Now a large crowd of Judeans learned that Jesus was there, and so they came not only because of him but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead.

for on account of him many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem were going away and believing in Jesus.

So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it.

So these approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus."

"Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? 'Father, deliver me from this hour'? No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour.

Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."

Then the crowd responded, "We have heard from the law that the Christ will remain forever. How can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?"

While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light." When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.

For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

For I have not spoken from my own authority, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak.

Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end.

Because Jesus knew that the Father had handed all things over to him, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,

he got up from the meal, removed his outer clothes, took a towel and tied it around himself.

If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him."

but I am doing just what the Father commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Get up, let us go from here."

"I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me -- and I in him -- bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.

I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father.

When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father -- the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father -- he will testify about me,

and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

But I have told you these things so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them. "I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you.

He will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you.

Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you.

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn, I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

Now we know that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you anything. Because of this we believe that you have come from God."

Now they understand that everything you have given me comes from you,

because I have given them the words you have given me. They accepted them and really understand that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor's residence. (Now it was very early morning.) They did not go into the governor's residence so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal.

Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here."

and he went back into the governor's residence and said to Jesus, "Where do you come from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.

Jesus replied, "You would have no authority over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin."

From this point on, Pilate tried to release him. But the Jewish leaders shouted out, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar! Everyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar!"

Now when the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, and the tunic remained. (Now the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.)

He then said to his disciple, "Look, here is your mother!" From that very time the disciple took her into his own home.

Now very early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance.

So she went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

(For they did not yet understand the scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead.)

The other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!"

Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael (who was from Cana in Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of his were together.

Meanwhile the other disciples came with the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards.

This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

While he was with them, he declared, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what my Father promised, which you heard about from me.

For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

After he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight.

and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven."

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Mount of Olives (which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away).

beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from us -- one of these must become a witness of his resurrection together with us."

to assume the task of this service and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place."

Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven residing in Jerusalem.

Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,

But God raised him up, having released him from the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power.

So then, exalted to the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out what you both see and hear.

With many other words he testified and exhorted them saying, "Save yourselves from this perverse generation!"

Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts,

And a man lame from birth was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called "the Beautiful Gate" every day so he could beg for money from those going into the temple courts.

So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.

You killed the Originator of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this fact we are witnesses!

so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and so that he may send the Messiah appointed for you -- that is, Jesus.

This one heaven must receive until the time all things are restored, which God declared from times long ago through his holy prophets.

Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must obey him in everything he tells you.

Every person who does not obey that prophet will be destroyed and thus removed from the people.'

And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who followed him, have spoken about and announced these days.

God raised up his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each one of you from your iniquities."

let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy.

But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name."

For there was no one needy among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds from the sales

But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back for yourself part of the proceeds from the sale of the land?

A crowd of people from the towns around Jerusalem also came together, bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits. They were all being healed.

So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing,

but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God." He convinced them,

And every day both in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus was the Christ.

But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well-attested, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task.

The proposal pleased the entire group, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch.

But some men from the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen.

and said to him, 'Go out from your country and from your relatives, and come to the land I will show you.'

Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God made him move to this country where you now live.

and rescued him from all his troubles, and granted him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.

and their bones were later moved to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a certain sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.'

But God turned away from them and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: 'It was not to me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, was it, house of Israel?

All the people, from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called 'Great.'"

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)

In humiliation justice was taken from him. Who can describe his posterity? For his life was taken away from the earth."

Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water! What is to stop me from being baptized?"

and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

As he was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, he could see nothing. Leading him by the hand, his companions brought him into Damascus.

Then the Lord told him, "Get up and go to the street called 'Straight,' and at Judas' house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying,

But Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem,

and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call on your name!"

Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,

Now as Peter was traveling around from place to place, he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda.

When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius called two of his personal servants and a devout soldier from among those who served him,

They said, "Cornelius the centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message from you."

So Peter invited them in and entertained them as guests. On the next day he got up and set out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.

you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: