how great is god, exalted in power,majestic above all. the heavens tellof his greatness. the skies display hisawesome craftsmanship. day after day theycontinue to speak.
chippewa snake boots for women, night after nightthey make him known. in creating the heavens,god also created the earth and formed man fromthe dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrilsthe breath of life.
the god of love created manand woman in his own image to have a relationship with him. and so in the beginning,they revered and honored god and lived in harmony with him. this continued until one daysatan tempted the woman to eat the forbidden fruit and she gave it to theman who also ate. in so doing,mankind rebelled against god and went his own way.
as a result of this sin,mankind was separated from god and was thrown outof the garden of eden. but god still loved mankind. it was never his desire to beseparate from those he created, yet how could god be holy andthe source of perfect justice if he did not judgemankind for their sin? in his holy book,god reveals his plan to save the worldfrom his judgment. one of the first to see thisplan unfold was abraham.
abraham was a righteous manwhom god promised to bless and make his descendantsas numerous as the sand of the seaand the stars of the sky. to test his obedience,god told abraham to sacrifice his sonas an offering to him. abraham trusted godand sought to obey him. but as he raised hisknife to kill his son, the angel of the lord stopped him. he saw that abraham feared godand was willing to obey him.
then abraham saw a ram caughtby its horns in a thicket, and he sacrificed theram instead of his son as an offering to god. and so god showed abraham thata lamb or a similar animal was to be slain as atemporary covering for sin until god would providehis ultimate sacrifice to pay for the sins of mankind. instead of sin separatingman from god, the sacrifice would restoretheir relationship.
the holy scriptures speak ofone who was to come and be the ultimate sacrificefor the sins of the world. as the ram took theplace of abraham's son, so this one who would comewould take man's place so he could be forgiven. some refer to thisperson as the messiah, the one who would comeand reconcile the world back to god once and for all. the prophets predicted manythings in detail about
the messiah hundreds ofyears before he appeared. the prophet isaiahforetold that his birth was to be a miraculous one. a virgin would conceive a childwho was to be called, in a spiritual sense,the son of god. the prophet micah predictedthat the messiah would be born in bethlehem, while the prophetzechariah foretold his entry intojerusalem on a donkey
and his betrayal by judas,one of his followers. isaiah prophesied what themessiah would do when he came. the lord's anointed will preachthe good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted,proclaim freedom for the captives andproclaim that the time has come when the lordwill save his people. so, who was the messiah? in the first century,a prophet came called jesus. some thought he was the onethe prophet spoke about.
could this be? did his life fulfillwhat was predicted of him? was jesus more than a prophet? what follows is his story,based on eyewitness accounts as recorded inthe holy scriptures. an actor plays thepart of jesus, and though no actor isworthy of such a role, it has been done sothat we may understand and benefit fromthe life of jesus.
i am writing to you,dear theophilus; an orderly account of the thingsthat have taken place among us, so that you may know theabsolute truth about everything. in the days when caesar augustuswas emperor of rome and when herod the greatwas king of judea, god sent the angel gabriel to visit avirgin girl in the city of nazareth. and the virgin's name was mary. fear not mary, for you have found favor with god.
you will conceiveand give birth to a son and you will call his name, jesus. how can this be? i am a virgin. the holy spiritwill come upon you. for this reason the holy childwill be called the son of the most high god.his kingdom will never end. so mary traveledto a town in judea to visit her cousin elizabeth whowas also miraculously with child. elizabeth!
mary! cousin mary! you are the most blessedof all women. and blessed is the childyou will bear. for as soon as i heard your greeting,the baby within me jumped with joy! my soul magnifies the lord, and my spirit rejoicesin god my savior. from now on, all generationswill call me blessed. know all men of nazareth, that by command of caesar augustus,
there will be conducted a census of the subject territoriesof galilee and judea. all men must register forthwith in the towns and citiesof their ancestral birth. and mary went to bethlehem in judea to register withjoseph her betrothed. but there was no roomfor them in bethlehem. and the only lodging theycould find was a humble stable. now there were some shepherds inthat part of the country who were
taking care of their flock at nightwhen an angel of god appeared to them and the glory of godwas shining around them. this very day in david's town,your savior was born, christ the lord. the shepherds hurried to see thenewborn babe in the manger, and were the first to spreadthe good news or gospel of the virgin motherand the savior's birth. a week later, when the time camefor the baby to be circumcised, he was given the name jesus
and joseph and mary took the child toto jerusalem to present him to the lord. in the temple there wasa good and devout man who the holy spirit had promised would not die until he had seen the christ. his name was simeon. lord, now you can let me,thy servant, depart in peaceaccording to thy word. for mine eyes haveseen thy salvation. this child is chosen by god.
may you both be blessed. and when they had completed all their duties according to the law of moses, they left jerusalemand returned to nazareth. when jesus was twelve years old, joseph and mary took him tojerusalem for the passover feast. but, when they started back home, thinking that the boy was with them, jesus stayed behind.
