But God told him, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you. Now who will get the things you've accumulated?'

But be sure of this: if the homeowner had known at what time the thief were coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into.

Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable just for us or for everyone?"

How blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing this when he comes!

He asked them, "Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the other Galileans because they suffered like this?

Then Jesus told them this parable: "A man had a fig tree that had been planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but didn't find any.

So he told the gardener, "Look here! For three years I've been coming to look for fruit on this tree but I haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it waste the soil?'

Shouldn't this woman, a descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?"

Even as he was saying this, all of his opponents were blushing with shame. But the rest of the crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things he was doing.

And they couldn't argue with him about this.

Then the host who invited both of you would come to you and say, "Give this person your place.' In disgrace, you would have to take the place of least honor.

Now one of those eating with him heard this and told him, "How blessed is the person who will eat in the kingdom of God!"

"So the servant went back and reported all this to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and told his servant, "Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring back the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.'

and say, "This person started a building but couldn't finish it.'

But the Pharisees and the scribes kept complaining, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

So he told them this parable:

But this son of yours spent your money on prostitutes, and when he came back, you killed the fattened calf for him!'

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

So he called for him and asked him, "What's this I hear about you? You can't be my manager any longer. Now give me a report about your management!'

Now the Pharisees, who love money, had been listening to all this and began to ridicule Jesus.

So he shouted, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire.'

Besides all this, a wide chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross from this side to you cannot do so, nor can they cross from your side to us.'

because I have five brothers to warn them, so that they won't end up in this place of torture, too.'

The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you!

Except for this foreigner, were any of them found to return and give praise to God?"

Then they asked him, "Where, Lord, will this take place?" He told them, "Wherever there's a corpse, there the vultures will gather."

yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice. Otherwise, she will keep coming and wear me out.'"

Jesus also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves, thinking they were righteous, but who looked down on everyone else:

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, "O God, I thank you that I'm not like other people thieves, dishonest people, adulterers, or even this tax collector.

I tell you, this man, rather than the other one, went down to his home justified, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be exalted."

Now some people were even bringing their infants to Jesus to have him touch them. But when the disciples saw this, they sternly told the people not to do that.

When Jesus heard this, he told him, "You still need to do one thing. Sell everything you have and give the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me."

But when the official heard this he became sad, because he was very rich.

who will not receive many times as much in this world, as well as eternal life in the age to come."

But they didn't understand any of this. What he said was hidden from them, and they didn't know what he meant.

Immediately the man could see again and began to follow Jesus, glorifying God. All the people saw this and gave praise to God.

But all the people who saw this began to complain: "Jesus is going to be the guest of a notorious sinner!"

Then Jesus told him, "Today salvation has come to this home, because this man is also a descendant of Abraham,

As they were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and because the people thought that the kingdom of God would appear immediately.

He called ten of his servants and gave them ten coins. He told them, "Invest this money until I come back.'

But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation to follow him and to announce, "We don't want this man to rule over us!'

After Jesus had said this, he traveled on and went up to Jerusalem.

If anyone asks you why you are untying it, say this: "The Lord needs it.'"

and asked him, "Tell us: By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"

They discussed this among themselves: "If we say, "From heaven,' he will ask, "Then why didn't you believe him?'

Then he began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went abroad for a long time.

But when the farmers saw him, they talked it over among themselves and said, "This is the heir. Let's kill him so that the inheritance will be ours!'

But Jesus looked at them and asked, "What does this text mean: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?

When the scribes and the high priests realized that Jesus had told this parable about them, they wanted to arrest him right then, but they were afraid of the crowd.

Jesus told them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are married,

He said, "I tell you with certainty, this destitute widow has dropped in more than all of them,

"How terrible it will be for those women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days! because there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.

I tell all of you with certainty, this generation won't disappear until all these things take place.

"Constantly be on your guard so that your hearts will not be loaded down with self-indulgence, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, or that day will take you by surprise

He told them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer,

Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, "Take this and share it among yourselves,

Then he took a loaf of bread, gave thanks, broke it in pieces, and handed it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Keep on doing this in memory of me."

He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant sealed by my blood, which is being poured out for you.

Then they began to discuss among themselves which one of them was going to do this.

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

But Jesus said, "No more of this!" So he touched the wounded man's ear and healed him.

While I was with you day after day in the Temple, you didn't lay a hand on me. But this is your hour, when darkness reigns!"

A servant girl saw him sitting by the fire, stared at him, and said, "This man was with him, too."

About an hour later, another man emphatically asserted, "This man was certainly with him, because he is a Galilean!"

They began to accuse him, "We found this man corrupting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that he is the Messiah, a king."

Then Pilate told the high priests and crowds, "I do not find anything chargeable in this man."

But they kept insisting, "He is stirring up the people with what he teaches all over Judea, from where he started in Galilee to this place."

When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.

So Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day. Before this they had been enemies.

and told them, "You brought this man to me as one who turns the people against the government. And here in your presence I have examined him and have found him "Not Guilty' of the charges you make against him.

Neither does Herod, because he sent him back to us! Indeed, this man has done nothing to deserve death.

But they all shouted out together, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas for us!"

(This man had been put in prison for murder and for a revolt that had taken place in the city.)

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

There was also an inscription over him written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: "This is the King of the Jews."

We have been condemned justly, because we are getting what we deserve for what we have done, but this man has done nothing wrong."

Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, "Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit." After he said this, he breathed his last.

When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, "This man certainly was righteous!"

When all the crowds who had come together for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they beat their chests and left.

While they were puzzling over this, two men in dazzling robes suddenly stood beside them.

But we kept hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel. What is more, this is now the third day since these things occurred.

Even some of our women have startled us by what they told us. They were at the tomb early this morning

While they were all talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and told them, "Peace be with you."

After he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

He told them, "This is how it is written: the Messiah was to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

This was the true light that enlightens every person by his coming into the world.

John told the truth about him when he cried out, "This is the person about whom I said, "The one who comes after me ranks higher than me, because he existed before me.'"

This was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and descendants of Levi to him from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

This happened in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

This is the one about whom I said, "After me comes a man who ranks above me, because he existed before me.'

I have seen this and have testified that this is the Son of God."

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

After this, Jesus went down to Capernaum he, his mother, his brothers, and his disciples and they remained there for a few days.

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will rebuild it."

The Jewish leaders said, "This sanctuary has been under construction for 46 years, and you're going to rebuild it in three days?"

After he had been raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this. So they believed the Scripture and the statement that Jesus had made.

Jesus answered him, "You're the teacher of Israel, and you can't understand this?

"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.

And this is the basis for judgment: The light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light because their actions were evil.