Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Eagerness for the truth » The common people
David himself called him Lord, so how can He be his son?" Most of the people liked to hear Him.
Popularity of Christ » The common people heard him gladly
A goodly number of the Jews learned that He was at Bethany, and so they came there, not only to see Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.
David himself called him Lord, so how can He be his son?" Most of the people liked to hear Him.
Satire » Of jesus against hypocrites
"The scribes and Pharisees have taken Moses' seat as teachers. So everything they tell you, do and practice, but stop doing what they do, for they preach but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens and fasten them on men's shoulders, but they refuse to lift a finger to help bear them. read more.
They do what they do to attract people's attention. They wear on their coats Scripture texts in big letters, and they wear large tassels, and they like the places of honor at feasts and the front seats in synagogues, to be greeted with honor in public places, and to have men call them 'Teacher.' But as for you, you must not seek for others to call you 'Teacher,' for you have but one who is 'Teacher,' and you are all brothers. And you must not call anyone on earth 'father,' for the Heavenly One is your Father. And you must not be called 'leaders,' for you have only one Leader, and that is Christ. Whoever is greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. "A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! For you bolt the doors of the kingdom of heaven in men's faces, for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you let those who are trying to do so go in. Omitted Text. A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! For you scour land and sea to win a single convert, and when he is won you make him twice as fit for the pit as you are. A curse on you, you blind leaders who say, 'Whoever swears by the sanctuary is not duty-bound, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is duty-bound.' You blind fools! which is greater, the gold, or the sanctuary that makes the gold sacred? You say, 'Whoever swears by the altar is not duty-bound, but whoever swears by the offering on the altar is duty-bound!' You blind men! which is greater, the offering, or the altar that makes the offering sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by everything on it; whoever swears by the sanctuary swears by it and by Him who dwells in it; whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. "A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! For you pay tithes on mint and dill and cummin, and yet leave out the more vital matters of the law, justice, love and fidelity. These latter especially you ought to have done, but ought not to have left out the former. You blind leaders, who are straining out the gnat but gulping down the camel! A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of your greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisees! You must first clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside may be clean too. "A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for you are like white-washed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead people's bones and everything that is unclean! So you, too, on the outside seem to people to be upright, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. "A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for you build tombs for the prophets, and decorate monuments for the upright, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have been sharers with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you are witnessing against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Then fill up to the brim the cup of your forefathers' guilt! You serpents! You brood of vipers! How can you escape a sentence to the pit!
They do what they do to attract people's attention. They wear on their coats Scripture texts in big letters, and they wear large tassels, and they like the places of honor at feasts and the front seats in synagogues, to be greeted with honor in public places, and to have men call them 'Teacher.' But as for you, you must not seek for others to call you 'Teacher,' for you have but one who is 'Teacher,' and you are all brothers. And you must not call anyone on earth 'father,' for the Heavenly One is your Father. And you must not be called 'leaders,' for you have only one Leader, and that is Christ. Whoever is greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. "A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! For you bolt the doors of the kingdom of heaven in men's faces, for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you let those who are trying to do so go in. Omitted Text. A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! For you scour land and sea to win a single convert, and when he is won you make him twice as fit for the pit as you are. A curse on you, you blind leaders who say, 'Whoever swears by the sanctuary is not duty-bound, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is duty-bound.' You blind fools! which is greater, the gold, or the sanctuary that makes the gold sacred? You say, 'Whoever swears by the altar is not duty-bound, but whoever swears by the offering on the altar is duty-bound!' You blind men! which is greater, the offering, or the altar that makes the offering sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by everything on it; whoever swears by the sanctuary swears by it and by Him who dwells in it; whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. "A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees! For you pay tithes on mint and dill and cummin, and yet leave out the more vital matters of the law, justice, love and fidelity. These latter especially you ought to have done, but ought not to have left out the former. You blind leaders, who are straining out the gnat but gulping down the camel! A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of your greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisees! You must first clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside may be clean too. "A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for you are like white-washed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead people's bones and everything that is unclean! So you, too, on the outside seem to people to be upright, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. "A curse on you, you hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for you build tombs for the prophets, and decorate monuments for the upright, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have been sharers with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you are witnessing against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Then fill up to the brim the cup of your forefathers' guilt! You serpents! You brood of vipers! How can you escape a sentence to the pit!
Then they sent some Pharisees and Herodians to Him to trap Him in argument. And they came up and said to Him, "We know that you always tell the truth, and pay no personal consideration to anyone, but teach the way of God honestly. Is it right to pay poll-tax to Caesar, or not? Should we pay it, or should we not?" Now because He saw their pretense, He said to them, "Why are you testing me so? Bring me a twenty-cent coin to look at." read more.
