So those who are last [in this world] shall be first [in the world to come], and those who are first, last.”

He said to them, “You will drink My cup [of suffering]; but to sit on My right and on My left this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”

The crowds that went ahead of Him, and those that followed Him, were shouting [in praise and adoration],

“Hosanna to the Son of David (Messiah);
Blessed [praised, glorified] is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest [heaven]!”

When He entered Jerusalem, all the city was trembling [with excitement], saying, “Who is this?”

And Jesus entered the temple [grounds] and drove out [with force] all who were buying and selling [birds and animals for sacrifice] in the temple area, and He turned over the tables of the moneychangers [who made a profit exchanging foreign money for temple coinage] and the chairs of those who were selling doves [for sacrifice].

When He entered the temple area, the chief priests and elders of the people came to Him as He was teaching and said, “By what [kind of] authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority [to exercise this power]?”

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to tenant farmers and went on a journey [to another country].

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to [another] people who will produce the fruit of it.

And he who falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces; but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.

And he sent his servants to call those who had [previously] been invited to the wedding feast, but they refused to come.

Then he sent out some other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened calves are butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’

“But when the king came in to see the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed [appropriately] in wedding clothes,

On that day some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection [of the dead], came to Him and asked Him a question,

Do not call anyone on earth [who guides you spiritually] your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

But the greatest among you will be your servant.

“But woe (judgment is coming) to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are [in the process of] entering to do so.

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, that is nothing (non-binding); but whoever swears [an oath] by the gold of the temple is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].’

And whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells within it.

And whoever swears [an oath] by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

so that on you will come the guilt of all the blood of the righteous shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

For I say to you, you will not see Me again [ministering to you publicly] until you say, ‘Blessed [to be celebrated with praise] is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another.

But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved.

then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains [for refuge].

Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things that are in his house [because there will not be enough time].

Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his coat.

And woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give the others [in the house] their food and supplies at the proper time?

Blessed is that [faithful] servant when his master returns and finds him doing so.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

But while they were going away to buy oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut and locked.

“For it is just like a man who was about to take a journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his possessions.

The one who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he [made a profit and] gained five more.

Likewise the one who had two [made a profit and] gained two more.

But the one who had received the one went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

And the one who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted to me five talents. See, I have [made a profit and] gained five more talents.’

“Also the one who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have [made a profit and] gained two more talents.’

“The one who had received one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a harsh and demanding man, reaping [the harvest] where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed.

So take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

“For to everyone who has [and values his blessings and gifts from God, and has used them wisely], more will be given, and [he will be richly supplied so that] he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have [because he has ignored or disregarded his blessings and gifts from God], even what he does have will be taken away.

Then these [unbelieving people] will go away into eternal (unending) punishment, but those who are righteous and in right standing with God [will go, by His remarkable grace] into eternal (unending) life.”

Then one of the twelve [disciples], who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

Jesus answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the bowl with Me [as a pretense of friendship] will betray Me.

The Son of Man is to go [to the cross], just as it is written [in Scripture] of Him; but woe (judgment is coming) to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”

And one of those who were with Jesus reached out and drew his sword, and struck [Malchus] the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place; for all those who habitually draw the sword will die by the sword.

Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) had gathered [illegally] together.

saying, “Prophesy to us, You Christ (Messiah, Anointed); who was it that struck You?”

Then the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet were fulfilled: “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him on whom a price had been set by the sons of Israel;

Now at the feast [of the Passover] the governor was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner whom the people chose.

So when they had assembled [for this purpose], Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to set free for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”

Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all replied, “Let Him be crucified!”

Those who passed by were hurling abuse at Him and jeering at Him, wagging their heads [in scorn and ridicule],

and they said [tauntingly], “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself [from death]! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

The robbers who had been crucified with Him also began to insult Him in the same way.

The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints (God’s people) who had fallen asleep [in death] were raised [to life];

Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, they were terribly frightened and filled with awe, and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

There were also many women there looking on from a distance, who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him.

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus.

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.

As it is written and forever remains in the [writings of the] prophet Isaiah:

“Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way—

And he was preaching, saying, “After me comes He who is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, and I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the straps of His sandals [even as His slave].

Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, who were also in the boat mending and cleaning the nets.

They were completely amazed at His teaching; because He was teaching them as one having [God-given] authority, and not as the scribes.

Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out [terribly from the depths of his throat],

saying, “What business do You have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

Now when evening came, after the sun had set [and the Sabbath Day had ended, in a steady stream] they were bringing to Him all who were sick and those who were under the power of demons,

And Jesus healed many who were suffering with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him [recognizing Him as the Son of God].

Simon [Peter] and his companions searched [everywhere, looking anxiously] for Him,

Then they came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, who was being carried by four men.

“Why does this man talk that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins [remove guilt, nullify sin’s penalty, and assign righteousness] except God alone?”

And it happened that Jesus was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, and many tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews] were eating with Him and His disciples; for there were many of them and they were following Him.

When Jesus heard this, He said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but [only] those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners [who recognize their sin and humbly seek forgiveness].”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was in need and was hungry, he and his companions;

how he went into the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and how he also gave it to the men who were with him?”

Again Jesus went into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered.

He said to the man whose hand was withered, “Get up and come forward!”

for He had healed many, and as a result all who had diseases pressed around Him to touch Him.

He went up on the hillside and called those whom He Himself wanted and chose; and they came to Him.

and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

When His own family heard this they went to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He is out of His mind.”

The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul (Satan),” and “He is driving out the demons by the [power of the] ruler of the demons.”

And He replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”

Looking at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!

And He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.”

As soon as He was alone, those who were around Him, together with the twelve [disciples], began asking Him about [the interpretation of] the parables.

These [in the first group] are the ones along the road where the word is sown; but when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

In a similar way these [in the second group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy [but accept it only superficially];

And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,

And those [in the last group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word [of God, the good news regarding the way of salvation] and accept it and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much [as was sown].”

Then He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By your own standard of measurement [that is, to the extent that you study spiritual truth and apply godly wisdom] it will be measured to you [and you will be given even greater ability to respond]—and more will be given to you besides.

For whoever has [a teachable heart], to him more [understanding] will be given; and whoever does not have [a yearning for truth], even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Then He said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who throws seed on the ground;

and He did not say anything to them without [using] a parable; He did, however, explain everything privately to His own disciples.

They were filled with great fear, and said to each other, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the man who had [previously] had the “legion” [of demons]; and they were frightened.