"By what proof," asked Zechariah, "shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is far advanced in years."

She was greatly agitated at his words, and wondered what such a greeting meant.

They asked his father by signs what he wished him to be called.

All who heard the story treasured it in their memories. "What then will this child be?" they said. For the lord's hand was indeed with him.

And when they saw the child, they told what had been said to them about Him;

and all who listened were astonished at what the shepherds told them.

The crowds repeatedly asked him, "What then are we to do?"

There came also a party of tax-gatherers to be baptized, and they asked him, "Rabbi, what are we to do?"

The soldiers also once and again inquired of him, "And we, what are we to do?" His answer was, "Neither intimidate any one nor lay false charges; and be content with your pay."

"Ha! Jesus the Nazarene, what have you to do with us? I know who you are--God's Holy One!"

All were astonished and awe-struck; and they asked one another, "What sort of language is this? For with authority and real power He gives orders to the foul spirits and they come out."

Well aware of their reasonings, Jesus answered their questions by asking in turn, "What is this that you are debating in your hearts?

And some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what the Law forbids on the Sabbath?"

"Have you never read so much as this," answered Jesus--"what David did when he and his followers were hungry;

But they were filled with madness, and began to discuss with one another what they should do to Jesus.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is it to you? Why, even bad men love those who love them.

And if you are kind to those who are kind to you, what credit is it to you? Even bad men act thus.

And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is it to you? Even bad men lend to their fellows so as to receive back an equal amount.

A good man from the good stored up in his heart brings out what is good; and an evil man from the evil stored up brings out what is evil; for from the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

"And why do you all call me 'Master, Master' and yet not do what I tell you?

And the report of what Jesus had done spread through the whole of Judaea and in all the surrounding districts.

Then He answered the messengers, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard. Blind men receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are purified, deaf persons hear, the dead are raised to life, the poor have the Good News proclaimed to them.

When John's messengers were gone, He proceeded to say to the multitude concerning John, "What did you go out into the Desert to gaze at? A reed waving in the wind?

But what did you go out to see? A man wearing luxurious clothes? People who are gorgeously dressed and live in luxury are found in palaces.

But what did you go out to see? A Prophet? Aye, I tell you, and far more than a Prophet.

"To what then shall I compare the men of the present generation, and what do they resemble?

Noticing this, the Pharisee, His host, said to himself, "This man, if he were really a Prophet, would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching him--and would know that she is an immoral woman."

The disciples proceeded to ask Him what this parable meant.

When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of God Most High? Do not torture me, I beseech you."

"What is your name?" Jesus asked him. "Legion," he replied--because a great number of demons had entered into him;

The swineherds, seeing what had happened, fled and reported it both in town and country;

whereupon the people came out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and they found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were terrified.

So they ate and were fully satisfied, all of them; and what they had remaining over was gathered up, twelve baskets of fragments.

Why, what benefit is it to a man to have gained the whole world, but to have lost or forfeited his own self.

And when they were preparing to depart from Him, Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, we are thankful to you that we are here. Let us put up three tents--one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what he was saying.

After this voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They kept it to themselves, and said not a word to any one at that time about what they had seen.

"And whatever town you come to and they receive you, eat what they put before you.

And He turned towards His disciples and said to them apart, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see!

Then an expounder of the Law stood up to test Him with a question. "Rabbi," he asked, "what shall I do to inherit the Life of the Ages?"

"Go to the Law," said Jesus; "what is written there? how does it read?"

But he, desiring to justify himself, said, "But what is meant by my 'fellow man'?"

"So I say to you, 'Ask, and what you ask for shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you.'

And what father is there among you, who, if his son asks for a slice of bread, will offer him a stone? or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish offer him a snake?

But as to what is within, give alms, and instantly all is clean in you.

Whatever therefore you have said in the dark, will be heard in the light; and what you have whispered within closed doors will be proclaimed from the house-tops.

And when they are bringing you before synagogues and magistrates and governors, do not anxiously ponder the manner or matter of your defence, nor what you are to say;

for the Holy Spirit shall teach you at that very moment what you must say."

and he debated within himself, saying, "'What am I to do? for I have no place in which to store my crops.'

"And he said to himself, "'This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and in them I will store up all my harvest and my wealth;

Then turning to His disciples He said, "For this reason I say to you, 'Dismiss all anxious care for your lives, inquiring what you are to eat, and for your bodies, what you are to put on.'

