Now about 4,000 men were there. Then he sent them on their way.

Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah!" Jesus sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

He was speaking about this matter quite openly.

They kept the matter to themselves but argued about what "rising from the dead" meant.

But I tell you that Elijah has come, yet people treated him just as they pleased, as it is written about him."

He asked the scribes, "What are you arguing about with them?"

Then they left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus didn't want anyone to find out about it,

Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was at home, he asked the disciples, "What were you arguing about on the road?"

But they kept silent, because they had argued on the road with one another about who was the greatest.

Back in the house, the disciples asked him about this again.

As for the dead being raised, haven't you read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

Then a destitute widow came and dropped in two small copper coins, worth about a cent.

When they take you away and hand you over for trial, don't worry ahead of time about what you will say. Instead, say whatever is given to you at that time, because it won't be you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

For the Son of Man is going away, just as it has been written about him, but how terrible it will be for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had never been born."

But he denied it, saying, "I don't know or even understand what you're talking about!" Then he went out into the entryway. Just then a rooster crowed.

Then he began to invoke a divine curse and to swear with an oath, "I don't know this man you're talking about!"

Now Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

Everyone who heard about it kept thinking what had happened and asked, "What will this child become?" because it was obvious that the hand of the Lord was with him.

When the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds told one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see what has taken place that the Lord has told us about."

When they saw this, they repeated what they had been told about this child.

Jesus' father and mother kept wondering at the things being said about him.

Just then she came forward and began to thank God and to speak about Jesus to everyone who was waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

John went throughout the entire Jordan region, proclaiming a baptism about repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

Jesus himself was about 30 years old when he began his ministry. He was (as legally calculated) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

Then Jesus returned to Galilee by the power of the Spirit. Meanwhile, the news about him spread throughout the surrounding country.

So news about him spread to every place in the surrounding region.

Then Jesus got up to leave the synagogue and went into Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, so they asked Jesus about her.

But he told them, "I have to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God in other cities, because I was sent to do that also."

But the news about Jesus spread even more, and many crowds began gathering to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.

Because Jesus knew that they were arguing, he asked them, "Why are you arguing about this among yourselves?

"How terrible it will be for you when everyone says nice things about you, because that's the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets!"

There a centurion's servant, whom he valued highly, was sick and about to die.

When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him to ask him to come and save his servant's life.

This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding countryside.

John's disciples told him about all these things. So John called two of his disciples

When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to ask the crowds about John. "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

This is the man about whom it is written, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'

After this, Jesus traveled from one city and village to another, preaching and spreading the good news about God's kingdom. The Twelve were with him,

So he said, "You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom of God. But to others they are given in parables, so that "they might look but not see, and they might listen but not understand.'"

because his only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying. While Jesus was on his way, the crowds continued to press in on him.

Now Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening. He was puzzled because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead,

Herod said, "I beheaded John. But who is this man I'm hearing so much about?" So Herod kept trying to see Jesus.

But the crowds found out about this and followed him. He welcomed them and began to speak to them about the kingdom of God and to heal those who needed healing.

Now there were about 5,000 men. So he told his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about 50."

Now about eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John, and James with him and went up on a mountain to pray.

They had a glorified appearance, and were discussing Jesus' departure that he would shortly bring about in Jerusalem.

After the voice had spoken, Jesus was alone. The disciples kept silent and at that time told no one about what they had seen.

But they didn't know what this meant. Indeed, the meaning was hidden from them so that they didn't understand it; and they were afraid to ask him about this statement.

After this, the Lord appointed 70 other disciples and was about to send them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place that he intended to go.

But Martha was worrying about all the things she had to do, so she came to him and asked, "Lord, you do care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself, don't you? Then tell her to help me."

The Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha! You worry and fuss about a lot of things.

As Jesus was leaving, the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely, interrogating him about many things.

When people bring you before synagogue leaders, rulers, or authorities, don't worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,

Then Jesus told his disciples, "That's why I'm telling you to stop worrying about your life what you will eat or about your body what you will wear,

So if you can't do a small thing like that, why worry about other things?

"So stop concerning yourselves about what you will eat or what you will drink, and stop being distressed,

because it is the unbelievers who are concerned about all these things. Surely your Father knows that you need them!

Instead, be concerned about his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you as well.

At that time, some people who were there told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

What about those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were worse offenders than all the other people living in Jerusalem?

And they couldn't argue with him about this.

So he called for him and asked him, "What's this I hear about you? You can't be my manager any longer. Now give me a report about your management!'

"The Law and the Prophets remained until John. Since then, the good news about the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone entering it is under attack.

Jesus told his disciples a parable about their need to pray all the time and never give up.

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "Pay attention! We're going up to Jerusalem. Everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled,

When the scribes and the high priests realized that Jesus had told this parable about them, they wanted to arrest him right then, but they were afraid of the crowd.

Even Moses demonstrated in the story about the bush that the dead are raised, when he calls the Lord, "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'

Now while some people were talking about the Temple how it was decorated with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God he said,

Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will these things take place, and what will be the sign that these things are about to take place?"

Because I tell you, what has been written about me must be fulfilled: "He was counted among the criminals.' Indeed, what is written about me must be fulfilled."

Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and began to pray,

When those who were around Jesus saw what was about to take place, they asked, "Lord, should we attack with our swords?"

About an hour later, another man emphatically asserted, "This man was certainly with him, because he is a Galilean!"

But Peter said, "Mister, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just then, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

Now Herod was very glad to see Jesus, because he had been wanting to see him for a long time on account of what he had heard about him. He was also hoping to see some sign done by him.

It was already about noon, and the whole land became dark until three in the afternoon

The women who told the apostles about it were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some others.

Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. He stooped down and saw only the linen cloths. Then he went home, wondering about what had happened.

On the same day, two of Jesus' followers were walking to a village called Emmaus, about 60 stadia from Jerusalem.

They were talking with each other about all these things that had taken place.

Then, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them all the passages of Scripture about himself.

While they were all talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and told them, "Peace be with you."

Then he told them, "These are the words that I spoke to you while I was still with you that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to be fulfilled."

He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe because of him.

John was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

John told the truth about him when he cried out, "This is the person about whom I said, "The one who comes after me ranks higher than me, because he existed before me.'"

"Who are you?" they asked him. "We must give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

This is the one about whom I said, "After me comes a man who ranks above me, because he existed before me.'

He told them, "Come and see!" So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.

Philip found Nathaniel and told him, "We have found the man about whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth."

Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him and said about him, "Look, a genuine Israeli, in whom there is no deceit!"

But the sanctuary he was speaking about was his own body.

Truly, I tell you emphatically, we know what we're talking about, and we testify about what we've seen. Yet you people do not accept our testimony.

If I have told you people about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

Then a controversy about ritual purification sprang up between a certain Jew and John's disciples,

so they went to John and told him, "Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, the one about whom you testified look, he's baptizing, and everyone is going to him!"

The one who comes from above is superior to everything. The one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to everything.

He testifies about what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony.

Jacob's Well was also there, and Jesus, tired out by the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

But he told them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."