Bible in 90 Days

Is It Right to Pay the Royal Tax to Caesar?

²⁰ The religious leaders sent spies to keep a close watch on Jesus. The spies pretended to be sincere. They hoped they could trap Jesus with something he would say. Then they could hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. ²¹ So the spies questioned Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right. We know you don’t favor one person over another. You teach the way of God truthfully. ²² Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

²³ Jesus saw they were trying to trick him. So he said to them, ²⁴ “Show me a silver coin. Whose picture and words are on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

²⁵ He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give back to God what belongs to God.”

²⁶ They were not able to trap him with what he had said there in front of all the people. Amazed by his answer, they became silent.

Marriage When the Dead Rise

²⁷ The Sadducees do not believe that people rise from the dead. Some of them came to Jesus with a question. ²⁸ “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us about a man’s brother who dies. Suppose the brother leaves a wife but has no children. Then the man must marry the widow. He must provide children to carry on his dead brother’s name. ²⁹ There were seven brothers. The first one married a woman. He died without leaving any children. ³⁰ The second one married her. ³¹ And then the third one married her. One after another, the seven brothers married her. They all died. None left any children. ³² Finally, the woman died too. ³³ Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers were married to her.”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “People in this world get married. And their parents give them to be married. ³⁵ But it will not be like that when the dead rise. Those who are considered worthy to take part in the world to come won’t get married. And their parents won’t give them to be married. ³⁶ They can’t die anymore. They are like the angels. They are God’s children. They will be given a new form of life when the dead rise. ³⁷ Remember the story of Moses and the burning bush. Even Moses showed that the dead rise. The Lord said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.’ (Exodus 3:6) ³⁸ He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living. In his eyes, everyone is alive.”

³⁹ Some of the teachers of the law replied, “You have spoken well, teacher!” ⁴⁰ And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “Why do people say that the Messiah is the son of David? ⁴² David himself says in the Book of Psalms,

⁴⁴ David calls him ‘Lord.’ So how can he be David’s son?”

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

⁴⁵ All the people were listening. Jesus said to his disciples, ⁴⁶ “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in long robes. They love to be greeted with respect in the market. They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. They also love to have the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁷ They take over the houses of widows. They say long prayers to show off. God will punish these men very much.”

The Widow’s Offering

21 As Jesus looked up, he saw rich people putting their gifts into the temple offering boxes. ² He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ³ “What I’m about to tell you is true,” Jesus said. “That poor widow has put in more than all the others. ⁴ All these other people gave a lot because they are rich. But even though she is poor, she put in everything. She had nothing left to live on.”

When the Temple Will Be Destroyed and the Signs of the End

⁵ Some of Jesus’ disciples were talking about the temple. They spoke about how it was decorated with beautiful stones and with gifts that honored God. But Jesus asked, ⁶ “Do you see all this? The time will come when not one stone will be left on top of another. Every stone will be thrown down.”

⁷ “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”

⁸ Jesus replied, “Keep watch! Be careful that you are not fooled. Many will come in my name. They will claim, ‘I am he!’ And they will say, ‘The time is near!’ Do not follow them. ⁹ Do not be afraid when you hear about wars and about fighting against rulers. Those things must happen first. But the end will not come right away.”

¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Nation will fight against nation. Kingdom will fight against kingdom. ¹¹ In many places there will be powerful earthquakes. People will go hungry. There will be terrible sicknesses. Things will happen that will make people afraid. There will be great and miraculous signs from heaven.

¹² “But before all this, people will arrest you and treat you badly. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison. You will be brought to kings and governors. All this will happen to you because of my name. ¹³ And so you will be witnesses about me. ¹⁴ But make up your mind not to worry ahead of time about how to stand up for yourselves. ¹⁵ I will give you words of wisdom. None of your enemies will be able to withstand them or prove them wrong. ¹⁶ Even your parents, brothers, sisters, relatives and friends will hand you over to the authorities. The authorities will put some of you to death. ¹⁷ Everyone will hate you because of me. ¹⁸ But not a hair on your head will be harmed. ¹⁹ Remain strong in the faith, and you will receive eternal life.

²⁰ “A time is coming when you will see armies surround Jerusalem. Then you will know that it will soon be destroyed. ²¹ Those who are in Judea should then escape to the mountains. Those in the city should get out. Those in the country should not enter the city. ²² This is the time when God will punish Jerusalem. Everything will come true, just as it has been written. ²³ How awful it will be in those days for pregnant women! How awful for nursing mothers! There will be terrible suffering in the land. There will be great anger against those people. ²⁴ Some will be killed by the sword. Others will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be taken over by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles come to an end.

