And this was his message: "After me there is coming one stronger than I am, one whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and untie.

saying, "The time has come and the reign of God is near; repent, and believe this good news."

And they were all so amazed that they discussed it with one another, and said, "What does this mean? It is a new teaching! He gives orders with authority even to the foul spirits, and they obey him!"

saying to him, "See that you say nothing about this to anybody, but begone! show yourself to the priest, and in proof of your cure make the offerings for your purification which Moses prescribed."

"Why does this man talk so? This is blasphemy. Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

Jesus, at once perceiving by his spirit that they were pondering over this, said to them, "Why do you ponder over this in your minds?

Which is easier, to say to this paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say to him, "Get up and pick up your mat and walk'?

And he got up, and immediately picked up his mat and went out before them all, so that they were all astonished and acknowledged the power of God, saying, "We never saw anything like this before."

This was because they said, "He is possessed by a foul spirit."

And Jesus said, "If you do not understand this figure, then how will you understand my other figures?

This man lived among the tombs, and no one could any longer secure him even with a chain,

For he was saying to him, "You foul spirit, come out of this man."

And he went into the house and said to them, "What is the meaning of all this confusion and crying? The child is not dead, she is asleep."

When the Sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue. And the people were astonished when they heard him, and said, "Where did he get all this? How does he come to have such wisdom? How are such marvelous things done through him?

When it grew late his disciples came up to him and said, "This is a lonely place and it is getting late.

But he said to them, "It was about you hypocrites that Isaiah prophesied so finely, in the words, " 'This people honor me with their lips, Yet their hearts are far away from me.

He called the people to him again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand this.

When he had left the crowd and gone home, his disciples asked him what he meant by this figure.

His disciples replied, "Where can anyone get bread enough, here in this solitude, to satisfy these people's hunger?"

And he sighed deeply and said, "Why do the men of this day ask for a sign? I tell you, no sign will be given them."

And he warned them not to say this about him to anyone.

He told them this plainly. And Peter took him aside, and began to reprove him for it.

For if anyone is ashamed of me and my teachings in this unfaithful and sinful age, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of him, when he comes back in his Father's glory, with the holy angels."

Six days after this Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him, and led them up on a high mountain, off by themselves. And his appearance underwent a change in their presence,

And a cloud came and overshadowed them, and from the cloud came a voice, "This is my Son, my Beloved. Listen to him,"

Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" And he said,

He said to them, "This kind of thing can be driven out only by prayer."

"Whoever welcomes one child like this on my account is welcoming me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me but him who has sent me."

When they reached the house the disciples asked him about this again.

but will receive now in this life a hundred times as much in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands, though not without persecution??nd in the coming age eternal life.

When the other ten heard of this they were at first very indignant at James and John.

The high priests and the scribes heard of this, and they cast about for a way of destroying him, for they were afraid of him, for all the people were amazed at what he taught.

I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Get up and throw yourself into the sea!' and has no doubt in his mind, but has faith that what he says will happen, shall have it.

But the tenants said to one another, 'This is his heir! Come on, let us kill him, and the property will belong to us!'

Did you never read this passage of Scripture: " 'That stone which the builders rejected Has become the cornerstone;

This came from the Lord And seems marvelous to us'?"

And they brought him one. He said to them, "Whose head and title is this?" And they told him, "The emperor's."

Jesus said to them, "Does not this show that you are wrong, and do not understand either the Scriptures or the power of God?

And this is the second: 'You must love your neighbor as you do yourself.' No other command is greater than these."

And he called his disciples to him and said, "I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all these others who have been putting money into the treasury.

"Tell us when this is to happen, and what the sign will be when it is all just going to be carried out."

And Jesus said to them, "Take care that no one misleads you about this.

For nation will rise in arms against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes here and there, there will be famines. This is only the beginning of the sufferings.

But as soon as you see the dreadful desecration standing where he has no right to stand" (the reader must take note of this), "then those who are in Judea must fly to the hills;

As they were eating, he took a loaf and blessed it, and he broke it in pieces and gave it to them saying, "Take this. It is my body."

And he said to them, "This is my blood which ratifies the agreement, and is to be poured out for many people.

Jesus said to him, "I tell you, this very night before the cock crows twice you yourself will disown me three times!"

and he said, "Abba!" that is, Father, "anything is possible for you! Take this cup away from me! Yet not what I please but what you do!"

When he came back for the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough of this! The time has come. See! the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of wicked men.

Some got up and gave false testimony against him to this effect:

"We ourselves have heard him say, 'I will tear down this sanctuary built by men's hands, and in three days I will build another, made without hands.' "

and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You were with this Jesus of Nazareth too!"

And the maid saw him there and began again to tell the bystanders, "This fellow is one of them!"

But he began to swear with the strongest oaths, "I do not know this man that you are talking about!"

Let this Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see it and believe!" And the men who were crucified with him abused him.

And when the captain who stood facing him saw how he expired he said, "This man was certainly a son of God!"

But he said to them, "You must not be amazed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here. See! This is where they laid him.