes you to sin, poke it out. It would be better for you to enter God’s kingdom with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. ⁴⁸ In hell,

⁴⁹ Everyone will be salted with fire.

⁵⁰ “Salt is good. But suppose it loses its saltiness. How can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves. And be at peace with each other.”

Jesus Teaches About Divorce

10 Jesus left that place and went into the area of Judea and across the Jordan River. Again crowds of people came to him. As usual, he taught them.

² Some Pharisees came to test Jesus. They asked, “Does the Law allow a man to divorce his wife?”

³ “What did Moses command you?” he replied.

⁴ They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a letter of divorce and send her away.”

⁵ “You were stubborn. That’s why Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. ⁶ “But at the beginning of creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ (Genesis 1:27) ⁷ ‘That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. ⁸ The two of them will become one.’ (Genesis 2:24) They are no longer two, but one. ⁹ So no one should separate what God has joined together.”

¹⁰ When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. ¹¹ He answered, “What if a man divorces his wife and gets married to another woman? He commits adultery against her. ¹² And what if she divorces her husband and gets married to another man? She commits adultery.”

Little Children Are Brought to Jesus

¹³ People were bringing little children to Jesus. They wanted him to place his hands on them to bless them. But the disciples told them to stop. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was angry. He said to his disciples, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t keep them away. God’s kingdom belongs to people like them. ¹⁵ What I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone who will not receive God’s kingdom like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ Then he took the children in his arms. He placed his hands on them to bless them.

Rich People and the Kingdom of God

¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him. He fell on his knees before Jesus. “Good teacher,” he said, “what must I do to receive eternal life?”

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good except God. ¹⁹ You know what the commandments say. ‘Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not be a false witness. Do not cheat. Honor your father and mother.’ ” (Exodus 20:12–16; Deuteronomy 5:16–20)

²⁰ “Teacher,” he said, “I have obeyed all those commandments since I was a boy.”

²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “You are missing one thing,” he said. “Go and sell everything you have. Give the money to those who are poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”

²² The man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he was very rich.

²³ Jesus looked around. He said to his disciples, “How hard it is for rich people to enter God’s kingdom!”

²⁴ The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter God’s kingdom! ²⁵ Is it hard for a camel to go through the eye of a needle? It is even harder for someone who is rich to enter God’s kingdom!”

²⁶ The disciples were even more amazed. They said to each other, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With people, this is impossible. But not with God. All things are possible with God.”

²⁸ Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

²⁹ “What I’m about to tell you is true,” Jesus replied. “Has anyone left home or family or fields for me and the good news? ³⁰ They will receive 100 times as much in this world. They will have homes and families and fields. But they will also be treated badly by others. In the world to come they will live forever. ³¹ But many who are first will be last. And the last will be first.”

Jesus Speaks a Third Time About His Coming Death

³² They were on their way up to Jerusalem. Jesus was leading the way. The disciples were amazed. Those who followed were afraid. Again Jesus took the 12 disciples to one side. He told them what was going to happen to him. ³³ “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said. “The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will sentence him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles. ³⁴ They will make fun of him and spit on him. They will whip him and kill him. Three days later he will rise from the dead!”

James and John Ask Jesus for a Favor

³⁵ James and John came to Jesus. They were the sons of Zebedee. “Teacher,” they said, “we would like to ask you for a favor.”

³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

³⁷ They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right hand in your glorious kingdom. Let the other one sit at your left hand.”

³⁸ “You don’t know what you’re asking for,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup of suffering I drink? Or can you go through the baptism of suffering I must go through?”

³⁹ “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink. And you will go through the baptism I go through. ⁴⁰ But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or left hand. These places belong to those they are prepared for.”

⁴¹ The other ten disciples heard about it. They became angry at James and John. ⁴² Jesus called them together. He said, “You know about those who are rulers of the Gentiles. They hold power over their people. Their high officials order them around. ⁴³ Don’t be like that. Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. ⁴⁴ And anyone who wants to be first must be the slave of everyone. ⁴⁵ Even the Son of Man did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free.”

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

⁴⁶ Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho. They were leaving the city. A large crowd was with them. A blind man was sitting by the side of the road begging. His name was Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus means Son of Timaeus. ⁴⁷ He heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. So he began to shout, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸ Many people commanded him to stop. They told him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, “Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call for him.”

