Then Jesus told the disciples, "The time will come during which you will long to see one of these days when the Son of Man is with you, but you will not see it.

People will say to you, "Look! There he is!' or "Look! Here he is!' But don't go and chase after him.

Because just as lightning flashes and shines from one end of the sky to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his time.

"Just as it was in Noah's time, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man.

So it was in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.

"The person who is on the housetop that day must not come down to get his belongings out of his house. The person in the field, too, must not turn back to what's left behind.

Remember Lot's wife!

Then they asked him, "Where, Lord, will this take place?" He told them, "Wherever there's a corpse, there the vultures will gather."

Now some people were even bringing their infants to Jesus to have him touch them. But when the disciples saw this, they sternly told the people not to do that.

So when Jesus saw how sad he was, he said, "How hard it is for rich people to get into the kingdom of God!

Indeed, it's easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God."

Then Peter said, "See, we have left everything we have and followed you."

So he shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

"What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, I want to see again!"

So Jesus told him, "See again! Your faith has made you well."

Immediately the man could see again and began to follow Jesus, glorifying God. All the people saw this and gave praise to God.

He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he couldn't do so due to the crowd, since he was a short man.

So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to pass that way.

But all the people who saw this began to complain: "Jesus is going to be the guest of a notorious sinner!"

So he said, "A prince went to a distant country to be appointed king and then to return.

"After he was appointed king, the prince came back. He ordered the servants to whom he had given the money to be called so he could find out what they had earned by investing.

"Then the other servant came and said, "Sir, look! Here's your coin. I've kept it in a cloth for safekeeping

"So the king told those standing nearby, "Take the coin away from him and give it to the man who has the ten coins.'

If anyone asks you why you are untying it, say this: "The Lord needs it.'"

So those who were sent went off and found it as Jesus had told them.

When he came closer and saw the city, he began to grieve over it:

Was John's authority to baptize from heaven or from humans?"

They discussed this among themselves: "If we say, "From heaven,' he will ask, "Then why didn't you believe him?'

But if we say, "From humans,' all the people will stone us to death, because they are convinced that John was a prophet."

So they answered that they didn't know where it was from.

But when the farmers saw him, they talked it over among themselves and said, "This is the heir. Let's kill him so that the inheritance will be ours!'

So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

So they watched him closely and sent spies who pretended to be honest men in order to trap him in what he would say. They wanted to hand him over to the jurisdiction of the governor,

so they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you're right in what you say and teach, and that you don't favor any individual, but teach the way of God truthfully.

"Show me a denarius. Whose face and name does it have?" "Caesar's," they replied.

So he told them, "Then give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

So they couldn't catch him before the people in what he said. Amazed at his answer, they became silent.

and asked him, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no child, the man should marry the widow and have children for his brother.

Nor can they die anymore, because they are like the angels and, since they share in the resurrection, are God's children.

Then he asked them, "How can people say that the Messiah is David's son?

So David calls him "Lord.' Then how can he be his son?"

They devour widows' houses and say long prayers to cover it up. They will receive greater condemnation!"

Now Jesus looked up and saw rich people dropping their gifts into the offering box.

Then he saw a destitute widow drop in two small copper coins.

"As for these things that you see, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another that won't be knocked down."

He said, "Be careful that you are not deceived, because many will come in my name and say, "I AM' and, "The time has come.' Don't follow them.

Then he went on to say to them, "Nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

"But before all these things take place, people will arrest you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake.

So purpose in your hearts not to prepare your defense ahead of time,

"When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then understand that its devastation is approaching.

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and there will be distress on earth among the nations that are confused by the roaring of the sea and its waves.

Then they will see "the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory.

As soon as they produce leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.

In the same way, when you see these things taking place, you will know that the kingdom of God is near.

"Constantly be on your guard so that your hearts will not be loaded down with self-indulgence, drunkenness, and the worries of this life, or that day will take you by surprise

So be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man."

So the high priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put him to death, because they were afraid of the crowd.

So he went off and discussed with the high priests and the Temple police how he could betray Jesus to them.

So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover meal."

and say to the owner of the house, "The Teacher asks you, "Where is the room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?"'

So they went and found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

But you are not to do so. On the contrary, the greatest among you should become like the youngest, and the one who leads should become like the one who serves.

so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit down on thrones to govern the twelve tribes of Israel."

So they said, "Lord, look! Here are two swords." He answered them, "Enough of that!"

Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and began to pray,

When those who were around Jesus saw what was about to take place, they asked, "Lord, should we attack with our swords?"

Then one of them struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear.

But Jesus said, "No more of this!" So he touched the wounded man's ear and healed him.

Then they arrested him, led him away, and brought him to the high priest's house. But Peter was following at a distance.

A servant girl saw him sitting by the fire, stared at him, and said, "This man was with him, too."

So he went outside and cried bitterly.

Then Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He answered, "You say so."

When he learned with certainty that Jesus came from Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at that time.

Now Herod was very glad to see Jesus, because he had been wanting to see him for a long time on account of what he had heard about him. He was also hoping to see some sign done by him.

So he continued to question him for a long time, but Jesus gave him no answer at all.

So Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day. Before this they had been enemies.

So I will punish him and let him go."

But Pilate wanted to let Jesus go, so he appealed to them again,

Then he spoke to them a third time: "What has he done wrong? I have found nothing in him worthy of death. So I will punish him and let him go."

So he released the man who had been put in prison for revolt and murder the man whose release they continued to demand but he let them have their way with Jesus.

because the time is surely coming when people will say, "How blessed are the women who couldn't bear children and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!'

Then people will begin to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!', and to the hills, "Cover us up!'

When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, "This man certainly was righteous!"

When all the crowds who had come together for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they beat their chests and left.

So the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee, following close behind, saw the tomb and how his body was laid.

But what they said seemed nonsense to them, so they did not believe them.

Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. He stooped down and saw only the linen cloths. Then he went home, wondering about what had happened.

and didn't find his body there, so they came back and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who were saying that he was alive.

Then some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said. However, they didn't see him."

But they strongly urged him, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the daylight is nearly gone." So he went in to stay with them.

But Jesus told them, "What's frightening you? And why are you doubting?

Look at my hands and my feet, because it's really me. Touch me and look at me, because a ghost doesn't have flesh and bones as you see that I have."

Then he opened their minds so that they might understand the Scriptures.

I am sending to you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe because of him.

However, to all who received him, those believing in his name, he gave authority to become God's children,

who were born, not merely in a genetic sense, nor from lust, nor from man's desire, but from the will of God.

The Word became flesh and lived among us. We gazed on his glory, the kind of glory that belongs to the Father's unique Son, who is full of grace and truth.

No one has ever seen God. The unique God, who is close to the Father's side, has revealed him.

This was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and descendants of Levi to him from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"