Stephen, Acts 6-7, written by Greg Brower

image by Gustav Dore

Acts 6-7

Seven Chosen to Serve

6Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. ²And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait at tables.^{* 3}Therefore, friends,^* select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, ⁴while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.’ ⁵What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. ⁶They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

The Arrest of Stephen

8 Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. ¹⁰But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit^* with which he spoke. ¹¹Then they secretly instigated some men to say, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.’ ¹²They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. ¹³They set up false witnesses who said, ‘This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; ¹⁴for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth^* will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.’ ¹⁵And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Stephen’s Speech to the Council

7Then the high priest asked him, ‘Are these things so?’ ²And Stephen replied:

‘Brothers^* and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, ³and said to him, “Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.” ⁴Then he left the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God had him move from there to this country in which you are now living. ⁵He did not give him any of it as a heritage, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as his possession and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child. ⁶And God spoke in these terms, that his descendants would be resident aliens in a country belonging to others, who would enslave them and maltreat them for four hundred years. ⁷“But I will judge the nation that they serve,” said God, “and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.” ⁸Then he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham^* became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

9 ‘The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him, ¹⁰and rescued him from all his afflictions, and enabled him to win favour and to show wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. ¹¹Now there came a famine throughout Egypt and Canaan, and great suffering, and our ancestors could find no food. ¹²But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there on their first visit. ¹³On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. ¹⁴Then Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five in all; ¹⁵so Jacob went down to Egypt. He himself died there as well as our ancestors, ¹⁶and their bodies^* were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17 ‘But as the time drew near for the fulfilment of the promise that God had made to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased and multiplied ¹⁸until another king who had not known Joseph ruled over Egypt. ¹⁹He dealt craftily with our race and forced our ancestors to abandon their infants so that they would die. ²⁰At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful before God. For three months he was brought up in his father’s house; ²¹and when he was abandoned, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. ²²So Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his words and deeds.

23 ‘When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his relatives, the Israelites.^{* 24}When he saw one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. ²⁵He supposed that his kinsfolk would understand that God through him was rescuing them, but they did not understand. ²⁶The next day he came to some of them as they were quarrelling and tried to reconcile them, saying, “Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong each other?” ²⁷But the man who was wronging his neighbour pushed Moses^* aside, saying, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? ²⁸Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?” ²⁹When he heard this, Moses fled and became a resident alien in the land of Midian. There he became the father of two sons.

30 ‘Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. ³¹When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look, there came the voice of the Lord: ³²“I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look. ³³Then the Lord said to him, “Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. ³⁴I have surely seen the mistreatment of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Come now, I will send you to Egypt.”

35 ‘It was this Moses whom they rejected when they said, “Who made you a ruler and a judge?” and whom God now sent as both ruler and liberator through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶He led them out, having performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. ³⁷This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, “God will raise up a prophet for you from your own people^* as he raised me up.” ³⁸He is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living oracles to give to us. ³⁹Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him; instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, ⁴⁰saying to Aaron, “Make gods for us who will lead the way for us; as for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.” ⁴¹At that time they made a calf, offered a sacrifice to the idol, and revelled in the works of their hands. ⁴²But God turned away from them and handed them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: “Did you offer to me slain victims and sacrifices
for forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? ⁴³ No; you took along the tent of Moloch,
and the star of your god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship; so I will remove you beyond Babylon.”

44 ‘Our ancestors had the tent of testimony in the wilderness, as God^* directed when he spoke to Moses, ordering him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. ⁴⁵Our ancestors in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors. And it was there until the time of David, ⁴⁶who found favour with God and asked that he might find a dwelling-place for the house of Jacob.^{* 47}But it was Solomon who built a house for him. ⁴⁸Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands;^* as the prophet says, ⁴⁹ “Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest? ⁵⁰ Did not my hand make all these things?”

51 ‘You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are for ever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. ⁵²Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. ⁵³You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.’

The Stoning of Stephen

54 When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen.^{* 55}But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ ⁵⁷But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. ⁵⁸Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ ⁶⁰Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.

