On that same occasion Jesus was filled by the Holy Spirit with rapturous joy. "I give Thee fervent thanks," He exclaimed, "O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that Thou hast hidden these things from sages and men of understanding, and hast revealed them to babes. Yes, Father, for such has been Thy gracious will.

Jesus replied, "A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell among robbers, who after both stripping and beating him went away, leaving him half dead.

But a certain Samaritan, being on a journey, came where he lay, and seeing him was moved with pity.

Martha meanwhile was busy and distracted in waiting at table, and she came and said, "Master, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do all the waiting? Tell her to assist me."

At one place where He was praying, when He rose from His knees one of His disciples said to Him, "Master, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

On once occasion He was expelling a dumb demon; and when the demon was gone out the dumb man could speak, and the people were astonished.

Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more malignant than itself, and they enter and dwell there; and in the end that man's condition becomes worse than it was at first.

Now the Pharisee saw to his surprise that He did not wash His hands before breakfasting.

Observe the lilies, how they grow. They neither labour nor spin. And yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was as beautifully dressed as one of these.

Of this be sure, that if the master of the house had known what time the robber was coming, he would have kept awake and not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Once He was teaching on the Sabbath in one of the synagogues

where a woman was present who for eighteen years had been a confirmed invalid: she was bent double, and was unable to lift herself to her full height.

But the Lord's reply to him was, "Hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his bullock or his ass from the stall and lead him to water?

And this woman, daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan had bound for no less than eighteen years, was she not to be loosed from this chain because it is the Sabbath day?"

When He had said this, all His opponents were ashamed, while the whole multitude was delighted at the many glorious things continually done by Him.

He was passing through town after town and village after village, steadily proceeding towards Jerusalem,

One day--it was a Sabbath--He was taking a meal at the house of one of the Rulers of the Pharisee party, while they were closely watching Him.

In front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy.

He went on to say, "There was a man who had two sons.

"So he rose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and pitied him, and ran and threw his arms round his neck and kissed him tenderly.

for my son here was dead and has come to life again: he was lost and has been found.' "And they began to be merry.

"Now his elder son was out on the farm; and when he returned and came near home, he heard music and dancing.

"Then he was angry and would not go in. But his father came out and entreated him.

We are bound to make merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has come back to life, he was lost and has been found.'"

He said also to His disciples: "There was a rich man who had a steward, about whom a report was brought to him, that he was wasting his property.

"To a second he said, "'And how much do you owe?' "'A hundred quarters of wheat,' was the answer. "'Here is your account,' said he: 'change it into eighty quarters.'

"There was once a rich man who habitually arrayed himself in purple and fine linen, and enjoyed a splendid banquet every day,

"But in course of time the beggar died; and he was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and had a funeral.

One of them, seeing that he was cured, came back, adoring and praising God in a loud voice,

and he threw himself at the feet of Jesus, thanking Him. He was a Samaritan.

Being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was coming, He answered, "The Kingdom of God does not so come that you can stealthily watch for it.

"And as it was in the time of Noah, so will it also be in the time of the Son of Man.

The same was true in the time of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building;

"In a certain town," He said, "there was a judge who had no fear of God and no respect for man.

And in the same town was a widow who repeatedly came and entreated him, saying, "'Give me justice and stop my oppressor.'

The question was put to Him by a Ruler: "Good Rabbi, what shall I do to inherit the Life of the Ages?"

But on hearing these words he was deeply sorrowful, for he was exceedingly rich.

As Jesus came near to Jericho, there was a blind man sitting by the way-side begging.

So He entered Jericho and was passing through the town.

There was a man there called Zacchaeus, who was the local surveyor of taxes, and was wealthy.

He was anxious to see what sort of man Jesus was; but he could not because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.

So he ran on in front and climbed up a mulberry tree to see Him; for He was about to pass that way.

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

As they were listening to His words, He went on to teach them by a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem and they supposed that the Kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.

For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man: you take up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.'

And when he was come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount called the Oliveyard, He sent two of the disciples on in front,

And when He was now getting near Jerusalem, and descending the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began in their joy to praise God in loud voices for all the mighty deeds they had witnessed.

On one of those days while He was teaching the people in the Temple and proclaiming the Good News, the High Priests came upon Him, and the Scribes,

"was John's baptism of Heavenly or of human origin?"

And if we say, 'human,' the people will all stone us; for they are thoroughly convinced that John was a Prophet."

