Category: Scripture

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 the bread. 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, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

“Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are hour hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really Me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you can see that I do.” As He spoke, He showed them His hands and feet.

Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. They He asked them, “Do you have anything to eat?” They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate 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 the 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 form 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 with 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 promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” (vv. 35-49, NLT)

Then the entire council too Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. They began to state their case: “This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming He is the Messiah, a king.”

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

Jesus replied, “You have said it.”

Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowed and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!”

Then they became insistent. “But He is causing riots by His teachings wherever He goes – all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!”

“Oh, He is a Galilean?” Pilate asked. When they said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.

Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had ben hoping for a long time to see Him in person and performa a miracle. He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations. The Herod and his shoulders began mocking an ridiculing Jesus.Finally, the put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. (Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.)

Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, and announced his verdict. “You have brought this mane to me, accusing Him of leading a revolt. I have examined Him thoroughly on this point in our presence and find Him innocent. Herod came to the same conclusions and brought Him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for a death penalty. So I will have Him flogged, and then I will release Him.” (vv. 1-17, NLT)

For a third time, he demanded, “Why?” What crime has He committed? I have found no reason to sentence Him to death. So I will have Him flogged, and then I will release Him.”

But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them do do as hey wished.” (vv. 22-25, NLT)

“But here at this table, sitting amount us as a friend, is the man who will betray Me. For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays Him.” The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever to such a thing.

Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are call ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits as the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.”

“You have stayed with Me in my time of trial. And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right to eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (vv. 21-30, NLT)

Some of His disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, “The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of each other!”

“Teacher, ” they asked, “when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?”

He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ Don’t believe them. And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.” Then He added, “Nations will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plaques in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.” (vv. 5-11, NLT)

“And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that that the time of its destructions has arrived. Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city. For those will be the days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scripture will be fulfilled. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people. They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to al the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end.”

“And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in heaven will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” (vv. 20-28, NLT)

“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let the day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” (vv. 34-36, NLT)

Watching for their opportunity, the leaders send spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so that he would arrest Jesus. “Teacher”, they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. No tell us – is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

He saw through their trickery and said, “Shoe me a roman coin. Whose picture is stamped on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

“Well then”, he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

So they failed to trap Him by what He said in front of the people. Instead they were amazed at his answer, and they became silent.” (vv. 20-26, NLT)

Jesus entered Jericho and made His way through the town. There was a man there named Zaccchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tired to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he rand ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

When Jesus cam by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest at your home today.”

Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (vv. 1-10, NLT)

One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” He said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for awhile, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear Good or care abut people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'”

Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think that God will surely give you justice to His chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will He keep putting them of? I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?” (vv. 1-8, NLT)

One day, Jesus said to His disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck that to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. So watch yourselves!”

“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”

Then the apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”

The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted an thrown into the sea,’ and it would obey you!

When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me?’ No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey Me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.” (vv. 1-10, NLT)

To illustrate further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. They younger told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.”

“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs look good to him But no one gave him anything.”

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and her I am dying of hunger!I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”

“So he returned home to his father. Snd while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.”

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and how he was returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.”

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going one. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years, I’ve slaved for you and never once refused ot do a single thing you told me to do. And in al that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet this sone of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing a fattened calf!’

“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'” (vv. 11-32, NLT)

A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be My disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison -your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow Me, you cannot be My disciple.”

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there was enough to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!'”

“Or what king would go to war agains another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become My disciple without giving up everything you own.”

“Salt is good for seasoning, but if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” (vv. 25-35, NLT)