Scripture for this Sunday
Leviticus 19:1-18 Good News Translation (GNT)
Laws of Holiness and Justice
19 The Lord told Moses 2 to say to the community of Israel, “Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy. 3 Each of you must respect your mother and your father, and must keep the Sabbath, as I have commanded. I am the Lord your God.
4 “Do not abandon me and worship idols; do not make gods of metal and worship them. I am the Lordyour God.
5 “When you kill an animal for a fellowship offering, keep the regulations that I have given you, and I will accept the offering. 6 The meat must be eaten on the day the animal is killed or on the next day. Any meat left on the third day must be burned, 7 because it is ritually unclean, and if anyone eats it, I will not accept the offering. 8 Any who eat it will be guilty of treating as ordinary what is dedicated to me, and they will no longer be considered my people.
9 “When you harvest your fields, do not cut the grain at the edges of the fields, and do not go back to cut the heads of grain that were left. 10 Do not go back through your vineyard to gather the grapes that were missed or to pick up the grapes that have fallen; leave them for poor people and foreigners. I am the Lord your God.
11 “Do not steal or cheat or lie. 12 Do not make a promise in my name if you do not intend to keep it; that brings disgrace on my name. I am the Lord your God.
13 “Do not rob or take advantage of anyone. Do not hold back the wages of someone you have hired, not even for one night. 14 Do not curse the deaf or put something in front of the blind so as to make them stumble over it. Obey me; I am the Lord your God.
15 “Be honest and just when you make decisions in legal cases; do not show favoritism to the poor or fear the rich. 16 Do not spread lies about anyone, and when someone is on trial for his life, speak out if your testimony can help him. I am the Lord.
17 “Do not bear a grudge against others, but settle your differences with them, so that you will not commit a sin because of them.[a] 18 Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the Lord.
Footnotes:
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
2When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one
place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of
a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested
on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began
to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in
Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered,
because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.
7Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking
Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native
language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia,
Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt
and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both
Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear
them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ 12All were amazed and
perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ 13But others
sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed
them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to
you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you
suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was
spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 “In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
20 The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
John 14:15-21
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
15 ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the
Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever.
17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it
neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with
you, and he will be in you.
18 ‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19In a little while
the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you
also will live. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and
you in me, and I in you. 21They who have my commandments and keep
them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my
Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’
I Peter 2:4-10
4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and
precious in God’s sight, and 5like living stones, let yourselves be built into
a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in scripture:
‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’
7To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not
believe,
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner’,
8and
‘A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.’
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own
people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called
you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
10 Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
Matthew 14:22-33
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on
ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he
had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray.
When evening came, he was there alone, 24but by this time the boat,
battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against
them. 25And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the
lake. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were
terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. 27But
immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not
be afraid.’
28 Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you
on the water.’ 29He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started
walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. 30But when he noticed
the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried
out, ‘Lord, save me!’ 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and
caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’
32When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33And those in the
boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’
John 20:1-18
The Resurrection of Jesus
20Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary
Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been
removed from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the
other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have
taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have
laid him.’ 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the
tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran
Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter
came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen
wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not
lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then
the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw
and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he
must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent
over to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting
where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other
at the feet. 13They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She
said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where
they have laid him.’ 14When she had said this, she turned round and
saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
15Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you
looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you
have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take
him away.’ 16Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in
Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, ‘Do not
hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go
to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your
Father, to my God and your God.” ’ 18Mary Magdalene went and
announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them
that he had said these things to her.
Matthew 21:1-11
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
21When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage,
at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them,
‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a
donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3If
anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And
he will send them immediately.’ 4This took place to fulfil what had been
spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 ‘Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7they brought
the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on
them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others
cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds
that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
10When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking,
‘Who is this?’ 11The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from
Nazareth in Galilee.’
Matthew 27:15-25
Barabbas or Jesus?
15 Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a
prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16At that time they
had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. 17So after they had
gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release for
you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ 18For he
realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over.
