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The Book of John
John was one of Jesus' 12 apostles. His father's name was Zebedee. In this book,
he never calls himself by his name. He calls himself "the disciple whom Jesus
loved". John wrote this book between the years AD 85 and AD 95. During
this time, he was serving in the church in the city of Ephesus (in the country
now called Turkey).
John's book is different than the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Those books
show Jesus as king, but John's book shows Jesus as the Son of God.
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John 19
Jesus has a trial.
Pilate ordered his soldiers to hit Jesus
with many sharp whips.
[1] Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
The soldiers made a crown with thorns. They
put it on Jesus' head. They made Him wear a purple robe. The soldiers made
fun of Jesus by saying, "Hail, King of the Jews." The soldiers beat
Jesus with their hands.
[2] And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and
they put on him a purple robe,
[3] And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
Pilate went out to the crowd. He said, "I am
bringing Him out to you. I want you to know that I haven't found anything
wrong with Him."
[4] Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring
him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
Jesus came out. He was wearing the crown made of thorns
on His head. He was wearing the purple robe. Pilate said, "Look at the man!"
[5] Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe.
And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
The Jewish leaders saw Jesus. They yelled, "Crucify Him (kill Him), crucify
Him." Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him. I don't find
anything that He did wrong."
[6] When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out,
saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and
crucify him: for I find no fault in him.
The Jews answered, "We have a law. Our law says He
should die because He says He is the Son of God."
[7] The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die,
because he made himself the Son of God.
When Pilate heard that, he was even more afraid. He went to the judgment
hall again and asked Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus did not answer.
[8] When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
[9] And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art
thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
Pilate said to Jesus, "You won't talk to me? Don't you know I have the power
to kill You or let You go?"
[10] Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not
that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
Jesus answered, "You wouldn't have any power
against Me at all unless it came from God above. So, the one who gave Me to
you has sinned more."
[11] Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except
it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath
the greater sin.
From then on, Pilate tried to let Jesus go.
But the Jews yelled, "If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend. A
man who says he is a king is speaking against Caesar."
[12] And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried
out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend:
whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus back to
the court area. The place where the trials and judges were was called the
Pavement. The Hebrew name is Gabbatha.
[13] When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and
sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in
the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
It was time to get ready for the passover. It was
about the 6th hour. Pilate said to the Jews, "Here is your King!"
[14] And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour:
and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!?
But the Jews yelled, "Take Him away. Take Him away.
Kill Him." Pilate said, "Do you want me to kill your King?" The Jewish
leader answered, "We don't have any king except for Caesar."
[15] But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate
saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priest answered, We
have no king but Caesar.
Jesus is sentenced to death and is crucified.
Then, Pilate sent Jesus to the people who would
kill Him. They led Jesus away.
[16] Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they
took Jesus, and led him away.
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| Picture from LaVista Church of Christ |
Jesus had to carry His cross. He went to a place
called, "The Place of a Skull." In Hebrew, this is called Golgotha.
[17] And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a
skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
They put Jesus on a cross between 2 other men.
[18] Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one,
and Jesus in the midst.
Pilate wrote a plaque and put it on the cross. It
said, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."
[19] And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was,
JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, so many of the Jews
read the writing on the plaque. The writing was in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
[20] This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was
crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and
Latin.
The Jewish leader said to Pilate, "Don't write that
he is the King of the Jews. You should write that He said 'I am the King of
the Jews.' "
[21] Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King
of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.
Pilate said he would not change it.
[22] Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
The Roman soldiers gamble for Jesus' coat.
After the soldiers put Jesus on the cross, they
took His clothes. They tore them into 4 pieces. Each soldier took a part.
They took His coat, too. The coat was all one piece. It was woven from top
to bottom.
[23] Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments,
and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the
coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
They discussed the coat and decided not to rip it.
They decided to cast lots (lottery, throw dice) for it. The winner would get the
coat. This proves the scripture that said, "They tore my clothes and
took parts, and they cast lots for my robe." These are the things the
soldiers did.
[24] They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots
for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which
saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast
lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
Jesus' mother and other women were standing by the cross. The other women
were Mary's sister, Cleophas' wife, Mary, and Mary Magdalene.
[25] Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's
sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved
standing by the cross. He said to His mother, "Woman, here is your son!"
Then, Jesus said to the disciple, "Here is your mother!" From then on, the
disciple took care of Mary.
[26] When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom
he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
[27] Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour
that disciple took her unto his own home.
Jesus knew that He had done everything He needed to
do. He made the scripture come true. Then, He said, "I am thirsty."
There was a bowl of vinegar. Someone put a sponge in the vinegar, then put
the sponge on a plant stem. They held it up to His mouth.
[28] After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that
the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
[29] Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge
with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
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Picture from LaVista Church of Christ |
Jesus dies on the cross.
After Jesus got the vinegar, He said, "It is finished." Then, He bowed
His head and died.
[30] When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished:
and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
It was the day before the sabbath. The Jews didn't
want to leave the dead bodies on the crosses on the sabbath. So, they asked
Pilate for permission to break the dead men's legs. This made it easer to
take them off the crosses.
[31] The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies
should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day
was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that
they might be taken away.
The soldier broke the legs of the first man on a
cross. Then, he broke the legs of the second man on the cross. But, when the
soldier got to Jesus, he saw that Jesus was already dead. So, the soldier
did not break Jesus' legs. But, the soldier stuck a spear in Jesus' side.
Blood and water came out.
[32] Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the
other which was crucified with him.
[33] But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they
brake not his legs:
[34] But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith
came there out blood and water.