²⁵ “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. The nations of the earth will be in terrible pain. They will be puzzled by the roaring and tossing of the sea. ²⁶ Terror will make people faint. They will be worried about what is happening in the world. The sun, moon and stars will be shaken from their places. ²⁷ At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud. He will come with power and great glory. ²⁸ When these things begin to take place, stand up. Hold your head up with joy and hope. The time when you will be set free will be very close.”

²⁹ Jesus told them a story. “Look at the fig tree and all the trees,” he said. ³⁰ “When you see leaves appear on the branches, you know that summer is near. ³¹ In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that God’s kingdom is near.

³² “What I’m about to tell you is true. The people living now will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away.

³⁴ “Be careful. If you aren’t, your hearts will be loaded down with wasteful living, drunkenness and the worries of life. Then the day the Son of Man returns will close on you like a trap. It will happen suddenly. ³⁵ That day will come on every person who lives on the whole earth. ³⁶ Always keep watching. Pray that you will be able to escape all that is about to happen. Also, pray that you will not be judged guilty when the Son of Man comes.”

³⁷ Each day Jesus taught at the temple. And each evening he went to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives. ³⁸ All the people came to the temple early in the morning. They wanted to hear Jesus speak.

Judas Agrees to Hand Jesus Over

22 The Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was near. ² The chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus. They were afraid of the people. ³ Then Satan entered Judas, who was called Iscariot. Judas was one of the 12 disciples. ⁴ He went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard. He talked with them about how he could hand Jesus over to them. ⁵ They were delighted and agreed to give him money. ⁶ Judas accepted their offer. He watched for the right time to hand Jesus over to them. He wanted to do it when no crowd was around.

The Last Supper

⁷ Then the day of Unleavened Bread came. That was the time the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. ⁸ Jesus sent Peter and John on ahead. “Go,” he told them. “Prepare for us to eat the Passover meal.”

⁹ “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.

¹⁰ Jesus replied, “When you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house he enters. ¹¹ Then say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, “Where is the guest room? Where can I eat the Passover meal with my disciples?” ’ ¹² He will show you a large upstairs room with furniture already in it. Prepare for us to eat there.”

¹³ Peter and John left. They found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal.

¹⁴ When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles took their places at the table. ¹⁵ He said to them, “I have really looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you. I wanted to do this before I suffer. ¹⁶ I tell you, I will not eat the Passover meal again until it is celebrated in God’s kingdom.”

¹⁷ After Jesus took the cup, he gave thanks. He said, “Take this cup and share it among yourselves. ¹⁸ I tell you, I will not drink wine with you again until God’s kingdom comes.”

¹⁹ Then Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He handed it to them and said, “This is my body. It is given for you. Every time you eat it, do this in memory of me.”

²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup. He said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. It is poured out for you. ²¹ But someone here is going to hand me over to my enemies. His hand is with mine on the table. ²² The Son of Man will go to his death, just as God has already decided. But how terrible it will be for the one who hands him over!” ²³ The apostles began to ask one another about this. They wondered which one of them would do it.

²⁴ They also started to argue. They disagreed about which of them was thought to be the most important person. ²⁵ Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles hold power over their people. And those who order them around call themselves Protectors. ²⁶ But you must not be like that. Instead, the most important among you should be like the youngest. The one who rules should be like the one who serves. ²⁷ Who is more important? Is it the one at the table, or the one who serves? Isn’t it the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. ²⁸ You have stood by me during my troubles. ²⁹ And I give you a kingdom, just as my Father gave me a kingdom. ³⁰ Then you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

³¹ “Simon, Simon! Satan has asked to sift all of you disciples like wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, Simon. I have prayed that your faith will not fail. When you have turned back, help your brothers to be strong.”

³³ But Simon replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

³⁴ Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, you will say three times that you don’t know me. And you will do it before the rooster crows today.”

³⁵ Then Jesus asked the disciples, “Did you need anything when I sent you without a purse, bag or sandals?”

“Nothing,” they answered.

³⁶ He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it. And also take a bag. If you don’t have a sword, sell your coat and buy one. ³⁷ It is written, ‘He was counted among those who had committed crimes.’ (Isaiah 53:12) I tell you that what is written about me must come true. Yes, it is already coming true.”

³⁸ The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“Two swords are enough!” he replied.

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

³⁹ Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives. His disciples followed him. ⁴⁰ When they reached the place, Jesus spoke. “Pray that you won’t fall into sin when you are tempted,” he said to them. ⁴¹ Then he went a short distance away from them. There he got down on his knees and prayed. ⁴² He said, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup of suffering away from me. But do what you want, not what I want.” ⁴³ An angel from heaven appeared to Jesus and gave him strength. ⁴⁴ Because he was very sad and troubled, he prayed even harder. His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

⁴⁵ After that, he got up from prayer and went back to the disciples. He found them sleeping. They were worn out because they were very sad. ⁴⁶ “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up! Pray that you won’t fall into sin when you are tempted.”

