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Jesus, the Christ
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LK 2:10.11
And the angel said to them, "Don’t be afraid! I bring you the
good news that will bring great joy to all the people. For this very night,
in the City of David, the Saviour, Christ, the Lord, was born."
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MT 2:01.11
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King
Herod. At that same time, wise men from the East arrived at Jerusalem,
asking, "Where can we find the newborn King of the Jews? We have seen his
star in the East and have come to honor him."
When Herod heard about this, he became understandably concerned because
he considered the child a threat to his throne. He called together all
the chief priests and religious authorities and demanded to know from them
where the Messiah should be born. And they told him, "In Bethlehem in Judea,
for it is written by the prophet, Micah, ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land
of Judah, are not the least among the cities of Judah, because from you
shall rise a leader who shall rule my people, Israel.’"
Herod then summoned the wise men for a meeting and inquired from them just
when they first saw the star. Then, he sent them to Bethlehem and said,
"Go and search for the young child there; and when you have found him,
bring me back word so that I may also come and honor him."
After they had met with the King, the wise men traveled on and lo, the
star that they saw in the East preceded them, until it came to rest above
the place where the young child was. And on reaching the place, their joy
was boundless. And when they went inside the cave, they saw the young child
with Mary, his mother, and fell down on their knees. And opening their
treasure chests, they offered him presents — gold, frankincense and myrrh.
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LK 2:21.38
When eight days had passed, at his circumcision, he was named
Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was even conceived. When
the days of purification according to the Law of Moses were completed,
they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord and to offer a
pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons as sacrifice.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. He was an upright
and devout man, and he was avidly awaiting the coming of the Messiah because
the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before he had
seen the Christ, in the flesh. Moved by the Spirit, he went to the temple
and when the child Jesus was brought in for the prescribed rituals, he
took him up in his arms and praised God. "Now let Your servant depart in
peace, Lord, according to Your promise, for my eyes have seen Your salvation
which You have prepared for all the nations, a light to reveal Your will
to the Gentiles and to the glory of Your people, Israel."
As Joseph and his mother wondered about the things spoken regarding him,
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, "Sorrow shall pierce your soul, for
this child shall be rejected by many in Israel, and this, to their undoing.
But he will be the greatest joy of many others. And the deepest thoughts
of many hearts shall be revealed."
There was also a very old prophetess, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel,
of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was
now eighty-four years old. She never left the temple but worshipped night
and day, fasting and praying. She, too, came up that same instant and gave
similar thanks to the Lord and talked about Jesus to all those looking
for the redemption in Jerusalem.
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JN 8:23
"You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world;
I am not of this world."
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JN 1:19.36
And this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests
and Levites from Jerusalem to question him. "Who are you?" they asked.
He frankly confessed, "I am not the Christ."
They asked him, "Then who are you, Elijah?"
He said, "No, I am not."
"Are you the prophet?"
He answered, "No."
Then they said to him, "Who are you, so that we may tell those who sent
us? What have you to say regarding yourself?"
He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare for
the coming of the Lord,’ according to the words of Isaiah, the prophet."
The Pharisees asked him, "Then why do you baptize if you are neither the
Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?"
John answered them, "I baptize with water, but there is one among you whom
you do not recognize, the one who will come after me and whose sandal-strings
I am not fit to untie." All these occurred at Bethany beyond the Jordan
where John was baptizing.
The next day, he saw Jesus approaching him and said, "Behold the Lamb of
God who takes away the sins of the world! He is the one I referred to when
I said; After me will come a man who is far greater than me, for he existed
long before me. I didn’t know he was the one, but I am here baptizing with
water in order to point him out to the nation of Israel." John continued,
"I saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and alight on him.
Although I did not know him, the one who sent me to baptize with water
also told me, ‘On whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, he is the
one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I did see it and I testify
that he is the Son of God."
Again the following day, John was standing with two of his disciples when
he looked at Jesus as he was walking along, and he said, "Behold the Lamb
of God."
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LK 4:16.21
He came to Nazareth where he grew up and as usual, he went to
the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read. The book of the prophet
Isaiah was handed to him and on opening the scroll, he found the place
where it was written and which he read, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me for He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent
me to heal the broken-hearted, to deliver the captives and restore sight
to the blind, to set free the downtrodden and to proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord." Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant
and sat down.
