He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him.

Now this was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

John said, "I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said."

Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

So the Samaritan woman said to him, "How can you -- a Jew -- ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water to drink?" (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.)

Jesus did this as his second miraculous sign when he returned from Judea to Galilee.

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes.

so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself,

I can do nothing on my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me.

Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed the bread to those who were seated. He then did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted.

Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes me will live because of me.

let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, 'From within him will flow rivers of living water.'"

I am telling you the things I have seen while with the Father; as for you, practice the things you have heard from the Father!"

You people are doing the deeds of your father." Then they said to Jesus, "We were not born as a result of immorality! We have only one Father, God himself."

Now as Jesus was passing by, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.

We must perform the deeds of the one who sent me as long as it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work.

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Then the neighbors and the people who had seen him previously as a beggar began saying, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?"

But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see. Ask him, he is a mature adult. He will speak for himself."

For this reason his parents said, "He is a mature adult, ask him.")

just as the Father knows me and I know the Father -- and I lay down my life for the sheep.

But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant you."

Thus they were looking for Jesus, and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts, "What do you think? That he won't come to the feast?"

(Now Judas said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, he used to steal what was put into it.)

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness.

And I know that his commandment is eternal life. Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me."

For I have given you an example -- you should do just as I have done for you.

I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

So Simon Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to.

Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders, 'Where I am going you cannot come,' now I tell you the same.

"I give you a new commandment -- to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever --

"I will not abandon you as orphans, I will come to you.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you.

"Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love.

If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and remain in his love.

My commandment is this -- to love one another just as I have loved you.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.

If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you.

Jesus could see that they wanted to ask him about these things, so he said to them, "Are you asking each other about this -- that I said, 'In a little while you will not see me; again after a little while, you will see me'?

At that time you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, so that your joy may be complete.

At that time you will ask in my name, and I do not say that I will ask the Father on your behalf.

Now we know that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you anything. Because of this we believe that you have come from God."

just as you have given him authority over all humanity, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him.

I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one.

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.

They do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world.

Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.

that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me.

The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one --

I in them and you in me -- that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed them as they brought Jesus to Annas. (Now the other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, and he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard.)

Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said. They know what I said."

Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here."

Now when the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, and the tunic remained. (Now the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.)

But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she bent down and looked into the tomb.

So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you."

"Come, have breakfast," Jesus said. But none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord.

So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, "Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"

As they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them

for he was counted as one of us and received a share in this ministry."

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.

"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know --

For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself."

and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need.

Peter looked directly at him (as did John) and said, "Look at us!"

and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him.

When Peter saw this, he declared to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us as if we had made this man walk by our own power or piety?

And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, as your rulers did too.

to do as much as your power and your plan had decided beforehand would happen.

and placing them at the apostles' feet. The proceeds were distributed to each, as anyone had need.

God exalted him to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

But some men from the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen.

He did not give any of it to him for an inheritance, not even a foot of ground, yet God promised to give it to him as his possession, and to his descendants after him, even though Abraham as yet had no child.

But God spoke as follows: 'Your descendants will be foreigners in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years.

But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' said God, 'and after these things they will come out of there and worship me in this place.'

"But as the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham, the people increased greatly in number in Egypt,

and when he had been abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.

This same Moses they had rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and judge?' God sent as both ruler and deliverer through the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

But God turned away from them and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: 'It was not to me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, was it, house of Israel?

Our ancestors had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as God who spoke to Moses ordered him to make it according to the design he had seen.

Yet the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands, as the prophet says,

The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the miraculous signs he was performing.

But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they began to be baptized, both men and women.

So after Peter and John had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many Samaritan villages as they went.

Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water! What is to stop me from being baptized?"

Philip, however, found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through the area, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

As he was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."