Jesus Is Arrested

⁴⁷ While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd came up. The man named Judas was leading them. He was one of the 12 disciples. Judas approached Jesus to kiss him. ⁴⁸ But Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you handing over the Son of Man with a kiss?”

⁴⁹ Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen. So they said, “Lord, should we use our swords against them?” ⁵⁰ One of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹ But Jesus answered, “Stop this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

⁵² Then Jesus spoke to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders. They had all come for him. “Am I leading a band of armed men against you?” he asked. “Do you have to come with swords and clubs? ⁵³ Every day I was with you in the temple courtyard. And you didn’t lay a hand on me. But this is your hour. This is when darkness rules.”

Peter Says He Does Not Know Jesus

⁵⁴ Then the men arrested Jesus and led him away. They took him into the high priest’s house. Peter followed from far away. ⁵⁵ Some people there started a fire in the middle of the courtyard. Then they sat down together. Peter sat down with them. ⁵⁶ A female servant saw him sitting there in the firelight. She looked closely at him. Then she said, “This man was with Jesus.”

⁵⁷ But Peter said he had not been with him. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

⁵⁸ A little later someone else saw Peter. “You also are one of them,” he said.

“No,” Peter replied. “I’m not!”

⁵⁹ About an hour later, another person spoke up. “This fellow must have been with Jesus,” he said. “He is from Galilee.”

⁶⁰ Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. ⁶¹ The Lord turned and looked right at Peter. Then Peter remembered what the Lord had spoken to him. “The rooster will crow today,” Jesus had said. “Before it does, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” ⁶² Peter went outside. He broke down and cried.

The Guards Make Fun of Jesus

⁶³ There were men guarding Jesus. They began laughing at him and beating him. ⁶⁴ They blindfolded him. They said, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” ⁶⁵ They also said many other things to make fun of him.

Jesus Is Brought to Pilate and Herod

⁶⁶ At dawn the elders of the people met together. These included the chief priests and the teachers of the law. Jesus was led to them. ⁶⁷ “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”

Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me. ⁶⁸ And if I asked you, you would not answer. ⁶⁹ But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”

⁷⁰ They all asked, “Are you the Son of God then?”

He replied, “You say that I am.”

⁷¹ Then they said, “Why do we need any more witnesses? We have heard it from his own lips.”

23 Then the whole group got up and led Jesus off to Pilate. ² They began to bring charges against Jesus. They said, “We have found this man misleading our people. He is against paying taxes to Caesar. And he claims to be Messiah, a king.”

³ So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

⁴ Then Pilate spoke to the chief priests and the crowd. He announced, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

⁵ But they kept it up. They said, “His teaching stirs up the people all over Judea. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

⁶ When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was from Galilee. ⁷ He learned that Jesus was from Herod’s area of authority. So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. At that time Herod was also in Jerusalem.

⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was very pleased. He had been wanting to see Jesus for a long time. He had heard much about him. He hoped to see Jesus perform a sign of some kind. ⁹ Herod asked him many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there. With loud shouts they brought charges against him. ¹¹ Herod and his soldiers laughed at him and made fun of him. They dressed him in a beautiful robe. Then they sent him back to Pilate. ¹² That day Herod and Pilate became friends. Before this time they had been enemies.

¹³ Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people. ¹⁴ He said to them, “You brought me this man. You said he was turning the people against the authorities. I have questioned him in front of you. I have found no basis for your charges against him. ¹⁵ Herod hasn’t either. So he sent Jesus back to us. As you can see, Jesus has done nothing that is worthy of death. ^16-17 So I will just have him whipped and let him go.”

¹⁸ But the whole crowd shouted, “Kill this man! But let Barabbas go!” ¹⁹ Barabbas had been thrown into prison. He had taken part in a struggle in the city against the authorities. He had also committed murder.

²⁰ Pilate wanted to let Jesus go. So he made an appeal to the crowd again. ²¹ But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²² Pilate spoke to them for the third time. “Why?” he asked. “What wrong has this man done? I have found no reason to have him put to death. So I will just have him whipped and let him go.”