So they called out to the blind man, “Cheer up! Get up on your feet! Jesus is calling for you.” ⁵⁰ He threw his coat to one side. Then he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to be able to see.”

⁵² “Go,” said Jesus. “Your faith has healed you.” Right away he could see. And he followed Jesus along the road.

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

11 As they all approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two of his disciples. ² He said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you. Just as you enter it, you will find a donkey’s colt tied there. No one has ever ridden it. Untie it and bring it here. ³ Someone may ask you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ If so, say, ‘The Lord needs it. But he will send it back here soon.’ ”

⁴ So they left. They found a colt out in the street. It was tied at a doorway. They untied it. ⁵ Some people standing there asked, “What are you doing? Why are you untying that colt?” ⁶ They answered as Jesus had told them to. So the people let them go. ⁷ They brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their coats over it. Then he sat on it. ⁸ Many people spread their coats on the road. Others spread branches they had cut in the fields. ⁹ Those in front and those in back shouted,

¹¹ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courtyard. He looked around at everything. But it was already late. So he went out to Bethany with the 12 disciples.

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears Out the Temple Courtyard

¹² The next day as Jesus and his disciples were leaving Bethany, they were hungry. ¹³ Not too far away, he saw a fig tree. It was covered with leaves. He went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves. It was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And his disciples heard him say it.

¹⁵ When Jesus reached Jerusalem, he entered the temple courtyard. He began to drive out those who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of the people who were exchanging money. He also turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. ¹⁶ He would not allow anyone to carry items for sale through the temple courtyard. ¹⁷ Then he taught them. He told them, “It is written that the Lord said, ‘My house will be called a house where people from all nations can pray.’ (Isaiah 56:7) But you have made it a ‘den for robbers.’ ” (Jeremiah 7:11)

¹⁸ The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard about this. They began looking for a way to kill Jesus. They were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

¹⁹ When evening came, Jesus and his disciples left the city.

The Dried-Up Fig Tree

²⁰ In the morning as Jesus and his disciples walked along, they saw the fig tree. It was dried up all the way down to the roots. ²¹ Peter remembered. He said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you put a curse on has dried up!”

²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus said. ²³ “What I’m about to tell you is true. Suppose someone says to this mountain, ‘Go and throw yourself into the sea.’ They must not doubt in their heart. They must believe that what they say will happen. Then it will be done for them. ²⁴ So I tell you, when you pray for something, believe that you have already received it. Then it will be yours. ^25-26 And when you stand praying, forgive anyone you have anything against. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins.”

The Authority of Jesus Is Questioned

²⁷ Jesus and his disciples arrived again in Jerusalem. He was walking in the temple courtyard. Then the chief priests came to him. The teachers of the law and the elders came too. ²⁸ “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “Who gave you authority to do this?”

²⁹ Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ³⁰ Was John’s baptism from heaven? Or did it come from human authority? Tell me!”

³¹ They talked to each other about it. They said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ³² But what if we say, ‘From human authority’?” They were afraid of the people. Everyone believed that John really was a prophet.

³³ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I am doing these things either.”

The Story of the Renters

12 Jesus began to speak to the people using stories. He said, “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he went to another place. ² At harvest time he sent a servant to the renters. He told the servant to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³ But they grabbed the servant and beat him up. Then they sent him away with nothing. ⁴ So the man sent another servant to the renters. They hit this one on the head and treated him badly. ⁵ The man sent still another servant. The renters killed him. The man sent many others. The renters beat up some of them. They killed the others.

⁶ “The man had one person left to send. It was his son, and he loved him. He sent him last of all. He said, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷ “But the renters said to each other, ‘This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday. Come, let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’ ⁸ So they took him and killed him. They threw him out of the vineyard.

⁹ “What will the owner of the vineyard do then? He will come and kill those renters. He will give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Haven’t you read what this part of Scripture says,

¹² Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest Jesus. They knew he had told the story against them. But they were afraid of the crowd. So they left him and went away.

Is It Right to Pay the Royal Tax to Caesar?