The eyes of everyone were fixed on him. And then he said to them, "Today,
this Scripture is fulfilled!"
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MT 12:17.21
So was it fulfilled according to the words of Isaiah: "Behold
My servant whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom My soul delights; I
will invest him with My spirit and he will judge the nations. He will not
quarrel or shout, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will
not break a bruised reed; he will not extinguish a smoldering wick until
he carries justice to victory. And in his name shall the nations trust."
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JN 12:37.41
But despite all the miracles he had done, most of the people
would not believe in him. This is exactly what Isaiah had predicted: "Lord,
who will believe us? Who will accept God’s mighty miracles as proof?" But
they couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said, "He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts so that they may neither see nor understand and
repent, nor turn to me to heal them." Isaiah was referring to Jesus when
he made this prediction for he had seen a vision of his glory.
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LK 11:30.32
"For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Man from
Heaven be to this generation. And at the Judgment Day, the Queen of Sheba
shall arise and point her finger at this generation condemning it; for
she went on a long, hard journey just to listen to the wisdom of Solomon,
and behold, someone who is greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh,
too, shall arise and condemn this nation, for they repented at the preaching
of Jonah and someone who is far greater than Jonah is here."
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MT 16:13.17
When Jesus entered the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say I am?"
They said, "Some say, John the Baptist; others, Elijah; others, Jeremiah
or one of the other prophets."
He asked them, "How about you, who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!"
Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of John, because it was
not flesh and blood that revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven."
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JN 10:01.16
"Whoever does not enter the sheepfold through the gate but sneaks
up over a wall must surely be a thief. For a shepherd comes through the
gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, the sheep hear his voice and
come to him and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. He walks
ahead of them and the sheep follow because they recognize his voice. However,
they will not follow a stranger and, instead, will run away from him."
Jesus told them this parable but they could not understand him.
So he continued, "I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came
before me were thieves and robbers but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate. Whoever comes in through me will be saved; he will move
about freely and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, to slaughter
and destroy. But I have come so they may have life and have it abundantly.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.
The hired man who is not the shepherd or the owner of the sheep deserts
the sheep and runs away when he sees the wolf coming. The hired hand flees
because he is a hired hand and does not really care about the sheep. I
am the good shepherd and I know my own, and they, in turn, know me; just
as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for
my sheep. I have other sheep also that are not in this fold; I must
lead them as well and they will listen to my call so that there shall be
one flock and one shepherd."
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JN 8:12
"I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk
in darkness but shall have the light of life."
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JN 1:06.09
There was a man named John who was sent from God. He came to
attest to the fact that Jesus Christ is the Light. John himself was not
the Light but was sent to testify regarding the Light. Christ is that true
Light that illumines every person who comes into this world.
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LK 2:41.49
Every year, his parents would go to Jerusalem at the feast of
the Passover. And when he was twelve, they went up to Jerusalem, as had
been their custom. When the festival was over, the people started to go
home but the boy Jesus remained behind without his parents being aware
of it. Thinking that he was with friends among the other travelers, they
were able to travel one whole day without really missing him. But when
he failed to turn up that evening, they started to look for him. And when
they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there.
On the third day, they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were
astonished at his understanding and answers. When his parents saw him,
they were amazed at his unconcern and his mother said to him, "Son, why
have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching
for you everywhere."
He said to them, "But why did you need to search for me? Didn’t you realize
I would be attending to my Father’s work?"
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JN 9:39
"I have come into the world to give sight to those who are spiritually
blind and to show those who think they see that they are really blind."
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MK 2:15.17
That night, Levi invited his fellow tax collectors and many
other notorious sinners to be his guests so that they could meet Jesus
and his disciples. But when some of the Jewish religious leaders saw Jesus
eating with this unholy lot, they said to his disciples, "How can he stand
to eat with such filth?"
When Jesus heard what they were saying, he told them, "Those who are well
have no need of a physician, but the sick do; I came not for the righteous,
but to call on sinners to repent."
