The Life of Jesus Christ

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Long before Jesus was even born, the Jews had known from the prophets about the coming of the Messiah. According to the Scriptures, the Messiah will come from Israel and will be a descendant of King David. He is specially chosen by God to be the king of the whole world, and His kingdom will last forever. He will rule with godliness, righteousness and justice. The Jewish religious leaders had their own beliefs about the Messiah through interpreting the prophecies, but when their Messiah came, they did not recognize Him because they relied on their own knowledge. They expected the Messiah to take action and build them a kingdom on earth, but He came to them teaching about the things of God and building the kingdom of heaven in the very hearts of the people who believed in Him. The Savior is Born Jesus origin goes back to ancient times. John, one of His disciples wrote about Him saying, [In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. And with this Word, God created all things. Everything that was created received its life from Him, and His life gave light to everyone. The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw His true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.] (John 1:1, 3-4, 14, CEV) At God's appointed time, [He sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee with a message for a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to (a carpenter named) Joseph from the family of King David.] (Luke 1:26-27) The angel carried a very incredible message: Mary will become pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and the child will be called the Son of God. He will inherit the throne of David, and His kingdom will never end. His name will be Jesus (which means Yah saves) because He will save His people from their sins. The angels words came true. Mary got pregnant, and she bore a son in Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy of Micah who wrote, "Bethlehem Ephrath, you are one of the smallest towns in the nation of Judah. But out of you will come for Me, one who will be ruler over Israel someone whose origin goes back to ancient times." That night, a group of shepherds came to visit baby Jesus. They said that an angel appeared to them, declaring that their Savior had been born. The angel said that they would find Him lying on a bed of hay. Then, a multitude of angels came down from heaven, singing praises to God. Three wise men from the east also arrived there, bearing gifts for Jesus. They said that they saw the Messiahs star in the sky, and they followed its movement until it stopped at that place. God also revealed to Simeon that Jesus is a light for all nations. He will bring honor to Israel and will cause many people to fall and others to stand. He will be like a warning sign, and many will reject Him. Jesus Gets Baptized Years later, a man named John the Baptist started preaching in the desert, "Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here." [John was the one the prophet Isaiah was talking about, when he said, In the desert someone is shouting, Get the road ready for the Lord! Make a straight path for him. Fill up every valley and level every mountain and hill. Straighten the crooked paths and smooth out the rough roads. Then everyone will see the saving power of God.] (Luke 3:4 -6, CEV) Crowds of people went to listen to John, and his preaching made many people sorry for their sins. John baptized these people in the Jordan River, and he told them to live righteously. [Many Pharisees and Sadducees also came to be baptized.But John said to them,You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment? Do something to show that you have really given up your sins. And dont start telling yourselves that you belong to Abrahams family (*The Jewish people thought they were God's chosen people because of God's promises to their ancestor Abraham.). I tell you that God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. An ax is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesnt produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into a fire.] (Matthew 3:7-10) [Everyone became excited and wondered, Could John be the Messiah?] (Luke 3:15) [John told them, I use water to baptize people. But here is someone you dont know. Even though I came first, I am not good enough to untie His sandals.] (Jn 1:26-27) He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. [His threshing fork is in His hand, and He is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. He will store the wheat in His barn and burn the husks with a fire that never goes out.] (Lk 3:17) Jesus also came to John to be baptized. God had told John beforehand that he will see the Spirit stay on someone, and that this person would be the one baptizing with the Holy Spirit. It so happened that when he baptized Jesus, the sky opened up, and the Spirit of God came down on Jesus like a dove. [Then a voice from heaven said, This is My own dear Son, and I am pleased with Him.] (Mt 3:17) John the Baptist also spoke of Jesus this way, ["Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I told you about when I said, 'Someone else will come. He is greater than I am, because He was alive before I was born.' I didnt know who He was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see Him."] (John 1:29-31) After this, [the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert, so that the devil could test Him. After Jesus had gone without eating for forty days and nights, He was very hungry. Then the devil came to Him and said, If you are Gods Son, tell these stones to turn into bread. Jesus answered, The Scriptures say: No one can live only on food. People need every word that God has spoken.

Next, the devil took Jesus to the highest part of the temple. The devil said, If you are Gods Son, jump off. The Scriptures say: God will give his angels orders about you. They will catch you in their arms, and you wont hurt your feet on the stones. Jesus answered, The Scriptures also say, Dont try to test Yahweh your God! Finally, the devil took Jesus up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms on earth and their power. The devil said to Him, I will give all this to You, if You will bow down and worship me. Jesus answered, Go away Satan! The Scriptures say: Worship Yahweh your God and serve only Him. Then the devil left Jesus, and angels came to help Him.] (Matthew 4:1-11) Jesus Begins His Ministry Jesus then began His work in Galilee, in the town of Capernaum, which is the territory of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. At that time, many Gentiles were dwelling there. (*Gentiles pertain to any people not Jewish. Jews looked down on them because they did not have any part in God's promises unless they start living like them. ) [So Gods promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said, Listen, lands of Zebulun and Naphtali, lands along the road to the sea and east of the Jordan! Listen Galilee, land of the Gentiles! Although your people live in darkness, they will see a bright light. Although they live in the shadow of death, a light will shine on them. Then Jesus started preaching, Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven is already here.] (Matthew 4:14-17) Not long before the Jewish festival of Passover, Jesus went to Jerusalem. There He saw many merchants doing business in the temple. He was so angry that He got a rope and made it into a whip, chasing everyone out of the temple, including the doves, cattle, sheep and other merchandise. He turned the tables of the moneychangers and scattered their coins. He said, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves. [The disciples then remembered that the Scriptures say, My love for your house burns in me like a fire. The Jewish leaders asked Jesus, What miracle will you work to show us why you have done this? Destroy this temple, Jesus answered, and in three days I will build it again! The leaders replied, It took forty-six years to build this temple. What makes you think you can rebuild it in three days? But Jesus was talking about His body as a temple. And when He was raised from death, His disciples remembered what He had told them. Then they believed the Scriptures and the words of Jesus. There was a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a Jewish leader. One night he went to Jesus and said, Sir, we know that God has sent You to teach us. You could not work these miracles, unless God were with You. Jesus replied, I tell you for certain that you must be born from above (or in a new way) before you can see Gods kingdom! Nicodemus asked, How can a grown man ever be born a second time? Jesus answered,I tell you for certain that before you can get into Gods kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. Humans give life to their children. Yet only Gods Spirit can change you into a child of God . Dont be surprised when I say that you must be born from above. Only Gods Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you dont know where it comes from or where it is going. No one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from there. And the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as that metal snake was lifted up by Moses in the desert. (*When Yahweh punished the people of Israel by sending snakes to bite them, He told Moses to hold a metal snake up on a pole. Everyone who looked at the snake was cured of the snake bites.) Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life. God loved the people of this world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who has faith in Him will have eternal life and never really die. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them! No one who has faith in Gods Son will be condemned. But everyone who doesnt have faith in Him has already been condemned for not having faith in Gods only Son. The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light. People who do evil hate the light and wont come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done. But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do.] (John 2:17-22, 3:1-8, 13-20)

