Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Now, concerning those who from time to time pass away, we would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, lest you should mourn as others do who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus has died and risen again, we also believe that, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who shall have passed away. For this we declare to you on the Lord's own authority--that we who are alive and continue on earth until the Coming of the Lord, shall certainly not forestall those who shall have previously passed away. read more.
For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a loud word of command, and with an archangel's voice and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Afterwards we who are alive and are still on earth will be caught up in their company amid clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Now a certain man, named Lazarus, of Bethany, was lying ill-- Bethany being the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was the Mary who poured the perfume over the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.) So the sisters sent to Him to say, "Master, he whom you hold dear is ill." read more.
Jesus received the message and said, "This illness is not to end in death, but is to promote the glory of God, in order that the Son of God may be glorified by it." Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When, however, He heard that Lazarus was ill, He still remained two days in that same place. Then, after that, He said to the disciples, "Let us return to Judaea." "Rabbi," exclaimed the disciples, "the Jews have just been trying to stone you, and do you think of going back there again?" "Are there not twelve hours in the day?" replied Jesus. "If any one walks in the daytime, he does not stumble--because he sees the light of this world. But if a man walks by night, he does stumble, because the light is not in him." He said this, and afterwards He added, "Our friend Lazarus is sleeping, but I will go and wake him." "Master," said the disciples, "if he is asleep he will recover." Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought He referred to the rest taken in ordinary sleep. So then He told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead; and for your sakes I am glad I was not there, in order that you may believe. But let us go to him." "Let us go also," Thomas, the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "that we may die with him." On His arrival Jesus found that Lazarus had already been three days in the tomb. Bethany was near Jerusalem, the distance being a little less than two miles; and a considerable number of the Jews were with Martha and Mary, having come to express sympathy with them on the death of their brother. Martha, however, as soon as she heard the tidings, "Jesus is coming," went to meet Him; but Mary remained sitting in the house. So Martha came and spoke to Jesus. "Master, if you had been here," she said, "my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask God for, God will give you." "Your brother shall rise again," replied Jesus. "I know," said Martha, "that he will rise again at the resurrection, on the last day." "I am the Resurrection and the Life," said Jesus; "he who believes in me, even if he has died, he shall live; and every one who is living and is a believer in me shall never, never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Master," she replied; "I thoroughly believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." After saying this, she went and called her sister Mary privately, telling her, "The Rabbi is here and is asking for you." So she, on hearing that, rose up quickly to go to Him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him. So the Jews who were with Mary in the house sympathizing with her, when they saw that she had risen hastily and had gone out, followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep aloud there. Mary then, when she came to Jesus and saw Him, fell at His feet and exclaimed, "Master, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Seeing her weeping aloud, and the Jews in like manner weeping who had come with her, Jesus, curbing the strong emotion of His spirit, though deeply troubled, asked them, "Where have you laid him?" "Master, come and see," was their reply. Jesus wept. "See how dear he held him," said the Jews. But others of them asked, "Was this man who opened the blind man's eyes unable to prevent this man from dying?" Jesus, however, again restraining His strong feeling, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone had been laid against the mouth of it. "Take away the stone," said Jesus. Martha, the sister of the dead man, exclaimed, "Master, by this time there is a foul smell; for it is three days since he died." "Did I not promise you," replied Jesus, "that if you believe, you shall see the glory of God?" So they removed the stone. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. I know that Thou always hearest me; but for the sake of the crowd standing round I have said this--that they may believe that Thou didst send me." After speaking thus, He called out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped in cloths, and his face wrapped round with a towel. "Untie him," said Jesus, "and let him go free."

When the Sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, in order to come and anoint His body. So, very soon after sunrise on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb; and they were saying to one another, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" read more.
But then, looking up, they saw that the stone was already rolled back: for it was of immense size. Upon entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at their right hand, clothed in a long white robe. They were astonished and terrified. But he said to them, "Do not be terrified. It is Jesus you are looking for--the Nazarene who has been crucified. He has come back to life: He is not here: this is the place where they laid Him. But go and tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you into Galilee: and that there you will see Him, as He told you." So they came out, and fled from the tomb, for they were greatly agitated and surprised; and they said not a word to any one, for they were afraid. But He rose to life early on the first day of the week, and appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom He had expelled seven demons. She went and brought the tidings to those who had been with Him, as they were mourning and weeping. But they, when they were told that He was alive and that she had seen Him, could not believe it. Afterwards He showed Himself in another form to two of them as they were walking, on their way into the country. These, again, went and told the news to the rest; but not even them did they believe. Later still He showed Himself to the Eleven themselves whilst they were at table, and He upbraided them with their unbelief and obstinacy in not having believed those who had seen Him alive.

