“And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after He is killed, He will rise three days later.”

For whoever is not against us is for us.

“But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

And if your hand causes your downfall, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go to hell—the unquenchable fire,

[where

Their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.]

And if your foot causes your downfall, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell— [the unquenchable fire,

where

Their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.]

And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,

where

Their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.

For everyone will be salted with fire.

Some Pharisees approached Him to test Him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

But Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts.

For this reason a man will leave
his father and mother
[and be joined to his wife],

When Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me. Don’t stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Him and said, “Teacher, we want You to do something for us if we ask You.”

“What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked them.

But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to give; instead, it is for those it has been prepared for.”

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up; He’s calling for you.”

Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

“Rabbouni,” the blind man told Him, “I want to see!”

After seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, He went to find out if there was anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.

Then He began to teach them: “Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves!”

Then the chief priests and the scribes heard it and started looking for a way to destroy Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished by His teaching.

I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

Therefore I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for—believe that you have received them, and you will have them.

Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug out a pit for a winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went away.

Because they knew He had said this parable against them, they were looking for a way to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd. So they left Him and went away.

When they came, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know You are truthful and defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality but teach truthfully the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaves his wife behind, and leaves no child, his brother should take the wife and produce offspring for his brother.

For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven.

And to love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

When Jesus saw that he answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question Him any longer.

They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher punishment.”

For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she possessed—all she had to live on.”

For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

So when they arrest you and hand you over, don’t worry beforehand what you will say. On the contrary, whatever is given to you in that hour—say it. For it isn’t you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

For those will be days of tribulation, the kind that hasn’t been from the beginning of the world, which God created, until now and never will be again!

For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

Watch! Be alert! For you don’t know when the time is coming.

After two days it was the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a treacherous way to arrest and kill Him.

For this oil might have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her.

Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for Me.

You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have Me.

She has done what she could; she has anointed My body in advance for burial.

And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him silver. So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.

Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room for Me to eat the Passover with My disciples?”’

He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.”

For the Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

He said to them, “This is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many.

And He said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the temple police, warming himself by the fire.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but they could find none.

For many were giving false testimony against Him, but the testimonies did not agree.

At the festival it was Pilate’s custom to release for the people a prisoner they requested.

The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom.

So Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the King of the Jews for you?”

For he knew it was because of envy that the chief priests had handed Him over.

Then they crucified Him and divided His clothes, casting lots for them to decide what each would get.

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “Look, He’s calling for Elijah!”

Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, came and boldly went in to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.

They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?”

“Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been resurrected! He is not here! See the place where they put Him.

When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome with fear.

There will be joy and delight for you,
and many will rejoice at his birth.

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord
and will never drink wine or beer.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit
while still in his mother’s womb.

And he will go before Him
in the spirit and power of Elijah,
to turn the hearts of fathers
to their children,
and the disobedient
to the understanding of the righteous,
to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.

“How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”

Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.

After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said,

“The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people.”

Then the angel told her:

Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.

And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless.

For nothing will be impossible with God.”

For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me!

because the Mighty One
has done great things for me,
and His name is holy.

His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.

Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son.

He asked for a writing tablet and wrote:

HIS NAME IS JOHN.

And they were all amazed.

Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea.

All who heard about him took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
because He has visited
and provided redemption for His people.

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David,

since we have been rescued
from our enemies’ clutches,
to serve Him without fear

And child, you will be called
a prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare His ways,

While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.

But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:

Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.

When the eight days were completed for His circumcision, He was named Jesus—the name given by the angel before He was conceived.

Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple complex. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for Him what was customary under the law,

For my eyes have seen Your salvation.

a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and glory to Your people Israel.

and was a widow for 84 years. She did not leave the temple complex, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.