22
1 The feast of the unleavened bread, known as the Passover, was near.
2 The chief priest and the teachers of the Law were looking for an opportunity of destroying Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.
3 Now Satan took possession of Judas, who was known as Iscariot, and who belonged to the Twelve;
4 and he went and discussed with the chief priests and officers in charge at the Temple the best way of betraying Jesus to them.
5 They were glad of this, and agreed to pay him.
6 So Judas assented, and looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus to them, in the absence of a crowd.
7 When the day of the Festival of the unleavened bread came, on which the Passover lambs had to be killed,
8 Jesus sent forward Peter and John, saying to them, ‘Go and make preparations for our eating the Passover.’
9 ‘Where do you wish us to make preparations?’ they asked.
10 ‘Listen,’ he answered, ‘when you have reached the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him into whatever house he enters;
11 and you will say to the owner of the house “The teacher says to you – Where is the room where I am to eat the Passover with my disciples?”
12 The man will show you a large upstairs room, set out; there make preparations.’
13 So Peter and John went on, and found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
14 When the time came, Jesus took his place at the table, and the apostles with him.
15 ‘I have most earnestly wished,’ he said, ‘to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
16 For I tell you that I will not eat it again, until it has had its fulfilment in the kingdom of God.’
17 Then, on receiving a cup, after saying the thanksgiving, he said, ‘Take this and share it among you.
18 For I tell you that I will not, after today, drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God has come.’
19 Then Jesus took some bread, and, after saying the thanksgiving, broke it and gave to them, with the words, ‘This is my body.
20 later manuscripts add: There will be two in the field; one will be taken and the other left.later manuscripts add: which is now to be given on your behalf. Do this in memory of me. And in the same way with the cup, after supper, saying: ‘This cup is the New Covenant made by my blood which is being poured out on your behalf.’later manuscripts do not contain verses 43 or 44.\fr 22:20 Some
21 Yet see! The hand of the man who is betraying me is beside me on the table!
22 True, the Son of Man is passing, by the way ordained for him, yet alas for that man by whom he is being betrayed!’
23 Then they began questioning one another which of them it could be who was going to do this.
24 And a dispute arose among them as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
25 Jesus, however, said, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their oppressors are styled “Benefactors.”
26 But with you it must not be so. No, let the greatest among you become like the youngest, and him who leads like him who serves.
27 Which is the greater – the master at the table or his servant? Is not it the master at the table? Yet I myself am among you as one who serves.
28 You are the men who have stood by me in my trials;
29 and, just as my Father has assigned me a kingdom, I assign you places,
30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and be seated on twelve thrones as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 Simon! Simon! listen. Satan demanded leave to sift you all like wheat,
32 but I prayed for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. And you, when you have returned to me, are to strengthen the others.’
33 ‘Master,’ said Peter, ‘with you I am ready to go both to prison and to death.’
34 ‘I tell you, Peter,’ replied Jesus, ‘the cock will not crow today until you have disowned all knowledge of me three times.’
35 Then he said to them all, ‘When I sent you out as my messengers, without either purse, or bag, or sandals, were you in need of anything?’
‘No; nothing,’ they answered.
36 ‘Now, however,’ he said, ‘he who has a purse must take it and his bag as well; and he who has not must sell his cloak and buy a sword.
37 For, I tell you, that passage of scripture must be fulfilled in me, which says – “He was counted among the godless”; indeed all that refers to me is finding its fulfilment.’
38 ‘Master,’ they exclaimed, ‘look, here are two swords!’
‘Enough!’ said Jesus.
39 Jesus then went out, and made his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, followed by his disciples.
40 And, when he reached the spot, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not fall into temptation.’
41 Then he withdrew about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and began to pray.
42 ‘Father,’ he said, ‘if it is your pleasure, spare me this cup; only, not my will but your be done.’