they returned to thecity looking for him. and on the third day foundhim in the temple sitting with the rabbisand the elders. whose child is thiswho asks such questions? he's from nazareth. we thought he had left with us.please, forgive him his zeal. all who heard him were amazed. son! why have you done this to us? your father and i have beenterribly worried trying to find you.
how is it that you looked for me? did you not know that i mustbe about my father's business? and he came with them to nazareth and increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with god and with man. jltitle3.bmp jltitle4.bmp jltitle5.bmp jltitle6.bmp
in the fifteenth year of the ruleof the emperor tiberius, pontius pilate beinggovernor of judea, and herod, the ruler of galilee, and annas and caiaphasthe high priests, the word of god cameto john in the desert, and he came into all the countrynear the jordan river, preaching the baptism of repentancefor the remission of sins. turn away from your sins!and be baptized! and god will forgive your sins!
as it is written in thebook of the prophet isaiah; someone is shouting in the desert; get the road ready for the lord! make a straight path for him to travel. every valley must be filled up. every hill and mountain leveled off! the winding roadsmust be made straight. and the rough paths made smooth, and all mankind willsee god's salvation!
what shall we do? you brood of vipers! what do you want us to do? whoever has two shirts, must give one to theman who has none. and whoever hasfood must share it! teacher, we are tax collectors. don't collect more than is legal.
and what about us?what are we to do? don't take moneyfrom anyone by force. and don't accuse anyone falsely. be content with your pay. tell us. are you the christ? i baptize you with water. but someone is coming whois much greater than i am. i'm not good enough evento untie his sandals. he will baptize you withthe holy spirit and fire.
he has his grain shovel with him, to thresh out all the grain andgather the wheat into his barn. and the holy spirit came down onjesus in bodily form like a dove. and a voice from heaven said; you are my beloved son, in you i am well pleased. when jesus began his work,he was about 30 years old. he returned from the jordanriver full of the holy spirit, and was led by the spiritinto the desert,
where he was tempted bythe devil for 40 days. in all this time, he ate nothing. the devil said to him; if you are god's son, order this stone to become bread. it is written, that man shallnot live by bread alone, but by every word of god. then the devil took himup and showed him all the kingdoms of the world.
i will give you all thispower and all this wealth. it has all been handed over to me, and i can give it to anyone i choose. all this will be yours then, if you worship me. it is written; you shallworship the lord your god. and him only shall you serve. then the devil took himto jerusalem and set him on the highestpoint of the temple.
if you are god's son,throw yourself down from here, for the scripture says; god will order his angelsto take good care of you. it also says they will hold youup with their hands, so that not even your feetwill be hurt on the stones. the scripture says; you shall not put the lordyour god to the test. and he came to nazarethwhere he had been brought up. hello.
and on the sabbath day of rest,he went as usual to the synagogue. and he was called upon to reada portion of the prophet isaiah. the spirit of the lord is upon me. because he has chosen me tobring good news to the poor. he has sent me to proclaimrelease to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. to set at libertythose who are oppressed. and announce that the time has comewhen the lord will save his people. this scripture has come true today,as you heard it being read.
the scripture come true? but only the messiah canfulfill that promise! doubtless you will quote the proverbto me, physician, heal thyself. you'll also say to me, do thethings in your own home town that we heard were done in capernaum. i tell you this! no prophet is everwelcome in his hometown! by these word jesus identified himselfas the messiah, god's anointed,sent to save his people.
these jewsdid not accept him as the messiah they meant to throw him over the cliff. but he walked through thecrowd and went his way. and jesus came to capernaum,a city of galilee. the roman occupation of the nationwas in evidence everywhere. and the people longed forthe messiah, to free them from the tyranny. peace be with you. and you, master.
will your boat bear me, simon? why not? he's not going to leave, is he? speak to us! jesus, speak to us! once there were two men whowent up to the temple to pray. one was a pharisee.the other was a tax collector. the pharisee stood apartby himself and prayed, i thank you, god, that i am not greedy or dishonest or anadulterer like everybody else.
i thank you that i am not likethat tax collector over there. i fast twice a week, and i giveyou one tenth of all my income. but the tax collectorstood at a distance and would not even raisehis face to heaven. but beat upon his breast and said, god, have pity on me, a sinner. i tell you, the tax collector,not the pharisee was in the right with godwhen he went home. for the man who exaltshimself will be humbled,
and he who humbles himselfwill be exalted. push the boat out furtherto the deep water. then you and your partnerslet down your nets for a catch. oh, master, we worked hard allnight long, and caught nothing. but if you say so,i'll let down the nets. james!! john!! james!! john!! get your boat overhere and give us some help! hurry!! we can't, we've got our hands full. that's enough!
go away from me, lord.i am a sinful man. don't be afraid. from now on you will be catching men. come to me and listen to my words,hear me, and you shall have life. seek the lord while he may be foundcall on him while he is near. let the wicked forsake his way,and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the lordand he will have compassion on him. for he will abundantly pardon. you shall go out with joyand be led forth with peace.
he's coming! he's here! look!! jesus! jesus! i beg you to save my only daughter! she's only 12 years old, and dying. please come with me! jairus, i'm sorry.your daughter has died. don't bother the teacher any longer. only believe and she will be well. do not weep.
