This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

"We recollect, Sir, that when he was living this imposter said, 'I will rise again after three days.'

On this they ran quickly from the sepulcher, in fear and great joy, to tell the news to his disciples.

"If this should reach the Governor's ears," they said, "we will satisfy him and screen you from punishment."

So the soldiers took the money, and did as they were told; and this story has been noised abroad among the Jews, and continues to this day.

and every one was amazed so that they began questioning among themselves. "What does this mean? A new teaching with authority? He lays commands even upon unclean spirits and they obey him."

"Why does this man speak like this? He blasphemes. Who is able to forgive sins but One, God himself?"

The man rose, at once took up his cot, and went out before them all; at which they were all astounded, and gave God glory, saying, "We never saw anything like this."

On hearing this Jesus said to them. "It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

"Any one who has ears to hear," he added, "let him listen to this."

"You do not understand this parable," said Jesus. "Then how will you understand the other parables?

Then they were awestruck, and said one to another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey him!"

On this the swineherds ran away and spread the news in town and country. So the people went to see what had happened.

"Why all this tumult and loud weeping?" he asked.

When it came Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; many, as they listened, were deeply impressed. "Where did he get all this?" they asked; "What is the wisdom that is given to this man, and miracles such as these that happen at his hands?

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?"

Now this Herod had sent and arrested John, and bound him in prison, for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married.

When John's disciples heard of this, they came, and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Then when the day was now far spent, his disciples came to him and said: "This place is desert, and the day is now far spent.

"Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, hypocrites," he answered. "As it is written, 'This people honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far from me;

you say that if a man tells his father or mother, 'This money which otherwise you would have received from me, is Korban' (that is, a thing devoted to God),

"Where will it be possible," answered his disciples, "for one to fill these men with bread in a lonely place like this?"

At this Jesus sighed deeply in his spirit, and said: "Why does the present generation seek a sign? In solemn truth I tell you that no sign shall be given this generation."

So he gave them this warning. "Look out! Be on the watch against the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod."

And they began arguing with one another because they had no bread, He noted this and said to them.

Then he strictly charged them not to say this about him to any one;

This he told them quite openly. Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him.

Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this unfaithful and wicked generation, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Then there came a cloud overshadowing them; and there came a voice out of the cloud. "This is my Son, my beloved. Listen to him."

This order they faithfully kept, questioning among themselves what "rising again from the dead" meant.

Then Jesus asked the father, "How long has he been like this?"

"This kind can only be cast out by prayer," he replied.

"For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh;

When indoors the disciples began to question Jesus again about this, and he said:

but shall receive a hundred times as much, now in this present world, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, lands??nd persecutions with them??nd in the world to come eternal life.

When they heard this the ten began to be indignant at James and John, so Jesus called them to him and said:

The chief priests and the Scribes heard this, and they began to seek means of destroying him; for they were afraid of him because all the crowd were greatly struck with his teaching.

"In solemn truth I tell you that if any one shall say to this mountain, 'Up and hurl yourself into the sea!' and shall not doubt in his heart, but on the contrary shall believe that what he says will happen, it will be granted him.

"By what authority do you do these things? or who gave you this authority to do these things?"

"And I will put one question to you," replied Jesus. "Answer this, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

Then he sent another slave to them; and this man they knocked over the head and handled shamefully.

"Have you not read this Scripture?" (he continued) "The very stone which the builders rejected Has now become the corner-stone;

This is the Lord's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes."

And they kept seeking to lay hold on him, but were afraid of the crowd, for they knew well that he had spoken this parable about them; so they left him and went away.

And they brought it. "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" "Caesar's," they answered.

"Is not this the reason for your error," Jesus answered them, "that you know not the Scripture nor the power of God?

"The second is this, "Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. Other command greater than these there is none."

On this he called his disciples to him, and said: "I tell you solemnly that this poor widow has put in more than all who have put their offerings into the treasury;

"But when you see the Abomination of Desolation 'standing where he ought not' (let the reader ponder this), then let those in Judea flee to the mountains;

Some of those who were present said among themselves indignantly. "Why has the perfume been wasted like this?

And as they were eating he took bread, and after the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "Take it, this is my body."

and he said: "This is my covenant blood, which is poured out for many.