43 Presently there appeared to him an angel from heaven, who strengthened him.later manuscripts add: There will be two in the field; one will be taken and the other left.later manuscripts add: which is now to be given on your behalf. Do this in memory of me. And in the same way with the cup, after supper, saying: ‘This cup is the New Covenant made by my blood which is being poured out on your behalf.’later manuscripts do not contain verses 43 or 44.\fr 22:43 Some
44 And, as his anguish became intense, he prayed still more earnestly, while his sweat was like great drops of blood falling on the ground.
45 Then he rose from praying, and came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow.
46 ‘Why are you asleep?’ he asked them. ‘Rise and pray so that you don’t fall into temptation.’
47 While he was still speaking, a crowd appeared in sight, led by the man called Judas, who was one of the Twelve. Judas approached Jesus, to kiss him;
48 at which Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, is it by a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?’
49 But when those who were round Jesus saw what was going to happen, they exclaimed, ‘Master, should we use our swords?’
50 And one of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear;
51 at which Jesus said, ‘Let me at least do this’; and, touching his ear, he healed the wound.
52 Then, turning to the chief priests and officers in charge at the Temple and the elders, who had come for him, he said, ‘Have you come out, as if after a robber, with swords and clubs?
53 When I was with you day after day in the Temple Courts, you did not lay hands on me; but now your time has come, and the power of darkness.’
54 Those who had taken Jesus prisoner took him away into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.
55 But, when they had lit a fire in the centre of the courtyard and had all sat down there, Peter seated himself in the middle of them.
56 Presently a maidservant saw him sitting near the blaze of the fire. She looked carefully at him and said, ‘Why, this man was one of his companions!’
57 But Peter denied it. ‘I do not know him,’ he replied.
58 A little while afterwards someone else – a man – saw him and said, ‘Why, you are one of them!’
‘No,’ Peter said, ‘I am not.’
59 About an hour later another man declared positively, ‘This man also was certainly with him. Why, he is a Galilean!’
60 But Peter said, ‘I do not know what you are speaking about.’ Instantly, while he was still speaking, a cock crowed.
61 And the Master turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the words that the Master had said to him – ‘Before a cock has crowed today, you will disown me three times’;
62 and he went outside and wept bitterly.
63 The men who held Jesus kept making sport of him and beating him.
64 They blindfolded him and then questioned him. ‘Now play the prophet,’ they said. ‘Who was it that struck you?’
65 And they heaped many other insults on him.
66 At daybreak the assembly of the elders of the people met – both the chief priests and the teachers of the Law – and took Jesus before their High Council.
67 ‘If you are the Christ,’ they said, ‘tell us so.’
‘If I tell you,’ replied Jesus, ‘you will not believe me;
68 and, if I question you, you will not answer.
69 But from this hour the Son of Man will be seated on the right hand of God Almighty.’
70 ‘Are you, then, the Son of God?’ they all asked. ‘It is true,’ answered Jesus, ‘I am.’
71 At this they exclaimed, ‘Why do we want any more evidence? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!’
23
1 Then they all rose in a body and led Jesus before Pilate.
2 And they began to accuse him, ‘This is a man whom we found misleading our people, preventing them from paying taxes to the Emperor, and giving out that he himself is “Christ, a king.”’
3 ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked him. ‘It is true,’ replied Jesus.
4 But Pilate, turning to the chief priests and the people, said, ‘I do not see anything to find fault with in this man.’
5 But they insisted, ‘He is stirring up the people by his teaching all through Judea; he began with Galilee and has now come here.’
6 Hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean;
7 and, having satisfied himself that Jesus came under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who also was at Jerusalem at the time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly pleased, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, having heard a great deal about him; and he was hoping to see some sign given by him.
9 So he questioned him at some length, but Jesus made no reply.
10 Meanwhile the chief priests and the teachers of the Law stood by and vehemently accused him.
11 And Herod, with his soldiers, treated Jesus with scorn; he mocked him by throwing a gorgeous robe round him, and then sent him back to Pilate.