Later, Jesus and His disciples went to Judea to baptize people. He was not really the one baptizing with water, but His disciples. Because of this, some people spoke to John the Baptist, saying, [Rabbi, you spoke about a man when you were with him east of the Jordan. He is now baptizing people, and everyone is going to Him. John replied,No one can do anything unless God in heaven allows it. You surely remember how I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am only the one sent ahead of Him. At a wedding the groom is the one who gets married. The best man is glad just to be there and to hear the grooms voice. Thats why I am so glad. Jesus must become more important, while I become less important. The Father loves the Son and has given him everything. Everyone who has faith in the Son has eternal life. But no one who rejects him will ever share in that life, and God will be angry with them forever.] (John 3:26-30, 35-36) Jesus then left Judea and went to Samaria. While His disciples were out buying food, Jesus sat beside a well and asked a woman there for a drink of water. The woman was surprised because Jews and Samaritans did not get along with each other. Aside from that, she also got divorced many times, so even her own people looked down on her. But Jesus talked to her and said, [Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again. But no one who drinks the water I give will ever be thirsty again. The water I give is like a flowing fountain that gives eternal life.] (John 4:13-14) He also said, ["Believe me, the time is coming when you wont worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans dont really know the one you worship. But we Jews do, and by using us, God will save the world. But a time is coming, and it is already here! The true worshipers are being led by the Spirit to worship the Father according to the truth. These are the ones the Father is seeking to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship Him according to the truth. The woman said, I know that the Messiah will come. He is the one we call Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us. I am that one, Jesus told her, and I am speaking to you now. The disciples returned about this time, and they asked Him to eat. But Jesus said: I have food you dont know about. My food is to do what God wants! You may say that there are still four months until harvest time. But I tell you to look, and you will see that the fields are ripe and ready to harvest. Even now the harvest workers are receiving their reward by gathering a harvest that brings eternal life. Then everyone who planted the seed and everyone who harvests the crop will celebrate together. So the saying proves true, Some plant the seed, and others harvest the crop. I am sending you to harvest crops in fields where others have done all the hard work.] (John 4:21-39) Jesus taught in Samaria for two more days, and many people put their faith in Him. Jesus Chooses His Disciples Back in Nazareth, Jesus went to the shore of Lake Galilee, and He borrowed the boat of a fisherman named Simon. Jesus sat on the boat by the shore, and began to teach. After speaking, He told Simon to row the boat deeper into the water and to let down his net. [Master, Simon answered, we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if You tell me to, I will let the nets down. They did it and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart. Then they signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. The men came, and together they filled the two boats so full that they both began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this happen, he knelt down in front of Jesus and said, Lord, dont come near me! I am a sinner. Jesus told Simon, Dont be afraid! From now on you will bring in people instead of fish . The men pulled their boats up on the shore. Then they left everything and went with Jesus.] (Luke 5:5-8, 10-11) Another disciple was Nathanael, who doubted at first when his friend, Philip, told him that Jesus was the Messiah because He came from the despised town Nazareth. But, being curious, he came to see Jesus. [When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, He said, Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. And he isnt deceitful." How do You know me? Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree. Nathanael said, Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of Israel! Jesus answered, Did you believe me just because I said that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see something even greater. I tell you for certain that you will see heaven open and Gods angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.] (John 1:47-51)

Matthew, a tax collector, was also called by Jesus, and he immediately left his job to follow Him. Tax collectors were called traitors by the Jews because they collect their taxes for the Roman empire. Once, in Matthew's house, Jesus was eating with other tax collectors and people who were considered sinners. Some Pharisees asked, [Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and other sinners? Jesus heard them and answered, Healthy people dont need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and learn what the Scriptures mean when they say, Instead of offering sacrifices to me, I want you to be merciful to others. I didnt come to invite good people to be My followers. I came to invite sinners.] (Matthew 9:11-13) Others wanted to become disciples, too. One said, [Ill go anywhere with you! Jesus said, Foxes have dens, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man doesnt have a place to call His own. Jesus told someone else to come with Him. But the man said, Lord, let me wait until I bury my father. Jesus answered, Let the dead take care of the dead, while you go and tell about Gods kingdom. Then someone said to Jesus, I want to go with you, Lord, but first let me go back and take care of things at home. Jesus answered, Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isnt worth a thing to Gods kingdom!] (Luke 9:57-62) He said to the crowd, ["You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and come with me. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Wont you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it? Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you. They will say, You started building, but could not finish the job.] (Luke 14:27-30) Once, [a man ran up to Him and fell on his knees before Him. Good teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Why do you call me good? Jesus answered. No one is goodexcept God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother. Teacher, he declared, all these I have kept since I was a boy. Jesus looked at him and loved him. One thing you lack, He said. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me. At this the mans face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus said to His disciples, Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, Who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God. Then Peter spoke up, We have left everything to follow You! Truly I tell you, Jesus replied, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for Me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as muchin this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fieldsalong with persecutionsand in the age to come eternal life.] (Mark 10:17-30) Jesus had many disciples, but He specially chose twelve of them to be His apostles, [so that they could be with Him. He also wanted to send them out to preach and to force out demons. Simon was one of the twelve, and Jesus named him Peter, which means Rock. There were also James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. Jesus called them Boanerges, which means Thunderbolts. Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus were also apostles. The others were Simon, known as the Eager One, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus.] (Mark 3:14-19) Pharisees Attack Jesus In Capernaum, while Jesus was teaching, a crippled man lying on a mat was brought to Him. When He saw that the man had much faith, He said, ["My friend, don't worry! Your sins are forgiven." Some teachers of the Law of Moses said to themselves, Jesus must think He is God! But Jesus knew what was in their minds, and He said, Why are you thinking such evil? Is it easier for me to tell this man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk? But I will show you that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth. So Jesus said to the man, Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home. The man got up and went home. When the crowds saw this, they were afraid and praised God for giving such authority to people.] (Matthew 9:2-8) Once when Jesus casted out a demon, the Pharisees said, ["He forces out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons!"