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LK 9:51.56
As the time for his return to heaven drew near, he proceeded
towards Jerusalem with determination. He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan
village to prepare for his coming. But the village people refused to receive
them. The disciples, James and John, upon learning of this said, "Lord,
would you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and destroy
them?"
But he turned and rebuked them and said, "You don’t
realize your true divine nature and purpose! For the Man
from heaven did not come to destroy human lives but to save them."
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JN 15:14.15
"You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer
call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing;
but I have called you friends, because I have acquainted you with everything
I heard from my Father."
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JN 17:01.02
After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and
said, "Father, the time has come. Reveal the glory of Your son so that
he may give You the greater glory. For You have given him authority over
every man and woman in all the earth. He grants eternal life to all those
You have given him"
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JN 17:22.26
"I have given them the glory which You have given me so that
they may be one, even as We are One. I in them and You in me, all being
perfected into One, so that the world may know that You have sent me and
have loved them as You have loved me. Father, I would want all of them
to be with me where I am so that they may behold the glory which You have
given me because You loved me even before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world doesn’t know You, but I do; and these disciples
know that You have sent me. And I have made Your name known to them and
I will continue to reveal more and more so that the mighty love You have
for me may be in them and I in them as well."
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JN 6:66.69
Many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus
turned to the twelve and asked them, "Will you also go away?"
Simon Peter replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life and we believe and are certain that you are the Holy One of
God."
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JN 14:04.06
"You know the way to where I am going."
Thomas remarked, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know
the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes
to the Father except through me."
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JN 4:48
"Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe."
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JN 2:01.11
On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee at
which Jesus’ mother was a guest and Jesus, with his disciples, was also
invited. When they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus asked him if he
could help solve the problem.
"I can’t help you now," he said, "the time has not come for me to do miracles."
Nevertheless, his mother told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
There were six stone water jars which were used for Jewish ceremonial purposes
and which could hold from twenty to thirty gallons each. Jesus told the
servants to fill them to the brim with water. After this was done, he said,
"Draw some out and take it to the man in charge of the feast."
After the man had tasted the water-turned-wine, not knowing where it came
from, he called the bridegroom and told him, "Everyone serves the better
quality wine first and the cheap wine for later when the men are already
too drunk to notice or care. But you have kept the best for last."
This miracle was Jesus’ first public demonstration of his divine powers.
And his disciples believed in him even more.
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MK 8:01.09
In those days, another large crowd had gathered. And after some
time, there was nothing left to eat. So, summoning his disciples, he told
them, "I feel very sorry for these people. They have been with me for three
days now and have nothing left to eat. If I should send them home hungry,
they would faint on the way and some of them come from far away."
His disciples answered, "But where in this wilderness can we get enough
bread to feed so many?"
He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"
They said, "Seven."
So he instructed the people to sit down on the ground and took the seven
loaves of bread. He gave thanks, broke them and gave them to his disciples
who then set them before the crowd. They also had a few small fish. And
after he had thanked God for them, he told his disciples to distribute
them also to the people. So they ate and were filled, and they picked up
the leftovers, seven baskets full. About four thousand had eaten and then
he sent them away.
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JN 6:05.14
Looking up and noticing that so many people were coming to him,
Jesus said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough food to feed all these people?"
But he said this only to test him, because he already knew what he was
going to do.
Philip replied, "Two hundred pennies worth of bread will not be enough
to even half-satisfy all of them."
One of the other disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter told him,
"There is a lad here with four loaves of barley and two small fish, but
how can they suffice?"
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." And all the men, about five thousand
of them, sat down on the grass. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks
and had them served to those who were seated and he did the same with the
fish. And everyone ate as much as he required. When they had finished eating,
he told his disciples, "Gather up all the leftovers so that nothing is
wasted." What remained of the five loaves of barley was enough to fill
twelve baskets.
When the people realized that he performed a miracle, they said, "This
surely is the prophet who is to come into the world."
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LK 8:22.25
One day, he and his disciples got into a boat and he said to
them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." So, they set sail.
But on route, he fell asleep. And a squall of wind came down on the lake
and, presently, the boat was filling with water and they were in danger
of sinking. So they came and awakened him, exclaiming, "Master, Master,
we are going to die!"