²³ But with loud shouts they kept calling for Jesus to be crucified. The people’s shouts won out. ²⁴ So Pilate decided to give them what they wanted. ²⁵ He set free the man they asked for. The man had been thrown in prison for murder and for fighting against the authorities. Pilate handed Jesus over to them so they could carry out their plans.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

²⁶ As the soldiers led Jesus away, they took hold of Simon. Simon was from Cyrene. He was on his way in from the country. They put a wooden cross on his shoulders. Then they made him carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷ A large number of people followed Jesus. Some were women whose hearts were filled with sorrow. They cried loudly because of him. ²⁸ Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me. Weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ The time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the women who can’t have children! Blessed are those who never gave birth or nursed babies!’ ³⁰ It is written,

³¹ People do these things when trees are green. So what will happen when trees are dry?”

³² Two other men were also led out with Jesus to be killed. Both of them had broken the law. ³³ The soldiers brought them to the place called the Skull. There they nailed Jesus to the cross. He hung between the two criminals. One was on his right and one was on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” The soldiers divided up his clothes by casting lots.

³⁵ The people stood there watching. The rulers even made fun of Jesus. They said, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

³⁶ The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him. They offered him wine vinegar. ³⁷ They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

³⁸ A written sign had been placed above him. It read,

This is the King of the Jews.

³⁹ One of the criminals hanging there made fun of Jesus. He said, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself! Save us!”

⁴⁰ But the other criminal scolded him. “Don’t you have any respect for God?” he said. “Remember, you are under the same sentence of death. ⁴¹ We are being punished fairly. We are getting just what our actions call for. But this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”

⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

⁴³ Jesus answered him, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus Dies

⁴⁴ It was now about noon. Then darkness covered the whole land until three o’clock. ⁴⁵ The sun had stopped shining. The temple curtain was torn in two. ⁴⁶ Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my life.” After he said this, he took his last breath.

⁴⁷ The Roman commander saw what had happened. He praised God and said, “Jesus was surely a man who did what was right.” ⁴⁸ The people had gathered to watch this sight. When they saw what happened, they felt very sad. Then they went away. ⁴⁹ But all those who knew Jesus stood not very far away, watching these things. They included the women who had followed him from Galilee.

Jesus Is Buried

⁵⁰ A man named Joseph was a member of the Jewish Council. He was a good and honest man. ⁵¹ Joseph had not agreed with what the leaders had decided and done. He was from Arimathea, a town in Judea. He himself was waiting for God’s kingdom. ⁵² Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. ⁵³ Joseph took it down and wrapped it in linen cloth. Then he placed it in a tomb cut in the rock. No one had ever been buried there. ⁵⁴ It was Preparation Day. The Sabbath day was about to begin.

⁵⁵ The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph. They saw the tomb and how Jesus’ body was placed in it. ⁵⁶ Then they went home. There they prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath day in order to obey the Law.

Jesus Rises From the Dead

24 It was very early in the morning on the first day of the week. The women took the spices they had prepared. Then they went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from it. ³ When they entered the tomb, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ They were wondering about this. Suddenly two men in clothes as bright as lightning stood beside them. ⁵ The women were terrified. They bowed down with their faces to the ground. Then the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ Jesus is not here! He has risen! Remember how he told you he would rise. It was while he was still with you in Galilee. ⁷ He said, ‘The Son of Man must be handed over to sinful people. He must be nailed to a cross. On the third day he will rise from the dead.’ ” ⁸ Then the women remembered Jesus’ words.

⁹ They came back from the tomb. They told all these things to the 11 apostles and to all the others. ¹⁰ Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them were the ones who told the apostles. ¹¹ But the apostles did not believe the women. Their words didn’t make any sense to them. ¹² But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent over and saw the strips of linen lying by themselves. Then he went away, wondering what had happened.

On the Road to Emmaus

¹³ That same day two of Jesus’ followers were going to a village called Emmaus. It was about seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked about those things, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them. ¹⁶ But God kept them from recognizing him.

¹⁷ Jesus asked them, “What are you talking about as you walk along?”

They stood still, and their faces were sad. ¹⁸ One of them was named Cleopas. He said to Jesus, “Are you the only person visiting Jerusalem who doesn’t know? Don’t you know about the things that have happened there in the last few days?”

¹⁹ “What things?” Jesus asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet. He was powerful in what he said and did in the sight of God and all the people. ²⁰ The chief priests and our rulers handed Jesus over to be sentenced to death. They nailed him to a cross. ²¹ But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to set Israel free. Also, it is the third day since all this happened. ²² Some of our women amazed us too. Early this morning they went to the tomb. ²³ But they didn’t find his body. So they came and told us what they had seen. They saw angels, who said Jesus was alive. ²⁴ Then some of our friends went to the tomb. They saw it was empty, just as the women had said. They didn’t see Jesus’ body there.”