Peter, Matthew 4:18-20; 16:13-20; Mark 14:26-31; Luke 22:54-62; John 21: 15-19; Acts 2-4:31, written by Kurt Nelson

Peter Preaching, by Christopher Slatoff

As I began to read today's scripture about Peter, my first question was why I signed up for this Bible character! Outside of Jesus Christ (and questionably Paul), Peter is the most important Bible Character in the New Testament. Am I equipped to do him justice, I thought. The further I read, I began to see patterns emerge with Peter and certain "boldness" although sometimes misguided, about him that encouraged me to tackle the endeavor!

Peter began life as a simple fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. We do not know much about Peter until Christ selected him for a closer association with Him. What we do know is that Christ's selection of Peter and his brother Andrew appears to be Christ's first selection of His Disciples.

Christ was particularly close with Peter and two other disciples, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. This close association provides him with special attention - Peter was one of the witnesses of the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:37), he was at the Transfiguration of Christ (Matthew 17:1), and was available to witness Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33). In each one of these events in the Bible, Peter was named first.

Peter also seems to have developed a sense of boldness as well. When Christ asks the question, "Who am I," Peter is first to proffer that He is the Christ, the son of God. Jesus seemingly repays him by saying that Peter (whose name means rock) will be the "rock" upon which Christ will establish His Church. (There are several interpretations for the language in Matthew 16:18. In addition to the rock being Christ himself, it can be said that the foundation of the Church can be found in Peter's confession of who Christ is, as well as upon Peter himself, as our later readings in Acts bear out.)

Peter's boldness, to the degree of impetuousness, can be seen during the Last Supper, when Christ is preparing to wash Peter's feet. Peter refuses to allow Christ to stoop to such servitude. When he hears t that if Christ does not wash him, Peter will have no part with Christ (John 13:6-9), Peter completely reverses his position and demands to have his entire body washed!

This great boldness seems to disappear altogether when Christ is arrested. Very soon thereafter, we hear Peter deny Christ three times. Peter runs out then and weeps bitterly when he recalls that, after another bold and impetulent outburst "Even if all fall away, I will not," Christ had predicted his denials.

While some might believe that this is the end of Peter's discipleship, we find that Peter is the first disciple to whom Christ appears after his resurrection (Luke 24:34 and 1 Corinthians 15:5). Christ later surprises Peter by asking him three times if Peter loved Him. Peter responds overwhelmingly to each query that he does. This is Christ's method of forgiving Peter for his earlier denials of Him. Christ responds to each affirmation "Feed my sheep" indicating that He had something special planned for Peter - Peter was going to start the new Church!

The final part of our scripture reading on Peter comes from Acts and to me it is the most uplifting of all the readings. I have always believed that the Disciples spent three years with Jesus and still did not have a clue as to really who He was, why He was here on earth and what He was going to do for mankind. I have often thought that even though Peter seemed to come up with the right answer once in awhile, he was just the whiz kid and happened upon his answer by chance and for the most part was still clueless. But once the Holy Spirit was breathed upon the Disciples, they automatically got "smart." Peter's sermons in our readings show that he was by far the most enlightened. In fact, as his sermon before the Sanhedrin shows, Peter was filled with Holy Spirit boldness. Come what may, he was going to preach about Christ and His saving power - and this time he got it right; not by happenstance!

Our reading in Acts is also special because it is one of the first times, if not the first time, in the Bible, that anyone outside of Christ is mentioned as being "filled" with the Holy Spirit instead of having the Holy Spirit come "upon" a person. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit! Christ told his Disciples that He was not going to leave them (us) alone, that He was going to send someone to take His place as our guide, mentor and counselor, and He meant it!

So, after reading four pages of very different scripture lessons, what do they mean for us? Looking at these readings as a whole, they describe the average pathway of a Christian in his walk with Christ. Throughout our lives, we have very high moments, very low moments, moments where the light just came on, and moments of Holy Spirit boldness, just like Peter did. We look at Peter and may very well think that we could never be like him. Christ selected him to start His Church! But I think we are wrong! Christ is selecting each one of us, every day, to continue His Church. It just takes a little Holy Spirit boldness!

Matthew 4:18-20

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. ¹⁹And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ ²⁰Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Matthew 16:13-20

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ ¹⁴And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ¹⁵He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah,^* the Son of the living God.’ ¹⁷And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter,^* and on this rock^* I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ ²⁰Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was^* the Messiah.

