After Jesus had said these things, He went out with His disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, and He and His disciples went into it.

Then Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to Him, went out and said to them, “Who is it you’re looking for?”

“Jesus the Nazarene,” they answered.

“I am He,” Jesus told them.

Judas, who betrayed Him, was also standing with them.

This was to fulfill the words He had said: “I have not lost one of those You have given Me.”

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. (The slave’s name was Malchus.)

First they led Him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.

Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was advantageous that one man should die for the people.

Meanwhile, Simon Peter was following Jesus, as was another disciple. That disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest; so he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.

But Peter remained standing outside by the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the girl who was the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.

Then the slave girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?”

“I am not!” he said.

Now the slaves and the temple police had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them, warming himself.

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of His disciples too, are you?”

He denied it and said, “I am not!”

Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover.

They said this so that Jesus’ words might be fulfilled signifying what kind of death He was going to die.

“You are a king then?” Pilate asked.

“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”

They shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

When Pilate heard this statement, he was more afraid than ever.

It was the preparation day for the Passover, and it was about six in the morning. Then he told the Jews, “Here is your king!”

Pilate also had a sign lettered and put on the cross. The inscription was:

JESUS THE NAZARENE

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top.

After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, “I’m thirsty!”

A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it up to His mouth.

Since it was the preparation day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special day). They requested that Pilate have the men’s legs broken and that their bodies be taken away.

When they came to Jesus, they did not break His legs since they saw that He was already dead.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus—but secretly because of his fear of the Jews—asked Pilate that he might remove Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and took His body away.

There was a garden in the place where He was crucified. A new tomb was in the garden; no one had yet been placed in it.

They placed Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation and since the tomb was nearby.

On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.

The wrapping that had been on His head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself.

But Mary stood outside facing the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb.

Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not know it was Jesus.

“Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Supposing He was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve removed Him, tell me where you’ve put Him, and I will take Him away.”

But one of the Twelve, Thomas (called “Twin”), was not with them when Jesus came.

After eight days His disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace to you!”

When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore. However, the disciples did not know it was Jesus.

Therefore the disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer garment around him (for he was stripped) and plunged into the sea.

So Simon Peter got up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish—153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.

“Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them. None of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?” because they knew it was the Lord.

This was now the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after He was raised from the dead.

He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”

Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” He said, “Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You.”

“Feed My sheep,” Jesus said.

So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them. That disciple was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray You?”

until the day He was taken up, after He had given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.

While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “This,” He said, “is what you heard from Me;

After He had said this, He was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.

While He was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them.

During these days Peter stood up among the brothers—the number of people who were together was about 120—and said:

For he was one of our number and was allotted a share in this ministry.”

beginning from the baptism of John until the day He was taken up from us—from among these, it is necessary that one become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

So they proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.

Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias. So he was numbered with the 11 apostles.

When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: This Jesus the Nazarene was a man pointed out to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through Him, just as you yourselves know.

Though He was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail Him to a cross and kill Him.

God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.

Therefore my heart was glad,
and my tongue rejoiced.
Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope,

Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendants on his throne.

Seeing this in advance, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah:

He was not left in Hades,
and His flesh did not experience decay.

For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:

The Lord declared to my Lord,
‘Sit at My right hand

And a man who was lame from birth was carried there and placed every day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so he could beg from those entering the temple complex.

and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple complex. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.

While he was holding on to Peter and John, all the people, greatly amazed, ran toward them in what is called Solomon’s Colonnade.

So they seized them and put them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening.

Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders:

If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man—by what means he was healed—

for this sign of healing had been performed on a man over 40 years old.

When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness.

Now the large group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.

And the apostles were giving testimony with great power to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them.

For there was not a needy person among them, because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,

and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed for each person’s basic needs.

Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God!”

There was an interval of about three hours; then his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while.

Not long ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about 400 men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his partisans were dispersed and came to nothing.

In those days, as the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.

Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

“Brothers and fathers,” he said, “listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,

He didn’t give him an inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, but He promised to give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him, even though he was childless.

“The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt, but God was with him

When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors the first time.

The second time, Joseph was revealed to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh.

“As the time was drawing near to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt

At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God’s sight. He was cared for in his father’s home three months,

and when he was left outside, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted and raised him as her own son.

So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his speech and actions.

“As he was approaching the age of 40, he decided to visit his brothers, the Israelites.

“But the one who was mistreating his neighbor pushed him away, saying:

Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us?

When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he was approaching to look at it, the voice of the Lord came:

He is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors. He received living oracles to give to us.

But it was Solomon who built Him a house.

Saul, however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.

The crowds paid attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the signs he was performing.

So there was great joy in that city.

Then even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he went around constantly with Philip and was astounded as he observed the signs and great miracles that were being performed.

When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem

and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.