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the surging of the water and they
ceased and all became calm. Then he said to them, "Where is your faith?"
But awed and amazed, they said to one another, "What kind of man is he
who commands even the wind and water and they obey him?"
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MT 14:22.33
He immediately urged the disciples to embark and to sail ahead
of him to the other side while he dismissed the crowds. Afterwards, he
climbed the hill to pray. Evening had fallen and he was there alone. But
the boat was, by that time, already a good distance from the shore and
was being tossed by the waves because of the strong wind.
At about four in the morning, he approached them walking on the water.
Thinking him a ghost, they cried out in terror. But he at once addressed
them and reassured them, "It is all right! Don’t be afraid!"
Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come over to you
by walking also on the water!"
He said, "Come."
Peter got out from the boat and he walked on the water towards Jesus. But
when he looked around at the huge waves, he became terrified and began
to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted.
Instantly, Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him. "You have so little
faith," Jesus said. "Why did you have to doubt?"
And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the
others knelt before him and said, "You really are the Son of God!"
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MK 8:22.25
Upon reaching Bethsaida, the people there brought a blind man
to him and implored him to touch him. So, taking hold of the blind man’s
hand, he led him out of the village. Then after putting saliva on his eyes,
he put his hands on him and asked him, "Do you see anything?"
He looked up and said, "I see people, but they look like trees walking."
Then again, Jesus placed his hands on his eyes; and then he looked more
steadily, his sight having been fully restored, and he saw everything distinctly.
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MK 10:46.52
As they were leaving the town of Jericho, a great throng was
following after them. Now, it happened that a blind beggar named Bartimaeus
was sitting beside the road as Jesus was passing by. When Bartimaeus heard
that Jesus from Nazareth was near, he began to shout out, "Jesus, son of
David, have mercy on me!"
"Shut up!" some of the people yelled at him.
But he shouted the louder again and again, "Son of David, have mercy on
me!"
When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, "Come on. Get up. He is calling you." Bartimaeus
tore off his old coat, flung it aside, jumped up and went to Jesus.
"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked.
The blind man replied, "Teacher, I would like to see."
And Jesus said to him, "All right, it is done. Your faith has healed you."
And instantly, the blind man could see and followed Jesus down the road.
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MK 7:32.35
A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him and everyone
begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man and heal him. Jesus led him away
from the crowd and put his fingers into the man’s ears, then he spat and
touched the man’s tongue with the saliva. Then, looking up to heaven, he
commanded, "Be open!" Instantly, the man could hear perfectly and speak
clearly.
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JN 5:01.09
Later on, there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem, by the sheep market, there is a bathing pool.
Here, crowds of invalids lay waiting for the stirring of the water. For
at intervals, an angel descended into the pool and stirred the water. Whoever
got in first after the agitation of the pool became healed whatever his
ailment. One man there had been suffering from an infirmity for thirty-eight
years. When Jesus noticed him lying there, he asked him, "Do you want to
get well?"
The invalid replied, "Yes, but I have no one to put me into the pool right
after it has been disturbed; each time I make my move, another always gets
in ahead of me."
Jesus told him, "Get up, pick up your mat and walk." Instantly, the man
was well. And he was able to pick up his mat and start walking.
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MT 8:14.15
When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he observed that his mother-in-law
was bedridden with fever. So he touched her hand and the fever left her.
She got up and waited on him.
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LK 5:18.25
Then some men came carrying a paralytic on a couch and tried
to bring him in and lay him before Jesus. But as they found no way to carry
him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down
through the tiles, couch and all, right in front of Jesus.
Seeing their faith, he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you!"
The religious authorities and the Pharisees began to reason, "Who is this,
speaking blasphemies? Who is able to forgive sins except God alone?"
Jesus, aware of their thoughts, said to them, "Why is it blasphemy? Is
it harder to forgive his sins than to heal him? However, so that you may
know that I have authority on earth to forgive sins," he said to the paralytic,
"I tell you, rise, pick up your couch and go home."
At once, he got up in their presence, picked up what he had been lying
on and went home praising God.
