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.

“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered him. “I have always taught in the synagogue and in the temple complex, where all the Jews congregate, and I haven’t spoken anything in secret.

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!”

One of the high priest’s slaves, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the garden?”

So Pilate told them, “Take Him yourselves and judge Him according to your law.”

“It’s not legal for us to put anyone to death,” the Jews declared.

Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about Me?”

“I’m not a Jew, am I?” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done?”

“My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. As it is, My kingdom does not have its origin here.”

“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.”

And they repeatedly came up to Him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and were slapping His face.

He went back into the headquarters and asked Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus did not give him an answer.

From that moment Pilate made every effort to release Him. But the Jews shouted, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Anyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar!”

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!”

But they shouted, “Take Him away! Take Him away! Crucify Him!”

Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?”

“We have no king but Caesar!” the chief priests answered.

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.

Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.”

Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

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.

So she ran to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!”

The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first.

She saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where Jesus’ body had been lying.

They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put Him.”

“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.”

“Don’t cling to Me,” Jesus told her, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and tell them that I am ascending to My Father and your Father—to My God and your God.”

In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because of their fear of the Jews. Then Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

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!”

Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and observe My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Don’t be an unbeliever, but a believer.”

Jesus said, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who believe without seeing are blessed.”

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples that are not written in this book.

But these are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name.

Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of His disciples were together.

“Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” He told them, “and you’ll find some.” So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish.

But since they were not far from land (about 100 yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish.

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.

“I assure you: When you were young, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.”

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they were written one by one, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.

So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority.

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.

When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying:

Peter, John,
James, Andrew,
Philip, Thomas,
Bartholomew, Matthew,
James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon the Zealot,
and Judas the son of James.

All these were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.

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.”

When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.

Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.

And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.

There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.

And they were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?

How is it that each of us can hear in our own native language?

Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking the magnificent acts of God in our own languages.”

They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What could this be?”

For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning.

And it will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.

because You will not leave me in Hades
or allow Your Holy One to see decay.

You have revealed the paths of life to me;
You will fill me with gladness
in Your presence.

“God has resurrected this Jesus. We are all witnesses of this.

until I make Your enemies Your footstool.’

When they heard this, they came under deep conviction and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: “Brothers, what must we do?”

“Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them.

Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles.

Now all the believers were together and held all things in common.

praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.

Now Peter and John were going up together to the temple complex at the hour of prayer at three in the afternoon.

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.

When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Or why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness?

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.

You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this.

“And now, brothers, I know that you did it in ignorance, just as your leaders also did.

Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

Moses said:

The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He will say to you.

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.

God raised up His Servant and sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”

Now as they were speaking to the people, the priests, the commander of the temple police, and the Sadducees confronted them,

because they were provoked that they were teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection from the dead, using Jesus as the example.

After they had Peter and John stand before them, they asked the question: “By what power or in what name have you done this?”

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

When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus.

So they called for them and ordered them not to preach or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them, because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done;

After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, “Master, You are the One who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them.

You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David Your servant:

Why did the Gentiles rage
and the peoples plot futile things?

“For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed,

to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place.

And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness,

while You stretch out Your hand for healing, signs, and wonders to be performed through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

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,

Then Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds from the field?