"Take this, and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God is come."

Then He took a loaf, gave thanks, and broke it in pieces, and gave it to them, and said, "This is my body which is to be given for you. Do this as a memorial to me."

In like manner after supper He took a cup of wine, and said, "This cup of wine is the new covenant to be ratified by my blood, which is to be poured out for you.

Then they began to discuss among themselves which one it was who was going to do this.

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, before thou shalt thrice deny having known 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 tell you, that this which is written must be fully accomplished in me, And he was numbered with transgressors; for also the things concerning me have an end.

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

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet, not my will but always yours 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 said, "Permit me to go as far as this!" So He touched his ear and healed him.

While I was among you day after day in the temple, you never laid a hand on me! But this is your opportunity, even the power which darkness gives you!"

A servant girl saw him sitting by the fire and fixed her eyes on him and said, "This fellow was with Him too."

And about an hour intervening, another strongly affirmed, saying, Certainly, this man was also with him; for he is also a Galilean.

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.

At this they exclaimed: "Why do we want any more evidence? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!"

Here they began to make the following charges against Him: "We have found this fellow corrupting our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar and claiming to be a king himself."

Then Pilate said to the high priests and crowds, "I do not find anything blameworthy in this man."

And they were more violent, saying, He excites the people, teaching in all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place.

When Pilate heard this, He asked if the man were 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.

And on the same day, Pilate and Herod became friends to each other; for, before this, they had been at enmity the one toward the other.

and said to them, "You brought this man to me on a charge of turning the people from allegiance, and here in your presence I have examined Him and do not find Him guilty of the charges you make against Him.

nor Herod neither: for I referred you to him; and, lo, nothing is done to this man, as if he deserved death.

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

But they all together began to shout, "Away with this fellow, but let us have Barabbas released!

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 to them a third time, [Why], for what evil has this man done? I have found no cause of death in him; having chastised him therefore, I will 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 when the wood is green, what will they do when it is 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, saying, He saved others; if this is the Christ, the elect of God, let him save himself.

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

And there was an inscription written over him in Greek, Roman, and Hebrew characters, 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 deserved punishment for the crimes we have committed: 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 commit my spirit: and having said this, he expired.

And the centurion observing what had come to pass, glorified God, saying, Verily this man was a righteous person.

And all the multitudes who had come together for this spectacle, when they saw the things which were done, beating their breasts, returned.

All the friends of Jesus had been standing at a distance, with the women who accompanied him from Galilee, watching all this.

this man had not consented to their design and doing, [he was] from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, and he expected the kingdom of God.

This man coming to Pilate 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 came to pass, as they were in the greatest perplexity concerning this matter, then behold, two men stood by them in refulgent garments:

and turning away from the tomb they told all this to the eleven, and to all the rest.

It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James, and the rest of the women who were telling all this to the apostles.

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 had entertained hopes that this was the person who should have redeemed Israel: and ah! besides all these things, to-day concludes that third day since these things were done.

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?

[After 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 told them, "This is how it is written: the Messiah was to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

"You must bear testimony to 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].

After this, Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and there raised his hands and blessed 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 [Word] 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 man came for a testimony, to testify of the light, that all might believe through him.

This was the true light that enlightens every person by his coming 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.

John bore witness concerning him, and cried, saying, This is he of whom I said, He that is coming after me, is before me: because before me he was.

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites, that they should question him, Who art thou?

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 spake, After me cometh a man who was before me: for before me he existed.

And I knew him not; but that he might be made manifest to Israel, for this reason have I come baptizing with water.

Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.

And I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, he said to me, On whom you see the Spirit descend and remain on him, this is he that baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

And I have seen it, and have borne testimony that this is the Son of God.

The two disciples heard him say this, and so they 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].