¹³ Later the religious leaders sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus. They wanted to trap him with his own words. ¹⁴ They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of honor. You don’t let other people tell you what to do or say. You don’t care how important they are. But you teach the way of God truthfully. Is it right to pay the royal tax to Caesar or not? ¹⁵ Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew what they were trying to do. So he asked, “Why are you trying to trap me? Bring me a silver coin. Let me look at it.” ¹⁶ They brought the coin. He asked them, “Whose picture is this? And whose words?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

¹⁷ Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give back to God what belongs to God.”

They were amazed at him.

Marriage When the Dead Rise

¹⁸ The Sadducees came to Jesus with a question. They do not believe that people rise from the dead. ¹⁹ “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us about a man who died and didn’t have any children. But he did leave a wife behind. That man’s brother must get married to the widow. He must provide children to carry on his dead brother’s name. ²⁰ There were seven brothers. The first one got married. He died without leaving any children. ²¹ The second one got married to the widow. He also died and left no child. It was the same with the third one. ²² In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. ²³ When the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven of them were married to her.”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures. And you do not know the power of God. ²⁵ When the dead rise, they won’t get married. And their parents won’t give them to be married. They will be like the angels in heaven. ²⁶ What about the dead rising? Haven’t you read in the Book of Moses the story of the burning bush? God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.’ (Exodus 3:6) ²⁷ He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living. You have made a big mistake!”

The Most Important Commandment

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard the Sadducees arguing. He noticed that Jesus had given the Sadducees a good answer. So he asked him, “Which is the most important of all the commandments?”

²⁹ Jesus answered, “Here is the most important one. Moses said, ‘Israel, listen to me. The Lord is our God. The Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Deuteronomy 6:4,5) ³¹ And here is the second one. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18) There is no commandment more important than these.”

³² “You have spoken well, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one. There is no other God but him. ³³ To love God with all your heart and mind and strength is very important. So is loving your neighbor as you love yourself. These things are more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

³⁴ Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely. He said to him, “You are not far from God’s kingdom.” From then on, no one dared to ask Jesus any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

³⁵ Jesus was teaching in the temple courtyard. He asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? ³⁶ The Holy Spirit spoke through David himself. David said,

³⁷ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ So how can he be David’s son?”

The large crowd listened to Jesus with delight.

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

³⁸ As he taught, he said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in long robes. They like to be greeted with respect in the market. ³⁹ They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. They also love to have the places of honor at dinners. ⁴⁰ They take over the houses of widows. They say long prayers to show off. God will punish these men very much.”

The Widow’s Offering

⁴¹ Jesus sat down across from the place where people put their temple offerings. He watched the crowd putting their money into the offering boxes. Many rich people threw large amounts into them. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins. They were worth only a few pennies.

⁴³ Jesus asked his disciples to come to him. He said, “What I’m about to tell you is true. That poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave a lot because they are rich. But she gave even though she is poor. She put in everything she had. That was all she had to live on.”

When the Temple Will Be Destroyed and the Signs of the End

13 Jesus was leaving the temple. One of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What huge stones! What wonderful buildings!”

² “Do you see these huge buildings?” Jesus asked. “Not one stone here will be left on top of another. Every stone will be thrown down.”

³ Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the temple. Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him a question in private. ⁴ “Tell us,” they said. “When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to come true?”

⁵ Jesus said to them, “Keep watch! Be careful that no one fools you. ⁶ Many will come in my name. They will claim, ‘I am he.’ They will fool many people. ⁷ You will hear about wars. You will also hear people talking about future wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen. But the end still isn’t here. ⁸ Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many places. People will go hungry. All these things are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Watch out! You will be handed over to the local courts. You will be whipped in the synagogues. You will stand in front of governors and kings because of me. In that way you will be witnesses to them. ¹⁰ The good news has to be preached to all nations before the end comes. ¹¹ You will be arrested and brought to trial. But don’t worry ahead of time about what you will say. Just say what God brings to your mind at the time. It is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

¹² “Brothers will hand over brothers to be killed. Fathers will hand over their children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. ¹³ Everyone will hate you because of me. But the one who remains strong in the faith will be saved.

¹⁴ “You will see ‘the hated thing that destroys.’ (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) It will stand where it does not belong. The reader should understand this. Then those who are in Judea should escape to the mountains. ¹⁵ No one on the roof should go down into the house to take anything out. ¹⁶ No one in the field should go back to get their coat. ¹⁷ How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! ¹⁸ Pray that this will not happen in winter. ¹⁹ Those days will be worse than any others from the time God created the world until now. And there will never be any like them again.

