Taber Evangelical Free Church: Recent Episodes
Taber Evangelical Free Church
The Fellowship of the Believers42And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe[a] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Faith Without Works Is Dead14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,16and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.18But someone will say, You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believeand shudder!
The Command to Rebuild the Temple1In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord. 3Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?5Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.7Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord.9You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 10Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.The People Obey the Lord12Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. 13Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, I am with you, declares the Lord. 14And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,
The New Life17Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20But that is not the way you learned Christ! 21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,22to put off your old self,[a] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.25Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and give no opportunity to the devil. 28Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
The Great Commission16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.17And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
I am a rose[a] of Sharon,a lily of the valleys.He2As a lily among brambles,so is my love among the young women.She3As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,so is my beloved among the young men.With great delight I sat in his shadow,and his fruit was sweet to my taste.4He brought me to the banqueting house,[b]and his banner over me was love.5Sustain me with raisins;refresh me with apples,for I am sick with love.6His left hand is under my head,and his right hand embraces me!7I adjure you,[c] O daughters of Jerusalem,by the gazelles or the does of the field,that you not stir up or awaken loveuntil it pleases.To the Church in Ephesus2To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.2I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Thanksgiving and Prayer3I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace,[a] both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
The Visit of the Wise Men2Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men[a]from the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose[b] and have come to worship him. 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:6And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for from you shall come a rulerwho will shepherd my people Israel.7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him. 9After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
The Birth of Jesus Christ2In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.2This was the first registration when[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[b] who was with child. 6And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.[c]The Shepherds and the Angels8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,14Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased![d]15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. 16And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.17And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
The Birth of Jesus Christ2In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.2This was the first registration when[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[b] who was with child. 6And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.[c]The Shepherds and the Angels8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,14Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased![d]15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. 16And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.17And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.21And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ 1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,[a] 4and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,6and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,[b] 8and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,[c] and Amos the father of Josiah, 11and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,[d] and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 17So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
Alive in Christ 6Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives and Husbands 22Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.[a] 28In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30because we are members of his body.31Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Children and Parents 6Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. 4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Bondservants and Masters 5Bondservants,[b] obey your earthly masters[c] with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master[d] and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
Walk in Love 5Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not become partners with them; 8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
Awake, O sleeper,and arise from the dead,and Christ will shine on you.
15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
The New Life 17Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20But that is not the way you learned Christ! 21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22to put off your old self,[a] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 25Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and give no opportunity to the devil. 28Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed 3For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles 2assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6This mystery is[a] that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in[b] God, who created all things, 10so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. Prayer for Spiritual Strength 14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family[c] in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faiththat you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8Therefore it says,
When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,and he gave gifts to men.[a]
9(In saying, He ascended, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?[b] 10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c] and teachers,[d] 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Unity in the Body of Christ 4I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spiritjust as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
One in Christ 11Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands 12remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,[a] but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by[b] the Spirit.
By Grace Through Faith 2And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christby grace you have been saved 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Greeting 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful[a] in Christ Jesus: 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritual Blessings in Christ 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined us[b] for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9making known[c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,14who is the guarantee[d] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,[e] to the praise of his glory.
The High Priestly Prayer 17When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 6I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.11And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.12While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.[a] 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them[b] in the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19And for their sake I consecrate myself,[c] that they also may be sanctified[d] in truth. 20I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.24Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy 16A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me. 17So some of his disciples said to one another, What is this that he says to us, A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me; and, because I am going to the Father?18So they were saying, What does he mean by a little while? We do not know what he is talking about. 19Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me? 20Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. I Have Overcome the World 25I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.[a] 28I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father. 29His disciples said, Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God. 31Jesus answered them, Do you now believe? 32Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
4But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. The Work of the Holy Spirit I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, Where are you going? 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.8And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:9concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
The Hatred of the World 18If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,[a] but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: They hated me without a cause. 26But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. 16I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.3And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. The Work of the Holy Spirit I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
12This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
I Am the True Vine 15I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.3Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Following Pauls Example 15All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 17Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
25I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you. Jesuss Gift of Peace 27Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Dont let your heart be troubled or fearful. 28You have heard me tell you, I am going away and I am coming to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29I have told you now before it happens so that when it does happen you may believe. 30I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me.[a] 31On the contrary, so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do as the Father commanded me. Get up; lets leave this place.