19While he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent word to
him, ‘Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have
suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.’ 20Now the chief
priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to
have Jesus killed. 21The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two
do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ 22Pilate
said to them, ‘Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the
Messiah?’ All of them said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ 23Then he asked,
‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him
be crucified!’
Pilate Hands Jesus over to Be Crucified
24 So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot
was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the
crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.’
25Then the people as a whole answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our
children!’
John 11:17-27
Jesus the Resurrection and the Life
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the
tomb for four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles
away, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console
them about their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21Martha said to
Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
22But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’
23Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ 24Martha said to him,
‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ 25Jesus
said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in
me, even though they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and
believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ 27She said to him,
‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one
coming into the world.’
John 11:32-44
32When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet
and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have
died.’ 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her
also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34He
said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’
35Jesus began to weep. 36So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’
37But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the
blind man have kept this man from dying?’
Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a
cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus said, ‘Take away the
stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already
there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ 40Jesus said
to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory
of God?’ 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and
said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew that you always
hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here,
so that they may believe that you sent me.’ 43When he had said this,
he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ 44The dead man came
out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped
in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’
John 9:1-41
A Man Born Blind Receives Sight
9As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples
asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was
born blind?’ 3Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned;
he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4We
must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is
coming when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the
light of the world.’ 6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and
made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes,
7saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent).
Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8The neighbours
and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this
not the man who used to sit and beg?’ 9Some were saying, ‘It is he.’
Others were saying, ‘No, but it is someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I
am the man.’ 10But they kept asking him, ‘Then how were your eyes
opened?’ 11He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on
my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and
washed and received my sight.’ 12They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He
said, ‘I do not know.’
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.
14Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his
eyes. 15Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received
his sight. He said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed,
and now I see.’ 16Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from
God, for he does not observe the sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a
man who is a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided. 17So
they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him? It was
your eyes he opened.’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’
18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his
sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his
sight 19and asked them, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind?
How then does he now see?’ 20His parents answered, ‘We know that
this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21but we do not know how
it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him;
he is of age. He will speak for himself.’ 22His parents said this because
they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that
anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the
synagogue. 23Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’
24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and
they said to him, ‘Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.’
25He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do
know, that though I was blind, now I see.’ 26They said to him, ‘What did
he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ 27He answered them, ‘I have
told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it
again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’ 28Then they reviled
him, saying, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29We
know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not
know where he comes from.’ 30The man answered, ‘Here is an
astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he
opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he
does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32Never since
the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a
person born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do
nothing.’ 34They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are
you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him,
he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ 36He answered, ‘And who is
he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ 37Jesus said to him, ‘You
have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ 38He said, ‘Lord, I
believe.’ And he worshipped him. 39Jesus said, ‘I came into this world
for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do
see may become blind.’ 40Some of the Pharisees near him heard this
and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ 41Jesus said to them,
‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We
see”, your sin remains.
John 4:5-42
5So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground
that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there, and
Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about
noon.
7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give
me a drink’. 8(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9The
Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of
me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with
Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and
who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked
him, and he would have given you living water.’ 11The woman said to
him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get
that living water? 12Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave
us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ 13Jesus said
to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14but
those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty.
The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing
up to eternal life.’ 15The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so
that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’
16 Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come back.’ 17The
woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are
right in saying, “I have no husband”; 18for you have had five husbands,
and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is
true!’ 19The woman said to him, ‘Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20Our
ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place
where people must worship is in Jerusalem.’ 21Jesus said to her,
‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the
Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You worship what
you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the
Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true
worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father
seeks such as these to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who
worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ 25The woman said to him,
‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes,
he will proclaim all things to us.’ 26Jesus said to her, ‘I am he, the one
who is speaking to you.’
27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was
speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why
are you speaking with her?’ 28Then the woman left her water-jar and
went back to the city. She said to the people, 29‘Come and see a man
who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah,
can he?’ 30They left the city and were on their way to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’
32But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’
33So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him
something to eat?’ 34Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of
him who sent me and to complete his work. 35Do you not say, “Four
months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you,
and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36The reaper is already
receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and
reaper may rejoice together. 37For here the saying holds true, “One
sows and another reaps.” 38I sent you to reap that for which you did not
labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’
39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the
woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ 40So when
the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he
stayed there for two days. 41And many more believed because of his
word. 42They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you
said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that
this is truly the Saviour of the world.’
