But as he was saying this, a cloud came and was circling over them, and they were frightened as the two visitors entered into the cloud.

Then a voice came out of the cloud and said, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; continue to listen to Him!"

But they remained ignorant of what this meant; indeed, it had been hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

Then He said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child on my account is welcoming me, and whoever welcomes me is welcoming Him who sent me; for the one who is lowliest among you all is really great."

When the disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?"

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on before Him, two by two, to every town or place which He was going to visit.

Whenever you go to a house for headquarters, first say, 'Peace to this household.'

'We are wiping off against you the very dust from your town that has stuck to our feet. But understand this, the kingdom of God is close by.'

He said to him, "You have answered correctly. Continue to do this, and you will live."

Just as He was saying this, a woman in the crowd lifted her voice and said, "Blessed is the mother who bore you and nursed you!"

Now as the crowds continued to throng upon Him, He began to say: "This is a wicked age. It is looking for a spectacular sign, but none will be given it but the sign of Jonah.

For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this age.

The queen of the south will rise at the judgment with the men of this age and will condemn them, for she came from the very ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom; and yet, One who is more than Solomon is here.

The men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with the men of this age and will condemn them, for they turned to the message preached by Jonah, and yet One who is more than Jonah is here.

When He had said this, a Pharisee asked Him to lunch at his house, and He went in and took His place at table.

Then an expert in the law interrupted Him and said, "Teacher, in saying this you are insulting us, too."

This is why the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill, and some they will persecute';

so that the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the creation of the world may be charged against the men of this age --

from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against the men of this age.

Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and in them I will store all my grains and my goods.

But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is to be demanded of you. Then who will have all that you have prepared?'

So if you cannot do this very little thing, why should you worry about the rest?

But be sure of this, that if the master of the house had known what time the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

Peter said to Him, "Lord, do you mean this story for us, or is it for everybody?"

Then He answered them, "Do you think, because these Galileans suffered like this, that they were worse sinners than all the rest of the Galileans?

Then He told them this story: "A man had a fig tree planted by his vineyard, and he kept going and looking for figs on it, but did not find any.

So he said to the vine-dresser, 'Look here! for three years I have been coming to look for figs on this fig tree, and have not found any. Cut it down. Why waste the ground with it?'

And so was it not right for this woman, a descendant of Abraham, whom Satan has for eighteen years kept bound, to be freed from this bond on the Sabbath?"

Even while He was saying this, His opponents were blushing with shame, but all the people were rejoicing over all the glorious things that were being done by Him.

But they could make no reply to this.

so that your host may not come and say to you, 'Make room for this man'; and then in embarrassment you will proceed to take and keep the lowest place.

But one of the fellow-guests heard this, and said to Him, "Happy will be the man who is fortunate enough to be at the feast in the kingdom of God."

and say, 'This fellow started to erect a building but could not complete it!'

And so the Pharisees and scribes continually grumbled, and said, "This fellow is welcoming notorious sinners, and even eating with them."

because this son of mine was dead and has come to life, was lost and has been found!' So they began to celebrate.

Then he called one of the servant-boys and asked him what this meant.

But when this son of yours arrives, who has eaten up your property with immoral women, you have killed for him the fattening calf.'

But we just had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life, was lost and has been found.'"

So he called the manager to him and said, 'What is this that I am hearing about you? Balance your accounts and show how you are conducting my affairs, for you cannot be manager any longer.'

Now the Pharisees who were lovers of money had been listening to all this, and they began to ridicule Him.

So he called and said, 'Father Abraham, take pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue, because I am ceaselessly tortured in this flame.'

Besides all this, between you and us there stands fixed a great chasm, so that those who want to cross from this side to you cannot, nor can they cross from your side to us.'

Then he said, 'For this reason, I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house

(for I have five brothers) to warn them, that they too may not come to this place of torture.'

Then the Lord said to them, "If you had faith that grows like a mustard seed, you might have been saying to this mulberry tree, 'Pull yourself up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea,' and it would have obeyed you!

Were none found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"

But first He has to endure much suffering, and be disowned by this age.

Then they asked Him, "Where, Lord, will this be?" And He said to them, "Wherever there is carrion the vultures will flock."

yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and protection, so that she may not finally wear me out by her continual coming."

