When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did he get these ideas? And what is this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these miracles that are done through his hands?

But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!"

Now there were five thousand men who ate the bread.

And wherever he would go -- into villages, towns, or countryside -- they would place the sick in the marketplaces, and would ask him if they could just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Now the Pharisees and some of the experts in the law who came from Jerusalem gathered around him.

They brought to him a deaf man who had difficulty speaking, and they asked him to place his hands on him.

There were about four thousand who ate. Then he dismissed them.

Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"

He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ."

And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

A member of the crowd said to him, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that makes him mute.

Then Jesus said to him, "'If you are able?' All things are possible for the one who believes."

But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

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.

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

They were even more astonished and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?"

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel

who will not receive in this age a hundred times as much -- homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.

But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

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.

but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared."

Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them.

Both those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Then they came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts. He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves,

and said, "By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?"

He sent another, and that one they killed. This happened to many others, some of whom were beaten, others killed.

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

You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days!

And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them short.

But some who were present indignantly said to one another, "Why this waste of expensive ointment?

He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who dips his hand with me into the bowl.

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."

A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection.

The soldiers forced a passerby to carry his cross, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus).

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

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.

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

When he was in Galilee, they had followed him and given him support. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were there too.

Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

They had been asking each other, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?"

But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been raised! He is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him.

[[Early on the first day of the week, after he arose, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons.

She went out and told those who were with him, while they were mourning and weeping.

Then he appeared to the eleven themselves, while they were eating, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him resurrected.

The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.

These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages;

like the accounts passed on to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning.

During the reign of Herod king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and he had a wife named Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron.

The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

And who am I that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me?

And blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled."

because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name;

from generation to generation he is merciful to those who fear him.

All who heard these things kept them in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the Lord's hand was indeed with him.

that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us.

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased!"

and all who heard it were astonished at what the shepherds said.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon who was righteous and devout, looking for the restoration of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

At that moment, she came up to them and began to give thanks to God and to speak about the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

And all who heard Jesus were astonished at his understanding and his answers.

So John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

John answered them, "The person who has two tunics must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise."

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed,

Yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to a woman who was a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,

"Ha! Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God."

As the sun was setting, all those who had any relatives sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus. He placed his hands on every one of them and healed them.

For Peter and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,

and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's business partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people."

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came to him who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed down with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

Now on one of those days, while he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting nearby (who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem), and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.

Then the experts in the law and the Pharisees began to think to themselves, "Who is this man who is uttering blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

Jesus answered them, "Those who are well don't need a physician, but those who are sick do.

But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Get up and stand here." So he rose and stood there.

When morning came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles:

Simon (whom he named Peter), and his brother Andrew; and James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,

Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

and those who suffered from unclean spirits were cured.

Then he looked up at his disciples and said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God belongs to you.

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort already.

"Woe to you who are well satisfied with food now, for you will be hungry. "Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

"But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

To the person who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other as well, and from the person who takes away your coat, do not withhold your tunic either.

Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your possessions back from the person who takes them away.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.

And if you lend to those from whom you hope to be repaid, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may be repaid in full.

He also told them a parable: "Someone who is blind cannot lead another who is blind, can he? Won't they both fall into a pit?

"Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice -- I will show you what he is like:

He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.

But the person who hears and does not put my words into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against that house, it collapsed immediately, and was utterly destroyed!"

A centurion there had a slave who was highly regarded, but who was sick and at the point of death.