It is about John's baptism--was it of divine or of human origin?"

But, if we say 'human,' the people will all stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a Prophet."

After this the Teachers of the Law and the Chief Priest were eager to lay hands on Jesus then and there, but they were afraid of the people; for they saw that it was at them that he had aimed this parable.

Presently there came up some Sadducees, who maintain that there is no resurrection. Their question was this--

The woman herself was the last to die.

The Feast of the Unleavened Bread, known as the Passover, was near.

Now Satan took possession of Judas, who was known as Iscariot, and who belonged to the Twelve;

Then they began questioning one another which of them it could be that was going to do this.

And a dispute arose among them as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.

For, I tell you, that passage of Scripture must be fulfilled in me, which says--'He was counted among the godless'; indeed all that refers to me is finding its fulfillment."

And, as his anguish became intense, he prayed still more earnestly, while his sweat was like great drops of blood falling on the ground.]

While he was still speaking, a crowd appeared in sight, led by the man called Judas, who was one of the Twelve. Judas approached Jesus, to kiss him;

But when those who were round Jesus saw what was going to happen, they exclaimed: "Master, shall we use our swords?"

When I was with you day after day in the Temple Courts, you did not lay hands on me; but now your time has come, and the power of Darkness."

Presently a maidservant saw him sitting near the blaze of the fire. Fixing her eyes on him, she said: "Why, this man was one of his companions!"

About an hour later another man declared positively: "This man also was certainly with him. Why, he is a Galilean!"

But Peter said: "I do not know what you are speaking about." Instantly, while he was still speaking, a cock crowed.

They blindfolded him and then questioned him. "Now play the Prophet," they said; "who was it that struck you?"

Hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean;

And, having satisfied himself that Jesus came under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who also was at Jerusalem at the time.

When Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly pleased, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, having heard a great deal about him; and he was hoping to see some sign given by him.

(Barabbas was a man who had been put in prison for a riot that had broken out in the city and for murder.)

And, as they were leading Jesus away, they laid hold of Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and they put the cross on his shoulders, for him to carry it behind Jesus.

There was a great crowd of people following him, many being women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.

It was nearly mid-day, when a darkness came over the whole country, lasting till three in the afternoon,

The sun being eclipsed; and the Temple curtain was torn down the middle.

Now there was a man of the name of Joseph, who was a member of the Council, and who bore a good and upright character.

It was the Preparation Day, and just before the Sabbath began.

The women who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how the body of Jesus was laid,

It happened that very day that two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem,

And then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, said to Jesus: "Are you staying by yourself at Jerusalem, that you have not heard of the things that have happened there within the last few days?"

"What things do you mean?" asked Jesus. "Why, about Jesus of Nazareth," they answered, "who, in the eyes of God and all the people, was a Prophet, whose power was felt in both his words and actions;

But we were hoping that he was the Destined Deliverer of Israel; yes, and besides all this, it is now three days since these things occurred.

And, not finding the body of Jesus there, came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who told them that he was alive.

Was not the Christ bound to undergo this suffering before entering upon his Glory?"

"How our hearts glowed," the disciples said to each other, "while he was talking to us on the road, and when he explained the Scriptures to us!"

"This is what I told you," he said, "when I was still with you--that everything that had been written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, must be fulfilled."

As he was in the act of blessing them, he left them [and was carried up into Heaven.]

In the Beginning the Word was; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.

He was in the Beginning with God;

That which came into being in him was Life; and the Life was the Light of Man;

There appeared a man sent from God, whose name was John;

He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness to the Light.

That was the True Light which enlightens every man coming into the world.

He was in the world; and through him the world came into being--yet the world did not know him.

(John bears witness to him; he cried aloud--for it was he who spoke--"'He who is Coming' after me is now before me, for he was ever first");

For the Law was given through Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ.

When the Jews sent some Priests and Levites to John from Jerusalem, to ask--"Who are you?", his statement was this:

And their next question was: "Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor yet 'the Prophet'?"

