Christmas Plan

¹⁶So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules.

¹⁷But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”

¹⁸So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

¹⁹So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

²⁰For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.

²¹For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants.

²²In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge,

²³so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.

²⁴“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

²⁵“And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice — the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.

²⁶The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son.

²⁷And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man.

²⁸Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son,

²⁹and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.

³⁰I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.

⁴⁸The people retorted, “You Samaritan devil! Didn’t we say all along that you were possessed by a demon?”

⁴⁹“No,” Jesus said, “I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father — and you dishonor me.

⁵⁰And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge.

⁵¹I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!”

⁵²The people said, “Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, ‘Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!’

⁵³Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

⁵⁴Jesus answered, “If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God,’

⁵⁵but you don’t even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him.

⁵⁶Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.”

⁵⁷The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham? ”

⁵⁸Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM! ”

⁵⁹At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.

¹⁷Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died.

¹⁸Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?”

¹⁹But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed.

²⁰Then Elijah cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?”

²¹And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this child’s life return to him.”

²²The LORD heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived!

²³Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!”

²⁴Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the LORD truly speaks through you.”