For I have given them the teaching which thou gavest me, and they received it, and clearly understood that I came from thee, and they believed that thou has sent me as thy Messenger.

I do not ask thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from Evil.

And it is for their sakes that I am consecrating myself, so that they also may be truly consecrated.

But it is not only for them that I am interceding, but also for those who believe in me through their Message,

When Jesus had said this, he went out with his disciples and crossed the brook Kedron to a place where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples went.

"I have already told you that I am he," replied Jesus, "so, if it is for me that you are looking, let these men go."

At this, Simon Peter, who had a sword with him, drew it, and struck the High Priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews, that it was best that one man should die for the people.

While Peter stood outside by the door. Presently the other disciple--the one well-known to the High Priest--went out and spoke to the portress, and brought Peter in.

The servants and police-officers were standing round a char- coal fire (which they had made because it was cold), and were warming themselves. Peter, too, was with them, standing and warming himself.

Why question me? Question those who have listened to me as to what I have spoken about to them. They must know what I said."

"If I said anything wrong, give evidence about it," replied Jesus; "but if not, why do you strike me?"

Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing there, warming himself; so they said to him: "Are not you also one of his disciples?" Peter denied it. "No, I am not," he said.

Peter again denied it; and at that moment a cock crowed.

From Caiaphas they took Jesus to the Government House. It was early in the morning. But they did not enter the Government House themselves, lest they should become 'defiled,' and so be unable to eat the Passover.

Therefore Pilate came outside to speak to them. "What charge do you bring against this man?" he asked.

In fulfillment of what Jesus had said when indicating the death that he was destined to die.

"Do you ask me that yourself?" replied Jesus, "or did others say it to you about me?"

"Do you take me for a Jew?" was Pilate's answer. "It is your own nation and the Chief Priests who have given you up to me. What have you done?"

"My kingly power," replied Jesus, "is not due to this world. If it had been so, my servants would be doing their utmost to prevent my being given up to the Jews; but my kingly power is not from the world."

"So you are a King after all!" exclaimed Pilate. "Yes, it is true I am a King," answered Jesus. "I was born for this, I have come into the world for this--to bear testimony to the Truth. Every one who is on the side of Truth listens to my voice."

"What is Truth?" exclaimed Pilate. After saying this, he went out to the Jews again, and said: "For my part, I find nothing with which he can be charged.

It is, however, the custom for me to grant you the release of one man at the Passover Festival. Do you wish for the release of the King of the Jews?"

The soldiers made a crown with some thorns and put it on his head and threw a purple robe round him.

Pilate again came outside, and said to the people: "Look! I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find nothing with which he can be charged."

"But we," replied the Jews, "have a Law, under which he deserves death for making himself out to be the Son of God."

When Pilate heard what they said, he became still more alarmed;

"You would have no power over me at all," answered Jesus, "if it had not been given you from above; and, therefore, the man who betrayed me to you is guilty of the greater sin."

This made Pilate anxious to release him; but the Jews shouted: "If you release that man, you are no friend of the Emperor! Any one who makes himself out to be a King is setting himself against the Emperor!"

On hearing what they said, Pilate brought Jesus out, and took his seat upon the Bench at a place called 'The Stone Pavement'--in Hebrew 'Gabbatha.'

It was the Passover Preparation Day, and about noon. Then he said to the Jews: "Here is your King!"

At that the people shouted: "Kill him! Kill him! Crucify him!" "What! shall I crucify your King?" exclaimed Pilate. "We have no King but the Emperor," replied the Chief Priests;

And he went out, carrying his cross himself, to the place which is named from a scull, or, in Hebrew, Golgotha.

The Jewish Chief Priests said to Pilate: "Do not write 'The King of the Jews', but write what the man said--'I am the King of the Jews.'"

But Pilate answered: "What I have written, I have written."

So they said to one another: "Do not let us tear it, but let us cast lots for it, to see who shall have it." This was in fulfillment of the words of Scripture--'They shared my clothes among them, And over my clothing they cast lots.' That was what the soldiers did.

There was a bowl standing there full of common wine; so they put a sponge soaked in the wine on the end of a hyssop-stalk, and held it up to his mouth.

It was the Preparation Day, and so, to prevent the bodies from remaining on the crosses during the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a great day), the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.

One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water immediately flowed from it.

This is the statement of one who actually saw it--and his statement may be relied upon, and he knows that he is speaking the truth--and it is given in order that you also may be convinced.

They took the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen with the spices, according to the Jewish mode of burial.

At the place where Jesus had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a newly-made tomb in which no one had ever been laid.

And so, because of its being the Preparation Day, and as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

On the first day of the week, early in the morning, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala went to the tomb, and saw that the stone had been removed.

So she came running to Simon Peter, and to that other disciple who was Jesus' friend, and said to them: "They have taken away the Master out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him!"

Presently Simon Peter came following behind him, and went into the tomb; and he looked at the linen wrappings lying there,

And perceived two angels clothed in white sitting there, where the body of Jesus had been lying, one where the head and the other where the feet had been.

After saying this, she turned round, and looked at Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

"Why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" he asked. Supposing him to be the gardener, Mary answered: "If it was you, Sir, who carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away myself."

"Do not hold me," Jesus said; "for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my Brothers, and tell them that I am ascending to him who is my Father and their Father, my God and their God."

