“”This was John’t testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you, Elijah?”
“No”, he replied.
“Are you the Prophet we are expecting?”
“No.”
“Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say for yourself?” John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah:
“I am the voice shouting in the wilderness, Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!”
Then the Pharisees who had been sent asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”
John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. Though His ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be His slave and untie the straps of His sandal.”
This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.”” (John 1: vv. 119-28, NLT)
“”So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
John testified about Him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the One I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for He existed long before me.'”
From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is Himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.””
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave light to everything that was created, and His light brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
God sent a man , John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming to the world.
He came into the very wold He created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him. But to all who believed Him, and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn – not with a physical birth resulting form human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. (John 1: vv. 13, NLT)
“Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, He blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up to heaven. So they worshipped Him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. And they spend all of their time in the Temple, praising God.” (Luke 24:vv 50-52, NLT)
“Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized Him as He was breaking bread. And just as they were telling about it, Jesus Himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” He said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, think they were seeing a ghost!
“Why are you frightened?” He asked. “Why are you hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that I am not a ghost, because ghosts do not have bodies, as you see that I do.” As He spoke, he showed them His hands and His feet.
Still they stood in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then He asked them, “Do yo have anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He at it as they watched.
Then He said,”When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about Me in the law of Moses and they prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And He said,” Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of His name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: “There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.” You are witnesses of all these things.”
“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as My father. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” (Luke 24:vv. 35-49, NLT)
“”That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus Himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing Him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along.?”
They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened here the last few days.”
“What things?” Jesus asked.
“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and He was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed Him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified Him. We had hoped He was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. All the happened three days ago. “
“Then some women from our group of His tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said His body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, His body was gone, just as the women had said.”
Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His glory?” Then Jesus took them through all the writings of Moses and al the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if He were going on, but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So He went home with them. As they sat down to eat, He took the bread and blessed it. Then He broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. And at that moment He dissappeared!
They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” And within the hour, they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and there others who had gathered with them, who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”” (Luke 24: vv. 13-34, NLT)
“”But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name, You are mine.
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. when you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to Me. You are honored, and I love you.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather your children from east and west. I will say to the north and south, ‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth. Bring all who claim me as their God for I have made them for My glory. It was I who created them'”” (Isaiah 43: vv. 1-7, NLT)
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with the great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance – an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
So be truly glad. There is a wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will being you to much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust in Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.””
“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will seek in the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
“”One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?”
Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is ready among you.”
Then He said to His disciples,” The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it. People will tell you, ‘Look there is the Son of Man’ or ‘Here He is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. For as the lighting flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of May comes. But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation.”
“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat ant the flood came and destroyed them all.”
“And the world will be as it was in the days of of Lot. People went about their daily business – eating, drinking, buying and selling, farming and building-until the morning when Lot left Sodom. The fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”
“On that day, a person will be out on the deck of a roof but not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! It you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. “
“When this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked.
Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of the vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”” (Luke 17: vv 20-37, NLT)