Mark 14:26-31

Peter’s Denial Foretold

26 When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ²⁷And Jesus said to them, ‘You will all become deserters; for it is written,
“I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.”
²⁸But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.’ ²⁹Peter said to him, ‘Even though all become deserters, I will not.’ ³⁰Jesus said to him, ‘Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ ³¹But he said vehemently, ‘Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And all of them said the same.

Luke 22:54-62

Peter Denies Jesus

54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. ⁵⁵When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. ⁵⁶Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, ‘This man also was with him.’ ⁵⁷But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’ ⁵⁸A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’ ⁵⁹Then about an hour later yet another kept insisting, ‘Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.’ ⁶⁰But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about!’ At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. ⁶¹The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ ⁶²And he went out and wept bitterly.

John 21:15-19

Jesus and Peter

15 When 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.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ ¹⁶A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ ¹⁷He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt 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. ¹⁸Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ ¹⁹(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’

Acts 2-4:31

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

2When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ²And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. ⁷Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ ¹²All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ ¹³But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

Peter Addresses the Crowd

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. ¹⁵Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
¹⁷ “In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
¹⁸ Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
¹⁹ And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
²⁰ The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
²¹ Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

22 ‘You that are Israelites,^* listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth,^* a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— ²³this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. ²⁴But God raised him up, having freed him from death,^* because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. ²⁵For David says concerning him,
“I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
²⁶ therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover, my flesh will live in hope.
²⁷ For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption.
²⁸ You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”

29 ‘Fellow Israelites,^* I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. ³¹Foreseeing this, David^* spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah,^* saying,
“He was not abandoned to Hades,
nor did his flesh experience corruption.”
³²This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. ³³Being therefore exalted at^* the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear. ³⁴For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand,
³⁵ until I make your enemies your footstool.’ ”
³⁶Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah,^* this Jesus whom you crucified.’

The First Converts

37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers,^* what should we do?’ ³⁸Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’ ⁴⁰And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ ⁴¹So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. ⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Life among the Believers

43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All who believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds^* to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home^* and ate their food with glad and generous^* hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Peter Heals a Crippled Beggar

3One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. ²And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. ³When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. ⁴Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ ⁵And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶But Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,^* stand up and walk.’ ⁷And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹All the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter Speaks in Solomon’s Portico

11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished. ¹²When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, ‘You Israelites,^* why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant^* Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, ¹⁵and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus^* has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

17 ‘And now, friends,^* I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah^* would suffer. ¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, ²⁰so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah^* appointed for you, that is, Jesus, ²¹who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets. ²²Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people^* a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. ²³And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out from the people.” ²⁴And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days. ²⁵You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, “And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” ²⁶When God raised up his servant,^* he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.’

Peter and John before the Council

4While Peter and John^* were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, ²much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. ³So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand.

5 The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, ⁶with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John,^* and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷When they had made the prisoners^* stand in their midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ ⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, ¹⁰let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,^* whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. ¹¹This Jesus^* is
“the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.”^*
12There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.’

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. ¹⁴When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. ¹⁵So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. ¹⁶They said, ‘What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. ¹⁷But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.’ ¹⁸So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; ²⁰for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ ²¹After threatening them again, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened. ²²For the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than forty years old.

The Believers Pray for Boldness

23 After they were released, they went to their friends^* and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, ‘Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them, ²⁵it is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant:^*
“Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples imagine vain things?
²⁶ The kings of the earth took their stand,
and the rulers have gathered together
against the Lord and against his Messiah.”^*
27For in this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant^* Jesus, whom you anointed, ²⁸to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. ²⁹And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants^* to speak your word with all boldness, ³⁰while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant^* Jesus.’ ³¹When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.

Thomas, John 20:1-29, written by Pastor Sarah

Thomas was a faithful disciple. He was one of Jesus 12 disciples and is famous for the scene in the gospel of John where he doubted that Jesus had been raised from the dead because he wasn't there when the risen Jesus appeared.

For that reason, he is known as "doubting Thomas." I think that's a little unfair. He plays a part in two other scenes in the gospel of John. When Jesus decides to go back to a dangerous and hostile environment in order to raise Lazarus from the dead, it is Thomas who says: "Let us also go, that we may die with him." He shows courage and loyalty to Jesus.

When Jesus is describing that he is leaving the disciples and going to prepare a place for them, Thomas says "Lord we don't know where you are going, how can we know the way?" This seems like a great question and it sets up Jesus' response: I am the way, the truth and the life.

