for I tell you, I will not drink this fruit of the vine [i.e., grape juice] from now on until [I do, figuratively, when] the kingdom of God has come."

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

And the cup in like manner after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, even that which is poured out for you.

And they began to question among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

And Jesus said to them, "The kings of the [unconverted] Gentiles lord it over their own people, and those who domineer over them are called 'Benefactors' [Note: This was a title used by Greek kings in Egypt and Syria].

But you [are] not [to be] like this! But the one who is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves.

"Simon, Simon [i.e., Peter], Satan has earnestly requested the right to sift you like wheat. [Note: Grain was sifted by using a sieve-like device in which grain and particles of dirt and straw were shaken together, allowing the grain to fall through while the dirt and straw remained. This was an allusion to the agitating trials Peter was soon to endure, and survive].

And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, until thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

Then He said to them, "But this time the person who has a money belt should take it, and also [he should take] a traveling bag. And if he does not have a sword, he should sell his coat and buy one.

For I say unto you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in me, And he was reckoned with transgressors: for that which concerneth me hath fulfilment.

But they said, "See, Master, here are two swords!" And he said to them, "Enough of this!"

saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Then a certain one of them struck the head priest's slave and sheared off his right ear. [Note: It was Peter who struck this man, whose name was Malchus. See John 18:10].

But Jesus answered [and] said, "{Stop! No more of this!}" And he touched [his] ear [and] healed him.

When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched not forth your hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

And a certain maid seeing him as he sat in the light of the fire , and looking stedfastly upon him, said, This man also was with him.

And after the space of about one hour another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this man also was with him; for he is a Galilaean.

And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how that he said unto him, Before the cock crow this day thou shalt deny me thrice.

and besides all this, they loaded him with the most impious invectives.

But from this time the Son of man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.

upon this they cry'd, what occasion have we for further evidence? for we ourselves have heard enough from his own mouth.

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king.

And Pilate said unto the chief priests and the multitudes, I find no fault in this man.

But they were the more urgent, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judaea, and beginning from Galilee even unto this place.

Now [when] Pilate heard [this], he asked if the man was a Galilean.

And on learning that he belonged to Herods jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was himself also at Jerusalem at this time.

So, Herod and Pilate became mutual friends that very day. (Now before this they had been enemies).

and said unto them, Ye brought unto me this man, as one that perverteth the people: and behold, I having examined him before you, found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:

Neither does Herod, because he sent him back to us! Indeed, this man has done nothing to deserve death.

But they all cried out together, "Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas"

But they cried out all together, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: --

Now this man was in prison because of an attack against the government in the town, in which there had been loss of life

And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath this man done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him and release him.

Then, as they were leading Jesus away, the soldiers [See Mark 15:16-21] grabbed hold of a man named Simon, from Cyrene [Note: This was a city in the northern African country of Libya], who was coming in from the countryside, and placed the cross [i.e., probably only the cross-beam portion] on him, so he could carry it while following Jesus.

For this is certain: The days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore children, and the breasts that never nursed!'

For if they do this to a green tree: what shall be done to the dry?"

And when they came to the place called "The Skull" [Note: The Latin word for this place is "Calvary"], they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one at His right side and one at His left.

And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also scoffed at him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen.

There was also an inscription written over him: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

And there was also a superscription over him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

And one of the evil-doers on the cross, with bitter feeling, said to him, Are you not the Christ? Get yourself and us out of this.

And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."

And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

So He said to him, "I solemnly say to you, this very day you will be in paradise with me."

And by this time it was about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour

And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." And having said this, he breathed his last.

And Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said this, he gave up the ghost.

And when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

And all the multitudes that came together to this sight, when they beheld the things that were done, returned smiting their breasts.

And all of those who knew Him, as well as the women who had followed Him from Galilee [See Matt. 27:55-56], watched all this from a distance.

(this man was not consenting to their plan and deed), from Arimathea, {a Judean town}, who was looking forward to the kingdom of God.

this man went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

This happened on the Day of Preparation [for the Passover Festival], as the Sabbath day was about to begin [i.e., shortly before

And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men in gleaming clothing stood near them.