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LK 6:06.10
On another Sabbath, as he went into the synagogue and taught,
a man whose right hand was withered was also there; and the religious authorities
and the Pharisees were watching him to see whether he would cure him on
the Sabbath, so that they might find something to accuse him of. But he
knew their thoughts and said to the man with the withered hand, "Rise up
and stand here in the center." And he got up and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it allowed to do good or to do
evil on the Sabbath; to save a life or to destroy it?" Then, looking around
at all of them, he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." And as he did
so, his hand was fully restored.
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MK 7:25.30
A woman whose little daughter was possessed by a demon came
as soon as she heard of Jesus and threw herself at his feet. She was a
gentile and she begged him to expel the demon from her daughter.
He said to her, "First, let the children of my own family, the Jews, be
satisfied; for it is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it
to the dogs."
But she answered him, "Yes, Lord, yet the dogs under the table are given
some scraps from the children’s plates."
"Good!" he said, "You have answered well, so well that I have healed your
little girl. Go home. The demon has left her." And when she arrived home,
her little girl was lying quietly in bed and the demon was gone.
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LK 4:33.36
Once, as he was teaching in the synagogue, a man possessed by
a demon began shouting at Jesus. "Go away. We don’t want you here. Have
you come here to destroy us? I know you. You are the Holy One of God!"
Jesus cut him short. "Be silent!" he told the demon, "Come out!"
The demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched and then left
him without hurting him further. Amazed at what had happened, the people
asked, "What kind of doctrine is this that he teaches? And how is it that
even demons obey him?"
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MT 8:28.32
When they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the country
of the Gadarenes, two men possessed with demons met him. They lived in
a cemetery and were so ferocious that no one could go through that area.
They began screaming at him, "Jesus, Son of God, you have no right to come
and bother us before our time."
A herd of swine was feeding in the distance; so the demons begged, "If
you would cast us out, send us into the herd of swine."
"All right," Jesus told them, "go."
And they came out of the men and entered the swine and the whole herd rushed
down the precipice into the sea and perished in the water below.
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LK 7:01.10
When he had finished teaching, he went back into the City of
Capernaum. At that time, an army officer had a servant who was dear to
him and who was sick and near death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent
some Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his servant. They came to
Jesus and begged him earnestly to come with them and help the man. "If
anyone deserves your help, it is he," they said, "for he loves our people
so much; he even had a synagogue built for us."
Jesus went with them. But just before he arrived at the house, the officer
sent some friends to say, "Sir, don’t inconvenience yourself by coming
to my home. I do not deserve such an honor; neither do I consider myself
worthy to come to you in person. Only give the order and my servant will
get well. I know, because I, too, am under the authority of my superiors
and I have authority over my men. I only need to say, ‘Go!’ and they go;
or ‘Come!’ and they come; and to my servant, ‘Do this or that,’ and he
does it."
Jesus was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said, "Never among all the Jews
in Israel have I met a man with faith like this." And when the friends
of the officer returned to his house, they found the servant completely
healed.
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JN 4:46.53
There was a government official whose son was sick in Capernaum.
When he learned that Jesus had come from Judea and was traveling to Galilee,
he went to him and asked him to go to Capernaum and heal his son who was
near death.
Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe."
"Sir," begged the official, "Please come with me before my child dies."
Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live!"
The man believed Jesus and started to go home. On the way, his servants
met him with the news that his son had recovered. He asked them when the
boy began to feel better and they answered, "It was one o’clock yesterday
afternoon when his fever suddenly disappeared."
Then, the father remembered that it was at that same hour when Jesus had
told him, "Your son will live." And the man and his entire household believed.
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MK 5:22.42
Jairus, an official of the local synagogue, arrived and when
he saw Jesus, he threw himself at his feet and begged him earnestly, "My
little daughter is very sick. Please come and lay your hands on her so
that she may get well and live." So Jesus started off with him. So many
people were going along with Jesus such that they were crowding him from
every side.
There was a woman who had suffered terribly from severe bleeding for twelve
years even though many doctors had treated her. She had spent all her money;
but instead of getting better, she was getting worse and worse. Having
heard about Jesus, she came up behind him saying to herself, "If I can
just touch his clothes, I will get well." She touched his cloak and her
bleeding stopped at once and she knew that she was healed.