And they brought Him one. Then He asked them, "Whose picture and title is this?" They answered Him, "Caesar's." So He said, "Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and pay God what belongs to God." And they were utterly dumbfounded at Him. Then some Sadducees, who claim that there is no resurrection, came up to Him and asked Him this question, "Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man's brother died leaving a wife but no child, the man must marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother. There were once seven brothers. The eldest married a wife and on dying left no child, and the second married her and died leaving no child; and so did the third. And not one of the seven left a child. At last the woman died too. Now at the resurrection, which one's wife will she be? For all seven of them married her." Jesus said to them, "Does not this prove that you are wrong in your views, because you do not understand either the Scriptures or the power of God? For when people rise from the dead, men do not marry and women are not married, but continue to live together as the angels in heaven do. But as to the rising of the dead, did you never read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of dead but of living people! You are entirely wrong in your views." Then one of the scribes, on hearing them arguing, came up, and since he saw that Jesus had answered them properly, he asked Him, "What sort of command is the first of all commands?" Jesus answered, "The first one is, 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind, and your whole strength.' And this is the second, 'You must love your neighbor as you do yourself.' No other command is greater than these." Then the scribe said to Him, "Indeed, Teacher, you have properly said that He is one by Himself, and there is no other but Him, and to love Him with one's whole heart, one's whole understanding, and one's whole strength, and to love one's neighbor as one loves himself is far more than all the burnt-offerings and sacrifices." So Jesus said to him, as He saw that he had answered thoughtfully, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one ventured to ask Him any more questions. While He was teaching in the temple, He answered them and said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, said: 'The Lord has said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand Until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."' David himself called him Lord, so how can He be his son?" Most of the people liked to hear Him. And in His teaching He continued to say: "Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes, to be saluted with honor in public places, to be seated in the front seats in the synagogues, to occupy the places of honor at banquets -- men who eat up widows' houses and to cover it up make long prayers. They will get a much heavier sentence!"
And they brought Him one. Then He asked them, "Whose picture and title is this?" They answered Him, "Caesar's." So He said, "Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and pay God what belongs to God." And they were utterly dumbfounded at Him. Then some Sadducees, who claim that there is no resurrection, came up to Him and asked Him this question, "Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man's brother died leaving a wife but no child, the man must marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother. There were once seven brothers. The eldest married a wife and on dying left no child, and the second married her and died leaving no child; and so did the third. And not one of the seven left a child. At last the woman died too. Now at the resurrection, which one's wife will she be? For all seven of them married her." Jesus said to them, "Does not this prove that you are wrong in your views, because you do not understand either the Scriptures or the power of God? For when people rise from the dead, men do not marry and women are not married, but continue to live together as the angels in heaven do. But as to the rising of the dead, did you never read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of dead but of living people! You are entirely wrong in your views." Then one of the scribes, on hearing them arguing, came up, and since he saw that Jesus had answered them properly, he asked Him, "What sort of command is the first of all commands?" Jesus answered, "The first one is, 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind, and your whole strength.' And this is the second, 'You must love your neighbor as you do yourself.' No other command is greater than these." Then the scribe said to Him, "Indeed, Teacher, you have properly said that He is one by Himself, and there is no other but Him, and to love Him with one's whole heart, one's whole understanding, and one's whole strength, and to love one's neighbor as one loves himself is far more than all the burnt-offerings and sacrifices." So Jesus said to him, as He saw that he had answered thoughtfully, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one ventured to ask Him any more questions. While He was teaching in the temple, He answered them and said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, said: 'The Lord has said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand Until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."' David himself called him Lord, so how can He be his son?" Most of the people liked to hear Him. And in His teaching He continued to say: "Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes, to be saluted with honor in public places, to be seated in the front seats in the synagogues, to occupy the places of honor at banquets -- men who eat up widows' houses and to cover it up make long prayers. They will get a much heavier sentence!"
But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees have the habit of cleaning the outside of your cups and dishes, but inside you yourselves are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not the One who made the outside make the inside too? But dedicate once for all your inner self, and at once you will have everything clean. read more.