she's not dead, but only sleeping. child, arise. give her something to eat. i charge you, tell no onewhat has happened here. and after this, he saw a taxcollector named matthew levi, sitting at the toll gatefor the receipt of the customs. follow me. and jesus went upto the hill to pray,
and spent the whole nightthere praying to god. and when day came, he greeted the12 of them whom he named apostles. simon, whom healso named peter, and andrew, his brother, james, and john, philip, and bartholomew, and matthew,
and thomas, james, the son of alphaeus, and simon called zealots, and judas, the brother of james, and judas iscariot, who was the traitor. blessed are you who are poor,for yours is the kingdom of god. blessed are you who hunger now,for you shall be filled. blessed are you who weep now,for you shall laugh. blessed are you when men hate youand reject you and insult you
and say you are evil, allbecause of the son of man. be glad when that happens,and dance for joy, because a great reward iskept for you in heaven. for their ancestors did thesame thing to the prophets. ...18, 19, 20. that's all i've got. what do you meanthat's all you've got?! how terrible foryou who are rich now. you have had your easy life.
he doesn't want to be rich.he must be mad. how terrible for you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. how terrible when all menspeak well of you. for their ancestors said the verysame things about the false prophets. but i tell you who hear me,love your enemies. do good to those who hate you. bless those who curse you. and pray for peoplewho mistreat you.
if anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other one also. and if someone takesaway your coat, let him have your shirt as well. give to everyonewho begs from you. and if someone takes what is yours, do not ask for it back again. do for others only whatyou would have others do for you. if you love only thepeople who love you,
why should you receive a blessing? for even sinners lovethose who love them. and if you do good tothose who do good to you, even sinners do that. how could he touch her? how could he talk to her? disgusting! no. love your enemies,and do good to them. and lend expecting nothing back.
and then you willhave a great reward. for you will be sonsof the most high god. for he is good to the ungratefuland to the wicked. be merciful, just asyour father is merciful. save us, jesus! judge not,and you will not be judged! condemn not,and you will not be condemned! forgive,and you will be forgiven. give, and it will be given to you.
for the measure you givewill be the measure you get back. lead us in thy path, o lord! one blind man cannot lead another! if he does, they bothwill fall into a ditch! why do you see the speckthat is in your brother's eye but pay no attention tothe log in your own eye? guide us, oh master! we need you now, lord! how happy is the mother whobore you and nursed you!
rather how happy are those whohear the word of god, and obey it. i would like to know this man. do you think he mightbe, the messiah? this pharisee invited jesusto have dinner with him. and jesus went to hishouse and sat down to eat. come along children, off you go. you heard me. go! they get by with allthe mischief they can. (whispering) what is she doing here?
i don't know. what is she doing? if this man really were a prophet, he would know who this woman iswho is touching him. he would know what kindof sinful life she lives. i know who this woman is, simon. let me tell you something. there were two men who owedmoney to a moneylender. one owed him 500 silver coins,and the other owed 50.
neither of them could pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. which one then will love him more? i suppose that it would bethe one who was forgiven more. you are right. do you see this woman? i came into your home. you gave me no water for my feet, yet she has washed myfeet with her tears,
and dried them with her hair. you did not welcome me with a kiss. but since i came she has notstopped kissing my feet. you provided no olive oilfor my head. yet she has anointedmy feet with perfume. i tell you then,the great love she has shown proves that her many sinsare forgiven. but whoever is forgiven little, shows only a little love.
your sins are forgiven you. your faith has saved you.go in peace. i... i... and jesus traveled, teaching thegood news of the kingdom of god. and the twelve discipleswent with him. and so did some women whohad been healed of evil spirits; mary, who was called magdalene, joanna, whose husband, chuza, wassteward in herod's court, and susanna.
but herod, the roman appointed rulerof galilee, threw john the baptist in prison, because he had condemnedhis marriage to his brother's wife. well? as we arrived at the gate of nain,a funeral procession came out. the dead was theonly son of a widow. when jesus saw the widow,his heart was filled with compassion. he touched the coffin and said,young man, get up i tell you. then, the dead man sat up! and jesus gave him back to his mother.
ask him, say, are you the onejohn said was going to come? or should we expect someone else? master! john the baptist sent us to ask if you are the onewho is going to come? go back and tell john what youhave seen and heard. the blind can see,the lame can walk. how happy are those whohave no doubts about me. please, pick me up.
onto my shoulder.can you see now? i can see jesus. a sower went out to sow his seed. and as he scattered the grainsome of it fell by the path and was trodden on, and the birds of the air devoured it. and some fell on rocky ground, and when the plants sprouted, they withered away becausethey had no moisture.
and some seeds fell among thorns. and the thorns grew up withthe plants, and choked them. and some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants grew andbore grain, 100 grains each. master, why do you speak in parableswhenever a crowd is near? the knowledge of the secrets of thekingdom of god have been given to you. but to others it comesby means of parables... so they may look but not see... and listen but not understand.
