Elijah. Man of Courage, Man of Faith, Man of God.

The Gospel of Mark (Part Seven)

Fully Devoted

Why Am I Still Doing This? 3 Days to Jump Out of Autopilot and Into Awareness

Seeing Disabilities Through God's Eyes: A 5-Day Devotional With Sandra Peoples

Why Forgiveness Matters

Mission Trip Checkup: Getting Ready

Unexpected Jesus

Being Content God's Way

Testimonies of Christian Professionals

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

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 <div class="label">19</div><div class="s1">Zacchaeus the Tax Collector</div><div class="p"> 1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.</div><div class="p"> 5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, &#8220;Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.&#8221; 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.</div><div class="p"> 7All the people saw this and began to mutter, &#8220;He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, &#8220;Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9Jesus said to him, &#8220;Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Ten Minas</div><div class="p"> 11While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12He said: &#8220;A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.#19:13 A mina was about three months&#8217; wages. &#8216;Put this money to work,&#8217; he said, &#8216;until I come back.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 14 &#8220;But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, &#8216;We don&#8217;t want this man to be our king.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 15 &#8220;He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.</div><div class="p"> 16 &#8220;The first one came and said, &#8216;Sir, your mina has earned ten more.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 17 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Well done, my good servant!&#8217; his master replied. &#8216;Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 18 &#8220;The second came and said, &#8216;Sir, your mina has earned five more.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 19 &#8220;His master answered, &#8216;You take charge of five cities.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 20 &#8220;Then another servant came and said, &#8216;Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 22 &#8220;His master replied, &#8216;I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn&#8217;t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 24 &#8220;Then he said to those standing by, &#8216;Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 25 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Sir,&#8217; they said, &#8216;he already has ten!&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 26 &#8220;He replied, &#8216;I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them&#8212;bring them here and kill them in front of me.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King</div><div class="p"> 28After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30&#8220;Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, &#8216;Why are you untying it?&#8217; say, &#8216;The Lord needs it.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, &#8220;Why are you untying the colt?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34They replied, &#8220;The Lord needs it.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 35They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.</div><div class="p"> 37When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:</div><div class="q1"> 38&#8220;Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!&#8221;#19:38 Psalm 118:26</div><div class="b"></div><div class="q1">&#8220;Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, &#8220;Teacher, rebuke your disciples!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 40 &#8220;I tell you,&#8221; he replied, &#8220;if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 41As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42and said, &#8220;If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace&#8212;but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God&#8217;s coming to you.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus at the Temple</div><div class="p"> 45When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46&#8220;It is written,&#8221; he said to them, &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;My house will be a house of prayer&#8217;#19:46 Isaiah 56:7; but you have made it &#8216;a den of robbers.&#8217;#19:46 Jer. 7:11&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 47Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.</div>
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 <div class="label">20</div><div class="s1">The Authority of Jesus Questioned</div><div class="p"> 1One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2&#8220;Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,&#8221; they said. &#8220;Who gave you this authority?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3He replied, &#8220;I will also ask you a question. Tell me: 4John&#8217;s baptism&#8212;was it from heaven, or of human origin?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5They discussed it among themselves and said, &#8220;If we say, &#8216;From heaven,&#8217; he will ask, &#8216;Why didn&#8217;t you believe him?&#8217; 6But if we say, &#8216;Of human origin,&#8217; all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7So they answered, &#8220;We don&#8217;t know where it was from.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8Jesus said, &#8220;Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Tenants</div><div class="p"> 9He went on to tell the people this parable: &#8220;A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.</div><div class="p"> 13 &#8220;Then the owner of the vineyard said, &#8216;What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 14 &#8220;But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. &#8216;This is the heir,&#8217; they said. &#8216;Let&#8217;s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.&#8217; 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.</div><div class="p"> &#8220;What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.&#8221;</div><div class="p">When the people heard this, they said, &#8220;God forbid!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17Jesus looked directly at them and asked, &#8220;Then what is the meaning of that which is written:</div><div class="q1"> &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;The stone the builders rejected</div><div class="q2"> has become the cornerstone&#8217; # 20:17 
 Psalm 118:22
 ?</div><div class="m"> 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.</div><div class="s1">Paying Taxes to Caesar</div><div class="p"> 20Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21So the spies questioned him: &#8220;Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24&#8220;Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Caesar&#8217;s,&#8221; they replied.</div><div class="p"> 25He said to them, &#8220;Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar&#8217;s, and to God what is God&#8217;s.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 26They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.</div><div class="s1">The Resurrection and Marriage</div><div class="p"> 27Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28&#8220;Teacher,&#8221; they said, &#8220;Moses wrote for us that if a man&#8217;s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30The second 31and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32Finally, the woman died too. 33Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 34Jesus replied, &#8220;The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God&#8217;s children, since they are children of the resurrection. 37But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord &#8216;the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.&#8217;#20:37 Exodus 3:6 38He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 39Some of the teachers of the law responded, &#8220;Well said, teacher!&#8221; 40And no one dared to ask him any more questions.</div><div class="s1">Whose Son Is the Messiah?</div><div class="p"> 41Then Jesus said to them, &#8220;Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David? 42David himself declares in the Book of Psalms:</div><div class="q1"> &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;The Lord said to my Lord:</div><div class="q2"> &#8220;Sit at my right hand</div><div class="q1"> 43 until I make your enemies</div><div class="q2"> a footstool for your feet.&#8221;&#8198;&#8217; # 20:43 
 Psalm 110:1