22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Praying in Jesuss Name 12Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If you ask me[a] anything in my name, I will do it.[b] Another Counselor Promised 15If you love me, you will keep[c] my commands. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor[d] to be with you forever. 17He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesnt see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be[e] in you. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit 18I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. 21The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him. 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, Lord, how is it youre going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world? 23Jesus answered, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24The one who doesnt love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. 25I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you.
Peters Denials Predicted 36Lord, Simon Peter said to him, where are you going? Jesus answered, Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later. 37Lord, Peter asked, why cant I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you. 38Jesus replied, Will you lay down your life for me? Truly I tell you, a rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times. The Way to the Father 14Dont let your heart be troubled. Believe[a] in God; believe also in me. 2In my Fathers house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4You know the way to where I am going.[b] 5Lord, Thomas said, we dont know where youre going. How can we know the way? 6Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you know me, you will also know[c] my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him. Jesus Reveals the Father 8Lord, said Philip, show us the Father, and thats enough for us. 9Jesus said to him, Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Show us the Father? 10Dont you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who lives in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe[d] because of the works themselves.
Judass Betrayal Predicted 21When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in his spirit and testified, Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me. 22The disciples started looking at one anotheruncertain which one he was speaking about. 23One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus.[a] 24Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was he was talking about. 25So he leaned back against Jesus and asked him, Lord, who is it? 26Jesus replied, Hes the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it. When he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariots son.[b] 27After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. So Jesus told him, What youre doing, do quickly. 28None of those reclining at the table knew why he said this to him. 29Since Judas kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, Buy what we need for the festival, or that he should give something to the poor. 30After receiving the piece of bread, he immediately left. And it was night. The New Command 31When he had left, Jesus said, Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him.32If God is glorified in him,[c] God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.33Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so now I tell you, Where I am going, you cannot come. 34I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet 13Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, Lord, do you wash my feet? 7Jesus answered him, What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand. 8Peter said to him, You shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no share with me. 9Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head! 10Jesus said to him, The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet,[a] but is completely clean. And you[b]are clean, but not every one of you. 11For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, Not all of you are clean. 12When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, Do you understand what I have done to you? 13You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant[c] is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled,[d] He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me. 19I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples 36As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, Peace to you! 37But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38And he said to them, Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. 40And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, Have you anything here to eat? 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish,[a] 43and he took it and ate before them. 44Then he said to them, These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. 45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46and said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47and that repentance for[b] the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.
Who has believed what he has heard from us?[a]And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?2For he grew up before him like a young plant,and like a root out of dry ground;he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,and no beauty that we should desire him.3He was despised and rejected[b] by men,a man of sorrows[c] and acquainted with[d] grief;[e]and as one from whom men hide their faces[f]he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he has borne our griefsand carried our sorrows;yet we esteemed him stricken,smitten by God, and afflicted.5But 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.6All we like sheep have gone astray;we have turnedevery oneto his own way;and the Lord has laid on himthe iniquity of us all.
37Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
39Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40He has blinded their eyesand hardened their heart,lest they see with their eyes,and understand with their heart, and turn,and I would heal them.
41Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. Jesus Came to Save the World 44And Jesus cried out and said, Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandmentwhat to say and what to speak. 50And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.
Some Greeks Seek Jesus 20Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, Sir, we wish to see Jesus.22Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23And Jesus answered them, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up 27Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven: I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again. 29The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, An angel has spoken to him. 30Jesus answered, This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. 33He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34So the crowd answered him, We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? 35So Jesus said to them, The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.36While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light. The Unbelief of the People When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.
Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany 12Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3Mary therefore took a pound[a] of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii[b] and given to the poor? 6He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7Jesus said, Leave her alone, so that she may keep it[c]for the day of my burial. 8For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.
The Plot to Kill Jesus 45Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. 49But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, You know nothing at all. 50Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish. 51He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. 54Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples. 55Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56They were looking for[a] Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all? 57Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
Jesus Weeps 28When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, The Teacher is here and is calling for you. 29And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved[a] in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34And he said, Where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. 35Jesus wept. 36So the Jews said, See how he loved him! 37But some of them said, Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying? Jesus Raises Lazarus 38Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days. 40Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God? 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me. 43When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out. 44The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, Unbind him, and let him go.