Jesus realized instantly that healing energy had issued from him; so he
turned to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
His disciples answered, "There are so many crowding us; why do you ask?"
But Jesus kept on looking around to see who it was.
The woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, knelt
at his feet and told him the whole truth.
Jesus said to her, "My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace
and be healed of your disease."
While he was still talking to her, messengers arrived from the home of
Jairus and told him, "Your daughter has died. There is no further need
for Jesus to come now."
But Jesus ignored them and said to Jairus, "Don’t be afraid. Just trust
me." Then Jesus stopped the crowd and would not allow anyone to go on with
him to Jairus’ home except Peter, James and John.
When they arrived, everything was in turmoil with unrestrained weeping
and wailing. He went in and said to them. "Why all this commotion? Why
are you crying? The child is not dead; she is only asleep!" They laughed
at him bitterly; but he told them all to leave and, taking the girl’s parents
and his three disciples, he went into the room where she was lying. Taking
her by the hand, he said to her, "Get up, little girl!" And she got up
and started walking around. Her parents were overwhelmed. But Jesus gave
them strict orders not to tell anyone what happened and he said, "Give
her something to eat."
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LK 7:11.16
Soon afterward, Jesus went to the village of Nain, accompanied
by his disciples and a lot of others. As he approached the village gate,
a funeral procession was passing by. The dead man was the only son of a
woman who was a widow, and a large crowd from the village was with her.
When the Lord saw her, his heart filled with pity for her and he said to
her, "Don’t cry."
Then he walked closer and touched the coffin and the men carrying it stopped.
Jesus said, "Son, get up!" The dead man got up and began to talk to those
around him.
A great fear swept the crowd and they exclaimed with praises to God, "A
mighty prophet has risen among us" and "We have seen the hand of God at
work, today."
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JN 11:01.45
Do you remember Mary who poured the costly perfume on Jesus’
feet and wiped them with her hair? Well, her brother Lazarus, who lived
in Bethany with Mary and her sister Martha, was ill. So the two sisters
sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, your dear friend is very ill."
But when Jesus received the message, he said, "No, Lazarus won’t die but
this has happened in order that God’s purpose may be served." Although
Jesus was very fond of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, he stayed where he was
for two more days despite the urgency of their call before he finally decided
to go to them.
"Teacher," the disciples answered, "just a short time ago, the people there
wanted to kill you. How can you even think of going back?"
Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours of daylight everyday and during
those hours, a man can walk safely and not stumble. But if a man walks
at night, he stumbles because of the darkness." Jesus said this and then
added, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him
up."
The disciples answered, "If he is just asleep, Lord, he can wake up without
needing our help."
But Jesus really meant that Lazarus had died. And he told them plainly,
"Lazarus is dead. And for your sake, I am glad I wasn’t there, for this
will give you another opportunity to believe in me. Come, let’s go to him."
Thomas said to his fellow-disciples, "Let’s all go with him so that we
may die with him."
When Jesus arrived, he found out that Lazarus had been buried for four
days already. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem and many Judeans
had come to see Mary and Martha to comfort them. When Martha heard that
Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him; but Mary stayed in the house.
Martha said to Jesus, "Had you been here, Lord, my brother would not have
died. But I know that even now, if you will only ask God, He will grant
you whatever you ask."
Jesus told her, "Your brother will live again."
"I know," she replied, "that he will rise to life at the last day."
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life:
he who believes in me, even if he dies, shall go on living; and whoever
lives, believing in me, shall never die. Do you believe
this?"
"Yes, Lord," she answered, "I do believe that you are the Christ, the Son
of God who is to come into the world."
After Martha had said this, she went back to tell Mary that Jesus is asking
for her. When Mary heard this, she got up and hurried out to meet him.
Jesus, all this time, was staying outside the village. When they saw Mary
get up and leave, the people in the house followed her, thinking that she
was going to visit her brother’s grave. Mary arrived where Jesus was and
as soon as she saw him, she fell at his feet. "Lord," she said, "if you
had been here, my brother would not have died."