Someone who saw this told about it. It is true, and you can believe what he
said. This made another scripture come true. That scripture said, "A bone of
Him will not be broken." Another scripture also said, "They will look at the
One they stabbed."
[35] And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth
that he saith true, that ye might believe.
[36] For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A
bone of him shall not be broken.
[37] And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they
pierced.
Jesus is buried in a cave.
A man named Joseph (he was from the area called
Arimathaea) believed in Jesus. But, he didn't tell anyone because he was
afraid of the Jews. He asked Pilate if he could take Jesus' body.
Pilate said he could. So, he took the body of Jesus.
[38] And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but
secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the
body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the
body of Jesus.
The man named Nicodemus came with Joseph.
Nicodemus was the man who had come to Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought
spices to put on Jesus' body. He brought a mixture of myrrh and aloe. The
spices
weighed about 100 pounds.
[39] And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by
night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound
weight.
They took Jesus' body and wound it up in the
linen cloth with the spices. That is how the Jews buried their dead people.
[40] Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with
the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
There was a garden near the place where Jesus was
crucified. The garden had a cave burial place. No dead person had ever
been put in that cave.
[41] Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the
garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
They put Jesus' body in the cave because it was
close. They buried Jesus before the Jewish sabbath.
[42] There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day;
for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
John 20
Jesus is alive again.
On Sunday, the first day of the week, Mary
Magdalene came to the burial cave early. It was still dark. She saw
that the big rock in the front of the cave was moved away.
[1] The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet
dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
She ran to Peter and the other disciple who Jesus
loved. She said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the burial cave.
We don't know where they have laid Him."
[2] Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple,
whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of
the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
Peter and the other disciple went to the burial
cave.
[3] Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the
sepulchre.
They ran together, but the other disciple ran
faster than Peter and got there first. He looked in the cave and saw the
linen cloth lying there. But he did not go in.
[4] So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and
came first to the sepulchre.
[5] And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet
went he not in.
Peter came up behind him and went into the cave. He
saw the linen cloth laying there. He saw the cloth that had been
around Jesus' head laying in a different place.
[6] Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and
seeth the linen clothes lie,
[7] And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen
clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
The other disciple who got there first went in
after Peter. He saw, and he believed. They didn't yet know the scripture that
said Jesus would rise from the dead.
[8] Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre,
and he saw, and believed.
[9] For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the
dead.
The disciples left and went back to their
home.
[10] Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
Mary stood outside the burial cave. She was crying.
While she cried, she stooped down and looked into the cave. She saw two
angels. One angel was sitting at the place where Jesus' head had been. The
other angel was sitting at the place where Jesus' feet had been.
[11] But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she
stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
[12] And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the
other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
The angels talked to Mary. They asked, "Woman, why
are you crying?" Mary said, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I
don't know what they did with Him."
[13] And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them,
Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid
him.
When she turned back around, Jesus was standing
there. But Mary didn't know it was Jesus. Jesus said, "Woman, why are you
crying? Who are you looking for?" Mary thought the man was the
gardener. She said, "Sir, if you know where they taken Him, tell me. I wll
go get Him."
[14] And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus
standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
[15] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She,
supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne
him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Jesus said to her, "Mary." Mary turned around and
said, "Rabboni!" (this word means Master).
[16] Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him,
Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
Jesus said to her, "Do not touch me. I haven't gone
up to My Father yet. Go to my brothers and tell them that I am going up to
My Father, your Father, and to My God, and your God.
[17] Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my
Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father,
and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples that she
had seen the Lord and that He told her what to tell them.
[18] Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord,
and that he had spoken these things unto her.
That was the first day of the week. Later, that
evening, the disciples were together. They had the door locked. They
were afraid of the Jews. Jesus came to them and stood in the middle of them.
He said, "Peace be to you."
[19] Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the
doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews,
came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
After He said that, He showed them His hands and
His side. Then, the disciples were happy when they saw the Lord.
[20] And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side.
Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be to you.
Just like My Father sent Me, I now send you."
[21] Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath
sent me, even so send I you.
After He said this, He breathed on them and said,
"Now, receive the Holy Ghost. If you forgive anyone of their sins, they will
be forgiven. If you do not forgive anyone, their sins will not be
forgiven."
[22] And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them,
Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
[23] Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose
soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
One of the disciples, Thomas (also called Didymus),
was not with the other disciples when Jesus came to them. The other
disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But, Thomas said, "Unless I see
the nail holes in His hands and put my finger in the holes and put my hand in
His side, I will not believe it is really Jesus."
[24] But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when
Jesus came.
[25] The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But
he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails,
and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his
side, I will not believe.
Eight days later, Thomas and the other disciples
were in the house again. The doors were shut, and Jesus came in and
stood in the middle of them. He said, "Peace be to you."
[26] And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with
them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and
said, Peace be unto you.
Then, Jesus said to Thomas, "Reach out your finger
and touch My hands. Reach out your hand, and put it into My side.
Have faith and believe."
[27] Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands;
and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless,
but believing.
Thomas answered Jesus. He said, "My Lord and my
God."
[28] And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Jesus said to Thomas, "Thomas, you believed because you have seen Me.
The people who believe even though they have not seen Me will be blessed."
[29] Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast
believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Jesus did many other miracles when He was with His
disciples. These miracles are not written in this book. But the miracles
that are written in this book are so you will believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God. If you believe, you will have life through His name.
[30] And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples,
which are not written in this book:
[31] But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
John 21
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Picture from LaVista Church of Christ |
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