So the rest of the disciples said to him: "We have seen the Master!" "Unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands," he exclaimed, "and put my finger into the marks, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

Then he said to Thomas: "Place your finger here, and look at my hands; and place your hand here, and put it into my side; and do not refuse to believe, but believe."

"Is it because you have seen me that you have believed?" said Jesus. "Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed!"

It was in this way:--Simon Peter, Thomas, who was called 'The Twin,' Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, Zebediah's sons, and two other disciples of Jesus, were together, when Simon Peter said:

"I am going fishing." "We will come with you," said the others. They went out and got into the boat, but caught nothing that night.

Just as day was breaking, Jesus came and stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was he.

"My children," he said, "have you anything to eat?" "No," they answered.

"Cast your net to the right of the boat," he said, "and you will find fish." So they cast the net, and now they could not haul it in on account of the quantity of fish.

Upon this the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter: "It is the Master!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Master, he fastened his coat round him (for he had taken it off), and threw himself into the Sea.

When they had come ashore, they found a charcoal fire ready, with some fish already on it, and some bread as well.

So Simon Peter got into the boat and hauled the net ashore full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and yet, although there were so many, the net had not been torn.

And Jesus said to them: "Come and breakfast." Not one of the disciples ventured to ask him who he was, knowing that it was the Master.

Jesus went and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish too.

The third time, Jesus said to him: "Simon, son of John, are you my friend?" Peter was hurt at his third question being 'Are you my friend?'; and exclaimed: "Master, you know everything! You can tell that I am your friend." "Feed my sheep," said Jesus.

"In truth I tell you," he continued, "when you were young, you used to put on your own girdle, and walk wherever you wished; but, when you have grown old, you will have to stretch out your hands, while some one else puts on your girdle, and takes you where you do not wish."

Peter turned round, and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following--the one who at the supper leant back on the Master's shoulder, and asked him who it was that would betray him.

Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus: "Master, what about this man?"

"If it is my will that he should wait till I come," answered Jesus, "what has that to do with you? Follow me yourself."

So the report spread among the Brethren that that disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say that he was not to die, but said "If it is my will that he should wait till I come, what has that to do with you?"

It is this disciple who states these things, and who recorded them; and we know that his statement is true.

And once, when he had gathered them together, he charged them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the fulfillment of the Father's promise-- "that promise," he said, "of which you have heard me speak;

His answer was: "It is not for you to know times or hours, for the Father has reserved these for his own decision;

While they were still gazing up into the heavens, as he went, suddenly two men, clothed in white, stood beside them,

About this time, at a meeting of the Brethren, when there were about a hundred and twenty present, Peter rose to speak.

"Brothers," he said, "it was necessary that the prediction of Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit made by the lips of David about Judas, who acted as guide to the men that arrested Jesus,

"For in the Book of Psalms," Peter continued, "it is said-- 'Let his dwelling become desolate, and let no one live in it'; and also--'His office let another take.'

Therefore, from among the men who have been with us all the time that Jesus, our Master, went in and out among us--

In the course of the Festival at the close of the Harvest the disciples had all met together,

When suddenly there came from the heavens a noise like that of a strong wind rushing by; it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.

Then there appeared tongues of what seemed to be flame, separating, so that one settled on each of them;

They were utterly amazed, and kept asking in astonishment: "What! Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?

Then how is it that we each of us hear them in our own native language?

Either Jews by birth or converts, and some are Cretans and Arabians--yet we all alike hear them speaking in our own tongues of the great things that God has done."

They were all utterly amazed and bewildered. "What does it mean?" they asked one another.

Then Peter, surrounded by the eleven other Apostles, stood up, and, raising his voice, addressed the crowd. "Men of Judea," he began, "and all you who are staying in Jerusalem, let me tell you what this means. Mark well my words.

These men are not drunk, as you suppose; for it is only now nine in the morning! No!

This is what is spoken of in the prophet Joel--

'It shall come about in the last days,' God says, 'That I will pour out my Spirit on all mankind; your sons and your daughters shall become Prophets, your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams;

Yes, even on the slaves--for they are mine--both men and women, I will in those days pour out my Spirit,

Men of Israel, listen to what I am saying. Jesus of Nazareth, a man whose mission from God to you was proved by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God showed among you through him, as you know full well--

But God released him from the pangs of death and raised him to life, it being impossible for death to retain its hold upon him.

Indeed it was to him that David was referring when he said-- 'I have had the Lord ever before my eyes, For he stands at my right hand, that I should not be disquieted.

It was this Jesus, whom God raised to life; and of that we are ourselves all witnesses.

And now that he has been exalted to the right hand of God, and has received from the Father the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, he has begun to pour out that gift, as you yourselves now see and hear.

It was not David who went up into Heaven; for he himself says- -'The Lord said to my master: "Sit on my right hand,

When the people heard this, they were conscience-smitten, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles: "Brothers, what can we do?"

A deep impression was made upon every one, and many wonders and signs were done at the hands of the Apostles.

Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the Temple Courts, and to the Breaking of Bread at their homes, while they partook of their food in simple-hearted gladness, praising God, and winning the good-will of all the people.

This man used to be set down every day at the gate of the Temple called 'the Beautiful Gate,' to beg of those who went in.

Peter fixed his eyes on him, and so did John, and then Peter said: "Look at us."