Then He proceeded to speak a parable to the people. "There was a man," He said, "who planted a vineyard, let it out to vine-dressers, and went abroad for a considerable time.

There was nothing here that they could lay hold of before the people, and marvelling at His answer they said no more.

When some were remarking about the Temple, how it was embellished with beautiful stones and dedicated gifts, He said,

His habit at this time was to teach in the Temple by day, but to go out and spend the night on the Mount called the Oliveyard.

Meanwhile the Festival of the Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching,

When the time was come, and He had taken His place at table, and the Apostles with Him,

He gave them the cup in like manner, when the meal was over. "This cup," He said, "is the new Covenant ratified by my blood which is to be poured out on your behalf.

Thereupon they began to discuss with one another which of them it could possibly be who was about to do this.

Then He asked them, "When I sent you out without purse or bag or shoes, was there anything you needed?" "No, nothing," they replied.

For I tell you that those words of Scripture must yet find their fulfilment in me: 'And He was reckoned among the lawless'; for indeed that saying about me has its accomplishment."

While He was still speaking there came a crowd with Judas, already mentioned as one of the Twelve, at their head. He went up to Jesus to kiss Him.

Those who were about Him, seeing what was likely to happen, asked Him, "Master, shall we strike with the sword?"

While day after day I was with you in the Temple, you did not lay hands upon me; but to you belongs this hour--and the power of darkness."

And when they had lighted a fire in the middle of the court and had seated themselves in a group round it, Peter was sitting among them,

when a maidservant saw him sitting by the fire, and, looking fixedly at him, she said, "This man also was with him."

After an interval of about an hour some one else stoutly maintained: "Certainly this fellow also was with him, for in fact he is a Galilaean."

or blindfolded Him, and then challenged Him. "Prove to us," they said, "that you are a prophet, by telling us who it was that struck you."

As soon as it was day, the whole body of the Elders, both High Priests and Scribes, assembled. Then He was brought into their Sanhedrin, and they asked Him,

And learning that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction he sent Him to Herod, for he too was in Jerusalem at that time.

To Herod the sight of Jesus was a great gratification, for, for a long time, he had been wanting to see Him, because he had heard so much about Him. He hoped also to see some miracle performed by Him.

The man who was lying in prison charged with riot and murder and for whom they clamoured he set free, but Jesus he gave up to be dealt with as they desired.

As soon as they led Him away, they laid hold on one Simon, a Cyrenaean, who was coming in from the country, and on his shoulders they put the cross, for him to carry it behind Jesus.

There was moreover a writing over His head: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

It was now about noon, and a darkness came over the whole country till three o'clock in the afternoon.

The sun was darkened, and the curtain of the Sanctuary was torn down the middle,

The Captain, seeing what had happened, gave glory to God, saying, "Beyond question this man was innocent."

There was a member of the Council of the name of Joseph, a kind-hearted and upright man,

who came from the Jewish town of Arimathaea and was awaiting the coming of the Kingdom of God. He had not concurred in the design or action of the Council,

It was the Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was near at hand.

The women--those who had come with Jesus from Galilee--followed close behind, and saw the tomb and how His body was placed.

and on entering they found that the body of the Lord Jesus was not there.

He is not here. He has come back to life. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,

"What things?" He asked. "The things about Jesus the Nazarene," they said, "who was a Prophet powerful in work and word before God and all the people;

But we were hoping that it was He who was about to ransom Israel. Yes, and moreover it was the day before yesterday that these things happened.

and, finding that His body was not there, they came and declared to us that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive.

Was there not a necessity for the Christ thus to suffer, and then enter into His glory?"

But as soon as He had sat down with them, and had taken the bread and had blessed and broken it, and was handing it to them,

And He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you--that everything must be fulfilled that is written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and the Psalms concerning me."

And while He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into Heaven.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

In Him was Life, and that Life was the Light of men.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

He was not the Light, but he existed that he might give testimony concerning the Light.

The true Light was that which illumines every man by its coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into existence through Him, and the world did not recognize Him.

And the Word came in the flesh, and lived for a time in our midst, so that we saw His glory--the glory as of the Father's only Son, sent from His presence. He was full of grace and truth.

John gave testimony concerning Him and cried aloud, saying, "This is He of whom I said, 'He who is coming after me has been put before me,' for He was before me."

For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

This also is John's testimony, when the Jews sent to him a deputation of Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him who he was.