²⁰ “If the Lord had not cut the time short, no one would live. But because of God’s chosen people, he has shortened it. ²¹ At that time someone may say to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ Or, ‘Look! There he is!’ Do not believe it. ²² False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will do signs and miracles. They will try to fool God’s chosen people if possible. ²³ Keep watch! I have told you everything ahead of time.

²⁴ “So in those days there will be terrible suffering. After that, Scripture says,

²⁶ “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds. He will come with great power and glory. ²⁷ He will send his angels. He will gather his chosen people from all four directions. He will bring them from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

²⁸ “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that the end is near. It is right at the door. ³⁰ What I’m about to tell you is true. The people living now will certainly not pass away until all those things have happened. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away.

The Day and Hour Are Not Known

³² “But no one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows. ³³ Keep watch! Stay awake! You do not know when that time will come. ³⁴ It’s like a man going away. He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge. Each one is given a task to do. He tells the one at the door to keep watch.

³⁵ “So keep watch! You do not know when the owner of the house will come back. It may be in the evening or at midnight. It may be when the rooster crows or at dawn. ³⁶ He may come suddenly. So do not let him find you sleeping. ³⁷ What I say to you, I say to everyone. ‘Watch!’ ”

A Woman Pours Perfume on Jesus at Bethany

14 The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were plotting to arrest Jesus secretly. They wanted to kill him. ² “But not during the feast,” they said. “The people may stir up trouble.”

³ Jesus was in Bethany. He was at the table in the home of Simon, who had a skin disease. A woman came with a special sealed jar. It contained very expensive perfume made out of pure nard. She broke the jar open and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head.

⁴ Some of the people there became angry. They said to one another, “Why waste this perfume? ⁵ It could have been sold for more than a year’s pay. The money could have been given to poor people.” So they found fault with the woman.

⁶ “Leave her alone,” Jesus said. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ You will always have poor people with you. You can help them any time you want to. But you will not always have me. ⁸ She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body to prepare me to be buried. ⁹ What I’m about to tell you is true. What she has done will be told anywhere the good news is preached all over the world. It will be told in memory of her.”

¹⁰ Judas Iscariot was one of the 12 disciples. He went to the chief priests to hand Jesus over to them. ¹¹ They were delighted to hear that he would do this. They promised to give Judas money. So he watched for the right time to hand Jesus over to them.

The Last Supper

¹² It was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. That was the time to sacrifice the Passover lamb. Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?”

¹³ So he sent out two of his disciples. He told them, “Go into the city. A man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴ He will enter a house. Say to its owner, ‘The Teacher asks, “Where is my guest room? Where can I eat the Passover meal with my disciples?” ’ ¹⁵ He will show you a large upstairs room. It will have furniture and will be ready. Prepare for us to eat there.”

¹⁶ The disciples left and went into the city. They found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal.

¹⁷ When evening came, Jesus arrived with the 12 disciples. ¹⁸ While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “What I’m about to tell you is true. One of you who is eating with me will hand me over to my enemies.”

¹⁹ The disciples became sad. One by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”

²⁰ “It is one of you,” Jesus replied. “It is the one who dips bread into the bowl with me. ²¹ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But how terrible it will be for the one who hands over the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

²² While they were eating, Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He handed it to his disciples and said, “Take it. This is my body.”

²³ Then he took a cup. He gave thanks and handed it to them. All of them drank from it.

²⁴ “This is my blood of the covenant,” he said to them. “It is poured out for many. ²⁵ What I’m about to tell you is true. I won’t drink wine with you again until the day I drink it in God’s kingdom.”

²⁶ Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Says That the Disciples Will Turn Away

²⁷ “You will all turn away,” Jesus told the disciples. “It is written,

²⁸ But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

²⁹ Peter said, “All the others may turn away. But I will not.”

³⁰ “What I’m about to tell you is true,” Jesus answered. “It will happen today, in fact tonight. Before the rooster crows twice, you yourself will say three times that you don’t know me.”

³¹ But Peter would not give in. He said, “I may have to die with you. But I will never say I don’t know you.” And all the others said the same thing.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

³² Jesus and his disciples went to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus said to them, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³ He took Peter, James and John along with him. He began to be very upset and troubled. ³⁴ “My soul is very sad. I feel close to death,” he said to them. “Stay here. Keep watch.”