²⁵ Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are! How long it takes you to believe all that the prophets said! ²⁶ Didn’t the Messiah have to suffer these things and then receive his glory?” ²⁷ Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures. He began with Moses and all the Prophets.

²⁸ They approached the village where they were going. Jesus kept walking as if he were going farther. ²⁹ But they tried hard to keep him from leaving. They said, “Stay with us. It is nearly evening. The day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

³⁰ He joined them at the table. Then he took bread and gave thanks. He broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹ Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But then he disappeared from their sight. ³² They said to each other, “He explained to us what the Scriptures meant. Weren’t we excited as he talked with us on the road?”

³³ They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the 11 disciples and those with them. They were all gathered together. ³⁴ They were saying, “It’s true! The Lord has risen! He has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵ Then the two of them told what had happened to them on the way. They told how they had recognized Jesus when he broke the bread.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

³⁶ The disciples were still talking about this when Jesus himself suddenly stood among them. He said, “May you have peace!”

³⁷ They were surprised and terrified. They thought they were seeing a ghost. ³⁸ Jesus said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do you have doubts in your minds? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet. It’s really me! Touch me and see. A ghost does not have a body or bones. But you can see that I do.”

⁴⁰ After he said that, he showed them his hands and feet. ⁴¹ But they still did not believe it. They were amazed and filled with joy. So Jesus asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of cooked fish. ⁴³ He took it and ate it in front of them.

⁴⁴ Jesus said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms must come true.”

⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written. The Messiah will suffer. He will rise from the dead on the third day. ⁴⁷ His followers will preach in his name. They will tell others to turn away from their sins and be forgiven. People from every nation will hear it, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You have seen these things with your own eyes. ⁴⁹ I am going to send you what my Father has promised. But for now, stay in the city. Stay there until you have received power from heaven.”

Jesus Is Taken Up Into Heaven

⁵⁰ Jesus led his disciples out to the area near Bethany. Then he lifted up his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he left them. He was taken up into heaven. ⁵² Then they worshiped him. With great joy, they returned to Jerusalem. ⁵³ Every day they went to the temple, praising God.

The Word Became a Human Being

1 In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ All things were made through him. Nothing that has been made was made without him. ⁴ Life was in him, and that life was the light for all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness. But the darkness has not overcome the light.

⁶ There was a man sent from God. His name was John. ⁷ He came to be a witness about that light. He was a witness so that all people might believe. ⁸ John himself was not the light. He came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ The Word was in the world. And the world was made through him. But the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own. But his own people did not accept him. ¹² Some people did accept him and did believe in his name. He gave them the right to become children of God. ¹³ To be a child of God has nothing to do with human parents. Children of God are not born because of human choice or because a husband wants them to be born. They are born because of what God does.

¹⁴ The Word became a human being. He made his home with us. We have seen his glory. It is the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father. And the Word was full of grace and truth.

¹⁵ John was a witness about the Word. John cried out and said, “This was the one I was talking about. I said, ‘He who comes after me is more important than I am. He is more important because he existed before I was born.’ ” ¹⁶ God is full of grace. From him we have all received grace in place of the grace already given. ¹⁷ In the past, God gave us grace through the law of Moses. Now, grace and truth come to us through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. But the One and Only is God and is at the Father’s side. The one at the Father’s side has shown us what God is like.

John the Baptist Says That He Is Not the Messiah

¹⁹ The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask John who he was. John spoke the truth to them. ²⁰ He did not try to hide the truth. He spoke to them openly. He said, “I am not the Messiah.”

²¹ They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet we’ve been expecting?” they asked.

“No,” he answered.

²² They asked one last time, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³ John replied, using the words of Isaiah the prophet. John said, “I’m the messenger who is calling out in the desert, ‘Make the way for the Lord straight.’ ” (Isaiah 40:3)

²⁴ The Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵ asked him, “If you are not the Messiah, why are you baptizing people? Why are you doing that if you aren’t Elijah or the Prophet we’ve been expecting?”

²⁶ “I baptize people with water,” John replied. “But someone is standing among you whom you do not know. ²⁷ He is the one who comes after me. I am not good enough to untie his sandals.”

²⁸ This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River. That was where John was baptizing.

What John Says About Jesus

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, “Look! The Lamb of God! He takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is the one I was talking about. I said, ‘A man who comes after me is more important than I am. That’s because he existed before I was born.’ ³¹ I did not know him. But God wants to make it clear to Israel who this person is. That’s the reason I came baptizing with water.”

³² Then John told them, “I saw the Holy Spirit come down from heaven like a dove. The Spirit remained on Jesus. ³³ I myself did not know him. But the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘You will see the Spirit come down and remain on someone. He is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I have seen it happen. I am a witness that this is God’s Chosen One.”