The Death of Lazarus 11Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3So the sisters sent to him, saying, Lord, he whom you love is ill. 4But when Jesus heard it he said, This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. 5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6So, when he heard that Lazarus[a] was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7Then after this he said to the disciples, Let us go to Judea again. 8The disciples said to him, Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again? 9Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. 11After saying these things, he said to them, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him. 12The disciples said to him, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover. 13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus has died, 15and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him. 16So Thomas, called the Twin,[b] said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. I Am the Resurrection and the Life 17Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles[c] off, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.23Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. 24Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. 25Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life.[d] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?27She said to him, Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.
I and the Father Are One 22At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. 25Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me,[a] is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one. 31The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus answered them, I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?33The Jews answered him, It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God. 34Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your Law, I said, you are gods? 35If he called them gods to whom the word of God cameand Scripture cannot be broken 36do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, You are blaspheming, because I said, I am the Son of God? 37If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. 39Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. 40He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41And many came to him. And they said, John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true. 42And many believed in him there.
11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father. 19There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20Many of them said, He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him? 21Others said, These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?
I Am the Good Shepherd 10Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. 6This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7So Jesus again said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
35Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, Do you believe in the Son of Man?[a] 36He answered, And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?37Jesus said to him, You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you. 38He said, Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him. 39Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.40Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, Are we also blind? 41Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no guilt;[b] but now that you say, We see, your guilt remains.
8The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, Is this not the man who used to sit and beg? 9Some said, It is he. Others said, No, but he is like him. He kept saying, I am the man. 10So they said to him, Then how were your eyes opened? 11He answered, The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, Go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and received my sight. 12They said to him, Where is he? He said, I do not know. 13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see. 16Some of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath. But others said, How can a man who is a sinner do such signs? And there was a division among them. 17So they said again to the blind man, What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes? He said, He is a prophet. 18The Jews[a] did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19and asked them, Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see? 20His parents answered, We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself. 22(His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus[b] to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) 23Therefore his parents said, He is of age; ask him. 24So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner. 25He answered, Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. 26They said to him, What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes? 27He answered them, I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples? 28And they reviled him, saying, You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from. 30The man answered, Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. 34They answered him, You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us? And they cast him out.
The Sixth Sign: Healing a Man Born Blind 9As he was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? 3Neither this man nor his parents sinned, Jesus answered. This came about so that Gods works might be displayed in him. 4We[a] must do the works of him who sent me[b] while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6After he said these things he spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes. 7Go,he told him, wash in the pool of Siloam (which means Sent). So he left, washed, and came back seeing.
41Let your faithful love come to me,Lord,your salvation, as you promised.42Then I can answer the one who taunts me,for I trust in your word.43Never take the word of truth from my mouth,for I hope in your judgments.44I will always obey your instruction,forever and ever.45I will walk freely in an open placebecause I study your precepts.46I will speak of your decrees before kingsand not be ashamed.47I delight in your commands,which I love.48I will lift up my hands to your commands,which I love,and will meditate on your statutes.
The Circumcision and Presentation of Jesus 21When the eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesusthe name given by the angel before he was conceived. 22And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every firstborn male will be dedicated[a] to the Lord[b]) 24and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons[c]). Simeons Prophetic Praise 25There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israels consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lords Messiah. 27Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said,
29Now, Master,you can dismiss your servant in peace,as you promised.30For my eyes have seen your salvation.31You have prepared itin the presence of all peoples32a light for revelation to the Gentiles[d]and glory to your people Israel. 33His father and mother[e] were amazed at what was being said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary, Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed[f] 35and a sword will pierce your own soulthat the thoughts[g] of many hearts may be revealed. Annas Testimony 36There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,[h]37and was a widow for eighty-four years.[i] She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers. 38At that very moment,[j] she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
The Birth and Naming of John 57Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. 58Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy, and they rejoiced with her. 59When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day,they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60But his mother responded, No. He will be called John. 61Then they said to her, None of your relatives has that name. 62So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called. 63He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, His name is John. And they were all amazed. 64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. 66All who heard about him took it to heart, saying, What then will this child become? For, indeed, the Lords hand was with him. Zechariahs Prophecy 67Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,because he has visitedand provided redemption for his people.69He has raised up a horn of salvation for usin the house of his servant David,70just as he spoke by the mouthof his holy prophets in ancient times;71salvation from our enemiesand from the hand of those who hate us.72He has dealt mercifully with our ancestorsand remembered his holy covenant73the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,to grant that we,74having been rescuedfrom the hand of our enemies,would serve him without fear75in holiness and righteousnessin his presence all our days.76And you, child, will be calleda prophet of the Most High,for you will go before the Lordto prepare his ways,77to give his people knowledge of salvationthrough the forgiveness of their sins.78Because of our Gods merciful compassion,the dawn from on high will visit us79to shine on those who live in darknessand the shadow of death,to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80The child grew up and became strong in spirit,[a] and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Marys Visit to Elizabeth 39In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40where she entered Zechariahs house and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Marys greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed![a] 43How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. 45Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her! Marys Praise 46And Mary said:
My soul magnifies the Lord,47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,48because he has looked with favoron the humble condition of his servant.Surely, from now on all generationswill call me blessed,49because the Mighty Onehas done great things for me,and his name is holy.50His mercy is from generation to generationon those who fear him.51He has done a mighty deed with his arm;he has scattered the proudbecause of the thoughts of their hearts;52he has toppled the mighty from their thronesand exalted the lowly.53He has satisfied the hungry with good thingsand sent the rich away empty.54He has helped his servant Israel,remembering his mercy55to Abraham and his descendants[b] forever,just as he spoke to our ancestors.
