Then he released Barabbas to them, but he had Jesus flogged and then turned over to be crucified.

And when they had come to the place called Golgotha, which means "the place of a skull" [i.e., probably because it was a skull-shaped knoll in appearance],

And after they had crucified Him, the soldiers divided His clothing among themselves by gambling for them.

And many women, who had followed Jesus from Galilee and had ministered to His needs, were watching [all this] from a distance.

And when evening had come, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was also one of Jesus' disciples,

and placed it in his own newly prepared grave, which he had cut out of [a ledge of] rock. Then he [had] a huge stone rolled across the entrance of the grave and went away.

Now there had been a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord had descended from heaven and, [having] come to roll away the stone, was [now] sitting on it.

He is not here, for He has risen just as He said [He would]. Come and see the place where the Lord had been lying,

Now while these women were on their way, some of the guards entered the city and began telling the leading priests everything that had happened.

And when they had assembled with the [Jewish] elders and conferred with them, they offered large sums of money to the soldiers,

So, they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story [i.e., that Jesus' body had been stolen by His disciples] was told widely among the Jews, and continues to be told to this day.

But the eleven disciples [i.e., apostles] went to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus had ordered them to go.

And when they met Him [there], they [knelt down] to worship Him; but some [still] had doubts [i.e., about His resurrection. See John 20:25].

John wore clothing made of camel's hair and he had a leather belt around his waist. He ate grasshoppers and wild honey.

They were amazed at His teaching for He taught them as one who had [real] authority, and not as the experts in the law of Moses.

When evening came and the sun had set, they brought to Jesus all those who were sick and those dominated by evil spirits.

But [instead] the man went out telling everyone about the miracle of healing and spreading the story widely, so that Jesus was not able to enter a town publicly but had to remain outside in deserted places. [So], people went to Him there from all over the region.

And when they were unable to get near Jesus, because of the [large] crowd, they removed [a section of] the roof [directly above Him]. [Note: The roof was a flat area, where people retired for rest, prayer, etc., and easily accessible from an outside stairway]. And when they had broken open [a sizable hole], they lowered the cot on which the paralyzed man was lying.

And when He had looked around at them with righteous indignation, being grieved over their stubbornness, He said to the man, "Reach out your hand." And when he reached it out, his hand was restored [to normal use].

Jerusalem, Idumaea, the east side of the Jordan River, and from around Tyre and Sidon [i.e., cities on the northwest coast of Palestine] came to Him, having heard about the great things [i.e., miracles] He had been performing.

For He had healed so many people that large numbers of them who were plagued with serious illnesses were crowding around Him in hope of getting to touch Him.

And the experts in the law of Moses who had come down from Jerusalem were saying [Note: This followed the incident of Jesus healing a man with an evil spirit. See Matt. 12:22-28], "He has Beelzebub [in him]," and "He is driving out evil spirits by [the power of] the chief of evil spirits."

Jesus said all this because these experts in the law of Moses had been saying, "He has an evil spirit in him."

Jesus again began teaching along the shore of the lake [of Galilee]. A huge crowd gathered around Him so that He had to sit in a boat out in the lake [to speak to them], while all the crowd stood on the shore.

But when the sun came up the newly sprouted plants were scorched, and because they had no roots, [soon] withered away.

Some of the seed that fell along the roadside represents where 'the word' was sown [i.e., preached]. When these people have heard, immediately Satan comes and takes away 'the word' which had been sown in them.

but [since] they had such shallow roots, they continued on for [only] a little while. Then, when trouble and persecution arose over [obeying] 'the word,' immediately they stumbled [i.e., and fell away from God].

then went to bed and got up the next day to find that the seed had sprouted and grown, yet he did not know how it happened.

This man had been living in the graveyard and no one had been able to keep him tied up, not even with a chain.

He had often been bound with ropes and chains but had broken the chains off and torn the ropes to pieces. And no one had enough strength to subdue him.

Those who had been feeding them ran and told what all occurred in the town and around the countryside and [so] people came to find out what had happened.

And when people came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been dominated by 5,000 to 6,000 evil spirits sitting down with his clothes on and perfectly sane, and they were afraid.

Those who saw this told the people what had happened to the man dominated by the evil spirits and about the [wild] hogs.

