He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us."

But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say anything bad about me.

"If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.

Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan River. Again crowds gathered to him, and again, as was his custom, he taught them.

Then some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"

In the house once again, the disciples asked him about this.

Now people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, but the disciples scolded those who brought them.

Now as Jesus was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

The man said to him, "Teacher, I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since my youth."

As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, "You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Peter began to speak to him, "Look, we have left everything to follow you!"

They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him.

"Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles.

They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he will rise again."

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

They said to him, "Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory."

They said to him, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience,

Many scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man and said to him, "Have courage! Get up! He is calling you."

Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied, "Rabbi, let me see again."

Jesus said to him, "Go, your faith has healed you." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the road.

The chief priests and the experts in the law heard it and they considered how they could assassinate him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching.

Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered."

I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your sins."

They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the elders came up to him

They discussed with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?'

But those tenants seized his slave, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

He had one left, his one dear son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and the inheritance will be ours!'

So they seized him, killed him, and threw his body out of the vineyard.

Now they wanted to arrest him (but they feared the crowd), because they realized that he told this parable against them. So they left him and went away.

Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to trap him with his own words.

When they came they said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not court anyone's favor, because you show no partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn't we?"

Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were utterly amazed at him.

Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) also came to him and asked him,

Now as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

Now one of the experts in the law came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?"

The expert in the law said to him, "That is true, Teacher; you are right to say that he is one, and there is no one else besides him.

And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." Then no one dared any longer to question him.

If David himself calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts, one of his disciples said to him, "Teacher, look at these tremendous stones and buildings!"

Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!"

So while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,

Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe him.

Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.

When they heard this, they were delighted and promised to give him money. So Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray him.

Now on the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus' disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

He sent two of his disciples and told them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.

They were distressed, and one by one said to him, "Surely not I?"

For the Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born."

Peter said to him, "Even if they all fall away, I will not!"

Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, today -- this very night -- before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times."

He took Peter, James, and John with him, and became very troubled and distressed.

Going a little farther, he threw himself to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour would pass from him.

When he came again he found them sleeping; they could not keep their eyes open. And they did not know what to tell him.

Right away, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. With him came a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and experts in the law and elders.

(Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away under guard.")

When Judas arrived, he went up to Jesus immediately and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him.

Then they took hold of him and arrested him.

Then all the disciples left him and fled.

A young man was following him, wearing only a linen cloth. They tried to arrest him,

And Peter had followed him from a distance, up to the high priest's courtyard. He was sitting with the guards and warming himself by the fire.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find anything.

Many gave false testimony against him, but their testimony did not agree.

Some stood up and gave this false testimony against him:

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

But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

You have heard the blasphemy! What is your verdict?" They all condemned him as deserving death.

Then some began to spit on him, and to blindfold him, and to strike him with their fists, saying, "Prophesy!" The guards also took him and beat him.

When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked directly at him and said, "You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus."

When the slave girl saw him, she began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them."

Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down and wept.

Early in the morning, after forming a plan, the chief priests with the elders and the experts in the law and the whole Sanhedrin tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

So Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He replied, "You say so."

Then the chief priests began to accuse him repeatedly.

So Pilate asked him again, "Have you nothing to say? See how many charges they are bringing against you!"

(For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.)

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas instead.

They shouted back, "Crucify him!"

Pilate asked them, "Why? What has he done wrong?" But they shouted more insistently, "Crucify him!"

Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

So the soldiers led him into the palace (that is, the governor's residence) and called together the whole cohort.

They put a purple cloak on him and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on him.

They began to salute him: "Hail, king of the Jews!"

Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Then they knelt down and paid homage to him.

When they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, throwing dice for them, to decide what each would take.

It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him.

The inscription of the charge against him read, "The king of the Jews."

And they crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left.

Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,

In the same way even the chief priests -- together with the experts in the law -- were mocking him among themselves: "He saved others, but he cannot save himself!

Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!" Those who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.

Then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Leave him alone! Let's see if Elijah will come to take him down!"

Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"