Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



"The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed and to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of despair." "Then people will call them "Oaks of Righteousness", "The Planting of the LORD", in order to display his splendor.

Then Jesus returned to Galilee by the power of the Spirit. Meanwhile, the news about him spread throughout the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was continuously receiving praise from everyone. Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been raised. As was his custom, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. When he stood up to read, read more.
the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has anointed me to tell the good news to the poor. He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set oppressed people free, and to announce the year of the Lord's favor."

When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, "Master, you made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. You said by the Holy Spirit through the voice of our ancestor, your servant David, "Why do the unbelievers rage, and the people devise useless plots? The kings of the earth take their stand, and rulers meet together against the Lord and against his Messiah.' read more.
For in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate actually met together with unbelievers and the people of Israel to oppose your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,

You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached. God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, he went around doing good and healing everyone who was oppressed by the devil.

But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom is a righteous scepter. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. That is why God, your God, anointed you rather than your companions with the oil of gladness."

When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, "Master, you made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. You said by the Holy Spirit through the voice of our ancestor, your servant David, "Why do the unbelievers rage, and the people devise useless plots? The kings of the earth take their stand, and rulers meet together against the Lord and against his Messiah.' read more.
For in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate actually met together with unbelievers and the people of Israel to oppose your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,

Meanwhile, still spewing death threats against the Lord's disciples, Saul went to the high priest. He asked him for letters to take with him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem. As Saul traveled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. read more.
He dropped to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" He asked, "Who are you, Lord?"

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vintner. He cuts off every branch that does not produce fruit in me, and he cuts back every branch that does produce fruit, so that it might produce more fruit. You are already clean because of what I've spoken to you. read more.
"Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who abides in me while I abide in him produces much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Unless a person abides in me, he is thrown away like a pruned branch and dries up. People gather such branches, throw them into a fire, and they are burned up. "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you can ask for anything you want, and you'll receive it. This is how my Father is glorified, when you produce a lot of fruit and so prove to be my disciples. Just as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. So abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you'll abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I've told you this, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. "This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you. No one shows greater love than when he lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. I don't call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn't know what his master is doing. But I've called you friends, because I've made known to you everything that I've heard from my Father. "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. I have appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. I am giving you these commandments so that you may love one another." "If the world hates you, you should realize that it hated me before you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as one of its own. But because you do not belong to the world and I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember what I told you: "A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. They will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have any sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. The person who hates me also hates my Father. If I hadn't done among them the actions that no one else did, they wouldn't have any sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But this happened so that what has been written in their Law might be fulfilled: "They hated me for no reason.'

The man went off and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. So the Jewish leaders began persecuting Jesus, because he kept doing such things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I, too, am working." read more.
So the Jewish leaders were trying all the harder to kill him, because he was not only breaking the Sabbath but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.

"But while I was on my way and approaching Damascus about noon, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?' "I answered, "Who are you, Lord?'