John’s Disciples Follow Jesus

³⁵ The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ He saw Jesus walking by. John said, “Look! The Lamb of God!”

³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this. So they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Then Jesus turned around and saw them following. He asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” Rabbi means Teacher.

³⁹ “Come,” he replied. “You will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying. They spent the rest of the day with him. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

⁴⁰ Andrew was Simon Peter’s brother. Andrew was one of the two disciples who heard what John had said. He had also followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon. He told him, “We have found the Messiah.” Messiah means Christ. ⁴² And he brought Simon to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas.” Cephas means Peter, or Rock.

Jesus Chooses Philip and Nathanael

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”

⁴⁴ Philip was from the town of Bethsaida. So were Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the Law. The prophets also wrote about him. He is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

⁴⁶ “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael approaching. Here is what Jesus said about him. “He is a true Israelite. Nothing about him is false.”

⁴⁸ “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree. I saw you there before Philip called you.”

⁴⁹ Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the king of Israel.”

⁵⁰ Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” ⁵¹ Then he said to the disciples, “What I’m about to tell you is true. You will see heaven open. You will see the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

2 On the third day there was a wedding. It took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. ² Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ “Dear woman, why are you telling me about this?” Jesus replied. “The time for me to show who I really am isn’t here yet.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do what he tells you.”

⁶ Six stone water jars stood nearby. The Jews used water from that kind of jar for special washings. They did that to make themselves pure and “clean.” Each jar could hold 20 to 30 gallons.

⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the top.

⁸ Then he told them, “Now dip some out. Take it to the person in charge of the dinner.”

They did what he said. ⁹ The person in charge tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He didn’t realize where it had come from. But the servants who had brought the water knew. Then the person in charge called the groom to one side. ¹⁰ He said to him, “Everyone brings out the best wine first. They bring out the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink. But you have saved the best until now.”

¹¹ What Jesus did here in Cana in Galilee was the first of his signs. Jesus showed his glory by doing this sign. And his disciples believed in him.

¹² After this, Jesus went down to Capernaum. His mother and brothers and disciples went with him. They all stayed there for a few days.

Jesus Clears Out the Temple Courtyard

¹³ It was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. So Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple courtyard he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves. Others were sitting at tables exchanging money. ¹⁵ So Jesus made a whip out of ropes. He chased all the sheep and cattle from the temple courtyard. He scattered the coins of the people exchanging money. And he turned over their tables. ¹⁶ He told those who were selling doves, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered what had been written. It says, “My great love for your house will destroy me.” (Psalm 69:9)

¹⁸ Then the Jewish leaders asked him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do this?”

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “When you destroy this temple, I will raise it up again in three days.”

²⁰ They replied, “It has taken 46 years to build this temple. Are you going to raise it up in three days?” ²¹ But the temple Jesus had spoken about was his body. ²² His disciples later remembered what he had said. That was after he had been raised from the dead. Then they believed the Scripture. They also believed the words that Jesus had spoken.

²³ Meanwhile, he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast. Many people saw the signs he was doing. And they believed in his name. ²⁴ But Jesus did not fully trust them. He knew what people are like. ²⁵ He didn’t need anyone to tell him what people are like. He already knew why people do what they do.

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish rulers. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. We know that God is with you. If he weren’t, you couldn’t do the signs you are doing.”

³ Jesus replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can see God’s kingdom unless they are born again.”

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “They can’t go back inside their mother! They can’t be born a second time!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can enter God’s kingdom unless they are born with water and the Holy Spirit. ⁶ People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised when I say, ‘You must all be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it wants to. You hear the sound it makes. But you can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone who is born with the Spirit.”

⁹ “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus. “Don’t you understand these things? ¹¹ What I’m about to tell you is true. We speak about what we know. We are witnesses about what we have seen. But still you people do not accept what we say. ¹² I have spoken to you about earthly things, and you do not believe. So how will you believe if I speak about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven. He is the Son of Man. ¹⁴ Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. In the same way, the Son of Man must also be lifted up. ¹⁵ Then everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

¹⁶ God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. ¹⁷ God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Anyone who believes in him is not judged. But anyone who does not believe is judged already. They have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ Here is the judgment. Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light. They loved darkness because what they did was evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil deeds hates the light. They will not come into the light. They are afraid that what they do will be seen. ²¹ But anyone who lives by the truth comes into the light. They live by the truth with God’s help. They come into the light so that it will be easy to see their good deeds.