56And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.
Gabriel Predicts Jesuss Birth 26In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged[a] to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgins name was Mary. 28And the angel came to her and said, Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.[b] 29But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30Then the angel told her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High,and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end. 34Mary asked the angel, How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man? [c] 35The angel replied to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36And consider your relative Elizabetheven she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37For nothing will be impossible with God. 38See, I am the Lords servant, said Mary. May it happen to me as you have said. Then the angel left her.
The Dedication to Theophilus 1Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. 3So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, 4so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.[b] Gabriel Predicts Johns Birth 5In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijahs divisionnamed Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6Both were righteous in Gods sight, living without blameaccording to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. 7But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years. 8When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.12When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear. 13But the angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer.He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mothers womb. 16He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people. 18How can I know this? Zechariah asked the angel. For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years. 19The angel answered him, I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God,and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. 20Now listen. You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time. 21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. 22When he did come out, he could not speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was making signs to them and remained speechless. 23When the days of his ministry were completed, he went back home. 24After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, 25The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people.
Romans 15:713 (CSB) GLORIFYING GOD TOGETHER 7Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God. 8For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of Gods truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, 9and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praise to your name., 10Again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people!, 11And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples praise him!, 12And again, Isaiah says, The root of Jesse will appear, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; the Gentiles will hope in him., 13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:16 (CSB) PLEASING OTHERS, NOT OURSELVES 15Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. 2Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3For even Christ did not please himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me., 4For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. 5Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.
Romans 14:1323 (ESV) Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Romans 14:112 (ESV) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lords. 9For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11for it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,and every tongue shall confess to God. 12So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
James 3:1318 (ESV) Wisdom from Above 13Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Proverbs 1:2033 (ESV) The Call of Wisdom 20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: 22 How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. 24 Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, 25 because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, 27 when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. 28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, 30 would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, 31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. 32 For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; 33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.
Proverbs 1:17 (ESV) The Beginning of Knowledge 1The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, 3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; 4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth 5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
John 8:3159 (ESV) The Truth Will Set You Free 31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. 33They answered him, We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, You will become free? 34Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father. You Are of Your Father the Devil 39They answered him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, If you were Abrahams children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41You are doing the works your father did. They said to him, We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Fathereven God. 42Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your fathers desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God. Before Abraham Was, I Am 48The Jews answered him, Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon? 49Jesus answered, I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.52The Jews said to him, Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death. 53Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be? 54Jesus answered, If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, He is our God. 55But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad. 57So the Jews said to him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? 58Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. 59So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
John 8:1230 (ESV) I Am the Light of the World 12Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. 13So the Pharisees said to him, You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true. 14Jesus answered, Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me. 19They said to him therefore, Where is your Father? Jesus answered, You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also. 20These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. 21So he said to them again, I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come. 22So the Jews said, Will he kill himself, since he says, Where I am going, you cannot come? 23He said to them, You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins. 25So they said to him, Who are you? Jesus said to them, Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him. 27They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. 28So Jesus said to them, When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him. 30As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
John 7:3752 (ESV) Rivers of Living Water 37On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. 39Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Division Among the People 40When they heard these words, some of the people said, This really is the Prophet. 41Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was? 43So there was a division among the people over him. 44Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 45The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, Why did you not bring him? 46The officers answered, No one ever spoke like this man! 47The Pharisees answered them, Have you also been deceived? 48Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed. 50Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does? 52They replied, Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.