12 And Herod and Pilate became friends that very day, for before that there had been ill-will between them.
13 So Pilate summoned the chief priests, and the leading men, and the people,
14 and said to them, ‘You brought this man before me charged with misleading the people; and yet, for my part, though I examined him before you, I did not find this man to blame for any of the things of which you accuse him;
15 nor did Herod either; for he has sent him back to us. And, as a fact, he has not done anything deserving death;
16 so I will have him scourged, and then release him.’
17 later manuscripts add: There will be two in the field; one will be taken and the other left.later manuscripts add: which is now to be given on your behalf. Do this in memory of me. And in the same way with the cup, after supper, saying: ‘This cup is the New Covenant made by my blood which is being poured out on your behalf.’later manuscripts do not contain verses 43 or 44.later manuscripts add: He had to release someone to them at the feast.\fr 23:17 Some
18 But they began to shout as one man, ‘Kill this fellow, but release Barabbas for us.’
19 (Barabbas was a man who had been put in prison for a riot that had broken out in the city and for murder.)
20 Pilate, however, wanting to release Jesus, called to them again;
21 but they kept calling out, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’
22 ‘Why, what harm has this man done?’ Pilate said to them for the third time. ‘I have found nothing in him for which he could be condemned to death. So I will have him scourged, and then release him.’
23 But they persisted in loudly demanding his crucifixion; and their clamour gained the day.
24 Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.
25 He released the man who had been put in prison for riot and murder, as they demanded, and gave Jesus up to be dealt with as they pleased.
26 And, as they were leading Jesus away, they laid hold of Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and they put the cross on his shoulders, for him to carry it behind Jesus.
27 There was a great crowd of people following him, many being women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.
28 So Jesus turned and said to them, ‘Women of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29 A time, I tell you, is coming, when it will be said – “Happy are the women who are barren, and those who have never borne children or nursed them!”
30 At that time people will begin to say to the mountains “Fall on us,” and to the hills “Cover us.”
31 If what you see is done while the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?’
32 There were two others also, criminals, led out to be executed with Jesus.
33 When they had reached the place called “The Skull,” there they crucified Jesus and the criminals, one on the right, and one on the left.
34 Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.’ His clothes they divided among them by casting lots.
35 Meanwhile the people stood looking on. Even the leading men said with a sneer, ‘He saved others, let him save himself, if he is God’s Christ, his chosen one.’
36 The soldiers, too, came up in mockery, bringing him common wine,
37 and saying as they did so, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’
38 Above him were the words –
“THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanging beside Jesus railed at him. ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us,’ he said.
40 But the other rebuked him. ‘Haven’t you,’ he said, ‘any fear of God, now that you are under the same sentence?
41 And we justly so, for we are only reaping our deserts, but this man has not done anything wrong.
42 Jesus,’ he went on, ‘do not forget me when you have come to your kingdom.’
43 And Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, this very day you will be with me in Paradise.’
44 It was nearly midday, when a darkness came over the whole country, lasting until three in the afternoon,
45 the sun being eclipsed; and the Temple curtain was torn down the middle.
46 Then Jesus, with a loud cry, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ And with these words he expired.
47 The Roman centurion, on seeing what had happened, praised God, exclaiming, ‘This must have been a good man!’
48 All the people who had collected to see the sight watched what occurred, and then went home beating their breasts.
49 All the friends of Jesus had been standing at a distance, with the women who accompanied him from Galilee, watching all this.
50 Now there was a man of the name of Joseph, who was a member of the Council, and who bore a good and upright character.
51 (This man had not assented to the decision and action of the Council.) He belonged to Arimathea, a town in Judea, and lived in expectation of the kingdom of God.
52 He now went to see Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus;
53 and, when he had taken it down, he wrapped it in a linen sheet, and laid him in a tomb cut out of stone, in which no one had yet been buried.
54 It was the Preparation day, and just before the Sabbath began.
55 The women who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how the body of Jesus was laid,
56 and then went home, and prepared spices and perfumes.
During the Sabbath they rested, as directed by the commandment.