this is what the parable means. the seed is the word of god. the seeds that fell along the pathstand for those who hear. but the devil comes and takesthe message away from their hearts in order to keep them frombelieving and being saved. the seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who hear the messageand receive it gladly. but they have no roots. they believe only for a while.
and when the time of testing comes,they fall away. the seeds that fell amongthe thorns stand for those who hear, but the worries and riches and pleasures of this life crowd in and choke them. and their fruit never ripens. and the seeds that fellin good soil, stand for those who hear the message and retain it in a good and obedient heart. and they persist until they bear fruit.
no one lights a lamp and covers it with a bowl, or puts it under a bed. instead, he puts it on the stand so that people may see thelight as they come in. whatever is hidden away willbe brought out in the open. and whatever is covered upwill be found and brought to light. be careful then, how you listen. because whoever haswill be given more. but he who has notwill have taken away from him
even the little he thinks he has. teacher, your mother and brothers arestanding outside. they want to see you. my mother and brothers are thosewho hear the word of god, and obey it. one day jesus got into a boat withhis disciples, and said to them, let us go across to theother side of the lake. and as they were sailing,he fell asleep. master! master! jesus!
we are about to die! the waves are swamping us,we'll all drown! save us, master! we're going to be saved! where is your faith? and they sailed on over to gadara, which is across the lake from galilee. jesus, son of the most high god, what do you want with me?
i beg you, don't punish me. what is your name? legion. lord, we beg you,do not, send us into the abyss. let us enter,into the herd, of swine. hey! come back! stop! stop! and the demonswent out of the man,
and into the pigs. go away from here! you, magician! leave us! go away from this place! i'll follow you wherever you go. let me, come with you. go back home, and tellwhat god has done for you. jesus and his discipleswithdrew by themselves to bethsaida.
but multitudes learned about it andfollowed him. late in the afternoon, peter said... master, send the people away, so that then they can go to thevillages and farms around here, and find food and lodging. this is a lonely place. you yourselves them something to eat. but all we have are fiveloaves of bread and two fish. blessed are thou, o lord our god,king of the universe,
who brings forth bread from the earth. it's a miracle!unbelievable! who do the crowds say i am? some say you are john the baptist,others say that you are elijah, while others say that one ofthe prophets of long ago, has come back to life. what about you?who do you say that i am? you are god's messiah! you shall tell no man of this.
the son of man mustsuffer much and be rejected. he will be put to death. but three days later,he will be raised to life. will any of you come with me? i will follow you master. but first, let me go andsay goodbye to my family. anyone who starts to plowand then keeps looking back is of no usefor the kingdom of god. if anyone wants to come with me,
he must forget himself, take up his cross every dayand follow me. for whoever would savehis own life will lose it. and whoever would lose his lifefor my sake will save it. what will it profit a man if he gains the whole earth and loses his own soul? if any man is ashamedof me and my teachings, then the son of manwill be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory,
and the glory of thefather and the holy angels. i assure you there are some here who will not die until they have seen the kingdom of god. then jesus took john andjames and peter with him and went up the hill to pray. and while he was praying,his face changed its appearance and his clothesbecame shining white. suddenly two men weretalking with him.
they were moses and elijah,who appeared in heavenly glory. you will fulfill god's purpose. you will die in jerusalem. as they were leaving,peter said to jesus, master, how good itis that we are here. we will make three tents. one for you, one for moses,and one for elijah. as peter spoke, a cloudcame and covered them, and the disciples were afraid.
a voice came from the cloud saying, this is my son, the 'chosen one'.listen to him. teacher! teacher! i beg you, look at my son. please, please help him!he is my only child. i begged your disciples tocast out the evil spirit. but they could not. oh faithless and perverse generation. how long am i to be with youand bear with you?
bring your son here. his face has been healed too!how wonderful! teach us to pray, just asjohn taught his disciples. when you pray, say; our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. thy kingdom come. thy will be done onearth as it is in heaven. give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyonewho has done wrong to us. and lead us not into temptation. but deliver us from evil. ask, and you will receive. seek, and you will find. knock, and the doorwill be opened to you. for everyone who asks will receive, and he who seeks will find,
and the door will beopened to anyone who knocks. would any of you who are fathers give a snake to your sonwhen he asks for a fish? or give a scorpionwhen he asks for an egg? as bad as you are, you know how togive good things to your children. how much more, then,would your heavenly father give the holy spiritto those who ask him. i tell you this, take no thought in your lifefor what you shall eat.
nor for your body as towhat you shall wear. for life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. consider the ravens, they neither sow nor reap, have neither storehouse or barn, yet god feeds them. of how much more worthare you than the birds. which of you by being anxious,can add to the length of your life?
if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest? look at the lilies, how they grow. they neither toil nor spin, yet king solomon in all his glory was not arrayed likea single one of them. if god, who clothes the wild grass today,which tomorrow is thrown onto a fire, how much more sureis he to clothe you,
oh you of little faith. make our faith greater. if you had faith asbig as a mustard seed, you could say to this tree;pull yourself up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea,and it would obey you. temptations to sin will come,but woe to him by whom they come. it would be better for him that a stone were put about hisneck and he were cast into the sea than that he should causeone of these little ones to sin.