And, on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled back from the tomb, and on entering they found that the body of the Lord Jesus was not there. read more.
At this they were in great perplexity, when suddenly there stood by them two men whose raiment flashed like lightning. The women were terrified; but, as they stood with their faces bowed to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you search among the dead for Him who is living? He is not here. He has come back to life. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, when He told you that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again." Then they remembered His words, and returning from the tomb they reported all this to the Eleven and to all the rest. The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; and they and the rest of the women related all this to the Apostles. But the whole story seemed to them an idle tale; they could not believe the women. Peter, however, rose and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw nothing but the linen cloths: so he went away to his own home, wondering at what had happened. On that same day two of the disciples were walking to Emmaus, a village seven or eight miles from Jerusalem, and were conversing about all these recent events; and, in the midst of their conversation and discussion, Jesus Himself came and joined them, though they were prevented from recognizing Him. "What is the subject," He asked them, "on which you are talking so earnestly, as you walk?" And they stood still, looking full of sorrow. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered, "Are you a stranger lodging alone in Jerusalem, that you have known nothing of the things that have lately happened in the city?" "What things?" He asked. "The things about Jesus the Nazarene," they said, "who was a Prophet powerful in work and word before God and all the people; and how our High Priests and Rulers delivered Him up to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was about to ransom Israel. Yes, and moreover it was the day before yesterday that these things happened. And, besides, some of the women of our company have amazed us. They went to the tomb at daybreak, and, finding that His body was not there, they came and declared to us that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. Thereupon some of our party went to the tomb and found things just as the women had said; but Jesus Himself they did not see." "O dull-witted men," He replied, "with minds so slow to believe all that the Prophets have spoken! Was there not a necessity for the Christ thus to suffer, and then enter into His glory?" And, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them the passages in Scripture which refer to Himself. When they had come near the village to which they were going, He appeared to be going further. But they pressed Him to remain with them. "Because," said they, "it is getting towards evening, and the day is nearly over." So He went in to stay with them. But as soon as He had sat down with them, and had taken the bread and had blessed and broken it, and was handing it to them, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. But He vanished from them. "Were not our hearts," they said to one another, "burning within us while He talked to us on the way and explained the Scriptures to us?" So they rose and without an hour's delay returned to Jerusalem, and found the Eleven and the rest met together, who said to them, "Yes, it is true: the Master has come back to life. He has been seen by Simon." Then they related what had happened on the way, and how He had been recognized by them in the breaking of the bread. While they were thus talking, He Himself stood in their midst and said, "Peace be to you!" Startled, and in the utmost alarm, they thought they were looking at a spirit; but He said to them, "Why such alarm? And why are there such questionings in your minds? See my hands and my feet--it is my very self. Feel me and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see I have." And then He showed them His hands and His feet. But, while they still could not believe it for joy and were full of astonishment, He asked them, "Have you any food here?" And they gave Him a piece of roasted fish, and He took it and ate it in their presence. And He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you--that everything must be fulfilled that is written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and the Psalms concerning me." Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said, "Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise again from among the dead;


And He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you--that everything must be fulfilled that is written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and the Psalms concerning me." Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said, "Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise again from among the dead; read more.
and that proclamation would be made, in His name, of repentance and forgiveness of sins to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem.


These twelve Jesus sent on a mission, after giving them their instructions: "Go not," He said, "among the Gentiles, and enter no Samaritan town; but, instead of that, go to the lost sheep of Israel's race. And as you go, preach and say, 'The Kingdom of the Heavens is close at hand.'