The Pharisee stood and said this self-centered prayer, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men, robbers, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector.

I tell you, this man, and not the other, went back home forgiven and accepted by God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell everything you have, and distribute the money among the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come back and follow me."

who will not receive in return many times more in this world, and in the next eternal life."

But they did not understand about these things, and this statement was an insoluble riddle to them; they did not even begin to grasp what He meant.

Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this home, for he too is a real descendant of Abraham.

But his citizens continued to hate him, and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We do not want this man to become king over us.'

But when the tenants saw him, they argued among themselves, 'This is the heir; let us kill him, so that what he inherits may be ours.'

He will come and put those tenants to death and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "May it never be so!"

But He glanced at them and said, "Then what does this Scripture mean: 'That stone which the builders threw away has now become the cornerstone'?

Then the scribes and the high priests tried to arrest Him at that very hour, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He meant this story for them.

Jesus said to them, "The people of this world marry and are married,

And He said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has dropped in more than all of them;

"As for all this that you are admiring, the time is coming when not one stone will be left upon another, that will not be torn down."

Then they asked Him, "Teacher, when will this be? And what is the sign that it is about to take place?"

And when you hear of wars and tumults, never be panic-stricken. For this has to take place first, but the end will not come all at once."

But before all this takes place, people will arrest you and persecute you, and turn you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake.

Alas for the women who are pregnant and those who have nursing babies in those days! For there will be great misery in the land and wrath on this people.

"I solemnly say to you, this generation will not pass away before all this takes place.

But ever be watching and always praying, so that you may have strength to escape all this that is going to take place, and so you may take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man."

And He said to them, "I have heartily desired to eat this Passover supper with you before I suffer.

Then He received a cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Take this and share it among you,

Then He took a loaf, gave thanks, and broke it in pieces, and gave it to them, and said, "This is my body which is to be given for you. Do this as a memorial to me."

In like manner after supper He took a cup of wine, and said, "This cup of wine is the new covenant to be ratified by my blood, which is to be poured out for you.

Then they began to discuss among themselves which one it was who was going to do this.

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet, not my will but always yours be done!"

But Jesus said, "Permit me to go as far as this!" So He touched his ear and healed him.

While I was among you day after day in the temple, you never laid a hand on me! But this is your opportunity, even the power which darkness gives you!"

A servant girl saw him sitting by the fire and fixed her eyes on him and said, "This fellow was with Him too."

Here they began to make the following charges against Him: "We have found this fellow corrupting our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar and claiming to be a king himself."

Then Pilate said to the high priests and crowds, "I do not find anything blameworthy in this man."

When Pilate heard this, He asked if the man were a Galilean.

and said to them, "You brought this man to me on a charge of turning the people from allegiance, and here in your presence I have examined Him and do not find Him guilty of the charges you make against Him.

But they all together began to shout, "Away with this fellow, but let us have Barabbas released!

For if they do this when the wood is green, what will they do when it is dry?"

Yes, there was a placard above His head: "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."

And we are suffering it justly, for we are getting our deserts for what we have done, but this man has done nothing wrong."

So He said to him, "I solemnly say to you, this very day you will be in paradise with me."

Then Jesus uttered a loud cry, and said, "Father, I now commit my spirit to your care." As He said this He breathed His last.

And all the crowds who had come together for this sight, when they had seen what took place, returned to the city but continued to beat their breasts in grief.

And as they were being perplexed about this, two men in dazzling robes suddenly took their stand beside them.

Then He said to them, "What is this that you are discussing together as you walk?" So they stopped and stood still with puzzled countenances.

But we kept hoping that He was the One who was coming to set Israel free. Moreover, besides all this, it is now the third day since these things occurred.

Yes, indeed, some women of our number have astounded us! They went to the tomb early this morning

[After He had said this He showed them His hands and His feet.]

Then He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you, that everything which is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled."

John testified to Him and cried out, for this was the one who said, "The One who is coming after me has been put before me, because He existed before me."

Now this is the testimony which John gave when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem, to ask him, "Who are you?"

This took place at Bethany on the farther side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

This is the One about whom I said, 'After me there is coming a man who has already been put before me, because He existed before me.'

Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.