what is the kingdom of god like?it is like this; a man takes a grain of mustard seed and plants it in his field. the plant grows and becomes a tree and the birds make theirnests in its branches. i'm not sure what he's talking about. why do you eat and drink with taxcollectors and other outcasts? people who are well do not need adoctor, but only those who are sick. i have not come to callrespectable people to repent,
but outcasts. tell us again about the kingdom.is there anything else? do not be afraid, little flock, for your father is pleasedto give you the kingdom. sell all your belongings andgive the money to the poor. provide for yourselves pursesthat don't wear out and save your riches in heaven,where they will never decrease, because no thief can steal them,and no moth can destroy them. for your heart will alwaysbe where your riches are.
woman, you are freefrom your sickness. look! look! she's cured! it's a miracle!look, she's cured! come and see! praise to the lord! 18 years! god keep you, rabbi! there are 6 days inwhich we should work, so come on one of thosedays to be healed, but not on the sabbath. you hypocrites!
any of you would untiehis ox or his donkey and take it out from the stallto give it water on the sabbath. now, here is this descendant of abraham whom satan has kept in bonds these 18 years. should she not be set free on the sabbath? good teacher, what must ido to receive eternal life? why do you call me good? no one is good save god alone. you know the commandments;
do not commit adultery, do not commit murder,do not accuse anyone falsely. respect your mother and father. ever since i was young, i haveobeyed all these commandments. there is still one morething you need to do. you must sell all you haveand give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. then come and follow me. but we are merchants. wealthy.
how hard it is for a rich personto enter the kingdom of god. it is harder for a rich person toenter the kingdom of god, than for a camel to passthrough the eye of a needle. who, then, who can be saved? what is impossible for manis possible for god. exactly where will this be,god's kingdom? the kingdom of god does not comein such a way as to be seen. no one will say, look, thereit is, or here it is. because the kingdomof god is within you.
the time will comewhen you will wish that you could see one ofthe days of the son of man, but you will not see it. as the lightning flashes andlights up the entire sky, so will the coming of theson of man be on his day. but first i must suffer muchand be rejected by the people of this day. it is easier for heavenand earth to disappear than for the smallest detailof the law to be done away with.
for i tell you many prophets and kings desired to see what you see and did not see it. and to hear what you hearand did not hear it. what should we do? what do the scriptures say?how do you interpret them? love the lord your godwith all your heart, with all your soul, with all yourstrength, and with all your mind, and love your neighboras you love yourself. you are right.do this and you will live.
who is my neighbor? there once was a man going downfrom jerusalem to jericho. when robbers attacked him,stripped him, beat him, leaving him half dead. it so happened that a jewishpriest came that way. when he saw the man, hewalked by on the other side. in the same way a levitealso came there, went over and looked at the man, and then walked byon the other side.
but a samaritan who was travelingon that road came across the man. and when he saw himhis heart was filled with pity. he went over to the man, poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them. then he put him on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. the next day he gave theinnkeeper two silver coins. and he told him totake care of the man. he said; when i come back,
i will pay you whatever elseyou spend on him. which one of these threemen acted like a neighbor toward the man who wasattacked by the robbers? the one who was kind to him. you, then, do the same. let the little children to comeunto me and do not forbid them. for of such isthe kingdom of god. truly i say to you, if you do not accept the kingdomof god as a little child does,
there is no way you can get in. anyone who welcomes this childin my name also welcomes me. and anyone who welcomes mewelcomes the one who sent me. for the one who is most humbleamong you all is the greatest. hey, what's happening?what's going on? jesus of nazareth is passing by. son of david!have mercy on me! what do you want me to do for you? i want to see again.
then see. your faith has made you well. i can see! i can see!! i can see!!! as jesus was on his wayto jerusalem large crowds methim everywhere. people were asking him to show themthe way to salvation and to teach them moreabout the kingdom of god.
this man really is a prophet. my lord and master, save me! oh lord, save us! save us! praise the lord! show us the true way, lord! that's the tax collector! the people were beginning to accepthim as lord and master in jericho there was a tax collectornamed zacchaeus. he wanted to see jesusso much that
he climbed a treeto get above the crowd. hurry down, zacchaeus. for i must stay in your house today. my house? who'd want to stay in his house? how does zacchaeus know jesus? listen. i give half of my belongingsto the poor, and if i have cheated anyone,
i will pay him backfour times as much! i don't believe it! a tax collectorpaying back his taxes! impossible! salvation has cometo this house today. for this man also is adescendent of abraham! the son of man came toseek and to save the lost. we are going to jerusalem, where everything the prophets wroteabout the son of man will come true. he will be handed overto the gentiles. they will mock him, and treathim shamefully and spit on him.