Jesus answered, "Any kingdom which is divided against itself will end up ruined. So if Satan fights against himself, how can his kingdom last? If I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons, whose power do your own sons use to force them out? Your sons are your judges. But when I force out demons by the power of Gods Spirit, it proves that Gods kingdom has already come to you. How can anyone break into a strong mans house and steal his things, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can take everything. If you are not on My side, you are against Me. If you dont gather in the harvest with Me, you scatter it. I tell you that any sinful thing you do or say can be forgiven. Even if you speak against the Son of Man, you can be forgiven. But if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you can never be forgiven, either in this life or in the life to come. I promise you that on the day of judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken . On that day they will be told that they are either innocent or guilty because of the things they have said."] (Matthew 12:24-32,36-37) When the Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses asked for a sign, Jesus answered, ["You want a sign because you are evil and wont believe! But the only sign you will get is the sign of the prophet Jonah. He was in the stomach of a big fish for three days and nights, just as the Son of Man will be deep in the earth for three days and nights."] (Matthew 12:39-40) There was another time when the Pharisees questioned Him, [Why dont Your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? They dont even wash their hands before they eat. (*Jews had strict laws about washing their hands before eating.) Jesus said, "You are nothing but show-offs! Isaiah the prophet was right when he wrote that God had said, 'All of you praise Me with your words, but you never really think about Me. It is useless for you to worship Me, when you teach rules made up by humans.'" To the crowd, He said, "Pay attention and try to understand what I mean. The food that you put into your mouth doesnt make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean. Dont you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body? But the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God. Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others. These are what make you unclean. Every plant that my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up by the roots. Stay away from those Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch."] (Matthew 15:1-20)

The Pharisees and Sadducees hated Jesus and even wanted to kill Him. They were jealous and afraid because He was becoming more popular than they were. He also did not follow the Law the way that they thought it should be followed. They often falsely accused Him of breaking the Law, but they did this because they didn't really know God. Even though they were experts of the Law, they missed the whole point on why it was enforced by God in the first place. They obeyed the Law perfectly to the letter, but Jesus knew that they were merely self-righteous hypocrites because they were not at all holy inside. Their hearts did not love God or the people. Jesus emphasized in His teachings that it was more important to love God and to love others than to perform religious rites and outward forms of holiness. One of the reasons why Jesus, the Son of God who became a man, came to the world is to bring people closer to God in a personal way, which is something that obeying the Law and performing religious rituals cannot do. We should not dare boast about how religious we are because of outward actions. God said, ["Those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know Me and understand that I am Yahweh, who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, Yahweh, have spoken! A time is coming, when I will punish all those who are circumcised in body but not in spirit."] (Jeremiah 9:24-25)

Jesus Teaches His Followers [People with all kinds of diseases were brought to Jesus. He put his hands on each one of them and healed them. Demons went out of many people and shouted, You are the Son of God! But Jesus ordered the demons not to speak. After doing these, Jesus went out to a place where He could be alone to pray, and crowds came looking for Him. When they found Him, they tried to stop Him from leaving. But Jesus said, People in other towns must hear the good news about Gods kingdom. Thats why I was sent.] (Luke 4:40-43) [When He saw the crowds, He felt sorry for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He said to His disciples, A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in.] (Mt 9:36-38) Jesus instructed them, ["Go only to the people of Israel, because they are like a flock of lost sheep. As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven is already here. Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy and force out demon. You received without paying, now give without being paid."] (Matthew 10:6-8) Jesus warned them, saying, ["I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. Because of Me, you will be dragged before rulers and kings to tell them and the Gentiles about your faith. But when someone arrests you, don't worry about what you will say or how you will say it, because at that time the Spirit from your Father will tell you what to say. Brothers and sisters, parents and children will turn against

one another. If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than Me, you are not fit to be My disciples. And unless you are willing to take up your cross and come with Me, you are not fit to be My disciples. Everyone will hate you because of Me. But if you remain faithful until the end, you will be saved. Disciples are not better than their teacher, and slaves are not better than their master. If people call the head of the family Satan, what will they say about the rest of the family? "Everything hidden and secret will be found out. Don't be afraid of people who can only kill your body, but be afraid of God who can kill your body and throw your soul to hell. If you tell others that you belong to Me, I will tell Father that you are My followers. If you reject Me, I will tell My Father that you don't belong to Me. "Anyone who welcomes you welcomes Me. Anyone who gives one of My most humble followers a cup of cool water, just because that person is My follower, will surely be rewarded."] (Matthew 10:16-42) [Jesus disciples gathered around Him, and He taught them: God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven! God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort! God blesses those people who are humble. The earth will belong to them! God blesses those people who want to obey Him more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want! God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy! God blesses those people whose hearts are pure. They will see Him! God blesses those people who make peace. They will be called his children! God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven. God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of Me. Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago. You are like salt for everyone on earth . But if salt no longer tastes like salt, how can it make food salty? All it is good for is to be thrown out and walked on. You are like light for the whole world . A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven. Dont suppose that I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning. Heaven and earth may disappear. But I promise you that not even a period or comma will ever disappear from the Law. Everything written in it must happen. You must obey Gods commands better than the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law obey them. If you dont, I promise you that you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. You know that our ancestors were told, Do not murder and A murderer must be brought to trial. But I promise you that if you are angry with someone or you call someone a fool or a worthless person, you will be taken to court and be in danger of the fires of hell. You know the commandment which says, Be faithful in marriage. But I tell you that if you look at another woman and want her, you are already unfaithful in your heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, poke it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body, than for your whole body to end up in hell. You know that you have been taught, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you. When someone slaps your right cheek, turn and let that person slap your other cheek. If a soldier forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles. When people ask you for something, give it to them. You have heard, Love your neighbors and hate your enemies. But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Your Father makes the sun rise and the rain pour on both good and bad people. If you love only those people who love you, you won't be any better than tax collectors and unbelievers, so will God reward you for that? But you must always act like your Father in heaven. When you do good deeds, don't show off because those who show off just want to be praised. Your Father knows what is done in secret, and He will reward you. When you pray, don't be like those who just want to look good. Go into a room and close the door. He knows what is done in private, and He will reward you. When you pray, don't talk on and on or repeat words over and over again. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask. You should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you. But if you don't forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish? Which one of you would

give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg? As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks. Don't store up treasures on earth! Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasure is. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! You can't be the slave of two masters! You'd love one and hate the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Don't worry about your life: what to eat, what to drink, what to wear. Isn't life more than food or clothing? Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what He wants . Then the other things will be yours as well. Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today. Don't condemn others, and God won't condemn you. God will be as hard on you as you are on others! How can you say, "My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye," when you don't see the log in your own eye? You're nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye. Treat others as you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets are all about. Don't give to dogs what belong to God. They will only turn and attack you. Go in through the narrow gate. The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow. A lot of people go through that gate. But the gate to life is very narrow. The road that leads there is so hard to follow that only a few people find it. Watch out for false prophets! They dress up like sheep, but inside they are wolves who have come to attack you. You can tell what they are by what they do. No one picks grapes or figs from thornbushes. A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Every tree that produces bad fruit will be chopped down and burned. You can tell who the false prophets are by their deeds. Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven . Only the ones who obey My Father in heaven will get in. On the day of judgment many will call me their Lord. They will say, We preached in Your name, and in Your name we forced out demons and worked many miracles.But I will tell them, I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!] (Mt 5-7) [If you had faith no bigger than a mustard seed, you could tell this tree to pull itself up, and to plant itself in the ocean. And it would! If your servant comes in from plowing or from taking care of the sheep, would you say, Welcome! Come on in and have something to eat? No, you wouldnt say that. You would say, Fix me something to eat. Get ready to serve me, so I can have my meal. Then later on you can eat and drink. Servants dont deserve special thanks for doing what they are supposed to do. And thats how it should be with you. When youve done all you should, then say, We are merely servants, and we have simply done our duty.] (Luke 17:6-10) The crowds were surprised at His teaching. He taught them like someone with authority, and not like their teachers of the Law of Moses. Everywhere Jesus went, He performed many miracles: turning water into wine, healing the sick, curing skin diseases, giving sight to the blind, making the cripple walk, casting out demons, making the dead come back to life, etc., and He asked the people He healed to keep quiet about Him. However, news about Him still spread, and many people came to Him. Jesus used stories when He spoke to people. So God's promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said, "These people will listen and listen, but never understand. They will look and look, but never see. All of them have stubborn minds! Their ears are stopped up, and their eyes are covered. They cannot see or hear or understand. If they could, they would turn to me, and I would heal them. Also, "I will use stories to speak my message and to explain things that have been hidden since the creation of the world."

