Chapter 17

Then Pilate said to Him, Will you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have the power to crucify or release you? Jesus answered, You would have no power over me unless it was given from above. The one who delivered me to you has the greater sin. From then on Pilate tried to release Him but the Jews cried out, saying, If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Whoever makes himself a king, speaks against Caesar.

When Pilate heard this, he took Jesus to the judgment seat in a place called Gabbatha. It was the preparation for the passover and around the sixth hour. Pilate said to the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with Him. Away with Him. Crucify Him. Pilate said to them, will I crucify your king? The chief priest answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then Pilate handed Him over to them to be crucified. They took Jesus and led Him away.

Bearing His cross, He went into a place called Golgotha. Here they crucified Him and two others, one on either side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate made a sign and put it on the cross. The writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, The King Of The Jews.

This sign was read by many of the Jews because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city and the words were written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write The King of the Jews, but write, He said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written.

When they put Jesus on the cross, the officers took His garments and made four parts. Each officer took a part. But His coat was seamless and woven from the top down. They said to eachother, Let us not tear it up but cast lots for whose it will be. Thus the scripture was fulfilled: They parted my raiment among them and, for my vesture, they did cast lots.

By the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then He said to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, and so that the scripture might be fulfilled, said: I thirst. A vessel full of vinegar was nearby. They filled a sponge, put it on a reed of hyssop and put it to His mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, He bowed His head and said, It is finished.

During the preparation for the sabbath, a high day, it was not fit that the bodies should remain on the cross. The Jews besought Pilate to break their legs so the dead bodies could then be taken away. The officers broke the legs of the first and then of the other who was crucified alongside Jesus. But when they came to Him and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. Instead, one of the officers pierced His side with a spear and, from His side, came blood and water.

He who saw it bore record, and his record is true. He knows that he told the truth so that you might believe. These things were done so that this scripture would be fulfilled: A bone of Him will not be broken. And another scripture said: They will look on Him whom they pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who, for fear of the Jews, was a secret disciple of Jesus, asked Pilate if he could take Jesus' body. Pilate gave him permission. Nicodemus, who went to Jesus at night, was with Joseph. He brought myrrh and aloes. They took the body of Jesus, wound it in linen cloth, and prepared it with the spices as was the Jewish burial custom. In the place where He was crucified there was a new sepulchre in the garden area. There they laid Jesus.

20. Early on the first day of the week, when it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the sepulchre. She saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance. She ran to find Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved. She said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the sepulchre and we do not know where they have laid Him. Peter and the other disciple started toward the sepulchre. They began running together. But the other disciple, having outrun Peter, arrived at the entrance first. Stooping down, he looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there but he did not go inside.

When Peter came, he went into the sepulchre, saw the linen cloth and the scarf that covered His head. The scarf was not lying with the linen cloth, but was folded separately in a place by itself. Then the other disciple went inside and he saw, and believed. At this time they did not know the words of scripture: He must rise again from the dead. They returned home.

But Mary stood outside at the entrance and was weeping. As she wept, she stooped down, looked into the sepulchre, and saw two angels in white. They sat, one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain. They said to her, Woman, why do you weep? She said, They have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid Him.

After she said this, she turned and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know it was Jesus. He said to her, Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for? Thinking that this was the gardener, she said, Sir, if you have carried Him somewhere, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away. Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said, Master.

Jesus said to her, Do not touch me because I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to the disciples and tell them, I am going to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Mary Magdalene ran and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and gave them His message. In the evening of that first day of the week, where the disciples were assembled with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus appeared and stood in their midst. He said to them, Peace be to you. When He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Then Jesus said to them again, Peace be to you; as my Father has sent me, even so send I you. When He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them; and whose sins you retain, they are retained.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I see the print of the nails in His hands, and put my finger into the nailprints, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.

Eight days passed. The disciples were inside with the doors closed and Thomas was with them. Then Jesus appeared and stood in their midst. He said, Peace be to you. Then He said to Thomas, put your finger here and see my hands; and put you hand into my side. Do not doubt but believe. Thomas said to Him, My Lord and my God. Jesus said, Thomas, because you have seen me you believe. Blessed are they who have not seen and yet believe.

And many other signs truly did Jesus do in the presence of His disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that, believing, you will have life through His Name.

21. After this, Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. Seven of His disciples were gathered together: Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, James and John who were the sons of Zebedee, and two others.

Simon Peter said to the group, I am going fishing. They said to him, We will go with you. They went out and got into a fishing boat. They were out all night and caught nothing.

At dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. Then Jesus called to them, Children, have you caught anything? They answered, No. Jesus said, Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. When they threw the net over the right side, they were unable to draw it in because of the number of fish in the net. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord.

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he drew up his fishing robe and dove into the water. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net with the fish. They were only about a hundred yards from shore. When they climbed out of the boat, they saw a charcoal fire already laid with fish. And there was also bread. Jesus said, Bring the fish you caught.

Simon Peter went over and dragged in the net full of one hundred and fifty three large fish. Yet, even though there were so many, the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, Come and dine. None of the disciples dared to ask Him, Who are you? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came to each one and served the bread and fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples.

After they finished the breakfast, Jesus turned to Simon Peter and said, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Peter said to Him, Yes, Lord. You know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my lambs. Then He said to him a second time, Simon, son of John, Do you love me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord. You know that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my sheep.

He said to him yet a third time, Simon, son of John, Do you love me? Peter was upset because He asked a third time, Do you love me? He answered Jesus, Lord, You know all things. You know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will clothe you and carry you where you do not want to go. Jesus said this to signify by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After Jesus said these words, He said to Peter, Follow me.

Then Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. This was the disciple who leaned on Jesus' breast at supper, and who also asked, Lord, who is he who betrays you? Peter, now seeing him, said to Jesus, Lord, what about him? Jesus said, If I want him to stay until I come, what concern is that of yours? You follow me.

Then the saying spread among the others that that disciple would not die. Yet, Jesus did not say, he will not die but, if I want him to remain until I come, what concern is it of yours?

This is the disciple who testifies to these things, and has written them down, and we know that his testimony is true. There are many other things that Jesus did that, if they were all told, I do not think the whole world could contain all the books that would be written.

Amen. -----

edited by Lightheart www.PracticeGodsPresence.com/gospel/

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