John 7:2536 (ESV) Can This Be the Christ? 25Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from. 28So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me. 30So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done? Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus 32The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33Jesus then said, I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come. 35The Jews said to one another, Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36What does he mean by saying, You will seek me and you will not find me, and, Where I am you cannot come?
Micah 6:68 (ESV) What Does the LORD Require? 6 With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
John 6:1521 (ESV) 15Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. Jesus Walks on Water 16When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20But he said to them, It is I; do not be afraid. 21Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
John 6:114 (ESV) Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand 6After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?6He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7Philip answered him, Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little. 8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peters brother, said to him, 9There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many? 10Jesus said, Have the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost. 13So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!
John 5:3047 (ESV) Witnesses to Jesus 30I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.35He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41I do not receive glory from people. 42But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43I have come in my Fathers name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?
John 21:125 (ESV) Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples 21After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing. They said to him, We will go with you. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus said to them, Children, do you have any fish? They answered him, No. 6He said to them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, It is the Lord! When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. 9When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish that you have just caught. 11So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, Come and have breakfast. Now none of the disciples dared ask him, Who are you? They knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. Jesus and Peter 15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs. 16He said to him a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Tend my sheep. 17He said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Do you love me? and he said to him, Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep. 18Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go. 19(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, Follow me. Jesus and the Beloved Apostle 20Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, Lord, who is it that is going to betray you? 21When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? 22Jesus said to him, If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me! 23So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? 24This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
John 20:2431 (ESV) Jesus and Thomas 24Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe. 26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. 27Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe. 28Thomas answered him, My Lord and my God! 29Jesus said to him, Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. The Purpose of This Book 30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:1923 (ESV) Jesus Appears to the Disciples 19On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you. 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.
John 5:1829 (ESV) Jesus Is Equal with God 18This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. The Authority of the Son 19So Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.27And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
John 5:118 (ESV) The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath 5:1After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3In these lay a multitude of invalidsblind, lame, and paralyzed. 5One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, Do you want to be healed? 7The sick man answered him, Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me. 8Jesus said to him, Get up, take up your bed, and walk. 9And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. 10So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed. 11But he answered them, The man who healed me, that man said to me, Take up your bed, and walk. 12They asked him, Who is the man who said to you, Take up your bed and walk? 13Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you. 15The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17But Jesus answered them, My Father is working until now, and I am working. Jesus Is Equal with God 18This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
John 4:4654 (ESV) Jesus Heals an Officials Son 46So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48So Jesus said to him, Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe. 49The official said to him, Sir, come down before my child dies. 50Jesus said to him, Go; your son will live. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, Your son will live. And he himself believed, and all his household. 54This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
John 4:145 (ESV) Jesus and the Woman of Samaria 4Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4And he had to pass through Samaria. 5So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacobs well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give me a drink. 8(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, Give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. 11The woman said to him, Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock. 13Jesus said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. 15The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water. 16Jesus said to her, Go, call your husband, and come here. 17The woman answered him, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You are right in saying, I have no husband; 18for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true. 19The woman said to him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship. 21Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. 25The woman said to him, I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things. 26Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am he. 27Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, What do you seek? or, Why are you talking with her? 28So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ? 30They went out of the town and were coming to him. 31Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, Rabbi, eat. 32But he said to them, I have food to eat that you do not know about. 33So the disciples said to one another, Has anyone brought him something to eat? 34Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35Do you not say, There are yet four months, then comes the harvest? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.36Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37For here the saying holds true, One sows and another reaps. 38I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor. 39Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the womans testimony, He told me all that I ever did. 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41And many more believed because of his word. 42They said to the woman, It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world. 43After the two days he departed for Galilee. 44(For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
John 3:2236 (ESV) John the Baptist Exalts Christ 22After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24(for John had not yet been put in prison). 25Now a discussion arose between some of Johns disciples and a Jew over purification. 26And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witnesslook, he is baptizing, and all are going to him. 27John answered, A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. 29The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegrooms voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30He must increase, but I must decrease. 31He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 3:121 (ESV) You Must Be Born Again 3Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. 3Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mothers womb and be born? 5Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. 9Nicodemus said to him, How can these things be? 10Jesus answered him, Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God So Loved the World 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.