³⁵ He went a little farther. Then he fell to the ground. He prayed that, if possible, the hour might pass by him. ³⁶ “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. But let what you want be done, not what I want.”

³⁷ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Watch and pray. Then you won’t fall into sin when you are tempted. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

³⁹ Once more Jesus went away and prayed the same thing. ⁴⁰ Then he came back. Again he found them sleeping. They couldn’t keep their eyes open. They did not know what to say to him.

⁴¹ Jesus returned the third time. He said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look! The Son of Man is about to be handed over to sinners. ⁴² Get up! Let us go! Here comes the one who is handing me over to them!”

Jesus Is Arrested

⁴³ Just as Jesus was speaking, Judas appeared. He was one of the 12 disciples. A crowd was with him. They were carrying swords and clubs. The chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders had sent them.

⁴⁴ Judas, who was going to hand Jesus over, had arranged a signal with them. “The one I kiss is the man,” he said. “Arrest him and have the guards lead him away.” ⁴⁵ So Judas went to Jesus at once. Judas said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed Jesus. ⁴⁶ The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. ⁴⁷ Then one of those standing nearby pulled his sword out. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸ “Am I leading a band of armed men against you?” asked Jesus. “Do you have to come out with swords and clubs to capture me? ⁴⁹ Every day I was with you. I taught in the temple courtyard, and you didn’t arrest me. But the Scriptures must come true.” ⁵⁰ Then everyone left him and ran away.

⁵¹ A young man was following Jesus. The man was wearing nothing but a piece of linen cloth. When the crowd grabbed him, ⁵² he ran away naked. He left his clothing behind.

Jesus Is Taken to the Sanhedrin

⁵³ The crowd took Jesus to the high priest. All the chief priests, the elders, and the teachers of the law came together. ⁵⁴ Not too far away, Peter followed Jesus. He went right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards. He warmed himself at the fire.

⁵⁵ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for something to use against Jesus. They wanted to put him to death. But they did not find any proof. ⁵⁶ Many witnesses lied about him. But their stories did not agree.

⁵⁷ Then some of them stood up. Here is what those false witnesses said about him. ⁵⁸ “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made by human hands. In three days I will build another temple, not made by human hands.’ ” ⁵⁹ But what they said did not agree.

⁶⁰ Then the high priest stood up in front of them. He asked Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? What are these charges these men are bringing against you?” ⁶¹ But Jesus remained silent. He gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah? Are you the Son of the Blessed One?”

⁶² “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One. You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶³ The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. ⁶⁴ “You have heard him say a very evil thing against God. What do you think?”

They all found him guilty and said he must die. ⁶⁵ Then some began to spit at him. They blindfolded him. They hit him with their fists. They said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.

Peter Says He Does Not Know Jesus

⁶⁶ Peter was below in the courtyard. One of the high priest’s female servants came by. ⁶⁷ When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.

“You also were with Jesus, that Nazarene,” she said.

⁶⁸ But Peter said he had not been with him. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said. He went out to the entrance to the courtyard.

⁶⁹ The servant saw him there. She said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” ⁷⁰ Again he said he was not.

After a little while, those standing nearby said to Peter, “You must be one of them. You are from Galilee.”

⁷¹ Then Peter began to curse. He said to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”

⁷² Right away the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had spoken to him. “The rooster will crow twice,” he had said. “Before it does, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Peter broke down and cried.

Jesus Is Brought to Pilate

15 It was very early in the morning. The chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law, and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they tied Jesus up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate.

² “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

³ The chief priests brought many charges against him. ⁴ So Pilate asked him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they charge you with.”

⁵ But Jesus still did not reply. Pilate was amazed.

⁶ It was the usual practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted. ⁷ A man named Barabbas was in prison. He was there with some other people who had fought against the country’s rulers. They had committed murder while they were fighting against the rulers. ⁸ The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

⁹ “Do you want me to let the king of the Jews go free?” asked Pilate. ¹⁰ He knew that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him because they wanted to get their own way. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd. So the crowd asked Pilate to let Barabbas go free instead.

¹² “Then what should I do with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

¹³ “Crucify him!” the crowd shouted.