As He entered the boat the man who had been dominated by evil spirits begged for permission to be allowed to go with Him.

But Jesus would not allow him, saying to the man, "Go home to your friends [and family?] and tell them about the great things the Lord has done for you and how He had pity on you."

But the man went away and began telling people throughout Decapolis about all of the great things Jesus had done for him. [Note: "Decapolis" means "ten cities" and was a region located east of the Jordan River].

When Jesus had crossed over again in a boat to the other side [i.e., to the northwest shore of the lake, probably in the vicinity of Capernaum], a large crowd gathered around Him along the shore of the lake.

Then a woman, who had been bleeding for twelve years, came to Him.

She had suffered much at the hands of many doctors [i.e., through treatments and medication that only increased her discomfort] and had spent all her money [on medical bills] and yet got worse instead of better.

She had heard what Jesus was doing so came from the crowd behind Jesus and touched His robe.

For she had told herself, "If only I can touch his clothing, I will be healed."

Just then Jesus perceived in Himself that [healing] power had gone out from Him so turned to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothing?"

Then He looked around to see who had done this [i.e., touched Him and received healing].

But the woman became afraid and trembled with fear, for she knew what had happened to her [i.e., the healing], so she came and fell down in front of Jesus and told Him the whole truth.

Now King Herod heard about this [i.e., what Jesus was doing] because His name had become well known. He said, "John the Immerser has risen from the dead and it is his powers that are at work in Jesus."

But when King Herod heard [about Jesus], he said, "John, whom I [had] decapitated, has risen."

For it was Herod himself who had sent for John and had him arrested and chained up in prison. He did this to please Herodias, who was [i.e., had been] his brother Philip's wife, but whom Herod had married.

For John had said to Herod, "It is unlawful for you to marry your brother's wife."

Now [because of this] Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but had not been able to.

And the king became very distressed [over such a gruesome request], but because he had promised her with oaths, and [to keep from looking bad] in front of his party guests, he did not refuse her [request].

And when John's disciples heard [what had happened] they took his body and buried it in a grave.

Then the apostles got together with Jesus and told Him everything they had done and taught [on their mission].

He said to them, "You men, leave here and go to a deserted place and rest for awhile." For there were so many people coming and going [i.e., to listen to preaching, receive healing, etc.], that they had no opportunity even to eat.

And He said to them, "How many loaves [of bread] do you have? Go and see." And when had found out, they said, "Five [barley] loaves [See John 6:9] and two [probably smoked] fish."

And after He had left them He went into a mountain to pray.

And when they had [finally] crossed over [i.e., to the west side of Lake Galilee], they arrived in the district of Gennesaret and moored the boat on shore.

The Pharisees and some experts in the law of Moses, who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around Jesus.

They had observed some of His disciples eating their food with contaminated, that is, [ceremonially] unwashed hands.

And when He had gone into the house away from the crowd His disciples asked Him about this parable.

And they brought to Him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and they begged Him to place His hand on him [for healing].

They [also] had a few small fish and after asking God's blessing on them, He ordered these also to be set in front of them.

Now Jesus' disciples had forgotten to take [any] food [with them], and had only one loaf of bread in the boat.

And after six days had passed, Jesus took Peter, James and John aside alone and went up to a high mountain [i.e., probably Mt. Tabor, which was nearby]. [There] His whole appearance was [miraculously] changed in front of them.

And as they were coming down from the mountain Jesus ordered His disciples not to tell anyone what they had seen until [after] the Son of man was raised again from the dead.

And when Jesus had come into a house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not drive out the evil spirit [from that boy]?"

Then Jesus and His disciples came to Capernaum [Note: This city on the northwest shore of Lake Galilee had become sort of a headquarters for Jesus when He was in this region]. When He [and His disciples] entered a house He asked them, "What were you discussing on the way here?"

But they kept quiet for they had been arguing with one another over which one of them was the greatest.

And whoever causes one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord. See Matt. 18:6] who believes in me to be led astray [from God], he would have been better off to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and thrown into the ocean [Note: This was a heavy, circular stone rolled over grain to crush it, and moved by an animal walking in a circle].

But the man had a sad look on his face when he heard these words, and went away sorrowful, for he had many possessions.