Jesus saw her weeping and he saw, also, how the other people were weeping;
his heart was touched and he was deeply moved. "Where have you buried him?"
he asked them.
"Come and see, Lord," they answered. Jesus wept. "See how much he loved
him," the people said. But some of them said, "He gave sight to the blind.
Why couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?"
They came to the tomb that was a cave with a stone placed at the entrance.
"Roll the stone aside!" Jesus ordered.
Martha answered, "There will be a bad smell, Lord. He has been dead for
four days now."
Jesus said to her, "Didn’t I tell you that you would witness the glory
of God if you would only believe?" They rolled the stone away. Jesus looked
up and said, "Father, thank You for listening to me. I know that You always
listen to me but I say this now so that the people here may believe that
You sent me." After he had said this, he called out in a loud voice, "Lazarus,
come out!"
And Lazarus came out, his hands and feet still wrapped in burial cloths
and with his face covered up. "Untie him," Jesus told them, "and let him
go." Many of the people who witnessed this event believed in Jesus.
-
LK 7:19.23
John sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask him, "Are you
the one who is to come or should we expect someone else?"
At the same time that the two found Jesus, he was conducting his healings
and many were being cured of their ailments. When they asked him John’s
question, he replied, "Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard;
the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are healed, the deaf are able
to hear, the dead are returned to life and God’s message is given to all.
And tell him, Blessed is he who does not lose his faith in me."
-
JN 5:36
"But I have greater proof than John’s testimony — the things
that I have done, the work that the Father has commissioned me to do —
they speak on my behalf and prove that the Father has sent me."
-
JN 12:12.16
The next day, the large crowd that had come to the Passover
festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches
of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, "God bless the King of
Israel who comes in the name of the Lord!" Jesus came riding on a young
donkey, fulfilling the prophecy that said: "Don’t be afraid of your King,
people of Israel, for he will come to you meekly, sitting on a donkey’s
colt."
His disciples did not realize it at the time that this event was a fulfillment
of prophecy; but after Jesus had returned to his glory in heaven, they
realized that many prophecies of Scripture had come true before their eyes.
-
JN 19:23.24
After the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes
and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier. They also
took his robe, which was made of one piece of woven cloth without any seams
in it. The soldiers said to one another, "Let’s not tear it; let’s throw
dice to see who gets it."
This fulfilled the Scripture that says, "They divided my clothes among
them and cast lots for my robe." So, that is what they did.
-
JN 19:31.37
Then, the Jewish authorities asked Pilate to allow them to break
the legs of the men who had been crucified and to take the bodies down
from the crosses. They requested this because it was Friday, and they did
not want the bodies to stay on the crosses on the Sabbath since the coming
Sabbath was especially holy.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and then of the
other man crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that
he was already dead; so they did not break his legs. One of the soldiers,
however, plunged his spear into Jesus’ side and at once, blood and water
poured out.
This was done to make the Scripture come true: "Not one of his bones will
be broken." And there is another Scripture that says, "People will look
at him whom they pierced."
-
JN 2:18.22
"What right have you to order them out?" the Jewish leaders
demanded. "If you have this authority from God, show us a sign to prove
it."
"All right," Jesus replied, "destroy this sanctuary; and in three days,
I will raise it up."
"What!" they exclaimed. "It took forty-six years to build this temple and
you can do it in three days?" But by "this sanctuary," he meant his body.
After he came back to life, the disciples remembered that he had said this
and realized that what he had quoted from Scripture really did refer to
him and had all come true.
-
MT 26:52.54
"Put away your sword," Jesus told him. "All who take up the
sword shall perish by the sword. Don’t you realize that I only need to
call on my Father for help and at once, he would send twelve legions of
angels? But if I did, how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled?"
-
LK 22:41.44
He walked away, perhaps a stone’s throw, and knelt down and
prayed, "Father, if You are willing, please take this cup of suffering
away from me. However, not my will, but Your will be done." Then an angel
from heaven appeared to comfort and strengthen him, for he was in such
agony of spirit that he broke into a sweat of blood, with great drops falling
to the ground as he prayed more and more earnestly.
-
JN 20:29
Jesus said to Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed.
But blessed are those who haven’t seen me and believe, just the same."
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