When they returned from the grave site, they told all this to the eleven apostles and to all the rest [of the disciples].

it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and others with them, who gave the apostles this relation:

But this story of the women seemed in their opinion to be nonsense; they would not believe them.

Then He said to them, "What is this that you are discussing together as you walk?" So they stopped and stood still with puzzled countenances.

Then stopping, and looking sadly at him, one of them, named Cleopas, said to him, Are you the only man living in Jerusalem who has not had news of the things which have taken place there at this time?

But we hoped that it was he who should redeem Israel. Yea and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things came to pass.

Yes, indeed, some women of our number have astounded us! They went to the tomb early this morning

And some of those with us went out to the tomb and found [it] like this, just as the women had also said, but him they did not see."

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

And they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is [getting] toward evening, and by this time the day is far spent." And he went in to stay with them.

At this point their eyes were opened and they recognized him. Then he vanished out of their sight.

Upon this, they said to one another, to what ardor did not our affections rise, while he talk'd with us by the way, and while he expounded to us the scriptures?

While they were all talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and told them, "Peace be with you."

upon which he said to them, why are you in this confusion? what is it, that your minds are so perplex'd?

And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

Then He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you, that everything which is written about me in the law of Moses, in the prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled."

He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day,

You yourselves are to be witnesses to all this.

And look, I [am going to] send upon you apostles what my Father promised [i.e., the Holy Spirit. See John 14:26]; but you should wait in the city [of Jerusalem] until you are clothed with power from above." [Note: This promise was fulfilled when the apostles were immersed in the Holy Spirit. See Acts 1:4 - 2:4].

Then Jesus led His apostles out [of Jerusalem] until they came near to Bethany [Note: This was a village fewer than two miles east of Jerusalem]. [There] He raised His hands and asked God's blessing on them.

The Word [already] existed in the beginning [of time]. [Note: This is a reference to the preexistence of Jesus. See verse 14]. And the Word was with God and the Word was [what] God [was].

This one was in the beginning with God.

Everything came into being through this Word, and apart from Him not a single thing came into being.

In him life lay, and this life was the Light for men:

This one came for a witness, in order that he could testify about the light, so that all would believe through him.

This was the true light, who lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

who owe this birth of theirs to God, not to human blood, nor to any impulse of the flesh or of man.

[Eventually] this Word became a human being and lived among us [Note: The word "lived" here refers to pitching a temporary tent]. (And we saw His splendor; such splendor as belongs to the Father's only Son), full of God's favor and truth.

it was of him that John bare witness, when he made this declaration, "this was he of whom I said, he that cometh after me, was before me; for he did indeed exist before me."

This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem, to ask him, who he was.

he own'd it, and did not deny it; but made this protestation, I am not the Christ.

And they put this question to him, saying, Why then are you giving baptism if you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the prophet?

John answered them, saying, 'I baptize with water, but in midst of you he hath stood whom ye have not known, this one it is who is coming after me, who hath been before me,

This is he coming after me, who was before me, of whom I am not worthy that I might loose the strings of his shoes.

This took place at Bethany on the farther side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

this is he of whom I said, after me cometh a man, who was before me: for he did indeed exist before me.

And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water.

And John gave this witness, saying, I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and resting on him.

And I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water, that one said to me, '[The one] upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him--this one is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

this I saw, and testify'd, that he is the son of God.

the two disciples hearing this, followed Jesus.

Then He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So, they went and saw where He was staying and they stayed with Him that day. It was about ten o'clock in the morning. [Note: Hour designations in this book are being calculated by Roman time, but this would have been

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard this from John and followed him.

This one first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah!" (which is translated "Christ").

The day after this, Jesus had a desire to go into Galilee. He came across Philip and said to him, Come and be my disciple.

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew's and Peter's home town. [Note: This town was on the northwest shore of Lake Galilee, a few miles from Capernaum].