But a curse on you Pharisees, because you pay tithes on mint, rue, and every tiny garden herb, but neglect justice and the love of God! These latter especially you ought to have done, but ought not to have neglected the former. A curse on you Pharisees, because you like to have the front seats in synagogues, and to be greeted with honor in public places! A curse on you, because you are like unmarked graves which men walk over without knowing it!" Then an expert in the law interrupted Him and said, "Teacher, in saying this you are insulting us, too." He said, "Yes, a curse on you experts in the law, too, because you load people down with loads too heavy to carry, and yet you do not touch the loads yourselves with one of your fingers! A curse on you, because you build monuments for the prophets, whom your forefathers killed! So you testify to what your forefathers did and approve it, because they killed them and you build monuments for them. This is why the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill, and some they will persecute'; so that the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the creation of the world may be charged against the men of this age -- from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against the men of this age. A curse on you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to the door of knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you kept out those who tried to get in." After He left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be violently enraged against Him and to try to draw Him out on many subjects, plotting, as if in ambush, to entrap Him in something that might fall from His lips.
But a curse on you Pharisees, because you pay tithes on mint, rue, and every tiny garden herb, but neglect justice and the love of God! These latter especially you ought to have done, but ought not to have neglected the former. A curse on you Pharisees, because you like to have the front seats in synagogues, and to be greeted with honor in public places! A curse on you, because you are like unmarked graves which men walk over without knowing it!" Then an expert in the law interrupted Him and said, "Teacher, in saying this you are insulting us, too." He said, "Yes, a curse on you experts in the law, too, because you load people down with loads too heavy to carry, and yet you do not touch the loads yourselves with one of your fingers! A curse on you, because you build monuments for the prophets, whom your forefathers killed! So you testify to what your forefathers did and approve it, because they killed them and you build monuments for them. This is why the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill, and some they will persecute'; so that the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the creation of the world may be charged against the men of this age -- from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against the men of this age. A curse on you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to the door of knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you kept out those who tried to get in." After He left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be violently enraged against Him and to try to draw Him out on many subjects, plotting, as if in ambush, to entrap Him in something that might fall from His lips.
Temple » Herod the great's temple » Jesus teaches in
Jesus answered him, "I have spoken publicly to the world; I have always taught in the synagogues and in the temple where all the Jews are in the habit of meeting, and I have not spoken anything in secret.
Then again they went into Jerusalem. And while Jesus was walking about in the temple, the high priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him and said to Him, "What sort of authority have you for doing as you do? Or, who gave you the authority to do as you do?" Jesus said to them, "Let me ask you just one question, and if you answer me, I will tell you what sort of authority I have for doing as I do. read more.
Was John's baptism from heaven or from men? Answer me." Then they argued with one another in this way, "If we say, 'It was from heaven,' He will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?' On the other hand, can we say, 'It was from men'?" For they were afraid of the people, because everybody thought that John was really a prophet. So they said to Jesus, "We do not know." Jesus also said to them, "Nor am I going to tell you what sort of authority I have for doing as I do."
Was John's baptism from heaven or from men? Answer me." Then they argued with one another in this way, "If we say, 'It was from heaven,' He will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?' On the other hand, can we say, 'It was from men'?" For they were afraid of the people, because everybody thought that John was really a prophet. So they said to Jesus, "We do not know." Jesus also said to them, "Nor am I going to tell you what sort of authority I have for doing as I do."
While He was teaching in the temple, He answered them and said, "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, said: 'The Lord has said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand Until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."' David himself called him Lord, so how can He be his son?" Most of the people liked to hear Him. read more.
And in His teaching He continued to say: "Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes, to be saluted with honor in public places, to be seated in the front seats in the synagogues, to occupy the places of honor at banquets -- men who eat up widows' houses and to cover it up make long prayers. They will get a much heavier sentence!" Then He sat down in front of the collection-box and was watching the people as they dropped their money into it. And many rich people were dropping in large sums. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two little copper coins, which make scarcely a cent. And He called His disciples to Him and said, "I solemnly say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all these others who have been putting money into the collection-box. For all of them put in out of their surplus, but she in her want put in all she had, yes, all she had to live on."
And in His teaching He continued to say: "Beware of the scribes who like to go about in long robes, to be saluted with honor in public places, to be seated in the front seats in the synagogues, to occupy the places of honor at banquets -- men who eat up widows' houses and to cover it up make long prayers. They will get a much heavier sentence!" Then He sat down in front of the collection-box and was watching the people as they dropped their money into it. And many rich people were dropping in large sums. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two little copper coins, which make scarcely a cent. And He called His disciples to Him and said, "I solemnly say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all these others who have been putting money into the collection-box. For all of them put in out of their surplus, but she in her want put in all she had, yes, all she had to live on."
Day after day I used to be with you teaching in the temple, and you never laid hands on me. But this is so to fulfill the Scriptures."
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple court, and said to him, "See! You are now well. Stop sinning or something worse may befall you." The man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had cured him. This is why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He persisted in doing such things on the Sabbath. read more.
Then He answered them, "My Father is still working, and so am I."