The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32): Once a man had two sons. The younger son said to his father, Give me my share of the property. So the father divided his property between his two sons. Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a foreign country, where he wasted all his money in wild living. He had spent everything, when a bad famine spread through that whole land. Soon he had nothing to eat. He went to work for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take care of his pigs. He would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him a thing. Finally, he came to his senses and said, My fathers workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death! I will go to my father and say to him, Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.

The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him. The son said, Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son. But his father said to the servants, Hurry and put the best clothes on him. Give a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can celebrate. This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found. And they began to celebrate. The older son had been out in the field. But when he came near the house, he heard the music and dancing. So he called one of the servants over and asked, Whats going on here? The servant answered, Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father ordered us to kill the best calf. The older brother got so angry that he would not even go into the house. His father came out and begged him to go in. But he said to his father, For years I have worked for you like a slave and have always obeyed you. But you have never even given me a little goat, so that I could give a dinner for my friends. This other son of yours wasted your money on prostitutes. And now that he has come home, you ordered the best calf to be killed for a feast. His father replied, My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we should be glad and celebrate! Your brother was dead, but he is now alive. He was lost and has now been found. The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30): The kingdom of heaven is like when a farmer scattered good seed in a field. But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and scattered weed seeds in the field and then left. When the plants came up and began to ripen, the farmers servants could see the weeds. The servants came and asked, Sir, didnt you scatter good seed in your field? Where did these weeds come from? An enemy did this, he replied. His servants then asked, Do you want us to go out and pull up the weeds? No! he answered. You might also pull up the wheat. Leave the weeds alone until harvest time. Then Ill tell my workers to gather the weeds and tie them up and burn them. But Ill have them store the wheat in my barn. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44): The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when someone finds a treasure hidden in a field and buries it again. A person like that is happy and goes and sells everything in order to buy that field. A Story about a Fig Tree (Luke 13:6-9): A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. One day he went out to pick some figs, but he didnt find any. So he said to the gardener, For three years I have come looking for figs on this tree, and I havent found any yet. Chop it down! Why should it take up space? The gardener answered, Master, leave it for another year. Ill dig around it and put some manure on it to make it grow. Maybe it will have figs on it next year. If it doesnt, you can have it cut down. A Pharisee and a Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14): Jesus told a story to some people who thought they were better than others and who looked down on everyone else: Two men went into the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood over by himself and prayed, God, I thank you that I am not greedy, dishonest, and adulterous like other people. I am really glad that I am not like that tax collector over there. I go without eating for two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all I earn. The tax collector stood off at a distance and did not think he was good enough even to look up toward heaven. He was so sorry for what he had done that he pounded his chest and prayed, God, have pity on me! I am such a sinner. Then Jesus said, When the two men went home, it was the tax collector and not the Pharisee who was pleasing to God. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored. A Story about Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32): To the Pharisees, He said, "I will tell you a story about a man who had two sons. Then you can tell me what you think. The father went to the older son and said, Go work in the vineyard today! His son told him that he would not do it, but later he changed his mind and went.

The man also told his younger son to go work. The boy said he would, but he didnt go. Which one of the sons obeyed his father?" The older one, the chief priests and leaders answered. Then Jesus told them: You can be sure that tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you ever will! When John the Baptist showed you how to do right, you would not believe him. But these evil people did believe. And even when you saw what they did, you still would not change your minds and believe. Renters of a Vineyard (Matthew 21:33-45): To the Pharisees, He said, "A land owner once planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it and dug a pit to crush the grapes in. He also built a lookout tower. Then he rented out his vineyard and left the country. At harvest time, the owner sent some servants to get his share of the grapes. But the renters grabbed those servants. They beat up one, killed one, and stoned one of them to death. He then sent more servants, but the renters treated them in the same way. Finally, the owner sent his own son to the renters, because he thought they would respect him. But when they saw the mans son, they said, Someday he will own the vineyard. Lets kill him! Then we can have it all for ourselves. So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Jesus asked, When the owner of that vineyard comes, what do you suppose he will do to those renters? The chief priests and leaders answered, He will kill them in some horrible way. Then he will rent out his vineyard to people who will give him his share of grapes at harvest time. Jesus replied, You surely know that the Scriptures say, The stone that the builders tossed aside is now the most important stone of all. This is something Yahweh has done, and it is amazing to us. I tell you that Gods kingdom will be taken from you and given to people who will do what He demands. Anyone who stumbles over this stone will be crushed, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard these stories, they knew that Jesus was talking about them. So they looked for a way to arrest Jesus. But they were afraid to, because the people thought He was a prophet. The Great Banquet (Matthew 22:1-14): The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a king gave a wedding banquet for his son. The king sent some servants to tell the invited guests to come to the banquet, but the guests refused. He sent other servants to say to the guests, The banquet is ready! My cattle and prize calves have all been prepared. Everything is ready. Come to the banquet! But the guests did not pay any attention. Some of them left for their farms, and some for their business. Others grabbed the servants, then beat them up and killed them. This made the king so furious that he sent an army to kill those murderers and burn down their city. Then he said to the servants, It is time for the wedding banquet, and the invited guests dont deserve to come. Go out to the street corners and tell everyone you meet to come to the banquet. They went out on the streets and brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike. And the banquet room was filled with guests. When the king went in to meet the guests, he found that one of them wasnt wearing the right kind of clothes for the wedding. The king asked, Friend, why didnt you wear proper clothes for the wedding? But the guest had no excuse. So the king gave orders for that person to be tied hand and foot and to be thrown outside into the dark. Thats where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain. Many are invited, but only a few are chosen.

Jesus Talks About Who He Really Is [Jesus went back to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and as usual He went to the meeting place on the Sabbath. When He stood up to read from the Scriptures, He was given the book of Isaiah the prophet. He opened it and read, Yahwehs Spirit has come to me, because He has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. He has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, and to say, This is the year Yahweh has chosen. What you have just heard me read has come true today.] (Luke 4:16-19) They did not believe Him because they knew Him as an ordinary carpenter's son. Truly, no prophets are liked by their own people. Jesus then sent seventy followers two by two to different villages. When they came back, they were excited to tell Him that even the demons obeyed them when they spoke His name.