he will be whipped and killed. but on the third day,he will rise. and jesus resolutely tookthe road for jerusalem. even though jesus knew he was goingto be killed for the sins of mankind, he took the roadto jerusalem. many of the people rejoiced at his coming and proclaimed him as their king rabbi, command yourdisciples to be quiet. i tell you that if theywere to be quiet, the stones themselveswould begin shouting.
peace, honor, health! jesus came closer to jerusalem.and when he saw it, he wept over it. if only, on this your day you had known the path for peace, but you have failed to see it. the days will come when your enemies, will build ramparts to surround you and hem you inpressing hard from every side, and within these walls they will destroy you.
you and your children, and they will not leave onestone upon another in you, because you did not recognizethe time of your visitation. the holy temple in jerusalemhad become a center of commerce rather than a place of worship. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9... 21, 22, 23, 24, 25... it is written, my houseshall be a house of prayer. but you have turned itinto a den of thieves!
he's heading for my animals. stop him!stop him! get the guards!get the guards! i understand that many havealready hailed him as king. a king? a king of beggars,whores, and thieves! we've seen his like before. they come, they make their claims, they go. they're forgotten. don't be blind.
his followingis growing by the day. the people admire him... ...and think he is a king. let me give you a warning. if this man shouldthreaten the peace further, i shall look to you. perhaps he's right. it's time we confronted the galilean. and as the hypocritical sectionof the scribes and pharisees
came increasingly under his attack, so his following among the jews grew. and so did the oppositionfrom those he condemned. while in the temple,jesus saw a very poor widow offering two copper coins. it's very little. can't you give more? i tell you, that this poor widowput in more than all the others. for the others offered their gifts fromwhat they had to spare of their riches.
but she, poor as she is,put in all the living that she had. tell us, what right do you haveto say these things? who gave you such right? now let me ask you a question. tell me, did john's right tobaptize come from god or from man? what shall we say? if we were to say, from god, he will say, why then,don't you believe john? but if we say, from man,this whole crowd here will stone us.
they're all convincedthat john was a prophet. we don't know where it came from. neither will i tell you then bywhat right i do these things. there was once a man whoplanted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants,and then left home for a long time. when the time cameto gather the grapes, he sent a slave to the tenants, to receive from themhis share of the harvest. but the tenants beat the slaveand sent him back without a thing.
so he sent another slave.but the tenants beat him, too, treated him shamefully andsent him back without a thing. then he sent a third slave. but the tenants wounded him, too,and threw him out. then the owner of the vineyardsaid to himself, what shall i do?i will send my own dear son. surely they will respect him. but when the tenants saw him coming, they said to one another,
this is the owner's son. let's kill him andhis property will be ours. tell us more, lord! so they threw him out ofthe vineyard, and killed him. what, then, will the owner of thevineyard do to those tenants? he will come and kill those men and give the vineyardover to other tenants. what, then, does this scripture mean? the stone which thebuilders rejected as worthless,
turned out to bethe most important stone of all. everyone who falls on thatstone will be cut to pieces. and if that stone falls on someone, it will crush him to dust. teacher, we know that whatyou say and teach is right. we know that you pay noattention to man's status, but you teach the truthabout god's will for man. tell us, is it against our law for us to pay taxes tothe roman emperor or not?
show me a silver coin. whose face and nameare these on it? caesar! then give to caesar thethings that are caesar's, and give to god thethings that are god's. now the festival ofunleavened bread drew near, which is called the passover. and jesus sent simon peterand john ahead to prepare the passover meal.
i have wanted so much to eat this passover mealwith you before i suffer. for i tell you, i will never eat it untilit is given its full meaning in the kingdom of god. blessed art thou, o lord,our god, king of the universe, who brings forthfruit from the vine. take this and shareit among yourselves. for i say to you, i will notdrink of the fruit of the vine
until the kingdom of god comes. who brings forthbread from the earth. this is my body whichis given for you. this do in remembrance of me. this cup is the newtestament in my blood, which is shed for you. but behold, the person who willbetray me is here at this table. and truly the son of man must dieas god has determined, but woe unto that manby whom he is betrayed.
it can't be. impossible. name the traitor, lord? the greatest one among youmust be like the youngest. and the leader mustbe like the servant. for who is greater? the one who sits down to eat?or the one who serves? the one who sits down, of course. but i am among youas one who serves.
you have stayed with meall through my trials. and just as my father hasgiven me the right to rule, so i will give youthe same right. you will eat and drinkat my table in my kingdom. and you will sit on thrones torule over the 12 tribes of israel. then there is no traitor. simon, simon, behold, satan has desiredto test all of you, to separate the good from the bad
as a farmer separates the wheatfrom the chaff. but i have prayed for you, simon,that your faith may not fail. and when you haveturned back to me, you must strengthen your brethren. lord, i am ready togo to prison with you, and to die with you. i tell you, peter, the cock will not crow today before you deny three times that you know me. when i sent you out withoutpurse or bag or shoes,
did you lack anything? no, not a thing. but now, whoever has apurse or bag must take it. and whoever has no sword mustsell his mantle and buy one. for i tell you,it is written in the scriptures, and he was reckonedamong the transgressors. and what was written aboutme is coming true. look, lord, here are two swords. that is enough.