¹⁴ “Why? What wrong has he done?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”

¹⁵ Pilate wanted to satisfy the crowd. So he let Barabbas go free. He ordered that Jesus be whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross.

The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus

¹⁶ The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace. It was called the Praetorium. They called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷ The soldiers put a purple robe on Jesus. Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head. ¹⁸ They began to call out to him, “We honor you, king of the Jews!” ¹⁹ Again and again they hit him on the head with a stick. They spit on him. They fell on their knees and pretended to honor him. ²⁰ After they had made fun of him, they took off the purple robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to nail him to a cross.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

²¹ A man named Simon was passing by. He was from Cyrene. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Simon was on his way in from the country. The soldiers forced him to carry the cross. ²² They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means the Place of the Skull. ²³ Then they gave him wine mixed with spices. But he did not take it. ²⁴ They nailed him to the cross. Then they divided up his clothes. They cast lots to see what each of them would get.

²⁵ It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ They wrote out the charge against him. It read,

The King of the Jews.

^27-28 They crucified with him two rebels against Rome. One was on his right and one was on his left. ²⁹ Those who passed by shouted at Jesus and made fun of him. They shook their heads and said, “So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? ³⁰ Then come down from the cross! Save yourself!” ³¹ In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law made fun of him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said. “But he can’t save himself! ³² Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross! When we see that, we will believe.” Those who were being crucified with Jesus also made fun of him.

Jesus Dies

³³ At noon, darkness covered the whole land. It lasted three hours. ³⁴ At three o’clock in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” This means “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” (Psalm 22:1)

³⁵ Some of those standing nearby heard Jesus cry out. They said, “Listen! He’s calling for Elijah.”

³⁶ Someone ran and filled a sponge with wine vinegar. He put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink. “Leave him alone,” he said. “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”

³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus took his last breath.

³⁸ The temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹ A Roman commander was standing there in front of Jesus. He saw how Jesus died. Then he said, “This man was surely the Son of God!”

⁴⁰ Not very far away, some women were watching. Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of the younger James and of Joseph, was also there. So was Salome. ⁴¹ In Galilee these women had followed Jesus. They had taken care of his needs. Many other women were also there. They had come up with him to Jerusalem.

Jesus Is Buried

⁴² It was the day before the Sabbath. That day was called Preparation Day. As evening approached, ⁴³ Joseph went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Joseph was from the town of Arimathea. He was a leading member of the Jewish Council. He was waiting for God’s kingdom. ⁴⁴ Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. So he called for the Roman commander. He asked him if Jesus had already died. ⁴⁵ The commander said it was true. So Pilate gave the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶ Then Joseph bought some linen cloth. He took down the body and wrapped it in the linen. He put it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. ⁴⁷ Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body had been placed.

Jesus Rises From the Dead

16 The Sabbath day ended. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices. They were going to use them for Jesus’ body. ² Very early on the first day of the week, they were on their way to the tomb. It was just after sunrise. ³ They asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb?”

⁴ Then they looked up and saw that the stone had been rolled away. The stone was very large. ⁵ They entered the tomb. As they did, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe. He was sitting on the right side. They were alarmed.

⁶ “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. But he has risen! He is not here! See the place where they had put him. ⁷ Go! Tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. It will be just as he told you.’ ”

⁸ The women were shaking and confused. They went out and ran away from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

⁹ Jesus rose from the dead early on the first day of the week. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. He had driven seven demons out of her. ¹⁰ She went and told those who had been with him. She found them crying. They were very sad. ¹¹ They heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him. But they did not believe it.

¹² After that, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them. This happened while they were walking out in the country. ¹³ The two returned and told the others about it. But the others did not believe them either.

¹⁴ Later Jesus appeared to the 11 disciples as they were eating. He spoke firmly to them because they had no faith. They would not believe those who had seen him after he rose from the dead.

¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world. Preach the good news to everyone. ¹⁶ Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who does not believe will be punished. ¹⁷ Here are the miraculous signs that those who believe will do. In my name they will drive out demons. They will speak in languages they had not known before. ¹⁸ They will pick up snakes with their hands. And when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all. They will place their hands on sick people. And the people will get well.”

¹⁹ When the Lord Jesus finished speaking to them, he was taken up into heaven. He sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere. The Lord worked with them. And he backed up his word by the signs that went with it.