John's answer was--"I baptize with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know;

All this took place at Bethany, across the Jordan, where John was then baptizing.

It was of him that I spoke when I said 'After me there is coming a man who is now before me, for he was ever First.'

The next day, when John was standing with two of his disciples,

"Come, and you shall see," he replied. So they went, and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was then about four in the afternoon.

One of the two, who heard what John said and followed Jesus, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

Philip was from Bethsaida, and a fellow-townsman of Andrew and Peter.

Two days after this there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and Jesus' mother was there.

Jesus himself, too, with his disciples, was invited to the wedding.

Then, as the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

"Destroy this temple," was his answer, "and I will raise it in three days."

But Jesus was speaking of his body as a temple.

While Jesus was in Jerusalem, during the Passover Festival, many came to trust in him, when they saw the signs of his mission that he was giving.

And because he did not need that others should tell him what men were; for he could of himself read what was in men.

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a leading man among the Jews.

John, also, was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there were many streams there; and people were constantly coming and being baptized.

And the disciples came to John and said: "Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, and to whom you have yourself borne testimony--he, also, is baptizing, and everybody is going to him."

John's answer was--"A man can gain nothing but what is given him from Heaven.

Now, when the Master heard that the Pharisees had been told that he was making and baptizing more disciples than John

(Though it was not Jesus himself, but his disciples, who baptized),

Jacob's Spring was there, and Jesus, being tired after his journey, sat down beside the spring, just as he was. It was then about mid-day.

"It was on this mountain that our ancestors worshiped; and yet you Jews say that the proper place for worship is in Jerusalem."

So Jesus came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. Now there was one of the King's officers whose son was lying ill at Capernaum.

When this man heard that Jesus had returned from Judea to Galilee, he went to him, and begged him to come down and cure his son; for he was at the point of death.

And, while he was on his way down, his servants met him, and told him that his child was living.

So he asked them at what time the boy began to get better. "It was yesterday, about one o'clock," they said, "that the fever left him."

By this the father knew that it was at the very time when Jesus had said to him 'Your son is living'; and he himself, with all his household, believed in Jesus.

This was the second occasion on which Jesus gave a sign of his mission on coming from Judea to Galilee.

Sometime after this there was a Jewish Festival; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

One man who was there had been afflicted for thirty-eight years.

The man was cured immediately, and took up his mat and began to walk about.

Now it was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured: "This is the Sabbath; you must not carry your mat."

"Who was it," they asked, "that said to you 'Take up your mat and walk about'?"

But the man who had been restored did not know who it was; for Jesus had moved away, because there was a crowd there.

The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had cured him.

And that was why the Jews began to persecute Jesus--because he did things of this kind on the Sabbath.

This made the Jews all the more eager to kill him, because not only was he doing away with the Sabbath, but he actually called God his own Father--putting himself on an equality with God.

He was the 'Lamp that was burning' and shining, and you were ready to rejoice, for a time, in his light.

For, had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for it was of me that Moses wrote;

It was near the time of the Jewish Festival of the Passover.

Looking up, and noticing that a great crowd was coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip: "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?"

"Make the people sit down," said Jesus. It was a grassy spot; so the men, who numbered about five thousand, sat down,

When the people saw the signs which Jesus gave, they said: "This is certainly 'the Prophet who was to come' into the world."

The Sea, too, was getting rough, for a strong wind was blowing.

So, on the next day, when the people saw that Jesus was not there, or his disciples either, they themselves got into the boats, and went to Capernaum to look for him.

All this Jesus said in a Synagogue, when he was teaching in Capernaum.

"Is this a hindrance to you? What, then, if you should see the Son of Man ascending where he was before?

Yet there are some of you who do not believe in me." For Jesus knew from the first who they were that did not believe in him, and who it was that would betray him;

He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who was about to betray him, though he was one of the Twelve.

When the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near,

Was not it Moses who gave you the Law? Yet not one of you obeys it! Why are you seeking to put me to death?"