John 3:1-17
Nicodemus Visits Jesus
3Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.
2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that
you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these
signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ 3Jesus answered
him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without
being born from above.’ 4Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be
born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the
mother’s womb and be born?’ 5Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no
one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and
Spirit. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit
is spirit. 7Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born
from above.” 8The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound
of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is
with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ 9Nicodemus said to him, ‘How
can these things be?’ 10Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of
Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
11 ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what
we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told
you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if
I tell you about heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven
except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And just
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of
Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the
world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Numbers 21:4-9
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around
the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5The
people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us
up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no
water, and we detest this miserable food.’ 6Then the Lord sent
poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that
many Israelites died. 7The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have
sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord
to take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people.
8And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a
pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’ 9So Moses
made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a
serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze
and live.
John 19:38-42
The Burial of Jesus
38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of
Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate
to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so
he came and removed his body. 39Nicodemus, who had at first come to
Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes,
weighing about a hundred pounds. 40They took the body of Jesus and
wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial
custom of the Jews. 41Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one
had ever been laid. 42And so, because it was the Jewish day of
Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
John 3:16
16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
John 3:17
17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the
world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Matthew 4:1-11
The Temptation of Jesus
4Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil. 2He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and
afterwards he was famished. 3The tempter came and said to him, ‘If
you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of
bread.’ 4But he answered, ‘It is written,
“One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the
pinnacle of the temple, 6saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down; for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you”,
and “On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
7Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to
the test.” ’
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all
the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; 9and he said to him, ‘All
these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ 10Jesus said
to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.” ’
11Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Matthew 6:24-34
Serving Two Masters
24 ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one
and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and wealth.
Do Not Worry
25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat
or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not
life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the
birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than
they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span
of life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of
the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you,
even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if
God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow
is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little
faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What
will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” 32For it is the Gentiles who
strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that
you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of
its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Matthew 5:38-48
Concerning Retaliation
38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for
a tooth.” 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone
strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone
wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if
anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to
everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to
borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and
hate your enemy.” 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father
in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love
those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the
tax-collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and
sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles
do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
-------------------------------
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
15 See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and
adversity. 16If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I
am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his
ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then
you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless
you in the land that you are entering to possess. 17But if your heart
turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to
other gods and serve them, 18I declare to you today that you shall
perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the
Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness
against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings
and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live,
20loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for
that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the
land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to
Isaac, and to Jacob.
Ephesians 5:15-18
15 Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise,
16making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17So do not
be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18Do not get
drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,
-------------------------------
Matthew 5:13-20
Salt and Light
13 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can
its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is
thrown out and trampled under foot.
14 ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be
hidden. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket,
but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the
same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your
good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
The Law and the Prophets
17 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I
have come not to abolish but to fulfil. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven
and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will
pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore, whoever breaks
one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the
same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does
them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes
and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
-------------------------------
Matthew 5:1-12
The Beatitudes
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he
sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and
taught them, saying:
3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
will be filled.
7 ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter
all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be
glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
-------------------------------
I Corinthians 1:10-18
Divisions in the Church
10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there
should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the
same mind and the same purpose. 11For it has been reported to me by
Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and
sisters. 12What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I
belong to Apollos’, or ‘I belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’ 13Has
Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in
the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you except
Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one can say that you were baptized in
my name. 16(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond
that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did
not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with
eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of
its power.
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
-------------------------------
John 1:29-42
The Lamb of God
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here
is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of
whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because
he was before me.” 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing
with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ 32And
John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and
it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent
me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit
descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”
34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’
The First Disciples of Jesus
35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,
36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the
Lamb of God!’ 37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed
Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them,
‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated
means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ 39He said to them, ‘Come and
see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with
him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40One of the
two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s
brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have
found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon
to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You
are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).