John the Baptist Is a Witness About Jesus

²² After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the countryside of Judea. There he spent some time with them. And he baptized people there. ²³ John was also baptizing. He was at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water. People were coming and being baptized. ²⁴ This was before John was put in prison. ²⁵ Some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew began to argue. They argued about special washings to make people “clean.” ²⁶ They came to John and here is what they said to him. “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River is baptizing people. He is the one you told us about. Everyone is going to him.”

²⁷ John replied, “A person can receive only what God gives them from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves are witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah. I was sent ahead of him.’ ²⁹ The bride belongs to the groom. The friend who helps the groom waits and listens for him. He is full of joy when he hears the groom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. ³⁰ He must become more important. I must become less important.

³¹ “The one who comes from above is above everything. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks like someone from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above everything. ³² He is a witness to what he has seen and heard. But no one accepts what he says. ³³ Anyone who has accepted it has said, ‘Yes. God is truthful.’ ³⁴ The one whom God has sent speaks God’s words. That’s because God gives the Holy Spirit without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has put everything into his hands. ³⁶ Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life. Anyone who does not believe in the Son will not have life. God’s anger remains on them.”

Jesus Talks With a Woman From Samaria

4 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard about him. They had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John. ² But in fact Jesus was not baptizing. His disciples were. ³ So Jesus left Judea and went back again to Galilee.

⁴ Jesus had to go through Samaria. ⁵ He came to a town in Samaria called Sychar. It was near the piece of land Jacob had given his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired from the journey. So he sat down by the well. It was about noon.

⁷ A woman from Samaria came to get some water. Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸ His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.

⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew. I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” She said this because Jews don’t have anything to do with Samaritans.

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “You do not know what God’s gift is. And you do not know who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would have asked him. He would have given you living water.”

¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you don’t have anything to get water with. The well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Our father Jacob gave us the well. He drank from it himself. So did his sons and his livestock. Are you more important than he is?”

¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. ¹⁴ But anyone who drinks the water I give them will never be thirsty. In fact, the water I give them will become a spring of water in them. It will flow up into eternal life.”

¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water. Then I will never be thirsty. And I won’t have to keep coming here to get water.”

¹⁶ He told her, “Go. Get your husband and come back.”

¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. ¹⁸ The fact is, you have had five husbands. And the man you live with now is not your husband. What you have just said is very true.”

¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our people have always worshiped on this mountain. But you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

²¹ Jesus said, “Woman, believe me. A time is coming when you will not worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know. Salvation comes from the Jews. ²³ But a new time is coming. In fact, it is already here. True worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth. They are the kind of worshipers the Father is looking for. ²⁴ God is spirit. His worshipers must worship him in the Spirit and in truth.”

²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah is coming.” Messiah means Christ. “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

²⁶ Then Jesus said, “The one you’re talking about is the one speaking to you. I am he.”

The Disciples Join Jesus Again

²⁷ Just then Jesus’ disciples returned. They were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want from her?” No one asked, “Why are you talking with her?”

²⁸ The woman left her water jar and went back to the town. She said to the people, ²⁹ “Come. See a man who told me everything I’ve ever done. Could this be the Messiah?” ³⁰ The people came out of the town and made their way toward Jesus.

³¹ His disciples were saying to him, “Rabbi, eat something!”

³² But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

³³ Then his disciples asked each other, “Did someone bring him food?”

³⁴ Jesus said, “My food is to do what my Father sent me to do. My food is to finish his work. ³⁵ Don’t you have a saying? You say, ‘It’s still four months until harvest time.’ But I tell you, open your eyes! Look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest right now. ³⁶ Even now the one who gathers the crop is getting paid. They are already harvesting the crop for eternal life. So the one who plants and the one who gathers can now be glad together. ³⁷ Here is a true saying. ‘One plants and another gathers.’ ³⁸ I sent you to gather what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work. You have gathered the benefits of their work.”

Many Samaritans Believe in Jesus

³⁹ Many of the Samaritans from the town of Sychar believed in Jesus. They believed because of what the woman had said about him. She said, “He told me everything I’ve ever done.” ⁴⁰ Then the Samaritans came to him and tried to get him to stay with them. So he stayed two days. ⁴¹ Because of what he said, many more people became believers.

⁴² They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said. We have now heard for ourselves. We know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

⁴³ After the two days, Jesus left for Galilee. ⁴⁴ He himself had pointed out that a prophet is not respected in his own country. ⁴⁵ When he arrived in Galilee, the people living there welcomed him. They had seen everything he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast. That was because they had also been there.

⁴⁶ Once more, Jesus visited Cana in Galilee. Cana is where he had turned the water into wine. A royal official was there. His son was sick in bed at Capernaum. ⁴⁷ The official heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea. So he went to Jesus and begged him to come and heal his son. The boy was close to death.

