New Testament Plan

¹Then the whole assembly got up and brought Him before Pilate.

²They began to accuse Jesus, asserting, "We found this Man misleading and perverting our nation and forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming that He Himself is Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), a King."

³So Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He answered him, "It is just as you say."

⁴Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no guilt in this Man."

⁵But they were insistent and said, "He stirs up the people [to rebel], teaching throughout Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as here [in Jerusalem]."

⁶When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.

⁷And when he learned that He belonged to the jurisdiction of Herod [Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee], he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

⁸When Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly pleased. He had wanted to see Him for a long time because of what he had heard about Him, and was hoping to see some [miraculous] sign [even something spectacular] done by Him.

⁹And he questioned Him at some length, but Jesus made no reply.

¹⁰The chief priests and the scribes were standing there, continually accusing Him heatedly.

¹¹And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking and ridiculing Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate.

¹²Now that very day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other—before this they had been enemies.

¹³Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people,

¹⁴and said to them, "You brought this man before me as one who corrupts and incites the people to rebellion. After examining Him before you, I have found no guilt in this Man regarding the charges which you make against Him.

¹⁵No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and indeed, He has done nothing to deserve death.

¹⁶Therefore I will punish Him [to teach Him a lesson] and release Him."

¹⁷[Now he was obligated to release to them one prisoner at the Feast.]

¹⁸But they [loudly] shouted out all together, saying, "Away with this Man, and release Barabbas to us!"

¹⁹(He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection that happened in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰Pilate addressed them again, wanting to release Jesus,

²¹but they kept shouting out, "Crucify, crucify Him!"

²²A third time he said to them, "Why, what wrong has He done? I have found no guilt [no crime, no offense] in Him demanding death; therefore I will punish Him [to teach Him a lesson] and release Him."

²³But they were insistent and unrelenting, demanding with loud voices that Jesus be crucified. And their voices began to prevail and accomplish their purpose.

²⁴Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted.

²⁵And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he handed over Jesus to their will.

²⁶When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in [to the city] from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.

²⁷Following Him was a large crowd of the people, including women who were mourning and wailing for Him.

²⁸But Jesus, turning toward them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

²⁹For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have never nursed.'

³⁰Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!'

³¹ For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

³²Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be executed with Him.

³³When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.

³⁴And Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing His clothes among themselves.

³⁵Now the people stood by, watching; but even the rulers ridiculed and sneered at Him, saying, "He saved others [from death]; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) of God, His Chosen One."

³⁶The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him and [cruelly] offering Him sour wine,

³⁷and sarcastically saying, "If you are [really] the King of the Jews, save Yourself [from death]!"

³⁸Now there was also an inscription above Him: "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."

³⁹One of the criminals who had been hanged [on a cross beside Him] kept hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us [from death]!"

⁴⁰But the other one rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

⁴¹We are suffering justly, because we are getting what we deserve for what we have done; but this Man has done nothing wrong."

⁴²And he was saying, "Jesus, [please] remember me when You come into Your kingdom!"

⁴³Jesus said to him, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour (noon), and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.),

⁴⁵because the sun was obscured; and the veil [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two [from top to bottom].

⁴⁶And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!" Having said this, He breathed His last.

⁴⁷Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he began praising and honoring God, saying, "Certainly this Man was innocent."

⁴⁸All the crowds who had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had happened, began to return [to their homes], beating their breasts [as a sign of mourning or repentance].

⁴⁹And all His acquaintances and the women who had accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, watching these things.

⁵⁰A man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), a good and honorable man

⁵¹(he had not consented to the Council's plan and action) a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for and expecting the kingdom of God;

⁵²this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

⁵³And [after receiving permission] he took it down and wrapped it in a linen [burial] cloth and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had yet been laid.

⁵⁴It was the day of preparation [for the Sabbath], and the Sabbath was dawning.

⁵⁵Now the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed [closely], and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.

⁵⁶Then they went back and prepared spices and ointments and sweet-smelling herbs. And on the Sabbath they rested in accordance with the commandment [forbidding work].

¹But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared [to finish anointing the body].

²And they found the [large, circular] stone rolled back from the tomb,

³but when they went inside, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

⁴While they were perplexed and wondering about this, suddenly, two men in dazzling clothing stood near them;

⁵and as the women were terrified and were bowing their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why are you looking for the living One among the dead?

⁶He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee,

⁷saying that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise [from death to life]."

⁸And they remembered His words,

⁹and after returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the eleven [apostles] and to all the rest.

¹⁰Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna [the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward] and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.

¹¹But their report seemed to them like idle talk and nonsense, and they would not believe them.

¹²But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping [at the small entrance] and looking in, he saw only the linen wrappings; and he went away, wondering about what had happened.

¹³And then, that very day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.

¹⁴And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place.

¹⁵While they were talking and discussing it, Jesus Himself came up and began walking with them.

¹⁶But their eyes were [miraculously] prevented from recognizing Him.

¹⁷Then Jesus asked them, "What are you discussing with one another as you walk along?" And they stood still, looking brokenhearted.

¹⁸One of them, named Cleopas, answered Him, "Are you the only stranger visiting Jerusalem who is unaware of the things which have happened here in these [recent] days?"