-------------------------------
Matthew 3:13-17
The Baptism of Jesus
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized
by him. 14John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be
baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ 15But Jesus answered him,
‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all
righteousness.’ Then he consented. 16And when Jesus had been
baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens
were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove
and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son,
the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’
Matthew 2:1-12
The Visit of the Wise Men
2In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking, ‘Where
is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his
star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ 3When King
Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and
calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he
inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They told him, ‘In
Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’
7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them
the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to
Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you
have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him
homage.’ 9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there,
ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it
stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw that the
star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the
house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down
and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered
him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in
a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by
another road.
Matthew 2:13-23
The Escape to Egypt
13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in
a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to
Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for
the child, to destroy him.’ 14Then Joseph* got up, took the child and his
mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15and remained there until the
death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord
through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’
The Massacre of the Infants
16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was
infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around
Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that
he had learned from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what had been
spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 ‘A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’
The Return from Egypt
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a
dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20‘Get up, take the child and his
mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the
child’s life are dead.’ 21Then Joseph* got up, took the child and his
mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that
Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was
afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to
the district of Galilee. 23There he made his home in a town called
Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be
fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean.’
Matthew 1:18-25
The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his
mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived
together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to
public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20But just when he had
resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your
wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will
bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people
from their sins.’ 22All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by
the Lord through the prophet:
23 ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ 24When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did
as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,
25but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he
named him Jesus.
Isaiah 35:1-1
The Return of the Redeemed to Zion
35The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus
2it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.’
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7 the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
8 A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God’s people;
no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray.
9 No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Matthew 11:2-6
Messengers from John the Baptist
2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples
3and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’
4Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see:
5the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.
6And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’
Isaiah 11:1-10
The Peaceful Kingdom
11A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Return of the Remnant of Israel and Judah
10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Romans 13:10-14
10Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
An Urgent Appeal
11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; 13let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. 14Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Matthew 24:36-44
The Necessity for Watchfulness
36 ‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son,* but only the Father. 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day* your Lord is coming. 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
Laws of Holiness and Justice
19 The Lord told Moses 2 to say to the community of Israel, “Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy. 3 Each of you must respect your mother and your father, and must keep the Sabbath, as I have commanded. I am the Lord your God.
4 “Do not abandon me and worship idols; do not make gods of metal and worship them. I am the Lordyour God.
5 “When you kill an animal for a fellowship offering, keep the regulations that I have given you, and I will accept the offering. 6 The meat must be eaten on the day the animal is killed or on the next day. Any meat left on the third day must be burned, 7 because it is ritually unclean, and if anyone eats it, I will not accept the offering. 8 Any who eat it will be guilty of treating as ordinary what is dedicated to me, and they will no longer be considered my people.
9 “When you harvest your fields, do not cut the grain at the edges of the fields, and do not go back to cut the heads of grain that were left. 10 Do not go back through your vineyard to gather the grapes that were missed or to pick up the grapes that have fallen; leave them for poor people and foreigners. I am the Lord your God.
11 “Do not steal or cheat or lie. 12 Do not make a promise in my name if you do not intend to keep it; that brings disgrace on my name. I am the Lord your God.
13 “Do not rob or take advantage of anyone. Do not hold back the wages of someone you have hired, not even for one night. 14 Do not curse the deaf or put something in front of the blind so as to make them stumble over it. Obey me; I am the Lord your God.
15 “Be honest and just when you make decisions in legal cases; do not show favoritism to the poor or fear the rich. 16 Do not spread lies about anyone, and when someone is on trial for his life, speak out if your testimony can help him. I am the Lord.
17 “Do not bear a grudge against others, but settle your differences with them, so that you will not commit a sin because of them.[a] 18 Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the Lord.
Footnotes:
- Leviticus 19:17 so … them; or so that you do not commit this sin against them.
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
2When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one
place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of
a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested
on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began
to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in
Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered,
because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.
7Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking
Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native
language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia,
Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt
and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both
Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear
them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ 12All were amazed and
perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ 13But others
sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed
them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to
you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you
suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was
spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 “In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
20 The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
John 14:15-21
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
15 ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the
Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever.