 </div><div class="m"> 44 David calls him &#8216;Lord.&#8217; How then can he be his son?&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Warning Against the Teachers of the Law</div><div class="p"> 45While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46&#8220;Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47They devour widows&#8217; houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.&#8221;</div>
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 <div class="label">21</div><div class="s1">The Widow&#8217;s Offering</div><div class="p"> 1As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3&#8220;Truly I tell you,&#8221; he said, &#8220;this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times</div><div class="p"> 5Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6&#8220;As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7&#8220;Teacher,&#8221; they asked, &#8220;when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8He replied: &#8220;Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, &#8216;I am he,&#8217; and, &#8216;The time is near.&#8217; Do not follow them. 9When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10Then he said to them: &#8220;Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.</div><div class="p"> 12 &#8220;But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13And so you will bear testimony to me. 14But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17Everyone will hate you because of me. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19Stand firm, and you will win life.</div><div class="p"> 20 &#8220;When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.</div><div class="p"> 25 &#8220;There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 29He told them this parable: &#8220;Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.</div><div class="p"> 32 &#8220;Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.</div><div class="p"> 34 &#8220;Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 37Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, 38and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.</div>
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 <div class="label">23</div><div class="p"> 1Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, &#8220;We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3So Pilate asked Jesus, &#8220;Are you the king of the Jews?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> &#8220;You have said so,&#8221; Jesus replied.</div><div class="p"> 4Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, &#8220;I find no basis for a charge against this man.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5But they insisted, &#8220;He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7When he learned that Jesus was under Herod&#8217;s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.</div><div class="p"> 8When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12That day Herod and Pilate became friends&#8212;before this they had been enemies.</div><div class="p"> 13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, &#8220;You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.&#8221; [17]#23:17 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Matt. 27:15 and Mark 15:6.</div><div class="p"> 18But the whole crowd shouted, &#8220;Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!&#8221; 19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)</div><div class="p"> 20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21But they kept shouting, &#8220;Crucify him! Crucify him!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22For the third time he spoke to them: &#8220;Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.</div><div class="s1">The Crucifixion of Jesus</div><div class="p"> 26As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28Jesus turned and said to them, &#8220;Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the time will come when you will say, &#8216;Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!&#8217; 30Then</div><div class="q1"> &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;they will say to the mountains, &#8220;Fall on us!&#8221;</div><div class="q2"> and to the hills, &#8220;Cover us!&#8221;&#8198;&#8217; # 23:30 
 Hosea 10:8
 </div><div class="m"> 31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 32Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals&#8212;one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, &#8220;Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.&#8221;#23:34 Some early manuscripts do not have this sentence. And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.</div><div class="p"> 35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, &#8220;He saved others; let him save himself if he is God&#8217;s Messiah, the Chosen One.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, &#8220;If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 38There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.</div><div class="p"> 39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: &#8220;Aren&#8217;t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 40But the other criminal rebuked him. &#8220;Don&#8217;t you fear God,&#8221; he said, &#8220;since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 42Then he said, &#8220;Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.#23:42 Some manuscripts come with your kingly power&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 43Jesus answered him, &#8220;Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Death of Jesus</div><div class="p"> 44It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, &#8220;Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.&#8221;#23:46 Psalm 31:5 When he had said this, he breathed his last.</div><div class="p"> 47The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, &#8220;Surely this was a righteous man.&#8221; 48When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.</div><div class="s1">The Burial of Jesus</div><div class="p"> 50Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus&#8217; body. 53Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.</div><div class="p"> 55The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.</div>
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 <div class="label">24</div><div class="s1">Jesus Has Risen</div><div class="p"> 1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, &#8220;Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7&#8216;The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.&#8217; &#8221; 8Then they remembered his words.</div><div class="p"> 9When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.</div><div class="s1">On the Road to Emmaus</div><div class="p"> 13Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles#24:13 Or about 11 kilometers from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.</div><div class="p"> 17He asked them, &#8220;What are you discussing together as you walk along?&#8221;</div><div class="p">They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, &#8220;Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19 &#8220;What things?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p">&#8220;About Jesus of Nazareth,&#8221; they replied. &#8220;He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn&#8217;t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25He said to them, &#8220;How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?&#8221; 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.</div><div class="p"> 28As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29But they urged him strongly, &#8220;Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.&#8221; So he went in to stay with them.</div><div class="p"> 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32They asked each other, &#8220;Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34and saying, &#8220;It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.&#8221; 35Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Appears to the Disciples</div><div class="p"> 36While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, &#8220;Peace be with you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 37They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38He said to them, &#8220;Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, &#8220;Do you have anything here to eat?&#8221; 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate it in their presence.</div><div class="p"> 44He said to them, &#8220;This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, &#8220;This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Ascension of Jesus</div><div class="p"> 50When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.</div>
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