Thomas doesn't doubt when he is in Jesus' presence. He shows great faithfulness. But he does doubt Jesus' resurrection because he wasn't there. The other disciples tell Thomas that Jesus was alive and Thomas doesn't believe them.

So here's an observation: In the little we know about Thomas, he doesn't doubt anything that Jesus says. He's actually very faithful and zealous. But he is a doubter: He doubts the testimony of the other disciples. It makes me wonder less about Thomas' faith, and more about the relationships between the disciples. Why didn't Thomas believe them?

When Jesus says: "blessed are those who haven't seen and still come to believe" there is a call to those who have experienced the risen Jesus to testify in a way that will turn doubt into faith.

**
As a PostScript, Nickel Creek has a wonderful song called "Doubting Thomas" Listen to it here. Lyrics below.

What will be left when I've drawn my last breath,
Besides the folks I've met and the folks who know me,
Will I discover a soul saving love,
Or just the dirt above and below me,

I'm a doubting thomas,
I took a promise,
But I do not feel safe,
Oh me of little faith,

Sometimes I pray for a slap in the face,
Then I beg to be spared 'cause I'm a coward,
If there's a master of death I'll bet he's holding his breath,
As I show the blind and tell the deaf about his power,
I'm a doubting thomas,
I can't keep my promises,
'Cause i don't know what's safe,
oh me of little faith

Can I be used to help others find truth,
When I'm scared I'll find proof that its a lie,
Can I be lead down a trail dropping bread crumbs,
That prove I'm not ready to die,

Please give me time to decipher the signs,
Please forgive me for time that I've wasted,

I'm a doubting thomas,
I'll take your promise,
Though I know nothin's safe,
Oh me of little faith

John 20:1-29

The Resurrection of Jesus

20Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ²So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ ³Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. ⁴The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. ⁸Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; ⁹for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰Then the disciples returned to their homes.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look^* into the tomb; ¹²and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. ¹³They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ ¹⁴When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ ¹⁶Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew,^* ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). ¹⁷Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ ¹⁸Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ ²²When 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 retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

Jesus and Thomas

24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin^*), one of the twelve, 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 the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, 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. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt 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 come to believe.’

The adulterous woman, John 8:1-11, written by Pastor Steve

John 8:1-11

One of the most interesting things about this story is that it probably was not originally part of the Gospel of John. Most of the oldest copies we have of John’s Gospel don’t include it. And yet, it seems that in the very early church this story was so powerful – and so widely accepted as a genuine story about Jesus – that it eventually found a home in between the 7th and 8th Chapters of John.

The story is compelling for several reasons. First, because it involves a person who’s sin is not in question. Sometimes, when we read about Jesus forgiving “sinners”, it’s not always clear if the person is being falsely accused, or perhaps even accused of something which shouldn’t be considered a sin. But everybody accepted that adultery was a sin. And nobody – not even the woman – denied that she was guilty.

And yet, Jesus refused to join the lynch mob. He sat quietly and wrote on the ground (later scribes sometimes added that he wrote the sins of each of the accusers!) Finally, Jesus ties God’s justice and mercy together when we tells the self-righteous mob that whoever is without sin should cast the first stone. And they all go away. And then, Jesus, the only one without sin who could cast the stone, refuses to condemn the woman. He simply tells her to go her way and not sin anymore.

And perhaps the reason this story was so important to include was that it reminds us that it’s really easy for us to say, “oh, yes, we’re all sinners”. But it’s also really easy for us to excuse our own sin by comparing ourselves to somebody we believe is worse than us. Jesus will have none of that. Judgment belongs to God. And sin can’t be atoned for by pointing a finger at somebody else. Only God’s forgiveness and mercy can do that.

8¹while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ²Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. ³The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, ⁴they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. ⁵Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ ⁶They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. ⁷When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ ⁸And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.^{* 9}When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. ¹⁰Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ¹¹She said, ‘No one, sir.’^* And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’]]^*

Zacchaeus, Luke 19:1-10, written by Rebecca Claycamp

Luke’s gospel tells us that Zacchaeus was a tax collector. In Roman-occupied Judea, tax collectors were regarded as collaborators with the enemy…among the dregs of society—“God I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector” (Luke 18:11). But Zacchaeus was not just any old tax collector…he was a CHIEF tax collector…head honcho of the hated. Luke also tells us that Zacchaeus was not just a person of means…not just a high roller…he was wealthy (strike two). The wealthy don’t get much good press in the Bible, either…“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle that for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25)

So, Zacchaeus was chief tax collector AND a wealthy man, but here’s the real kicker…he was a short man. No other person in the Bible is described as “short.” Strike three! Ooooh! Can’t you hear that Randy Newman song in your head?