17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it
neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with
you, and he will be in you.
18 ‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19In a little while
the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you
also will live. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and
you in me, and I in you. 21They who have my commandments and keep
them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my
Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’
I Peter 2:4-10
4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and
precious in God’s sight, and 5like living stones, let yourselves be built into
a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in scripture:
‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’
7To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not
believe,
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner’,
8and
‘A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.’
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own
people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called
you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
10 Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
Matthew 14:22-33
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on
ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he
had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray.
When evening came, he was there alone, 24but by this time the boat,
battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against
them. 25And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the
lake. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were
terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. 27But
immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not
be afraid.’
28 Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you
on the water.’ 29He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started
walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. 30But when he noticed
the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried
out, ‘Lord, save me!’ 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and
caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’
32When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33And those in the
boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’
John 20:1-18
The Resurrection of Jesus
20Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary
Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been
removed from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the
other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have
taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have
laid him.’ 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the
tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran
Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter
came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen
wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not
lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then
the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw
and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he
must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent
over to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting
where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other
at the feet. 13They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She
said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where
they have laid him.’ 14When she had said this, she turned round and
saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
15Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you
looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you
have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take
him away.’ 16Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in
Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, ‘Do not
hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go
to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your
Father, to my God and your God.” ’ 18Mary Magdalene went and
announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them
that he had said these things to her.
Matthew 21:1-11
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
21When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage,
at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them,
‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a
donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3If
anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And
he will send them immediately.’ 4This took place to fulfil what had been
spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 ‘Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7they brought
the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on
them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others
cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds
that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
10When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking,
‘Who is this?’ 11The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from
Nazareth in Galilee.’
Matthew 27:15-25
Barabbas or Jesus?
15 Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a
prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16At that time they
had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. 17So after they had
gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release for
you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ 18For he
realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over.
19While he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent word to
him, ‘Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have
suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.’ 20Now the chief
priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to
have Jesus killed. 21The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two
do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ 22Pilate
said to them, ‘Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the
Messiah?’ All of them said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ 23Then he asked,
‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him
be crucified!’
Pilate Hands Jesus over to Be Crucified
24 So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot
was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the
crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.’
25Then the people as a whole answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our
children!’
John 11:17-27
Jesus the Resurrection and the Life
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the
tomb for four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles
away, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console
them about their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21Martha said to
Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
22But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’
23Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ 24Martha said to him,
‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ 25Jesus
said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in
me, even though they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and
believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ 27She said to him,
‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one
coming into the world.’
John 11:32-44
32When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet
and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have
died.’ 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her
also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34He
said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’
35Jesus began to weep. 36So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’
37But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the
blind man have kept this man from dying?’
Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a
cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus said, ‘Take away the
stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already
there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ 40Jesus said
to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory
of God?’ 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and
said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew that you always
hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here,
so that they may believe that you sent me.’ 43When he had said this,
he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ 44The dead man came
out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped
in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’
John 9:1-41
A Man Born Blind Receives Sight
9As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples
asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was
born blind?’ 3Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned;
he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4We
must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is
coming when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the
light of the world.’ 6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and
made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes,
7saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent).
Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8The neighbours
and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this
not the man who used to sit and beg?’ 9Some were saying, ‘It is he.’
Others were saying, ‘No, but it is someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I
am the man.’ 10But they kept asking him, ‘Then how were your eyes
opened?’ 11He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on
my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and
washed and received my sight.’ 12They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He
said, ‘I do not know.’
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.
14Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his
eyes. 15Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received
his sight. He said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed,
and now I see.’ 16Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from
God, for he does not observe the sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a
man who is a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided. 17So
they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him? It was
your eyes he opened.’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’
18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his
sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his
sight 19and asked them, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind?
How then does he now see?’ 20His parents answered, ‘We know that
this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21but we do not know how
it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him;
he is of age. He will speak for himself.’ 22His parents said this because
they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that
anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the
synagogue. 23Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’
24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and
they said to him, ‘Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.’