⁴⁸ Jesus told him, “You people will never believe unless you see signs and wonders.”

⁴⁹ The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

⁵⁰ “Go,” Jesus replied. “Your son will live.”

The man believed what Jesus said, and so he left. ⁵¹ While he was still on his way home, his slaves met him. They gave him the news that his boy was living. ⁵² He asked what time his son got better. They said to him, “Yesterday, at one o’clock in the afternoon, the fever left him.”

⁵³ Then the father realized what had happened. That was the exact time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole family became believers.

⁵⁴ This was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.

Jesus Heals a Man at the Pool

5 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish feasts. ² In Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate is a pool. In the Aramaic language it is called Bethesda. It is surrounded by five rows of columns with a roof over them. ^3-4 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie down. Among them were those who were blind, those who could not walk, and those who could hardly move. ⁵ One person was there who had not been able to walk for 38 years. ⁶ Jesus saw him lying there. He knew that the man had been in that condition for a long time. So he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

⁷ “Sir,” the disabled man replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when an angel stirs up the water. I try to get in, but someone else always goes down ahead of me.”

⁸ Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” ⁹ The man was healed right away. He picked up his mat and walked.

This happened on a Sabbath day. ¹⁰ So the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath day. The law does not allow you to carry your mat.”

¹¹ But he replied, “The one who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

¹² They asked him, “Who is this fellow? Who told you to pick it up and walk?”

¹³ The one who was healed had no idea who it was. Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

¹⁴ Later Jesus found him at the temple. Jesus said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.” ¹⁵ The man went away. He told the Jewish leaders it was Jesus who had made him well.

The Authority of the Son

¹⁶ Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath day. So the Jewish leaders began to oppose him. ¹⁷ Jesus defended himself. He said to them, “My Father is always doing his work. He is working right up to this day. I am working too.” ¹⁸ For this reason the Jewish leaders tried even harder to kill him. According to them, Jesus was not only breaking the law of the Sabbath day. He was even calling God his own Father. He was making himself equal with God.

¹⁹ Jesus answered, “What I’m about to tell you is true. The Son can do nothing by himself. He can do only what he sees his Father doing. What the Father does, the Son also does. ²⁰ This is because the Father loves the Son. The Father shows him everything he does. Yes, and the Father will show the Son even greater works than these. And you will be amazed. ²¹ The Father raises the dead and gives them life. In the same way, the Son gives life to anyone he wants to. ²² Also, the Father does not judge anyone. He has given the Son the task of judging. ²³ Then all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

²⁴ “What I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. They will not be judged. They have crossed over from death to life. ²⁵ What I’m about to tell you is true. A time is coming for me to give life. In fact, it has already begun. The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. Those who hear it will live. ²⁶ The Father has life in himself. He has allowed the Son also to have life in himself. ²⁷ And the Father has given him the authority to judge. This is because he is the Son of Man.

²⁸ “Do not be amazed at this. A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice. ²⁹ They will all come out of their graves. People who have done what is good will rise and live again. People who have done what is evil will rise and be found guilty. ³⁰ I can do nothing by myself. I judge only as I hear. And my judging is fair. I do not try to please myself. I try to please the one who sent me.

Being a Witness About Jesus

³¹ “If I am a witness about myself, what I say is not true. ³² There is someone else who is a witness in my favor. And I know that what he says about me is true.

³³ “You have sent people to John the Baptist. He has been a witness to the truth. ³⁴ I do not accept what a person says. I only talk about what John says so that you can be saved. ³⁵ John was like a lamp that burned and gave light. For a while you chose to enjoy his light.

³⁶ “What I say about myself is more important than what John says about me. I am doing the works the Father gave me to finish. These works are a witness that the Father has sent me. ³⁷ The Father who sent me is himself a witness about me. You have never heard his voice. You have never seen what he really looks like. ³⁸ And his word does not live in you. That’s because you do not believe the one he sent. ³⁹ You study the Scriptures carefully. You study them because you think they will give you eternal life. The Scriptures you study are a witness about me. ⁴⁰ But you refuse to come to me and receive life.

⁴¹ “I do not accept praise from human beings. ⁴² But I know you. I know that you do not have love for God in your hearts. ⁴³ I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me. But if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. ⁴⁴ You accept praise from one another. But you do not seek the praise that comes from the only God. So how can you believe?

⁴⁵ “Do not think I will bring charges against you in front of the Father. Moses is the one who does that. And he is the one you build your hopes on. ⁴⁶ Do you believe Moses? Then you should believe me. He wrote about me. ⁴⁷ But you do not believe what he wrote. So how are you going to believe what I say?”