When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier, and took his cloak as well. The cloak was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down.

Meanwhile, standing near Jesus' cross were his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he kept loving standing there, he told his mother, "Dear lady, here is your son."

Then He said to the disciple, "Look, [here is] your mother!" And from that time onward, this disciple took Jesus' mother to [live in] his own home.

After this, when Jesus realized that everything was now completed, he said (in order to fulfill the Scripture), "I'm thirsty."

A bottle full of sour wine was sitting nearby so someone put a sponge full of the wine on a hyssop plant stalk and lifted it up to Jesus' mouth.

After Jesus had taken the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.

Now it was the Day of Preparation [Note: This was the day before the Passover Festival began, and fell on a Friday that year], and the Jews did not permit bodies to remain on a cross over the Sabbath day. (Besides, that Sabbath day was a special day [i.e., since it was both the Passover and the regular weekly Sabbath, as well]). So, they asked Pilate to have Jesus' and the criminals' legs broken [i.e., to speed up their deaths] and then have their bodies taken away.

So the soldiers came, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with Him. But coming to Jesus,

But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

However, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

Later on, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, and he came and removed his body.

Nicodemus, the man who had first come to Jesus at night, also arrived, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about 100 litra.

They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths along with spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews.

And in the place where Jesus was crucified, was a garden: and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man laid.

Because it was the Jewish Preparation Day, and because the tomb was nearby, they put Jesus there.

So she ran off and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus kept loving. She told them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

and that the handkerchief that had been on Jesus' head was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up in a separate place.

Finally, the other disciple, who had arrived at the cave-like tomb first, went on into it. And [when] he saw [the grave clothes, but no body], he believed [in Jesus' resurrection].

For they did not yet understand the Scripture that said that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

She saw two angels in white clothes who were sitting down, one at the head and the other at the foot of the place where Jesus' body had been lying.

After she had said this, she turned around and noticed Jesus standing there, without realizing that it was Jesus.

Jesus asked her, "Dear lady, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she told him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him away."

Jesus told her, "Mary!" She turned around and told him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means "Teacher").

Jesus told her, "Don't hold on to me, because I haven't yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, "I'm ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Mary Magdalene came and informed the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them what Jesus had said to her.

It was the evening of the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came and stood among them. He told them, "Peace be with you."

After saying this, Jesus showed them His hands and His side, so they rejoiced when they saw the Lord [i.e., now convinced that He had indeed risen from the dead].

Jesus told them again, "Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you."

Upon saying this, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said to them, "[Be willing to] receive the Holy Spirit." [Note: This "breathing" served as a pledge of the Holy Spirit which actually came on these apostles a few weeks later. See Acts 1:5-8; 2:4].

Thomas, one of the Twelve (called the Twin), wasn't with them when Jesus came.

A week later, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were shut, Jesus came, stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you."

Jesus told him, "Is it because you've seen me that you have believed? How blessed are those who have never seen me and yet have believed!"

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

But these have been recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that through believing you may have life in his name.

Later on, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. This is what happened:

Simon Peter, Thomas, otherwise Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of Jesus were all together.

Just as dawn was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore. The disciples didn't realize it was Jesus.

Jesus asked them, "Children, you don't have any fish, do you?" They answered him, "No."

That disciple whom Jesus kept loving told Peter, "It's the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his clothes back on, because he was practically naked, and jumped into the sea.

Jesus told them, "Bring me some of the fish you've just caught."

Then Jesus told them, "Come, have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?", because they knew it was the Lord.

Jesus took the bread, gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.

This was now the third time that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after he had been raised from the dead.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" Peter told him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus told him, "Feed my lambs."

He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith to him, Yes, Lord! thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Jesus told him, "Take care of my sheep." He asked him a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was deeply hurt that he had asked him a third time, "Do you love me?" So he told him, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!"

Jesus told him, "Feed my sheep. "Truly, I tell you emphatically, when you were young, you would fasten your belt and go wherever you liked. But when you get old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten your belt and take you where you don't want to go."

Now he said this to show by what kind of death he would glorify God. After saying this, Jesus told him, "Keep following me."

Peter turned around and noticed the disciple whom Jesus kept loving following them. He was the one who had put his head on Jesus' chest at the supper and had asked, "Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?"

Peter having seen this one, saith to Jesus, 'Lord, and what of this one?'

Jesus told him, "If it's my will for him to remain until I come back, how does that concern you? You must keep following me!"

So the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple wasn't going to die. Yet Jesus didn't say to Peter that he wasn't going to die, but, "If it's my will for him to remain until I come back, how does that concern you?"