and the council of the elders met to see how they might ridthemselves of jesus. then entered satan into judas,surnamed iscariot, who was one of the twelve. he plotted with theelders to trap jesus. jesus left jerusalem and went to themount of olives to pray. pray that you may notenter into temptation. judas iscariot betrayed jesus for onlythirty pieces of silver. jesus knew that the hour of his deathfor the sins of mankind was
fast approaching; and he prayed. father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. never-the-less,not my will but thy will be done. and an angel from heaven appearedto him to strengthen him. and his sweat wasas though it were great drops of bloodfalling to the ground. why are you sleeping? get up,
and pray that you do notfall into temptation. judas! is it with a kiss that youbetray the son of man? lord, shall we smitewith our swords? come on, arrest him. enough of this! (whisper) a miracle! did you have to bring swords andclubs as though i were an outlaw? i was with you everyday in the temple
and you did not try to arrest me. but this is your hour to act, when the power of darkness rules. arrest him! guard him well. the soldiers took him into the courtyardand mocked him as king of the jews. here's a cloak worn by a king. tell us what's going to happen. are you going to save us,your majesty?
are you going to save us? this man was with jesus, too. woman, i don't even know him. i saw them together. your humble servants. how does it feel tolook up to somebody? you are one of them too. but i am not. there is no doubt thatthis man was with jesus.
because he is also a galilean. i don't know what -- whatyou're talking about. jesus turned and lookedstraight at peter. then peter rememberedwhat the lord had spoken to him. before the cock crows this day,you shall deny that you know me. lord, we beseech thee, do as thou ought. in accordance with thegreatness of thy power.
thou, who did forgive our fathers when they rebelled against thy word. thou, who was angry with them,thou did not destroy them. because of thy love for them and forthy covenant's and faithfulness' sake, thou did spare them. who hit you? guess. prophesy! who will hit you next? stop it! stop it i said! bring him before the council.
go! the religious council of eldersmet to question jesus. tell us, are you the messiah? if i tell you,you will not believe me. and if i ask you a question,you will not answer me. but from now on the son of man will be seated at the rightside of almighty god. are you, then, the son of god? you say that i am.
who gives him the authorityto say that? guilty! we ourselves haveheard what he said. we will take him to pilate. yes, yes, away with him! move! and they took jesusbefore pontius pilate, the most vicious of allroman procurators, alone responsible for thecrucifixion of thousands.
and what do you want here,at this hour of the morning? we caught this manperverting our people. he caused an uproarin the temple market. what will be his punishment? sentence him! i see no reason to condemnthis man, no reason. we found him guilty. telling them not to pay taxesto the emperor. claiming himself to bethe messiah, a king!
a king? are you theking of the jews? so you say. he began in galileeand now he has come here. in galilee?is this man a galilean? in that case, we'll letherod deal with him. he's still here injerusalem, isn't he? take him to herod! who is it that you say you are? who are those youcall your disciples?
it is said by manyyou can perform signs. do something for me. my lord, he has beencorrupting all the people. he calls himself, the king. this man? a king??? your majesty. mark him well. send him back to pilate. this is his province.
this man has done nothingto deserve death. so i will have himwhipped and let him go. you are obliged to release oneman to us at this festival. release to us, barabbas.and away with this man. crucify him! yes! crucify him! you, you, whip him. what are you waiting for, pilate? why do you torment him so?
leave him alone,he's the messiah! he has done nothing wrong. lift him up! crucify him. kill him. but they kept on shoutingthat jesus should be crucified. so pilate passed thesentence of death on jesus he set free barabbas,who had been put in prison for murder, and he handed jesusover to them to be crucified. back! get back! back!get away!
keep away from him! get back! back! get away!make room! get out! you, out of the way! move, when i tell you! get up! get up!! you, what's your name? simon of cyrene, sir. step over here! cut the ropes!
you... carry it. come on, move! move on! clear the way there. back, get back! get back! we weep for you, lord, we weep. drink this. drink.drink, lord. women of jerusalem,don't weep for me, but weep for yourselvesand for your children. for if things as these takeplace when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?
god help you. we will pray for you. move! down here! come on! quicker, quicker! now you go! go on! keep up!quicker! come on! quicker! now, move! move! now, you go ahead! come on now.
get on with it. raise! put the peg in! stay ropes loose. forgive them, father, for they do not knowwhat they are doing. he has saved others.let him save himself. yes, save yourselfif you're the messiah! yes! come down from the cross.
show us one of your miracles! jesus was crucified betweentwo thieves in fulfillment of prophesy,as the prophets of god had predicted hundreds of years before. this is no ordinarymystic's garment. let go. no, don't tear it. i'll tell you what. let's play for this! ah, you lucky devil!
what will you do with itnow that you've won it? a sign was placedabove his head that read, this is the king of the jews. save yourself if youare the king of the jews. aren't... ...you... ...the messiah? save... yourself...
and us. don't you fear god? he received the samesentence, you did, but he has done nothing wrong. remember me, jesus,when you come as king. i promise you. today, youwill be in paradise, with me. it was about noon and a darkness fell acrossthe whole land for three hours, until about 3:00 in the afternoon.