Jesus said to him, "I tell you in solemn truth that you yourself, today on this very night, before the cock crow twice, shall three times disown me."

"Abba, Father," he said, "all things are possible with thee. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I will, but what thou wilt."

Day after day I was face to face with you in the Temple courts, teaching, and you did not seize me. But this is done that the Scriptures might be fulfilled."

"We heard him say, 'I will tear down this temple made by hands, and in three days I will build another temple not made by hands.'"

When they heard this, some of the bystanders said, "Listen, he is calling for Elijah."

Then the army captain, who was standing facing Jesus when he thus died, said, "in truth this man was a Son of God."

After this he appeared in another form to two of them as they were walking on their way into the country.

"How shall I be sure of this?" said Zachariah to the Angel. "For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years."

"I am Gabriel," answered the angel, "who stand in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring and to bring you this good news.

"And now you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day the day when this has taken place; because you did not believe my words??ords which will be fulfilled at their appointed time."

"This has the Lord done for me. He has now deigned to take the away my reproach among men."

Mary was greatly agitated at his word, and was revolving in her mind what this salutation could mean.

And Mary said to the angel. "How can this be? For I have no husband?"

"And behold your kinswoman, Elizabeth, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this was the sixth month with her that was called barren.

Soon after this Mary set out and hastened unto the hill-country to a town in Judah;

"But why is this honor done me, that the mother of my Lord should come me?

"For he has regarded the humiliation of his slave, And from this hour all ages will count me blessed.

All the story laid it up in their hearts, saying "What, then, will this child be?" For the Lord's hands was with him.

This was the first census, When Quirinius was governor of Syria.

"For unto you born this day in there is born in David's town a Saviour, who is the Anointed Lord.

"And this is a sign to you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes lying in a manger."

Now when the angels had left them, and gone away to heaven, the shepherds said to one to another, "Let us go now even to Bethlehem, and see this saying which has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."

"Behold this child is set for the falling and rising up of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against.

After spending the full number of days they started home, but the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother did not know this,

added yet this above them all that he shut up John in prison.

The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God tell this stone to become bread."

"To you will I give all this authority and this glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.

The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him, and he began to say to them, "Today is this scripture fulfilled in your hearing."

And they all spoke well of him, and marveled at the words of charm that fell from his lips. "Is not this the son of Joseph?" they asked.

All were amazed, and began to ask one another, saying. "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out."

And when they had done this they enclosed a great multitude of fish; and their nets began to break.

When Simon Peter saw this he fell down at the knees of Jesus, exclaiming, "Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man!"

and so were Simon's partners, James and John, sons of Zebedee.) But Jesus answered Simon. "Fear not; from this time on, you will be catching men."

And the Scribes and Pharisees began to cavil. "Who is this?" they asked, "speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

"What is this caviling in your hearts? Which is easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven," or to say, "Rise and walk?"

After this he went forth and noticed a tax-gatherer, named Levi, sitting at the tax-office, and said to him, "Follow me."

And they, when they reached Jesus, asked him earnestly to do this. "He deserves that you should do this," they said,

"For I also am a man obedient to authority, and have soldiers under me. And I say to one 'come,' and he comes, and to my slave 'do this or that,' and he does it."

But when Jesus heard this he was astonished and he turned and said to the crowd that was following him, "I tell you that not even in Israel have I found faith like that."

"Yes, I tell you and more than a prophet. This is he who it is written. "Behold I send a messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee.

On hearing this all the people and the tax-gatherers acknowledged the justice of God by being baptized with the baptism of John;

"To what then shall I compare the men of this generation?

When he noticed this the Pharisee, who had invited him, said to himself, "If this man were really a prophet he would have perceived who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, and would know that she is a sinner."

"You have rightly judged." answered Jesus, and turning to the woman, he said to Simon. "Do you see this woman? When I came into your house you gave me no water for my feet; but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

"This is why I tell you that her sins, many as they are, are forgiven, for her love is great; but he who is forgiven little, loves but little.

Then the other guest began to say among themselves, "Who is this even to forgive sins?"

"But some fell on good soil, and grew up, and brought forth fruit, a hundredfold." When he said this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear with, let him listen."

Then his disciples began to interrupt him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"