Luke Writes an Orderly Report

1 Many people have attempted to write about the things that have taken place among us. ² Reports of these things were handed down to us. There were people who saw these things for themselves from the beginning. They saw them and then passed the word on. ³ With this in mind, I myself have carefully looked into everything from the beginning. So I also decided to write down an orderly report of exactly what happened. I am doing this for you, most excellent Theophilus. ⁴ I want you to know that the things you have been taught are true.

The Coming Birth of John the Baptist

⁵ Herod was king of Judea. During the time he was ruling, there was a priest named Zechariah. He belonged to a group of priests named after Abijah. His wife Elizabeth also came from the family line of Aaron. ⁶ Both of them did what was right in the sight of God. They obeyed all the Lord’s commands and rules faithfully. ⁷ But they had no children, because Elizabeth was not able to have any. And they were both very old.

⁸ One day Zechariah’s group was on duty. He was serving as a priest in God’s temple. ⁹ He happened to be chosen, in the usual way, to go into the temple of the Lord. There he was supposed to burn incense. ¹⁰ The time came for this to be done. All who had gathered to worship were praying outside.

¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah. The angel was standing at the right side of the incense altar. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was amazed and terrified. ¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will have a child. It will be a boy, and you must call him John. ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you. His birth will make many people very glad. ¹⁵ He will be important in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or other such drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will prepare the way for the Lord. He will have the same spirit and power that Elijah had. He will bring peace between parents and their children. He will teach people who don’t obey to be wise and do what is right. In this way, he will prepare a people who are ready for the Lord.”

¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man, and my wife is old too.”

¹⁹ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I serve God. I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰ And now you will have to be silent. You will not be able to speak until after John is born. That’s because you did not believe my words. They will come true at the time God has chosen.”

²¹ During that time, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the temple. They wondered why he stayed there so long. ²² When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple. They knew this because he kept gesturing to them. He still could not speak.

²³ When his time of service was over, he returned home. ²⁴ After that, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant. She stayed at home for five months. ²⁵ “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days, he has been kind to me. He has taken away my shame among the people.”

The Coming Birth of Jesus

²⁶ In the sixth month after Elizabeth had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee. ²⁷ He was sent to a virgin. The girl was engaged to a man named Joseph. He came from the family line of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel greeted her and said, “The Lord has blessed you in a special way. He is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was very upset because of his words. She wondered what kind of greeting this could be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary. God is very pleased with you. ³¹ You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king like his father David of long ago. ³³ The Son of the Most High God will rule forever over his people. They are from the family line of Jacob. That kingdom will never end.”

³⁴ “How can this happen?” Mary asked the angel. “I am a virgin.”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Most High God will cover you. So the holy one that is born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Your relative Elizabeth will have a child even though she is old. People thought she could not have children. But she has been pregnant for six months now. ³⁷ That’s because what God says will always come true.”

³⁸ “I serve the Lord,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me just as you said it would.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in Judea’s hill country. ⁴⁰ There she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby inside her jumped. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² In a loud voice she called out, “God has blessed you more than other women. And blessed is the child you will have! ⁴³ But why is God so kind to me? Why has the mother of my Lord come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as I heard the sound of your voice, the baby inside me jumped for joy. ⁴⁵ You are a woman God has blessed. You have believed that the Lord would keep his promises to you!”

Mary’s Song

⁴⁶ Mary said,

⁵⁶ Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she returned home.

John the Baptist Is Born

⁵⁷ The time came for Elizabeth to have her baby. She gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very kind to her. They shared her joy.

⁵⁹ On the eighth day, they came to have the child circumcised. They were going to name him Zechariah, like his father. ⁶⁰ But his mother spoke up. “No!” she said. “He must be called John.”

⁶¹ They said to her, “No one among your relatives has that name.”

⁶² Then they motioned to his father. They wanted to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³ He asked for something to write on. Then he wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was amazed. ⁶⁴ Right away Zechariah could speak again. Right away he praised God. ⁶⁵ All his neighbors were filled with fear and wonder. Throughout Judea’s hill country, people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶ Everyone who heard this wondered about it. And because the Lord was with John, they asked, “What is this child going to be?”

Zechariah’s Song

⁶⁷ John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit. He prophesied,

⁸⁰ The child grew up, and his spirit became strong. He lived in the desert until he appeared openly to Israel.