Jesus told them, [I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. I have given you the power to trample on snakes and scorpions and to defeat the power of your enemy Satan. Nothing can harm you. But dont be happy because evil spirits obey you. Be happy that your names are written in heaven! My Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I am grateful that you hid all this from wise and educated people and showed it to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that is what pleased you.] (Luke 10:18-23) In Jerusalem, Jesus told the people, ["The Father wants all people to honor the Son as much as they honor Him. When anyone refuses to honor the Son, that is the same as refusing to honor the Father who sent Him. I tell you for certain that everyone who hears My message and has faith in the one who sent Me has eternal life and will never be condemned. They have already gone from death to life . I cannot do anything on My own. The Father sent Me, and He is the one who told me how to judge. I judge with fairness, because I obey Him, and I dont just try to please Myself. You sent messengers to John, and he told them the truth. I dont depend on what people say about Me, but I tell you these things so that you may be saved. John was a lamp that gave a lot of light, and you were glad to enjoy his light for a while. But I have a greater witness than JohnMy teachings and My miracles All of these speak for Me and prove that the Father sent Me. You search the Scriptures, because you think you will find eternal life in them. The Scriptures tell about Me, but you refuse to come to Me for eternal life. I have come with My Fathers authority, and you have not welcomed Me. But you will welcome people who come on their own. How could you possibly believe? You like to have your friends praise you, and you dont care about praise that the only God can give!] (John 5:19-44) In Capernaum, people asked Him, [What exactly does God want us to do? Jesus answered, God wants you to have faith in the one He sent. When your ancestors were in the wilderness with Moses, God sent down manna from heaven for them to eat. But even they had long passed away. The true bread that God gives is the one who came down from heaven to give life to the world. I am that bread from heaven! Everyone who eats it will live forever. My flesh is the life-giving bread that I give to the people of this world. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you are one with Me, and I am one with you. The Spirit is the one who gives life! Human strength can do nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are from that lifegiving Spirit. But some of you refuse to have faith in me. You cannot come to Me, unless the Father makes you want to come. Because of what Jesus said, many of His disciples stopped following Him. But His twelve disciples said, Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. We have faith in You, and we are sure that You are Gods Holy One. Jesus told His disciples, I chose all twelve of you, but one of you is a demon! Jesus was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. He would later betray Jesus, even though he was one of the twelve disciples.] (John 6:28-71) [Jesus asked them, What do people say about the Son of Man? The disciples answered, Some people say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah or Jeremiah or some other prophet. Then Jesus asked them, But who do you say I am? Simon Peter spoke up, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus told him, Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! You didnt discover this on your own. It was shown to you by my Father in heaven. So I will call you Peter, which means a rock. On this rock I will build my church, and death itself will not have any power over it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth. But He will not allow anything that you dont allow. Jesus told His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah. Jesus began telling His disciples what would happen to Him. He said, I must go to Jerusalem. There the nations leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make Me suffer terribly. I will be killed, but three days later I will rise to life. The Son of Man will soon come in the glory of his Father and with his angels to reward all people for what they have done.] (Matthew 16:13-21, 27) He spoke of His suffering and death many times to His disciples. [Six days later Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him. They went up on a very high mountain where they could be alone. There in front of the disciples, He was completely changed. His face was shining like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. All at once Moses and

Elijah were there talking with Jesus. From a cloud a voice said, This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him. Listen to what He says! When the disciples heard the voice, they were so afraid that they fell flat on the ground. But Jesus came over and touched them. He said, Get up and dont be afraid! When they opened their eyes, they saw only Jesus.] (Matthew 17:1-8) Once, His disciples argued with one another about who will be the greatest in the Kingdom. Jesus heard them and said, ["I promise you this. If you dont change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. But if you are as humble as this child, you are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."] (Matthew 18:3-4) During the Festival of Shelters, the Pharisees looked for Jesus. People also started to argue whether He was the Messiah or not. They were doubtful because they shouldn't know where the Messiah came from, but they knew that Jesus was from Nazareth. When the festival was half over, Jesus came to the temple and taught. The Pharisees were surprised at how good He was because they knew nobody taught Him. Jesus said, ["I am not teaching something that I thought up. What I teach comes from the One who sent Me. If I wanted to bring honor to Myself, I would speak for Myself. But I want to honor the One who sent Me. That is why I tell the truth and not a lie. Why are you angry with Me for healing on the Sabbath (*According to the Law, no work should be done on the Sabbath)? Dont judge by appearances. Judge by what is right. Do you really think you know Me and where I came from? I know the One who sent Me, because I came from Him. "I am the light for the world! Follow Me and you won't be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life. You are from below, but I am from above. You belong to this world, but I don't. If you don't have faith in Me, that I am He, you will die, and your sins will not be forgiven. When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He. The one who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him." After He said this, many of the people put their faith in Him. He told those who believed, "If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." The people were confused because they thought that they did not need to be set free because they were Abraham's children, not slaves. Jesus said, "I tell you for certain that anyone who sins is a slave of sin! And slaves don't stay in the family forever, though the Son will always remain in the family. If the Son gives you freedom, you are free! I know that you are from Abrahams family. Yet you want to kill Me, because My message isnt really in your hearts. I am telling you what My Father has shown Me, just as you are doing what your father has taught you. If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did. You wouldn't want to kill Me because Abraham was really glad to see Me. If you were God's children, then you would love Me because I came from God. Can't you stand to hear what I am saying? Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He has always been a murderer and a liar. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. He is a liar and the father of all lies. Anyone who belongs to God will listen to His message. But you refuse to listen, because you dont belong to God. I tell you for certain that if you obey My words, you will never die." The people then said, "You have a demon in you. Our father, Abraham, died and so did the prophets. Are you greater than Abraham? You are not even fifty years old. How can You say that you have seen him?" Jesus answered, "I tell you for certain that even before Abraham was, I was, and I am (*For the Jews, the most holy name of God is "Yahweh" which may be translated to "I am") The people picked up stones to kill Him, but He hid and left the temple.] (John 7, 8) One time Jesus also said, [I came to judge the people of this world.I am here to give sight to the blind and to make blind everyone who can see. If you were blind, you would not be guilty. But if you claim to see, then you are guilty.] (John 9:39, 41) He also said, [I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. I am the good shepherd and I lay down My life for the sheep. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again . No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. This command I have received from My Father. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me . And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Fathers hand. I and My Father are one.] (John 10:9, 14-15, 17-18, 27-30) Jesus Enters Jerusalem In Bethany, there was a man named Lazarus who once died. He had already been placed in a tomb for four days when Jesus arrived. When He saw all the mourners crying, He also wept because Lazarus was His friend. He asked the people there to open the tomb, and He called him out. Then, Lazarus in his burial clothes came out of the tomb alive. News about this miracle spread very quickly.