25He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do
know, that though I was blind, now I see.’ 26They said to him, ‘What did
he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ 27He answered them, ‘I have
told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it
again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’ 28Then they reviled
him, saying, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29We
know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not
know where he comes from.’ 30The man answered, ‘Here is an
astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he
opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he
does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32Never since
the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a
person born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do
nothing.’ 34They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are
you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him,
he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ 36He answered, ‘And who is
he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ 37Jesus said to him, ‘You
have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ 38He said, ‘Lord, I
believe.’ And he worshipped him. 39Jesus said, ‘I came into this world
for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do
see may become blind.’ 40Some of the Pharisees near him heard this
and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ 41Jesus said to them,
‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We
see”, your sin remains.
John 4:5-42
5So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground
that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there, and
Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about
noon.
7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give
me a drink’. 8(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9The
Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of
me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with
Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and
who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked
him, and he would have given you living water.’ 11The woman said to
him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get
that living water? 12Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave
us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ 13Jesus said
to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14but
those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty.
The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing
up to eternal life.’ 15The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so
that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’
16 Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come back.’ 17The
woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are
right in saying, “I have no husband”; 18for you have had five husbands,
and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is
true!’ 19The woman said to him, ‘Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20Our
ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place
where people must worship is in Jerusalem.’ 21Jesus said to her,
‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the
Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You worship what
you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the
Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true
worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father
seeks such as these to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who
worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ 25The woman said to him,
‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes,
he will proclaim all things to us.’ 26Jesus said to her, ‘I am he, the one
who is speaking to you.’
27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was
speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why
are you speaking with her?’ 28Then the woman left her water-jar and
went back to the city. She said to the people, 29‘Come and see a man
who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah,
can he?’ 30They left the city and were on their way to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’
32But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’
33So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him
something to eat?’ 34Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of
him who sent me and to complete his work. 35Do you not say, “Four
months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you,
and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36The reaper is already
receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and
reaper may rejoice together. 37For here the saying holds true, “One
sows and another reaps.” 38I sent you to reap that for which you did not
labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’
39 Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the
woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ 40So when
the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he
stayed there for two days. 41And many more believed because of his
word. 42They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you
said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that
this is truly the Saviour of the world.’
John 3:1-17
Nicodemus Visits Jesus
3Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.
2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that
you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these
signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ 3Jesus answered
him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without
being born from above.’ 4Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be
born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the
mother’s womb and be born?’ 5Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no
one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and
Spirit. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit
is spirit. 7Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born
from above.” 8The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound
of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is
with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ 9Nicodemus said to him, ‘How
can these things be?’ 10Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of
Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
11 ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what
we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told
you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if
I tell you about heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven
except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And just
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of
Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the
world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Numbers 21:4-9
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around
the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5The
people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us
up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no
water, and we detest this miserable food.’ 6Then the Lord sent
poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that
many Israelites died. 7The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have
sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord
to take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people.
8And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a
pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’ 9So Moses
made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a
serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze
and live.
John 19:38-42
The Burial of Jesus
38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of
Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate
to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so
he came and removed his body. 39Nicodemus, who had at first come to
Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes,
weighing about a hundred pounds. 40They took the body of Jesus and
wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial
custom of the Jews. 41Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one
had ever been laid. 42And so, because it was the Jewish day of
Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
John 3:16
16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
John 3:17
17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the
world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Matthew 4:1-11
The Temptation of Jesus
4Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil. 2He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and
afterwards he was famished. 3The tempter came and said to him, ‘If
you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of
bread.’ 4But he answered, ‘It is written,
“One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the
pinnacle of the temple, 6saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down; for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you”,
and “On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
7Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to
the test.” ’
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all
the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; 9and he said to him, ‘All
these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ 10Jesus said
to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.” ’
11Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Matthew 6:24-34
Serving Two Masters
24 ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one
and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and wealth.