But they answered him exactly what Jesus had told them to say, so the people let them go.

Many people spread their clothing on the roadway, while others spread leafy branches, which they had cut from the fields.

The next morning, [as they returned to the city], they passed by the fig tree and saw that it had withered, clear down to its roots.

Then Peter remembered [what Jesus had done to the fig tree on a recent occasion], and said to Him, "Rabbi [i.e., Teacher], look, the fig tree you cursed [the other day] has withered up."

The owner had one more person [left to send], his dearly loved son. [So] he sent him to them last of all, reasoning to himself, ' [Surely] they will treat my son with respect.'

"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.

Then one of the experts in the law of Moses [Note: Matt. 22:34 identifies him as being a Pharisee also], came and heard Jesus and the Sadducees discussing together [i.e., the subject of the resurrection], and knowing that Jesus had refuted the Sadducees successfully, asked Him, "Which commandment is foremost, above all the others?"

For all of them threw in from their abundance, but being very poor, she threw in everything she had, even all she had to live on."

There will be great trouble during those days, such as had never been from the beginning of God's creation until the present, or even will be [in the days to come].

And if the Lord had not kept those days as short as they were, no one would have been saved [i.e., from the devastating destruction]. But for the sake of the elect [i.e., God's people], whom He chose, He kept those days short.

And while Jesus was in Bethany [Note: This was a small village fewer than two miles east of Jerusalem], sitting at the dinner table in the house of Simon, the man with an infectious skin disease [Note: This man had probably been healed by now], a woman with an alabaster [i.e., stone] jar of very expensive perfume came to Him, broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head.

For the Son of man is going [to die], but it is too bad for that person who will turn me over to the Jewish leaders It would be better for that man if he had not been born."

And as they were eating He took a [small] loaf of bread, and when He had asked God's blessing on it, He broke it and gave [pieces] to His disciples and said, "Take this, it is [i.e., represents] my [physical] body."

Then He took a cup [i.e., probably wine made from fresh or possibly preserved grape juice], and when He had given thanks to God, He passed it to them and they all drank from it.

And after they had sung a hymn, they went up to the Mount of Olives.

Then He came back again and found His disciples still asleep, because they had not been able to keep their eyes open at all.

And immediately, as Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles came with a crowd who were carrying swords and clubs. [They had come] from the leading priests, the experts in the law of Moses and the [Jewish] elders.

Now the one who turned Him over to the Jewish leaders [i.e., Judas] had given them a signal, saying, "Whoever I give a kiss [of greeting] to, he is the one; arrest him and lead him away under guard."

And a certain young man [Note: Some think this is a reference to Mark himself], who had a linen outer garment thrown over his scantily clad body, was following Jesus until they [i.e., the soldiers and officers] took hold of him. [Note: The wording here does not indicate total nakedness, but rather the wearing of underclothing only]

But Peter had followed Him from a distance, right into the courtyard of the head priest. He was sitting there with the [Jewish] officers, warming himself by the light of the fire.

Immediately the rooster crowed for the second time and Peter was reminded of the words of Jesus, who had said to him, "You will deny [knowing] me three times before the rooster crows twice." And as he thought about this, he cried.

One prisoner, named Barabbas, was kept chained up in prison along with men who had committed murder during a rebellion.

For he perceived that the leading priests had turned Jesus over to him out of envy.

So Pilate, wanting to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and after he had Jesus flogged, he turned Him over to be crucified.

And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off of Him and put His own clothing [back] on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.

These women had ministered to Jesus' needs when they followed Him from Galilee. Others watching were many women who had come up to Jerusalem with Him.

When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation [for the Passover Festival], being the day before the [special] Sabbath Day,

Pilate was amazed that Jesus had already died, and calling the military officer to him, asked how long He had been dead.

[Joseph then] brought a linen cloth, and after taking Jesus down from the cross, wrapped the linen cloth around His body and placed it in a grave site that had been cut out of [a ledge of] rock. Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the cave.

And when they looked up, they saw that the stone had [already been] rolled away, and it was very large.

Now when Jesus arose from the dead early on the first day of the week [i.e., Sunday morning], He appeared first to Mary from Magdala, from whom He had driven out seven evil spirits.