Thats why when Jesus went back there six days before the Passover, people became very excited. The council of the priests secretly planned on how to get rid of Him. They wanted to catch Him say something wrong, so that they can accuse Him and put Him to trial. [The next day a large crowd was in Jerusalem for Passover. When they heard that Jesus was coming for the festival, they took palm branches and went out to greet Him. They shouted,

Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of Yahweh! The King of Israel!
Jesus found a donkey and rode on it, just as the Scriptures say, People of Jerusalem, dont be afraid! Your King is now coming, and he is riding on a donkey.] (John 12:12-15) After that, He said, [The time has come for the Son of Man to be given his glory. I tell you for certain that a grain of wheat that falls on the ground will never be more than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will produce lots of wheat . Now I am deeply troubled, and I dont know what to say. But I must not ask my Father to keep Me from this time of suffering. In fact, I came into the world to suffer. So Father, bring glory to Yourself. This worlds people are now being judged, and the ruler of this world is already being thrown out! If I am lifted up above the earth, I will make everyone want to come to Me. Jesus was talking about the way He would be put to death. The crowd said to Jesus, The Scriptures teach that the Messiah will live forever. How can You say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Jesus answered, The light will be with you for only a little longer. Walk in the light while you can. Then you wont be caught walking blindly in the dark. Have faith in the light while it is with you, and you will be children of the light.] (Jn 12:23-24, 27-28, 31-36) While Jesus was in Jerusalem, the religious leaders attempted many times to ask Him trick questions, but they always failed to find anything wrong with His answers. An expert on the Law once asked, [Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law? Jesus answered,Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, Love others as much as you love yourself. All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments. Jesus asked them, What do you think about the Messiah? Whose family will he come from? They answered, He will be a son of King David. Jesus replied, How then could the Spirit lead David to call the Messiah his Lord? David said, Yahweh said to my Lord: Sit at My right side until I make Your enemies into a footstool for You. "If David called the Messiah his Lord, how can the Messiah be a son of King David? No one was able to give Jesus an answer, and from that day on, no one dared ask Him any more questions.] (Mt 22:34-46)

The Signs of the End Jesus told His disciples concerning the temple, [Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Later, His disciples came to Him and asked, When will this happen? What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the world? Jesus answered, The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, See here! or See there! For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you. Dont let anyone fool you. Many will come and claim to be Me. They will say that they are the Messiah. You will soon hear about wars and threats of wars, but dont be afraid. These things will have to happen first, but that isnt the end. Nations and kingdoms will go to war against each other. People will starve to death, and in some places there will be earthquakes. But this is just the beginning of troubles. You will be arrested, punished, and even killed. Because of Me, you will be hated by people of all nations. Many will give up and will betray and hate each other. Many false prophets will come and fool a lot of people. Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved. When the good news about the kingdom has been preached all over the world and told to all nations, the end will come. Someday you will see that Abomination of Desolation in the holy place, just as the prophet Daniel said. Everyone who reads this must try to understand! If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. If you are on the roof of your house, dont go inside to get

anything. If you are out in the field, dont go back for your coat. It will be a terrible time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. And pray that you wont have to escape in winter or on a Sabbath. This will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again. If God doesnt make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of Gods chosen ones, he will make the time shorter. Someone may say, Here is the Messiah! or There he is! But dont believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will come and work great miracles and signs. They will even try to fool Gods chosen ones. But I have warned you ahead of time. If you are told that the Messiah is out in the desert, dont go there! And if you are told that he is in some secret place, dont believe it! The coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning that can be seen from east to west. Where there is a corpse, there will always be buzzards. Right after those days of suffering, The sun will become dark, and the moon will no longer shine. The stars will fall, and the powers in the sky will be shaken. Then a sign will appear in the sky. All nations will weep when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. At the sound of a loud trumpet, He will send His angels to bring His chosen ones together from all over the earth. Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come. I can promise you that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens. The sky and the earth wont last forever, but My words will. No one knows the day or hour. The angels in heaven dont know, and the Son himself doesnt know. Only the Father knows. When the Son of Man appears, things will be just as they were when Noah lived. People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day that the flood came and Noah went into the big boat. They didnt know anything was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man appears. Two men will be in the same field, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. Two women will be together grinding grain, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. So be on your guard! Homeowners never know when a thief is coming, and they are always on guard to keep one from breaking in. Always be ready! You dont know when the Son of Man will come. Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him! Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us! But he answered, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.] (Matthew 24, 25:1-13)

At Bethany, Jesus was invited to Simons house to eat. While the food was being prepared, Mary, Lazarus sister, [took a very expensive bottle of perfume and poured it on Jesus feet. She wiped them with her hair, and the sweet smell of perfume filled the house. A disciple named Judas Iscariot was there. He was the one who was going to betray Jesus, and he asked, Why wasnt this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor? Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it. Jesus replied, Leave her alone! She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor with you, but you wont always have Me.] (John 12:3-8) The chief priests were still planning to kill Jesus. They wanted to arrest Him while no one was around because they knew that the people believed in Him. Judas Isacriot, one of His twelve disciples, went to them and asked for money to betray Jesus. They gave him thirty pieces of silver and he agreed. Jesus Eats His Last Passover Meal It was before Passover, and Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and to return to the Father. He had always loved His followers in this world, and He loved them to the very end. During the Passover meal Jesus got up, removed his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around His waist. He put some water into a large bowl. Then He began washing His disciples' feet and drying them with the towel He was wearing.

He said, People who have bathed and are clean all over need to wash just their feet. And you, My disciples, are clean, except for one of you. Jesus knew who would betray him. That is why He said, except for one of you. After Jesus had washed His disciples' feet and had put His outer garment back on, He sat down again. Then He said, Do you understand what I have done? I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. I tell you that servants are not greater than their master, and messengers are not greater than the one who sent them. I tell you for certain that one of you will betray Me. The Son of Man will die, as the Scriptures say, The man who ate with me has turned against me!. But its going to be terrible for the one who betrays Me! That man would be better off if he had never been born. Simon Peter motioned for John, who was sitting next to Jesus, to ask Him who He was talking about. Jesus answered, I will dip this piece of bread in the sauce and give it to the one I was talking about. Then Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Right then Satan took control of Judas. Jesus said, Judas, go quickly and do what you have to do. And Judas left. No one at the meal understood what Jesus meant. During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then He gave it to His disciples and said, Take this and eat it. This is My body. Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to His disciples and said, Take this and drink it. This is My blood, and with it God makes His agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven. From now on I am not going to drink any wine, until I drink new wine with you in My Fathers kingdom. Now the Son of Man will be given glory, and He will bring glory to God. Then, after God is given glory because of Him, God will bring glory to Him, and God will do it very soon. My children, I will be with you for a little while longer. Then you will look for Me, but you wont find Me. I tell you just as I told the people, You cannot go where I am going. But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are My disciples. During this very night, all of you will reject Me, as the Scriptures say, I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. But after I am raised to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you. Peter spoke up, Even if all the others reject You, I never will! Jesus replied, I promise you that before a rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you dont know Me. He said to His disciples, Dont be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me. There are many rooms in my Fathers house. I wouldnt tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together. You know the way to where I am going. Thomas said, Lord, we dont even know where You are going! How can we know the way? I am the way, the truth, and the life! Jesus answered. Without Me, no one can go to the Father. If you had known Me, you would have known the Father. But from now on, you do know Him, and you have seen Him. Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me. If you love Me, you will do as I command. Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you. The Spirit will show you what is true. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said. The world cannot accept the Spirit, because they dont see or know Him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will live in you . Whoever receives My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. My Father and I will love Him, and I will show Myself to him. Judas (not Iscariot) asked Jesus, Why do You intend to show Yourself to us and not to the world? He answered, If anyone loves Me, he will obey My commandments. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home in him. He who does not love Me will not obey My commandments. I wont leave you like orphans. I will come back to you. In a little while the people of this world wont be able to see me, but you will see me. And because I live, you will live. Then you will know that I am one with the Father. You will know that you are one with me, and I am one with you. I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isnt like the peace that this world can give. So dont worry or fear.