¹⁹He asked, "What things?" And they replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,

²⁰and how the chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him.

²¹But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel and set our nation free. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.

²²And also some of the women among us shocked us. They were at the tomb early in the morning,

²³and they did not find His body. Then they came back, saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive!

²⁴Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women had said, but they did not see Him."

²⁵Then Jesus said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to trust and believe in everything that the prophets have spoken!

²⁶Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and [only then to] enter His glory?"

²⁷Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the [writings of the] prophets, He explained and interpreted for them the things referring to Himself [found] in all the Scriptures.

²⁸Then they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as if He were going farther.

²⁹But they urged Him [not to go on], saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening, and the day has just about ended." So He went inside to stay with them.

³⁰And it happened that as He reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.

³¹Then their eyes were [suddenly] opened [by God] and they [clearly] recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

³²They said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking with us on the road and opening the Scriptures to us?"

³³They got up that very hour and went back to Jerusalem, and found the eleven [apostles] gathered together and those who were with them,

³⁴saying, "The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon [Peter]!"

³⁵They began describing in detail what had happened on the road, and how Jesus was recognized by them when He broke the bread.

³⁶While they were talking about this, Jesus Himself [suddenly] stood among them and said to them, "Peace be to you."

³⁷But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a spirit.

³⁸And He said, "Why are you troubled, and why are doubts rising in your hearts?

³⁹Look at [the marks in] My hands and My feet, [and see] that it is I Myself. Touch Me and see; a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have."

⁴⁰After saying this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

⁴¹While they still did not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?"

⁴²They gave Him a piece of broiled fish,

⁴³and He took it and ate it in front of them.

⁴⁴Then He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you, everything which has been written about Me in the Law of Moses and the [writings of the] Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

⁴⁵Then He opened their minds to [help them] understand the Scriptures,

⁴⁶and said, "And so it is written, that the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

⁴⁷and that repentance [necessary] for forgiveness of sins would be preached in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.

⁴⁹Listen carefully: I am sending the Promise of My Father [the Holy Spirit] upon you; but you are to remain in the city [of Jerusalem] until you are clothed (fully equipped) with power from on high."

⁵⁰Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifted up His hands and blessed them.

⁵¹While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven.

⁵²And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy [fully understanding that He lives and that He is the Son of God];

⁵³and they were continually in the temple blessing and praising God.

¹In the beginning [before all time] was the Word ( Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.

²He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God.

³All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being.

⁴In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men.

⁵The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].

⁶There came a man commissioned and sent from God, whose name was John.

⁷This man came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe [in Christ, the Light] through him.

⁸John was not the Light, but came to testify about the Light.

⁹There it was—the true Light [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone.

¹⁰He (Christ) was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.

¹¹He came to that which was His own [that which belonged to Him—His world, His creation, His possession], and those who were His own [people—the Jewish nation] did not receive and welcome Him.

¹²But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name—

¹³who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [that of a natural father], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth—they are born of God—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].

¹⁴And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception).

¹⁵John testified [repeatedly] about Him and has cried out [testifying officially for the record, with validity and relevance], "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.'"

¹⁶For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].

¹⁷For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ.

¹⁸No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father].

¹⁹This is the testimony of John [the Baptist] when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

²⁰And he confessed [truthfully] and did not deny [that he was only a man], but acknowledged, "I am not the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)!"

²¹They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the [promised] Prophet?" And he answered, "No."

²²Then they said to him, "Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

²³He said, "I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."

²⁴Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.

²⁵They asked him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

²⁶John answered them, "I baptize [only] in water, but among you there stands One whom you do not recognize and of whom you know nothing.

²⁷It is He [the preeminent One] who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie [even as His slave]."

²⁸These things occurred in Bethany across the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing], where John was baptizing.

²⁹The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

³⁰This is He on behalf of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.'

³¹I did not recognize Him [as the Messiah]; but I came baptizing in water so that He would be [publicly] revealed to Israel."

³²John gave [further] evidence [testifying officially for the record, with validity and relevance], saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.

³³I did not recognize Him [as the Messiah], but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this One is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

³⁴I myself have [actually] seen [that happen], and my testimony is that this is the Son of God!"

³⁵Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples,

³⁶and he looked at Jesus as He walked along, and said, "Look! The Lamb of God!"

³⁷The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

³⁸And Jesus turned and saw them following Him, and asked them, "What do you want?" They answered Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?"

³⁹He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they went [with Him] and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

⁴⁰One of the two who heard what John said and [as a result] followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

⁴¹He first looked for and found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which translated means the Christ).

⁴²Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas (which is translated Peter)."

⁴³The next day Jesus decided to go into Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me [as My disciple, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher, and walking the same path of life that I walk]."

⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the One Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote about—Jesus from Nazareth, the son of Joseph [according to public record]."

⁴⁶Nathanael answered him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip replied, "Come and see."

⁴⁷Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor duplicity!"

⁴⁸Nathanael said to Jesus, "How do You know [these things about] me?" Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you."

⁴⁹Nathanael answered, "Rabbi (Teacher), You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel."

⁵⁰Jesus replied, "Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe [in Me]? You will see greater things than this."

⁵¹Then He said to him, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man [the bridge between heaven and earth]."