Do Not Worry
25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat
or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not
life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the
birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than
they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span
of life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of
the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you,
even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if
God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow
is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little
faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What
will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” 32For it is the Gentiles who
strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that
you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of
its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Matthew 5:38-48
Concerning Retaliation
38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for
a tooth.” 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone
strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone
wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if
anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to
everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to
borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and
hate your enemy.” 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father
in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love
those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the
tax-collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and
sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles
do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
-------------------------------
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
15 See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and
adversity. 16If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I
am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his
ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then
you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless
you in the land that you are entering to possess. 17But if your heart
turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to
other gods and serve them, 18I declare to you today that you shall
perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the
Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness
against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings
and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live,
20loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for
that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the
land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to
Isaac, and to Jacob.
Ephesians 5:15-18
15 Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise,
16making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17So do not
be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18Do not get
drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,
-------------------------------
Matthew 5:13-20
Salt and Light
13 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can
its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is
thrown out and trampled under foot.
14 ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be
hidden. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket,
but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the
same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your
good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
The Law and the Prophets
17 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I
have come not to abolish but to fulfil. 18For truly I tell you, until heaven
and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will
pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19Therefore, whoever breaks
one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the
same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does
them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes
and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
-------------------------------
Matthew 5:1-12
The Beatitudes
5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he
sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and
taught them, saying:
3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
will be filled.
7 ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter
all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be
glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
-------------------------------
I Corinthians 1:10-18
Divisions in the Church
10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there
should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the
same mind and the same purpose. 11For it has been reported to me by
Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and
sisters. 12What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I
belong to Apollos’, or ‘I belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’ 13Has
Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in
the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you except
Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one can say that you were baptized in
my name. 16(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond
that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did
not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with
eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of
its power.
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
-------------------------------
John 1:29-42
The Lamb of God
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here
is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of
whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because
he was before me.” 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing
with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ 32And
John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and
it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent
me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit
descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”
34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’
The First Disciples of Jesus
35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,
36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the
Lamb of God!’ 37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed
Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them,
‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated
means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ 39He said to them, ‘Come and
see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with
him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40One of the
two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s
brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have
found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon
to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You
are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).
-------------------------------
Matthew 3:13-17
The Baptism of Jesus
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized
by him. 14John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be
baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ 15But Jesus answered him,
‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all
righteousness.’ Then he consented. 16And when Jesus had been
baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens
were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove
and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son,
the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’
Matthew 2:1-12
The Visit of the Wise Men
2In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking, ‘Where
is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his
star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ 3When King
Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and
calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he
inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They told him, ‘In
Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’
7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them
the exact time when the star had appeared. 8Then he sent them to
Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you
have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him
homage.’ 9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there,
ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it
stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw that the
star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11On entering the
house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down
and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered
him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in
a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by
another road.
Matthew 2:13-23
The Escape to Egypt
13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in
a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to
Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for
the child, to destroy him.’ 14Then Joseph* got up, took the child and his
mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15and remained there until the
death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord
through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’
The Massacre of the Infants
16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was
infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around
Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that
he had learned from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what had been
spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 ‘A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’
The Return from Egypt
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a
dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20‘Get up, take the child and his
mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the
child’s life are dead.’ 21Then Joseph* got up, took the child and his
mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that
Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was
afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to
the district of Galilee. 23There he made his home in a town called
Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be
fulfilled, ‘He will be called a Nazorean.’
Matthew 1:18-25
The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his
mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived
together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to
public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20But just when he had
resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your
wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will
bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people
from their sins.’ 22All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by
the Lord through the prophet:
23 ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ 24When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did
as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,
25but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he
named him Jesus.
Isaiah 35:1-1
The Return of the Redeemed to Zion
35The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus
2it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.’
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7 the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
8 A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God’s people;
no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray.
9 No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Matthew 11:2-6
Messengers from John the Baptist
2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples
3and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’
4Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see:
5the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.
6And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’
Isaiah 11:1-10
The Peaceful Kingdom
11A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Return of the Remnant of Israel and Judah
10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Romans 13:10-14
10Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
An Urgent Appeal
11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; 13let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. 14Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Matthew 24:36-44
The Necessity for Watchfulness
36 ‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son,* but only the Father. 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day* your Lord is coming. 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.