Then He answered them, "My Father is still working, and so am I."
Now when the feast was already half over, Jesus went up to the temple and began to teach. The Jews were dumbfounded and said, "How can this uneducated man know the Scriptures?" Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not my own, but it comes from Him who sent me. read more.
If anyone is willing to keep on doing God's will, he will know whether my teaching comes from God, or merely expresses my own ideas. Whoever utters merely his own ideas is seeking his own honor, but whoever seeks the honor of him who sent him is sincere, and there is no dishonesty in him. Did not Moses give you the law? And yet not one of you is keeping that law. If so, why are you trying to kill me?" The crowd answered, "You are certainly under the power of a demon! Who is trying to kill you?" Jesus answered them, "I have done just one deed, and yet you are all dumbfounded! Then Moses gave you the rite of circumcision -- not that it had its origin with Moses but with your earlier forefathers -- and you circumcise a male child even on the Sabbath. Well, if a male child undergoes circumcision on the Sabbath, to keep the law of Moses from being broken, are you angry with me for making a man perfectly well on the Sabbath? Stop judging superficially; you must judge fairly." Then some of the people of Jerusalem said, "Is not this the man they are trying to kill? Just look! He is talking in public, and yet they do not say a word to Him! It cannot be that the authorities have really learned that He is the Christ, can it? But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, however, no one will know where He is from." So Jesus, as He was teaching in the temple, cried out, "Yes, you do know me and you do know where I come from, and I have not come on my own authority, but the One who has sent me exists as the Real One, whom you do not know.
If anyone is willing to keep on doing God's will, he will know whether my teaching comes from God, or merely expresses my own ideas. Whoever utters merely his own ideas is seeking his own honor, but whoever seeks the honor of him who sent him is sincere, and there is no dishonesty in him. Did not Moses give you the law? And yet not one of you is keeping that law. If so, why are you trying to kill me?" The crowd answered, "You are certainly under the power of a demon! Who is trying to kill you?" Jesus answered them, "I have done just one deed, and yet you are all dumbfounded! Then Moses gave you the rite of circumcision -- not that it had its origin with Moses but with your earlier forefathers -- and you circumcise a male child even on the Sabbath. Well, if a male child undergoes circumcision on the Sabbath, to keep the law of Moses from being broken, are you angry with me for making a man perfectly well on the Sabbath? Stop judging superficially; you must judge fairly." Then some of the people of Jerusalem said, "Is not this the man they are trying to kill? Just look! He is talking in public, and yet they do not say a word to Him! It cannot be that the authorities have really learned that He is the Christ, can it? But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, however, no one will know where He is from." So Jesus, as He was teaching in the temple, cried out, "Yes, you do know me and you do know where I come from, and I have not come on my own authority, but the One who has sent me exists as the Real One, whom you do not know.
and Jesus was walking in Solomon's portico. So the Jews surrounded Him and kept asking Him, "How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are really the Christ, tell us so plainly." Jesus answered them, "I have already told you so, but you do not believe me. The works which I am doing on my Father's authority are my credentials, read more.
but still you do not believe in me, for you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them and they follow me, and I give to them eternal life, and they shall never get lost, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My father who gave them to me is stronger than all, and no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. The Father and I are one." The Jews again picked up stones to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good deeds from my Father. For which of them are you going to stone me?" The Jews retorted, "It is not for a good deed but for blasphemy we are going to stone you; namely, because you, although a mere man, claim to be God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'? If men to whom God's message came are called gods -- and the Scriptures cannot be made null and void -- do you now say to me whom my Father has set apart to it and sent into the world, 'You are a blasphemer,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? If I am not doing the things that my Father is doing, do not believe me. But if I am doing so, even if you will not believe me, believe the deeds, that you may come to know and continue to know that the Father is in union with me and I am in union with the Father."
but still you do not believe in me, for you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them and they follow me, and I give to them eternal life, and they shall never get lost, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My father who gave them to me is stronger than all, and no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. The Father and I are one." The Jews again picked up stones to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good deeds from my Father. For which of them are you going to stone me?" The Jews retorted, "It is not for a good deed but for blasphemy we are going to stone you; namely, because you, although a mere man, claim to be God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'? If men to whom God's message came are called gods -- and the Scriptures cannot be made null and void -- do you now say to me whom my Father has set apart to it and sent into the world, 'You are a blasphemer,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? If I am not doing the things that my Father is doing, do not believe me. But if I am doing so, even if you will not believe me, believe the deeds, that you may come to know and continue to know that the Father is in union with me and I am in union with the Father."
Truth » Eagerness for » The common people
David himself called him Lord, so how can He be his son?" Most of the people liked to hear Him.