24
1 But very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb, taking with them the spices that they had prepared.
2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb;
3 and, on going into it, they could not find the bodyundefined\fr 24:3 Someundefined.
4 While they were at a loss to account for this, all at once two men stood beside them, in dazzling clothing.
5 But, when in their fear the women bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, ‘Why are you looking among the dead for him who is living?
6 undefined\fr 24:6 Someundefined Remember how he spoke to you before he left Galilee –
7 How he said that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of wicked men, and be crucified, and rise again on the third day.’
8 Then they remembered the words of Jesus,
9 and, on returning from the tomb, they told all this to the Eleven and to all the rest.
10 There were Mary of Magdala, and Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James. The other women, too, spoke about this to the apostles.
11 What they said seemed to the apostles mere nonsense, and they did not believe them.
12 undefined\fr 24:12 Someundefined
13 It happened that very day that two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem,
14 talking together, as they went, about all that had just taken place.
15 While they were talking about these things and discussing them, Jesus himself came up and went on their way with them;
16 but their eyes were blinded so that they could not recognise him.
17 ‘What is this that you are saying to each other as you walk along?’ Jesus asked. They stopped, with sad looks on their faces,
18 and then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, said to Jesus, ‘Are you staying by yourself at Jerusalem, that you have not heard of the things that have happened there within the last few days?’
19 ‘What things do you mean?’ asked Jesus. ‘Why, about Jesus of Nazareth,’ they answered, ‘who, in the eyes of God and all the people, was a prophet, whose power was felt in both his words and actions;
20 and how the chief priests and our leading men gave him up to be sentenced to death, and afterwards crucified him.
21 But we were hoping that he was the Destined Deliverer of Israel; yes, and besides all this, it is now three days since these things occurred.
22 And what is more, some of the women among us have greatly astonished us. They went to the tomb at daybreak
23 And, not finding the body of Jesus there, came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who told them that he was alive.
24 So some of our number went to the tomb and found everything just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.’
25 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Foolish men, slow to accept all that the prophets have said!
26 Was not the Christ bound to undergo this suffering before entering into his glory?’
27 Then, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them all through the scriptures the passages that referred to himself.
28 When they got near the village to which they were walking, Jesus appeared to be going further;
29 but they pressed him not to do so. ‘Stay with us,’ they said, ‘for it is getting towards evening, and the sun in already low.’ So Jesus went in to stay with them.
30 After he had taken his place at the table with them, he took the bread and said the blessing, and broke it, and gave it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he disappeared from their sight.
32 ‘How our hearts glowed,’ the disciples said to each other, ‘while he was talking to us on the road, and when he explained the scriptures to us!’
33 Then they immediately got up and returned to Jerusalem, where they found the Eleven and their companions all together,
34 who told them that the Master had really risen, and had appeared to Simon.
35 So they also related what had happened during their walk, and how they had recognised Jesus at the breaking of the bread.
36 While they were still talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them.undefined\fr 24:36 Someundefined
37 In their terror and alarm they thought they saw a ghost,
38 but Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you so startled? And why do doubts arise in your minds?
39 Look at my hands and my feet, and you will know that it is I. Feel me, and look at me, for a ghost has not flesh and bones, as you see that I have.’
40 undefined\fr 24:40 Someundefined
41 While they were still unable to believe it all, overcome with joy, and were wondering if it were true, Jesus said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’
42 They handed him a piece of broiled fish,
43 and he took it and ate it before their eyes.
44 ‘This is what I told you,’ he said, ‘when I was still with you – that everything that had been written about me in the Law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms, must be fulfilled.’
45 Then he enabled them to understand the meaning of the scriptures, saying to them,
46 ‘Scripture says that the Christ will suffer, and that he will rise again from the dead on the third day,
47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed on his authority to all the nations – beginning at Jerusalem.
48 You yourselves are to be witnesses to all this.
49 And now I am myself about to send you that which my Father has promised. But you must remain in the city until you have been invested with power from above.’