This is the disciple, who testifieth of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did,

Of course, Jesus also did many other things, and I suppose that if every one of them were written down, the world couldn't contain the books that would be written.

In my first book, Theophilus, I wrote about everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning,

Now, following His death on the cross [and resurrection], Jesus appeared alive [to His apostles] for forty days, and demonstrated by many convincing proofs [that He had been raised bodily from the dead]. [During that time] He also spoke to them about the [coming] kingdom of God.

[One day, as He was] gathered with these apostles, He urged them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there until they received what the Father had promised them. (Jesus had previously discussed this with them). [See Luke 24:49].

For [Jesus had said, Matt. 3:11], "John immersed you [men] in water but [this time] you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit, and [it will happen] in just a few more days."

Now those who had gathered together began to ask Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"

Jesus replied, "You are not permitted to know the [specific] time or date [when this will happen]. For the Father has appointed it [to happen] when He determines [the right time].

After saying this, Jesus was taken up while those who had gathered together were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

They asked, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go up into heaven."

With one mind, all of them kept devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women (including Mary the mother of Jesus) and his brothers.

And in those days Peter standing up in the midst of the brothers, said??he multitude together was about a hundred and twenty??16 Men and brothers, it was necessary that the Scripture should be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who became a guide to them that apprehended Jesus;

"Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the voice of David about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus,

(Now this man [Judas] paid for [in a sense] a [burial] field with the reward money he had received for his sinful act [of betraying Jesus, See Matt. 27:3-10]. [Then, some time after Judas hanged himself, See Matt. 27:5] he fell down headlong, [his swollen body] bursting so that his intestines gushed out.

who was one of the men associated with us all the time the Lord Jesus came and went among us,

from His immersion by John [the Immerser] until He was received up from us [in a cloud]. Of these people [we must choose] someone to become a witness with us [i.e., to tell people] of Jesus' resurrection [from the dead]."

"Fellow Israelis, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth was a man authenticated to you by God through miracles, wonders, and signs that God performed through him among you, as you yourselves know.

this Man, when handed over [to the Roman authorities] according to the predetermined decision and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross and put to death by the hands of lawless and godless men.

King David said this about Jesus [Psa. 16:8ff], 'I always see the Lord in front of me, He is at my right side for protection;

because you [i.e., God] will not allow my soul [i.e., this is a reference to Jesus] to remain in Hades [i.e., the unseen place of the departed spirits], neither will you allow [the body of] your Holy One to decay.

David, foreseeing this, spoke of Christ being raised from the dead. [He said Jesus' spirit] would not be left in the unseen place of departed spirits, nor would His body decay.

"It was this very Jesus whom God raised and we're all witnesses of that.

Jesus is [now] exalted at the right side of God, and having received the promised Holy Spirit from His Father, He has poured out what you have seen and heard [here this day].

Now David is not the one who ascended into heaven for he [spoke of Jesus when he] said [Psa. 110:1], 'The Lord [i.e., God] said to my [i.e., David's] Lord [i.e., Jesus], sit at my right side

"Therefore, let all the people of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!"

Peter answered them, "Every one of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.

And these [new converts] continued regularly [to listen] to the teaching of the apostles and to share with them; they broke bread [in memory of Jesus] and continued praying.

And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole].

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

It is his name that is, by faith in his name that has healed this man whom you see and know. Yes, the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshment shall come from the presence of the Lord, who shall send Jesus Christ,

And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

that is, to wit, Jesus Christ: which must receive heaven until the time that all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began, be restored again.

You people are descendants of these prophets and [recipients] of the Agreement God made with your forefathers when He said to Abraham [Gen. 12:3], 'And through your seed [i.e., your descendant Jesus] all the people of the earth will receive the blessings [of God].'

Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

But many of those who heard the message [of salvation] believed [in Jesus and accepted Him as the Christ]. And the number of the men came to be about 5,000.

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone.

And there is salvation in no other One [than Jesus] for there is no other Name in the whole world, proclaimed by men, by which [a person] can be saved."

They were surprised to see the courage shown by Peter and John and to find that they were uneducated men, and especially untrained in the schools, but they recognized the fact that they had been companions of Jesus,

But we do not want this [teaching] to spread any further so let us threaten them [and demand] that they do not speak to anyone about Jesus anymore."

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

The kings of the earth [i.e., Herod and Pilate] took their stand [against Jesus], and the rulers [of the Jews] gathered against the Lord and against His Anointed One [i.e., Christ].'

For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

by stretching out your hand to cure people and to perform signs and wonders by the authority of your holy Servant Jesus."