the curtain of the templewas torn right down the middle. father, into thy hands... i commit, my spirit. when the captain of the soldiers saw whathad happened, he glorified god saying... glory be to god!certainly, this was a righteous man. joseph of arimathea, a righteousmember of the religious council who had not consented to this deed,got permission from pontius pilate to lay jesus' body in a tomb
before the sabbathbegan at sundown. forgive us. we arefollowing the body of our lord. all are welcome. but come,the sabbath is approaching. very early on the sunday morningthey came to the tomb carrying the spices they had prepared. they found the stone rolledaway from the tomb. when they entered,the body of the lord jesus was gone. why do you seek theliving among the dead? he is not here. he is risen.
remember what he said to youwhile he was in galilee; the son of man will be handed overto sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day rise again. listen! the stone was rolled away! we entered and the bodyof our lord was gone! what?the body of our lord, gone? and two men appeared to us... angels, shining, likethe sun. they said to us;
why do you look for the livingamong the dead? it's true! believe us. believe us. we saw them!go and see for yourself! the tomb was empty!our lord was gone! peter, you must believe us! jesus appearedto two of the disciples. they excitedly cameback to the others. the lord is risen indeed. he has appeared to simon.
we didn't recognize him,not on the road. but when he broke bread,then we knew him. at emmaus. how strangehe should go there. why are you troubled? why are these doubtscoming up in your minds? look, my hands and my feet, and see that it is i, myself. feel me and you will know. for a spirit does not have fleshand bones as you see i have.
these are the verythings i told you about, while i was still with you. that everything writtenabout me in the law of moses and the writings of the prophets and the psalms had to come true. this is what is written; the messiah must suffer, and risefrom the dead on the third day. and in his name, the message of repentanceand the forgiveness of sins
must be preached to all nations, beginning in jerusalem. you are witnesses of these things. and i myself bring the promiseof my father upon you. but you must wait in the city, until the power from abovecomes down upon you. the lord bless you and keep you. all power is given to mein heaven and in earth. go, therefore and teach all nations,baptizing them
in the name of the father, andof the son, and of the holy ghost. teaching them to observe all thingswhatsoever i have commanded you. and lo, i am with you always, even unto the end of the world. amen. in the holy scriptures,god declared the messiah would come to bethe savior of the world. the life of jesus givesevidence that he is indeed the one the prophetsspoke about.
isaiah prophesied that, thevirgin will conceive a child and will give birth to a son. centuries later,the birth of jesus was the fulfillmentof that prophecy. the holy scriptures declaredthat the holy one to be born would be called the son of god. this means that jesus was tobe called the son of god in a spiritual,not a physical sense. we see this in howhe lived his life.
he healed people from disease,forgave their sins, turned them back to godand promised them a place in god's eternal kingdom. he offered himselfas a sacrifice for sin in their place and thenrose again, conquering death. jesus said, no one cantake my life from me. i lay it downof my own accord. the life of jesusnot only fulfilled the writings of the prophets,but also confirmed
the truth of god's holy word. the prophets declared,the word of the lord is flawless, your word, oh, lord,is eternal. jesus himself said,heaven and earth will pass away, but my words willnever pass away. jesus came to give uslife in all its fullness. but when man disobeyed godin the garden of eden, he chose to go his own way, and his actions separatedhim from the creator.
the holy scriptures declarethat all have sinned and the payment for sinis death, this means a spiritual death,eternal separation from god. but just as god provided a ram to die in place of abraham's son, so he sent jesus the messiahto die in our place. his life, death and resurrection restored the relationship between godand all those who put their trust in him.
now, those who follow jesus notonly have their sins forgiven, but are saved fromgod's eternal judgment. they are assured of paradiseand will live with him forever. it is this life and freedom fromthe guilt and power of sin that jesus offerseach person today. this does not mean following areligion but choosing to have faith in jesus who says,i stand at the door and knock. if anyone hears my voiceand opens the door, i will come into him.
this means turning to godand trusting jesus to come into our lives,to forgive our sins and to make us whathe wants us to be. it is not enough tointellectually agree with his claims, nor to have anemotional experience. we receive him by grace throughfaith as an act of the will. when people are ready to becomefollowers of jesus the messiah, they may speak tohim in a simple prayer.
perhaps you are ready nowto open your life to god. if so, you may join in thefollowing prayer to him silently in your heart; lord jesus, i need you. thank you for dyingon the cross for my sins. i confess and repent of my sins. i open the door of my life and receive you as my savior and lord. thank you for forgiving my sinsand giving me eternal life.
make me the kind of personyou want me to be, as i become one of your followers. jesus said about his followers,my sheep recognize my voice. i know them,and they follow me. in order to experience theabundant life which jesus promised,his followers talk to god each day in prayer and reador listen to his word. they tell others about himand meet regularly
with those who loveand follow him.
remember his wonderful promise. all power is given to mein heaven and in earth. low, i am with you always,even to the end of the world.
