At this, they shouted out again, "Not this fellow, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Jesus answered him, "You have no authority over me at all, except what was given to you from above. That's why the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

Now it was the Preparation Day for the Passover, about noon. He told the Jewish leaders, "Here is your king!"

Many Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.

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.

So they told each other, "Let's not tear it. Instead, let's throw dice to see who gets it." This was to fulfill the Scripture that says, "They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they threw dice." So that is what the soldiers did.

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

A jar of sour wine was standing there, so they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.

Since it was the Preparation Day, the Jewish leaders did not want to leave the bodies on the crosses during the Sabbath, because that was a particularly important Sabbath. So they asked Pilate to have the men's legs broken and the bodies removed.

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

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.

A garden was located in the place where he was crucified, and in that garden was a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed.

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

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

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.

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."

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."

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."

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

He told them, "Throw the net on the right hand side of the boat, and you'll catch some." So they threw it out and were unable to haul it in because it was so full of fish.

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.

So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish 153 of them. And although there were so many of them, the net was not torn.

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.

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

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!"

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?"

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?"

up to the day when he was taken up to heaven after giving orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

While he was meeting with them, he ordered them, "Don't leave Jerusalem. Instead, wait for what the Father has promised, about which you heard me speak,

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

While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, two men in white robes stood right beside them.

"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,

because he was one of our number and was appointed to share in this ministry."

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

beginning when he was baptized by John until the day he was taken up from us. Therefore, someone like this must become a witness with us to his resurrection."

So they nominated two men Joseph called Barsabbas, who also was called Justus, and Matthias.

So they drew lots for them, and when the lot fell on Matthias, he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.

When the day of Pentecost was being celebrated, all of them were together in one place.

Rather, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

"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.

After he was arrested according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified this very man and killed him using the hands of lawless men.

But God raised him up and put an end to suffering of death, since it was impossible for him to be held by it,

"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and that his tomb is among us to this day.

Therefore, since he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him with an oath to put one of his descendants on his throne,

he looked ahead and spoke about the resurrection of the Messiah: "He was not abandoned to Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay.'

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

They made it their practice to sell their possessions and goods and to distribute the proceeds to anyone who was in need.

They were praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. Every day the Lord was adding to their number those who were being saved.

Now a man who had been crippled from birth was being carried in. Every day people would lay him at what was called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from those who were going into the Temple.

they knew that he was the man who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

While he was holding on to Peter and John, all the people came running to them in what was called "Solomon's Colonnade". They were dumbfounded.

So they arrested them and placed them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening.

If we are being questioned today for a good deed done for someone who was sick or to learn how this man was healed,

He is "the stone that was rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone.'

And seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could not say anything against them.

since the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than 40 years old.

When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak messages from God boldly.

With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was on them all,

and lay it at the apostles' feet. Then it was distributed to anyone who needed it.

One man, Joseph, a descendant of Levi and a native of Cyprus, who was named Barnabas by the apostles (the name means "a son of encouragement"),

As long as it remained unsold, wasn't it your own? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? So how could you have thought of doing what you did? You didn't lie only to men, but also to God!"

So Peter asked her, "Tell me, did you sell the land for that price?" She answered, "Yes, that was the price."

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while.

For in the recent past Theudas appeared, claiming that he was important, and about 400 men joined him. He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and disappeared.

In those days, as the number of the disciples was growing larger and larger, a complaint was made by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food.

Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

But some men who belonged to the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), as well as some Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and began to debate with Stephen.

Then everyone who was seated in the Council glared at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

"The glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. God told him, "Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land I'll show you.'

"Joseph's brothers became jealous of him and sold Joseph as a slave in Egypt. However, God was with him

But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors on their first trip.

"At this time Moses was born. He was beautiful in the sight of God, and for three months he was cared for in his father's house.

When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.

"When he was 40 years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the descendants of Israel.

When he saw one of them being mistreated, he defended him and avenged the man who was being mistreated by killing the Egyptian.

He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was using him to rescue them, but they didn't understand.

"But the man who was harming his neighbor pushed Moses away and said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us?

When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached the bush to look at it, the voice of the Lord said,

"This same Moses whom they rejected by saying, "Who made you ruler and judge?' was the man whom God sent to be both their ruler and deliverer with the help of the angel who had appeared to him in the bush.

It was he who led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for 40 years.

It was this Moses who told the Israelis, "God will raise up a prophet for you from among your own brothers, just as he did me.'

This Moses is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and to our ancestors. He received living truths to give to us,

Our ancestors brought it here with Joshua when they replaced the nations that God drove out in front of our ancestors, and it was here until the time of David.

but it was Solomon who built a house for him.

It was my hand that made all these things, wasn't it?'"

Now Saul heartily approved of putting Stephen to death. That day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except for the apostles was scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.

The crowds, hearing his message and seeing the signs that he was doing, paid close attention to what was said by Philip.

As a result, there was great rejoicing in that city.

Now in that city there was a man named Simon. He was practicing occult arts and thrilling the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.

Even Simon believed, and after he was baptized he became devoted to Philip. He was amazed to see the signs and great miracles that were happening.

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money

So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, who was a member of the court of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was in charge of all her treasures and had come up to Jerusalem to worship.

Now he was returning home, seated in his chariot, and reading from the prophet Isaiah.

This was the passage of Scripture he was reading: "Like a sheep he was led away to be slaughtered, and like a lamb is silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth.

In his humiliation, justice was denied him. Who can describe his descendants? For his life is taken away from the earth."

But Philip found himself at Azotus. As he was passing through that region, he kept proclaiming the good news in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

As Saul traveled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him.

Now in Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called out to him in a vision, "Ananias!" He answered, "Here I am, Lord."