Then summoning the Twelve to Him, He proceeded to send them out by twos, and gave them authority over the foul spirits. He charged them to take nothing for the journey except a stick; no bread, no bag, and not a penny in their pockets, but to go wearing sandals. "And do not," He said, "put on an extra under garment. read more.
Wherever you enter a house, make it your home till you leave that place. But wherever they will not receive you or listen to you, when you leave shake off the very dust from under your feet to bear witness concerning them." So they set out, and preached in order that men might repent.

But He rose to life early on the first day of the week, and appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom He had expelled seven demons. She went and brought the tidings to those who had been with Him, as they were mourning and weeping. But they, when they were told that He was alive and that she had seen Him, could not believe it. read more.
Afterwards He showed Himself in another form to two of them as they were walking, on their way into the country. These, again, went and told the news to the rest; but not even them did they believe. Later still He showed Himself to the Eleven themselves whilst they were at table, and He upbraided them with their unbelief and obstinacy in not having believed those who had seen Him alive. Then He said to them, "Go the whole world over, and proclaim the Good News to all mankind.

"Leave the dead," Jesus rejoined, "to bury their own dead; but you must go and announce far and wide the coming of the Kingdom of God."

the truth which has been kept secret from all ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His people, to whom it was His will to make known how vast a wealth of glory for the Gentile world is implied in this truth--the truth that 'Christ is in you, the hope of glory.' Him we preach, admonishing every one and instructing every one, with all possible wisdom, so that we may bring every one into God's presence, made perfect through Christ.

proclaim God's message, be zealous in season and out of season; convince, rebuke, encourage, with the utmost patience as a teacher. For a time is coming when they will not tolerate wholesome instruction, but, wanting to have their ears tickled, they will find a multitude of teachers to satisfy their own fancies;


But He rose to life early on the first day of the week, and appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom He had expelled seven demons. She went and brought the tidings to those who had been with Him, as they were mourning and weeping. But they, when they were told that He was alive and that she had seen Him, could not believe it. read more.
Afterwards He showed Himself in another form to two of them as they were walking, on their way into the country. These, again, went and told the news to the rest; but not even them did they believe. Later still He showed Himself to the Eleven themselves whilst they were at table, and He upbraided them with their unbelief and obstinacy in not having believed those who had seen Him alive. Then He said to them, "Go the whole world over, and proclaim the Good News to all mankind.

And He has commanded us to preach to the people and solemnly declare that this is He who has been appointed by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the Prophets bear witness, and testify that through His name all who believe in Him receive the forgiveness of their sins."


But to their amazement there had been a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord had descended from Heaven, and had come and rolled back the stone, and was sitting upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. For fear of him the guards trembled violently, and became like dead men. read more.
But the angel said to the women, "As for you, dismiss your fears. I know that it is Jesus that you are looking for--the crucified One. He is not here: He has come back to life, as He foretold. Come and see the place where He lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and is going before you into Galilee: there you shall see Him. Remember, I have told you." They quickly left the tomb and ran, still terrified but full of unspeakable joy, to carry the news to His disciples. And then suddenly they saw Jesus coming to meet them. "Peace be to you," He said. And they came and clasped His feet, bowing to the ground before Him. Then He said, "Dismiss all fear! Go and take word to my brethren to go into Galilee, and there they shall see me." While they went on this errand, some of the guards came into the city and reported to the High Priests every detail of what had happened. So the latter held a conference with the Elders, and after consultation with them they heavily bribed the soldiers, telling them to say, "His disciples came during the night and stole his body while we were asleep." "And if this," they added, "is reported to the Governor, we will satisfy him and screen you from punishment." So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this story was noised about among the Jews, and is current to this day.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, in order to come and anoint His body. So, very soon after sunrise on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb; and they were saying to one another, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" read more.
But then, looking up, they saw that the stone was already rolled back: for it was of immense size. Upon entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at their right hand, clothed in a long white robe. They were astonished and terrified. But he said to them, "Do not be terrified. It is Jesus you are looking for--the Nazarene who has been crucified. He has come back to life: He is not here: this is the place where they laid Him. But go and tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you into Galilee: and that there you will see Him, as He told you." So they came out, and fled from the tomb, for they were greatly agitated and surprised; and they said not a word to any one, for they were afraid. But He rose to life early on the first day of the week, and appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom He had expelled seven demons. She went and brought the tidings to those who had been with Him, as they were mourning and weeping. But they, when they were told that He was alive and that she had seen Him, could not believe it.