I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts away every branch of mine that doesnt produce fruit. But He trims clean every branch that does produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me. If you dont stay joined to Me, you will be thrown away. You will be like dry branches that are gathered up and burned in a fire. Stay joined to me and let my teachings become part of you. I have told you this to make you as completely happy as I am. Now I tell you to love each other, as I have loved you. The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them. And you are my friends, if you obey me. Servants dont know what their master is doing, and so I dont speak to you as My servants. I speak to you as My friends, and I have told you everything that My Father has told Me.You did not choose Me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit. If the people of this world hate you, just remember that they hated Me first . If you belonged to the world, its people would love you. But you dont belong to the world. I have chosen you to leave the world behind, and that is why its people hate you. Remember how I told you that servants are not greater than their master.People will do to you exactly what they did to Me. They will do it because you belong to Me, and they dont know the one who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin. If they had not seen me do these things, they would not be guilty. But they did see me do these things, and they still hate Me and My Father too. That is why the Scriptures are true when they say, People hated me for no reason. You are now very sad. But later I will see you, and you will be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel. When that time comes, you wont have to ask me about anything. I tell you for certain that the Father will give you whatever you ask for in My name. You have not asked for anything in this way before, but now you must ask in My name. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Father, the time has come for You to bring glory to Your Son, in order that He may bring glory to you. And you gave Him power over all people, so that He would give eternal life to everyone You give Him. Eternal life is to know You, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one You sent. I have brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you gave Me to do. Now, Father, give me back the glory that I had with You before the world was created. You have given Me some followers from this world, and I have shown them what You are like. They were Yours, but You gave them to Me, and they have obeyed You. I told My followers what You told Me, and they accepted it. They know that I came from You, and they believe that You are the one who sent Me. All that I have is Yours, and all that you have is Mine, and they will bring glory to Me. "Father, I dont ask you to take My followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. They dont belong to this world, and neither do I. Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. I am sending them into the world, just as you sent Me. I have given Myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth. I am not praying just for these followers. I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith because of what My followers will say about Me. I want all of them to be one with each other, just as I am one with You and You are one with Me. I also want them to be one with Us. Then the love that You have for Me will become part of them, and I will be one with them. Then the people of this world will believe that You sent Me. Jesus At Gethsmane After that, Jesus went with His disciples to Gethsemane. When they got there, He told them, Sit here while I go over there and pray. Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John. He was very sad and troubled, and He said to them, I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with Me. Jesus walked on a little way. Then He knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, My Father, if it is possible, dont make Me suffer by having Me drink from this cup. But do what You want, and not what I want. He came back and found His disciples sleeping. So He said to Peter, Cant any of you stay awake with Me for just one hour? Stay awake and pray that you wont be tested. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again Jesus went to pray and said, My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what You want. Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open. He left them and prayed the same prayer once more. Finally, Jesus returned to his disciples and said, Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. Get up! Lets go. The one who will betray Me is already here. Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up, and a large mob armed with swords and clubs was with him. They had been sent by the chief priests and the nations leaders. Judas had told them ahead of time, Arrest the man I greet with a kiss.

Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, Hello, teacher. Then Judas kissed Him. Jesus replied, My friend, why are you here? The men grabbed Jesus and arrested Him. One of Jesus followers pulled out a sword. He struck a servant and cut off his ear. But Jesus told him, Put your sword away. Anyone who lives by the sword will die by the sword. Dont you know that I could ask My Father, and right away He would send me more than twelve armies of angels? But then, how could the words of the Scriptures come true, which say that this must happen? All of Jesus disciples left Him and ran away. Jesus On Trial After Jesus had been arrested, He was led off to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The nations leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses were meeting there. Many false witnesses came and told lies about Him so that He might be accused of a crime worthy of death. The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, Why dont you say something in your own defense? Dont you hear the charges they are making against you? But Jesus did not answer. So the high priest said, With the living God looking on, you must tell the truth. Tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God? That is what you say! Jesus answered. But I tell all of you, Soon you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of God All-Powerful and coming on the clouds of heaven. The high priest tore his robe and said, This man claims to be God! We dont need any more witnesses! You have heard what He said. While Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, a servant girl recognized him as a disciple of Jesus. But when she asked him, he quickly denied. For two more times, someone asked him if he was a follower of Jesus, but both times he said that he didnt know who He is. Then, the rooster crowed. It was early in the morning when Jesus was taken to the Roman governor, Pilate. Pilate asked Him, Are You the King of the Jews? Jesus answered, Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here. Pilate therefore said to Him, Are You a king then? Jesus answered, You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. Pilate said to Him, What is truth? He went out again to the Jews, and said to them, I find no fault in Him at all. But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews? Then they all cried again, saying, Not this Man, but Barabbas! Now Barabbas was a robber. Pilate gave orders for Jesus to be beaten with a whip. The soldiers made a crown out of thorn branches and put it on Jesus. Then they put a purple robe on him. They came up to him and said, Hey, you king of the Jews! They also hit him with their fists. When the chief priests and the temple police saw him, they yelled, Nail Him to a cross! Nail Him to a cross! He claimed to be the Son of God! Our Jewish Law says that He must be put to death. When Pilate heard this, he was terrified. He went back inside and asked Jesus, Where are you from? But Jesus did not answer. Why wont you answer my question? Pilate asked. Dont you know that I have the power to let you go free or to nail you to a cross? Jesus replied, If God had not given you the power, you couldnt do anything at all to me. But the one who handed me over to you did something even worse. Then Pilate wanted to set Jesus free. But the crowd again yelled, Kill Him! Kill Him! Nail Him to a cross! So you want me to nail your king to a cross? Pilate asked. The chief priests replied, The Emperor is our king! Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be nailed to a cross.