"Therefore, do not be asking what you are to eat nor what you are to drink; and do not waver between hope and fear.

Of this be sure, that if the master of the house had known what time the robber was coming, he would have kept awake and not have allowed his house to be broken into.

But he who had not been told it and yet did what deserved the scourge, will receive but few lashes. To whomsoever much has been given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been entrusted, of him a larger amount will be demanded.

"I came to throw fire upon the earth, and what is my desire? Oh that it were even now kindled!

This prompted Him to say, "What is the Kingdom of God like? and to what shall I compare it?

And again He said, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?

"Soon the servant reported the result, saying, "'Sir, what you ordered is done, and there is room still.'

Or what king, marching to encounter another king in war, does not first sit down and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand men to meet the one who is advancing against him with twenty thousand?

"Salt is good: but if even the salt has become tasteless, what will you use to season it?

"Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully till she finds it?

Then he called one of the lads to him and asked what all this meant.

He called him and said, "'What is this I hear about you? Render an account of your stewardship, for I cannot let you hold it any longer.'

"Then the steward said within himself, "'What am I to do? For my master is taking away the stewardship from me. I am not strong enough for field labour: to beg, I should be ashamed.

I see what to do, in order that when I am discharged from the stewardship they may give me a home in their own houses.'

So you also, when you have obeyed all the orders given you, must say, "'There is no merit in our service: what we have done is only what we were in duty bound to do.'"

The question was put to Him by a Ruler: "Good Rabbi, what shall I do to inherit the Life of the Ages?"

Nothing of this did they understand. The words were a mystery to them, nor could they see what He meant.

He heard a crowd of people going past, and inquired what it all meant.

"What shall I do for you?" "Sir," he replied, "let me recover my sight."

He was anxious to see what sort of man Jesus was; but he could not because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.

For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man: you take up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.'

"'By your own words,' he replied, 'I will judge you, you bad servant. You knew me to be a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow:

"'I tell you that to every one who has anything, more shall be given; and from him who has not anything, even what he has shall be taken away.

"O that at this time thou hadst known--yes even thou--what makes peace possible! But now it is hid from thine eyes.

together with the Elders, and they asked Him, "Tell us, By what authority are you doing these things? And who is it that gave you this authority?"

"Nor will I tell you," said Jesus, "by what authority I do these things."

Then the owner of the vineyard said, "'What am I to do? I will send my son--my dearly-loved son: they will probably respect him.'

"So they turned him out of the vineyard and murdered him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

He looked at them and said, "What then does that mean which is written, "'The Stone which the builders rejected has been made the cornerstone'?

So they put a question to Him. "Rabbi," they said, "we know that you say and teach what is right and that you make no distinctions between one man and another, but teach God's way truly.

"Pay therefore," He replied, "what is Caesar's to Caesar--and what is God's to God."

For from what they could well spare they have all of them contributed to the offerings, but she in her need has thrown in all she had to live on."

"Rabbi, when will this be?" they asked Him, "and what will be the token given when these things are about to take place?"

while men's hearts are fainting for fear, and for anxious expectation of what is coming on the world. For the forces which control the heavens will be disordered and disturbed.

Those who were about Him, seeing what was likely to happen, asked Him, "Master, shall we strike with the sword?"

"Man, I don't know what you mean," replied Peter. No sooner had he spoken than a cock crowed.

"What need have we of further evidence?" they said; "for we ourselves have heard it from his own lips."

A third time he appealed to them: "Why, what crime has the man committed? I have discovered in him nothing that deserves death. I will therefore give him a light punishment and release him."

For if they are doing these things in the case of the green tree, what will be done in that of the dry?"

Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing." And they divided His garments among them, drawing lots for them;

And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving due requital for what we have done. But He has done nothing amiss."

The Captain, seeing what had happened, gave glory to God, saying, "Beyond question this man was innocent."

Peter, however, rose and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw nothing but the linen cloths: so he went away to his own home, wondering at what had happened.

"What is the subject," He asked them, "on which you are talking so earnestly, as you walk?" And they stood still, looking full of sorrow.

"What things?" He asked. "The things about Jesus the Nazarene," they said, "who was a Prophet powerful in work and word before God and all the people;

Then they related what had happened on the way, and how He had been recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

And He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you--that everything must be fulfilled that is written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and the Psalms concerning me."