Short people got no reason

Short people got no reason

Short people got no reason

To live

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but with the large crowd he could not because he was “a short man”. So what does Zacchaeus do? He runs ahead and climbs a sycamore-fig tree so he can see Jesus. What happens next is remarkable. When Jesus reaches that spot, Jesus looks up and says, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” No prior introductions by a mutual acquaintance, no presumptuous invitation by Zacchaeus….Jesus just walks up and invites himself to Zacchaeus’ house. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.

They got little hands

Little eyes

They walk around

Tellin’ great big lies

They got little noses

And tiny little teeth

They wear platform shoes

On their nasty little feet

Well, I don’t want no short people

Don’t want no short people

Don’t want no short people

‘Round here.

Luke doesn’t say that Zacchaeus repented, but clearly his life was transformed (verse 8). Jesus’ point is short and sweet: like Zacchaeus, no matter where we are on the social, economic, or popularity scale, the Son of Man is prepared to act to save the lost (we don’t have to do anything), and our lives (all lives), too, can be transformed. The only thing we need to remember is (like Zacchaeus) we must always be ready to accept Christ’s invitation to make a difference in our lives….AND that no matter who we are or what we do, in God’s eyes we are no better (or worse) than anyone else.

Short people (tax collectors, wealthy, poor, black, Muslims, etc) are just the same

As you and I

(A fool such as I)

All men are brothers

Until the day they die

(It’s a wonderful world)

Yes, it is!

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus and Zacchaeus

19He entered Jericho and was passing through it. ²A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. ³He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycomore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. ⁵When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’ ⁶So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. ⁷All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ ⁸Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ ⁹Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’

Mary, Martha and Lazarus, Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-12:36, written by Michelle Cockerham

Day by Day Devotion

By Michelle Cockerham

Friendship, reliance, trust and devotion. Martha, Mary and Lazarus show us these in their relationship with Jesus on earth. When we first see Mary with Jesus, she is doing what any sort of friend does with another close friend; talking and listening. Jesus is sitting with Mary, telling her about the Lord and she is fully enwrapped in His words, just like when a friend tells a great story or something they learned. Isn’t that what the Lord wants from us anyway? Doesn’t He want our devotion to Him and the time to give it? Wouldn’t that be why we, as Christians, come to church, pray or read the Bible? We need to be devoted like Mary was which is why we try to follow Him, like He wanted.

Now what Martha is doing is something everybody does, even the truest of Christians are guilty of it; getting distracted and forgetting the more important things that need attention. Martha is so distracted and stressed that she forgot about her devotion to the Lord and forgot to relax and listen to what the Lord has to say. Even though Martha was doing a good thing, she needed a friend or someone she relied on to bring her back to the light, which Jesus gladly did. Jesus reminded Martha about the more important thing which is something that everyone needs to remember as well. We may lose ourselves and try to be devoted to our duties like Martha but that is not what is healthy for our soul. We need to be more like Mary and just stop, take a seat and listen to the Lord’s words without any worries about the world’s issues. If we stay devoted to Jesus’ word, why worry about anything else?

Now Lazarus was another devoted believer of Jesus and Jesus loved him very much. So when Lazarus was sick, he probably wanted Jesus by his side in his hour of need, just like any other friend. However, instead Jesus waits so as to raise Lazarus from the dead as a way of proving Himself as The Messiah. Perhaps it was a good thing that Jesus waited to resurrect, besides to make people into believers, but as to also raise a good point. Lazarus was just given a great gift; to have his soul alive more than ever in the Kingdom of God. Don’t pity the dead, for if you truly love them, you will realize they live in an eternity that has no hardships. Jesus tries to remind us this before He raises Lazarus from the dead. For matter what Jesus did for Lazarus, Lazarus was grateful for everything the Lord did for him and didn’t want it any other way.