Judas had betrayed Jesus, but when he learned that Jesus had been sentenced to death, he was sorry for what he had done. He returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and then hanged himself. The chief priests used the money to buy a graveyard for foreigners. Thats why people still call that place Field of Blood. So the words of the prophet Jeremiah came true, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potters field, as Yahweh directed me. Jesus Is Crucified Jesus was taken away, and he carried his cross to a place known as The Skull. In Aramaic this place is called Golgotha. There Jesus was nailed to the cross, and on each side of him a man was also nailed to a cross. Jesus said, Father, forgive these people! They dont know what theyre doing. Pilate ordered the charge against Jesus to be written on a board and put above the cross. It read, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. The words were written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. After the soldiers had nailed Jesus to the cross, they divided up his clothes into four parts, one for each of them. But his outer garment was made from a single piece of cloth, and it did not have any seams. The soldiers said to each other, Lets not rip it apart. We will gamble to see who gets it. This happened so that the Scriptures would come true, which say, They divided up my clothes and gambled for my garments. Many people also mocked Him saying, He saved others, but He cant save Himself. If He is the king of Israel, He should come down from the cross! Then we will believe Him. He trusted God, so let God save Him, if He wants to. He even said he was Gods Son. One of the criminals hanging there also insulted Jesus by saying, Arent You the Messiah? Save Yourself and save us! But the other criminal told the first one off, Dont you fear God? Arent you getting the same punishment as this man? We got what was coming to us, but He didnt do anything wrong. Then he said to Jesus, Remember me when You come into power! Jesus replied, I promise that today you will be with Me in paradise. At noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until three oclock. Then about that time Jesus shouted, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? which means, My God, My God, why have you deserted Me? Once again Jesus shouted, It is finished!, and then He gave up His spirit. At once the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and rocks split apart. Graves opened, and many of Gods people were raised to life. Then after Jesus had risen to life, they came out of their graves and went into the holy city, where they were seen by many people. The officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus felt the earthquake and saw everything else that happened. They were frightened and said, This man really was Gods Son! The next day would be both a Sabbath and the Passover. It was a special day for the Jews, and they didnt want the bodies to stay on the crosses during that day. So they asked Pilate to break the mens legs and take their bodies down. The soldiers first broke the legs of the other two men who were nailed there. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead, and they did not break His legs. One of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus side, and blood and water came out. We know this is true, because it was told by someone who saw it happen. Now you can have faith too. All this happened so that the Scriptures would come true, which say, No bone of his body will be broken and, They will see the one in whose side they stuck a spear. Jesus was then buried in a tomb, and a big stone was rolled against the entrance of it. Jesus Rises From The Dead On the next day, which was a Sabbath, the chief priests and the Pharisees requested for Pilate to send guards to Jesus tomb. They knew that Jesus claimed that He will rise from the dead on the third day, and they were afraid that His disciples might steal His body and claim that He has risen to life. Pilate agreed and placed soldiers to guard it. The Sabbath was over, and it was almost daybreak on Sunday when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. Suddenly a strong earthquake struck, and the Lords angel came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone and sat on it. The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards shook from fear and fell down, as though they were dead. The angel said to the women, Dont be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross. He isnt here! God has raised Him to life, just as Jesus said He would. Come, see the place where His body was lying. Now hurry! Tell His disciples that He has been raised to life and is on His way to Galilee. Go there, and you will see Him. That is what I came to tell you.

The women were frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and greeted them. They went near Him, held on to His feet, and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said, Dont be afraid! Tell My followers to go to Galilee. They will see Me there. While the women were on their way, some soldiers who had been guarding the tomb went into the city. They told the chief priests everything that had happened. So the chief priests met with the leaders and decided to bribe the soldiers with a lot of money. They said to the soldiers, Tell everyone that Jesus disciples came during the night and stole His body while you were asleep. If the governor hears about this, we will talk to him. You wont have anything to worry about. The soldiers took the money and did what they were told. The Jewish people still tell each other this story. That same day, Jesus appeared to two of His disciples while they were traveling to Emmaus, but they did not recognize Him. While walking, He asked them what they were talking about, and they told Him about Jesus, His death and the surprising rumor that He rose back to life. Jesus said, How can you be so slow to believe all that the prophets said? Didnt you know that the Messiah would have to suffer before He was given His glory? Jesus then explained everything written about Himself in the Scriptures, beginning with the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets. When they reached the village, the two disciples begged Him to stay with them, so He did. After Jesus sat down to eat, He took some bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to them. At once, they knew who He was, but He disappeared. They said to each other, When He talked with us along the road and explained the Scriptures to us, didnt it warm our hearts? So they got right up and returned to Jerusalem to tell the others. The disciples were afraid of the Jewish leaders, and on that evening they locked themselves in a room. Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the middle of the group. He greeted them and showed them His hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they became very happy. Jesus said to them, While I was still with you, I told you that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Books of the Prophets, and in the Psalms had to happen. Then He helped them understand the Scriptures. He told them, "The Scriptures say that the Messiah must suffer, then on the third day He will rise from death. They also say that all people of every nation must be told in My name to turn to God, in order to be forgiven. So beginning in Jerusalem, you must tell everything that has happened. I will send you the one my Father has promised, but you must stay in the city until you are given power from heaven." And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. (What happens next is continued in the Book of Acts of the New Testament)

This is the gospel of Jesus found in the first four books of the New Testament of the Bible. From the beginning, Jesus has been with God in heaven. Jesus is in God, and God is in Him. He is truly God. He was sent by His Father to the world, so that it may be saved through Him. The true light came to the world of darkness and confusion. Everyone in the world walks in darkness, but whoever comes and remains in the light will no longer remain in darkness. Do you believe that you are in darkness? It is written, [Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you. We hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities.] (Isaiah 59:2, 9, 12) [None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.] (Romans 3:10-12) [All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned- every one -to his own way.] (Isaiah 53:6) However, it is also written, [Behold, the LORDs hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or His ear dull, that it cannot hear.] (Is 59:1) [Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.] (Is 50:10) [He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. Yahweh has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He poured out His soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors. He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.] (Is 53:5-6, 12) That is why God said, [I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like a mist; return to Me, for I have redeemed you.] (Is 44:22) [By the one mans obedience, the many will be made righteous.] (Romans 5:19) So it is written, [Their righteousness is from me, declares the LORD.] (Is 54:17) Jesus is calling you! [Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth!] (Is 45:22) Look only to Jesus, and dont look back! But [woe to him who strives with His Maker! There is no peace, says Yahweh, for the wicked.] (Is 45:9, 48:22) You might be asking: How do I look to Jesus? This means: Dont hold on to your righteousness or wickedness, to your abilities or weaknesses, but have faith in the sacrifice of Jesus. Admit that your perspective and your path are wrong. Step down from your throne as the king of your life, and give it to Jesus Christ. Pray about these, and believe that He is listening. Yes, the King of the Universe will live inside you, and your whole being will be changed as if you were born again (This is what Jesus was saying to Nicodemus). You are not the one who can do this, but the Holy Spirit.

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