50 After this, Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and there raised his hands and blessed them.
51 As he was in the act of blessing them, he left them.undefined\fr 24:51 Someundefined
52 They returnedundefined\fr 24:52 Someundefined to Jerusalem full of joy;
53 and they were constantly in the Temple Courts, blessing God.
The
Good News According to
John
1
1 In the beginning the Word was;
and the Word was with God;
and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God;
3 through him all things came into being,
and nothing came into being apart from him.
4 That which came into being in him was life;
and the life was the light of humanity;
5 and the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness never overpowered it.
6 There appeared a man sent from God, whose name was John;
7 he came as a witness – to bear witness to the light
so that through him everyone might believe.
8 He was not the light,
but he came to bear witness to the light.
9 That was the true light which enlightens everyone coming into the world.
10 He was in the world;
and through him the world came into being –
yet the world did not know him.
11 He came to his own –
yet his own did not receive him.
12 But to all who did receive him he gave power to become children of God –
to those who believe in his name.
13 For not to natural conception, nor to human instincts, nor to human will did they owe the new life,
but to God.
14 And the Word became human, and lived among us,
(We saw his glory – the glory of the Only Son sent from the Father),
full of love and truth.
15 (John bears witness to him; he cried aloud – for it was he who spoke –
‘He who is coming after me is now before me,
for he was ever first’);
16 out of his fullness we have all received
gift after gift of love;
17 for the Law was given through Moses,
love and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever yet seen God;
God the only Son, who is ever with the Father –
he has revealed him.
19 When the religious authorities in Jerusalem sent some Priests and Levites to ask John – ‘Who are you?’,
20 he told them clearly and simply, ‘I am not the Christ.’
21 ‘What then?’ they asked. ‘Are you Elijah?’
‘No,’ he said, ‘I am not.’
‘Are you “the prophet”?’ He answered, ‘No.’
22 ‘Who then are you?’ they continued. ‘Tell us so that we have an answer to give to those who have sent us. What do you say about yourself?’
23 ‘I,’ he answered, ‘am –
“The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness: make a straight road for the Lord”,
as the prophet Isaiah said.’
24 These men had been sent from the Pharisees;
25 and their next question was, ‘Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ or Elijah or “the prophet”?’
26 John’s answer was – ‘I baptize with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know;
27 he is coming after me, yet I am not worthy even to unfasten his sandal.’
28 This happened at Bethany, across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and exclaimed, ‘Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30 I was talking about him when I said “After me there is coming a man who ranks ahead of me, because before I was born he already was.”
31 I did not know who he was, but I have come baptizing with water to make him known to Israel.’
32 John also said:
‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and rest on him.
33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water, he said to me “He on whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him – he it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”
34 This I have seen myself, and I have declared my belief that he is the Son of God.’
35 The next day, when John was standing with two of his disciples,
36 he looked at Jesus as he passed and exclaimed, ‘There is the Lamb of God!’
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and followed Jesus.
38 But Jesus turned round, and saw them following. ‘What are you looking for?’ he asked. ‘Rabbi,’ they answered (or, as we should say, “Teacher”), ‘where are you staying?’
39 ‘Come, and you will see,’ he replied. So they went, and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him.
It was then about four in the afternoon.
40 One of the two, who heard what John said and followed Jesus, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah!’ (a word which means “Christ,” or “Consecrated”.)
42 Then he brought him to Jesus. Looking straight at him, Jesus said, ‘You are Simon, the son of John; you will be called Cephas’ (which means “Peter,” or “Rock”).
43 The following day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’
44 Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.
45 He found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and of whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, Joseph’s son!’
46 ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ asked Nathanael. ‘Come and see,’ replied Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said, ‘Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!’
48 ‘How do you know me?’ asked Nathanael. ‘Even before Philip called you,’ replied Jesus, ‘when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’
49 ‘Rabbi,’ Nathanael exclaimed, ‘you are the Son of God, you are king of Israel!’
50 ‘Do you believe in me,’ asked Jesus, ‘because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than those!
51 In truth I tell you,’ he added, ‘you will all see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’