I have thoroughly investigated the entire series of events [myself], I felt it would be good for me also to write you an orderly account of them.

that we would be delivered from the [destructive] hand of our enemies and [then] serve Him without fear

Now it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Christ [i.e., God's, specially chosen one].

And all of them who heard Him were amazed at His understanding [i.e., of spiritual matters] and His answers [to questions they would ask Him].

He went into the whole region around the Jordan River proclaiming that those immersed on the basis of their repentance [i.e., determining to change their hearts and lives] would receive the forgiveness of sins [from God].

Now as people were anticipating [what would happen] and everyone was wondering in their hearts if perhaps John were the Christ [i.e., God's specially chosen one],

to proclaim the year of the Lord's acceptance [i.e., the time when people would become His obedient followers]."

And evil spirits also came out of many people, shouting [at Him], "You are the Son of God." And Jesus spoke sternly to them and would not allow them to speak [anymore] because they knew He was the Christ [Note: Jesus would not accept the endorsement of these Satanic spirits].

And the experts in the law of Moses were watching Him to see if He would heal [someone] on the Sabbath day, so they could figure out how to accuse Him.

And whatever you would like people to do to you, do the same thing to them.

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law of Moses, who would not be immersed by John, rejected God's purpose for themselves.

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who touched him and what kind of a woman she was --- a sinner."

For whoever would [try to] save his life [i.e., by neglecting spiritual things] will lose it [i.e., miss out on the blessings of God]. But whoever [willingly] loses his life [i.e., in commitment to God's service] for my sake, that person will save it [i.e., obtain both temporal and spiritual blessings].

But they did not understand what He was talking about, for it was hidden from them, so that they would not understand its meaning. And they were afraid to ask Him about what He had said.

Now after these things [happened] the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples [Note: Some ancient manuscripts say "seventy." This group would have been in addition to the twelve. See Luke 9:1], and sent them two by two on ahead of Him into every town and locality that He planned to visit.

"It is too bad for you, Chorazin! It is too bad for you, Bethsaida! For if the powerful miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which were performed in your presence, they would have repented long ago by sitting in ashes and wearing sackcloth. [Note: This sackcloth was a coarse cloth made of goat hair and indicated deep remorse or mourning].

And Jesus said to His disciples, "Suppose one of you who has a friend would go to him at midnight and say to him, ' [Please] lend me three loaves of bread,

But you should realize this, if the owner of the house had known exactly when the burglar was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Then He said to them, "Which one of you, who has a son or an ox that falls into a well, would not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?"

"Which one of you who has a hundred sheep, and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in a deserted place and go looking for the lost one until he finds it?

Or what woman, who has ten silver coins [Note: These coins each amounted to about one day of a farm laborer's pay, or about $60-$84 in 1994], and if she loses one of them, would not light a lamp, sweep the house and search for it diligently until she finds it?

Then the rich man said, 'I beg you therefore, forefather [Abraham], that you would send Lazarus to my father's house,

It would be good [i.e., better] for him to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the ocean [Note: This "millstone" was a huge, circular stone rolled over grain to crush it and was moved by an animal walking in a circle], rather than having him cause one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord] to be led astray [from God].

And the Lord said, "If you had faith as [small as] a mustard tree seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and replanted in the ocean,' and it would obey you.

Would you not say to him instead, 'Prepare the food for my meal [first] and get ready to serve me until I have had enough to eat and drink and [then] afterward you can eat and drink [yourself]'?

Would he thank his slave for doing the things that he was ordered to do?

And when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus answered them, "The kingdom of God will not come the way you are looking for it.

Then He said to the disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of man [i.e., the time when the Messiah would deliver His people from tribulation], but you will not see it [i.e., such deliverance would not occur during their lifetimes].

But the tax collector stood at a distance [i.e., inconspicuously] and would not even look up to heaven, but struck his chest [i.e., in remorse], saying, 'God, [please] have mercy on a sinner like me.'

They said to Him, "Teacher, Moses wrote to us [Deut 25:5] that if a man's brother dies, leaving his widow [behind] without having had any children, his brother should marry his widow and father children [by her]. These children would then be considered his [dead] brother's.

But even Moses showed that dead people would be raised in the incident about the bush [Ex. 3:6], where he called the Lord, 'Abraham's God, and Isaac's God, and Jacob's God.'

And the leading priests and experts in the law of Moses were looking for a way to kill Jesus because they were afraid of the people [i.e., that people would riot if it were done during the Festival. See Matt. 26:5].

So, they went and found [everything] just as Jesus told them [it would be], and they prepared for the Passover meal.

So, the apostles began discussing among themselves which one of them would do such a thing.

But I prayed earnestly for you, that your faith would not fail [to be strong]. And when you have turned back [i.e., from going astray briefly], provide [spiritual] support to your brothers."

And Jesus said to the leading priests and captains of the Temple [guard] and the [Jewish] elders that came to take Him, "Have you come out [to arrest me] with swords and clubs as you would [apprehend] a thief?

"Tell us if you are the Christ [i.e., God's specially chosen one]." But He replied, "You would not believe me if I [did] tell you [who I am].

And if I asked you [who I am] you would not answer.

But we had hoped that he was the one who would purchase the Israelites back [from their bondage]. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.

Then He opened their minds [miraculously ?] so they would understand the Scriptures.