Lazarus shows us how he truly relied on the Lord and was willing to wait for Him. As Christians, we are expected to wait and rely on what Jesus said was true that He would come for us. Lazarus relied so much on Him, as did his sisters. Martha shows us that very well when Jesus returns after Lazarus is dead and Martha states her utter reliance on the Lord in what He does is best. That is what we as Christians must remember; “Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, ²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die (John 11:25-27)”.

When Jesus finally resurrects Lazarus, more people realize His power and where their true trust should lie. They soon hope to see Him more clearly, love Him more dearly and follow Him more nearly everyday. People truly love Him and are willing to do what He wants or says. The Lord speaks of loving each other as much as loving the Lord and treating them as such. This is why we see Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume; Jesus is a guest in the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, He is also someone they love and He is the Son of Man. She is treating Him with high remarks because she is devoted to Him, no matter what people, like Judas, say about what she does for God.

There will be people who doubt the Lord but that cannot ever block us from Him. Judas made a remark about Mary but she continued to do her work and believe in the Lord. We need to be more like Mary and not be afraid to show our devotion proudly. For as Jesus defended Mary in Judas’ remark so will Jesus with all of us.

Jesus will always protect us from harm. He will remind us of our true duties, like with Martha. We will rely on our Lord and be grateful for all that He has done for us, just like Lazarus. We will stay true to our faith and not be afraid when others talk us down, like Mary. We should try to devote, rely and trust Jesus day by day just like Martha, Mary and Lazarus did for the best friend; Jesus, the Son of Man.

Luke 10:38-42

Jesus Visits Martha and Mary

38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ ⁴¹But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; ⁴²there is need of only one thing.^* Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

John 11:1-12:36

The Death of Lazarus

11Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ²Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. ³So the sisters sent a message to Jesus,^* ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ ⁴But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ ⁵Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, ⁶after having heard that Lazarus^* was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

7 Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ ⁸The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?’ ⁹Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. ¹⁰But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.’ ¹¹After saying this, he told them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.’ ¹²The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.’ ¹³Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. ¹⁴Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ ¹⁶Thomas, who was called the Twin,^* said to his fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’

Jesus the Resurrection and the Life

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus^* had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles^* away, ¹⁹and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. ²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. ²¹Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ 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.^* Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, ²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ²⁷She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,^* the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’

Jesus Weeps

28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, ‘The Teacher is here and is calling for you.’ ²⁹And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. ³²When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ ³³When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. ³⁴He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ ³⁵Jesus began to weep. 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 have kept this man from dying?’

Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life

38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. ³⁹Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for 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 looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. ⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ ⁴³When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ ⁴⁴The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’

The Plot to Kill Jesus

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. ⁴⁶But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done. ⁴⁷So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, ‘What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. ⁴⁸If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place^* and our nation.’ ⁴⁹But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.’ ⁵¹He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, ⁵²and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. ⁵³So from that day on they planned to put him to death.

54 Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples.

55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. ⁵⁶They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, ‘What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?’ ⁵⁷Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus^* was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

Mary Anoints Jesus

12Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ²There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. ³Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them^* with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ⁵‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii^* and the money given to the poor?’ ⁶(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) ⁷Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it^* so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’

The Plot to Kill Lazarus

9 When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, ¹¹since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting,
‘Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—
the King of Israel!’
¹⁴Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written:
¹⁵ ‘Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion.
Look, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!’
¹⁶His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. ¹⁷So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify.^{* 18}It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. ¹⁹The Pharisees then said to one another, ‘You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!’

Some Greeks Wish to See Jesus

20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. ²¹They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ ²²Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.

Jesus Speaks about His Death

27 ‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that 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 standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ ³⁰Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. ³¹Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people^* to myself.’ ³³He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. ³⁴The crowd answered him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Messiah^* remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?’ ³⁵Jesus said to them, ‘The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.’

Mary Magdalene, Luke 8:1-3, John 19:25-27, John 20: 1-2, 11-18, written by Kirsten Oakes

Luke 8:1-3

Some Women Accompany Jesus

8Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, ²as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, ³and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them^* out of their resources.

John 19:25-27

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ ²⁷Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

John 20:1-2

The Resurrection of Jesus

20Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ²So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’

John 20:11-18

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look^* into the tomb; ¹²and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. ¹³They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ ¹⁴When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ ¹⁶Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew,^* ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). ¹⁷Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ ¹⁸Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.