And, on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled back from the tomb, and on entering they found that the body of the Lord Jesus was not there. read more.
At this they were in great perplexity, when suddenly there stood by them two men whose raiment flashed like lightning. The women were terrified; but, as they stood with their faces bowed to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you search among the dead for Him who is living? He is not here. He has come back to life. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, when He told you that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again." Then they remembered His words, and returning from the tomb they reported all this to the Eleven and to all the rest. The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; and they and the rest of the women related all this to the Apostles. But the whole story seemed to them an idle tale; they could not believe the women. Peter, however, rose and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw nothing but the linen cloths: so he went away to his own home, wondering at what had happened.

On the first day of the week, very early, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from it. So she ran, as fast as she could, to find Simon Peter and the other disciple--the one who was dear to Jesus--and to tell them, "They have taken the Master out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him." Peter and the other disciple started at once to go to the tomb, both of them running, read more.
but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached it before he did. Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying there on the ground, but he did not go in. Simon Peter, however, also came, following him, and entered the tomb. There on the ground he saw the cloths; and the towel, which had been placed over the face of Jesus, not lying with the cloths, but folded up and put by itself. Then the other disciple, who had been the first to come to the tomb, also went in and saw and was convinced. For until now they had not understood the inspired teaching, that He must rise again from among the dead. Then they went away and returned home. Meanwhile Mary remained standing near the tomb, weeping aloud. She did not enter the tomb, but as she wept she stooped and looked in, and saw two angels clothed in white raiment, sitting one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. They spoke to her. "Why are you weeping?" they asked. "Because," she replied, "they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have put him." While she was speaking, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but did not recognize Him. "Why are you weeping?" He asked; "who are you looking for?" She, supposing that He was the gardener, replied, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will remove him." "Mary!" said Jesus. She turned to Him. "Rabboni!" she cried in Hebrew: the word means 'Teacher!' "Do not cling to me," said Jesus, "for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But take this message to my brethren: 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary of Magdala came and brought word to the disciples. "I have seen the Master," she said. And she told them that He had said these things to her.


Having said this He showed them His hands and also His side; and the disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Master.

She went and brought the tidings to those who had been with Him, as they were mourning and weeping.

"What is the subject," He asked them, "on which you are talking so earnestly, as you walk?" And they stood still, looking full of sorrow. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered, "Are you a stranger lodging alone in Jerusalem, that you have known nothing of the things that have lately happened in the city?" "What things?" He asked. "The things about Jesus the Nazarene," they said, "who was a Prophet powerful in work and word before God and all the people; read more.
and how our High Priests and Rulers delivered Him up to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was about to ransom Israel. Yes, and moreover it was the day before yesterday that these things happened. And, besides, some of the women of our company have amazed us. They went to the tomb at daybreak, and, finding that His body was not there, they came and declared to us that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. Thereupon some of our party went to the tomb and found things just as the women had said; but Jesus Himself they did not see." "O dull-witted men," He replied, "with minds so slow to believe all that the Prophets have spoken! Was there not a necessity for the Christ thus to suffer, and then enter into His glory?" And, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them the passages in Scripture which refer to Himself. When they had come near the village to which they were going, He appeared to be going further. But they pressed Him to remain with them. "Because," said they, "it is getting towards evening, and the day is nearly over." So He went in to stay with them. But as soon as He had sat down with them, and had taken the bread and had blessed and broken it, and was handing it to them, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. But He vanished from them. "Were not our hearts," they said to one another, "burning within us while He talked to us on the way and explained the Scriptures to us?" So they rose and without an hour's delay returned to Jerusalem, and found the Eleven and the rest met together, who said to them, "Yes, it is true: the Master has come back to life. He has been seen by Simon." Then they related what had happened on the way, and how He had been recognized by them in the breaking of the bread. While they were thus talking, He Himself stood in their midst and said, "Peace be to you!" Startled, and in the utmost alarm, they thought they were looking at a spirit; but He said to them, "Why such alarm? And why are there such questionings in your minds? See my hands and my feet--it is my very self. Feel me and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see I have." And then He showed them His hands and His feet. But, while they still could not believe it for joy and were full of astonishment, He asked them, "Have you any food here?"