John 19; John 20; John 21

John 19

1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped.

2 The soldiers twisted thorns together to make a crown. They put it on Jesus' head. Then they put a purple robe on him.

3 They went up to him again and again. They kept saying, "We honor you, king of the Jews!" And they hit him in the face.

4 Once more Pilate came out. He said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing Jesus out to you. I want to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him."

5 Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Then Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"

6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. I myself find no basis for a charge against him."

7 The Jews replied, "We have a law. That law says he must die. He claimed to be the Son of God."

8 When Pilate heard that, he was even more afraid.

9 He went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus. But Jesus did not answer him.

10 "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you understand? I have the power to set you free or to nail you to a cross."

11 Jesus answered, "You were given power from heaven. If you weren't, you would have no power over me. So the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free. But the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend! Anyone who claims to be a king is against Caesar!"

13 When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus out. Pilate sat down on the judge's seat. It was at a place called The Stone Walkway. In the Aramaic language it was called Gabbatha.

14 It was about noon on Preparation Day in Passover Week. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.

15 But they shouted, "Kill him! Kill him! Crucify him!" "Should I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.

16 Finally, Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be nailed to a cross. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

17 He had to carry his own cross. He went out to a place called The Skull. In the Aramaic language it was called Golgotha.

18 There they nailed Jesus to the cross. Two other men were crucified with him. One was on each side of him. Jesus was in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared. It was fastened to the cross. It read, jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews.

20 Many of the Jews read the sign. The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. The sign was written in the Aramaic, Latin and Greek languages.

21 The chief priests of the Jews argued with Pilate. They said, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews.' Write that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."

22 Pilate answered, "I have written what I have written."

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes. They divided them into four parts. Each soldier got one part. Jesus' long, inner robe was left. It did not have any seams. It was made out of one piece of cloth from top to bottom.

24 "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's cast lots to see who will get it." This happened so that Scripture would come true. It says, "They divided up my clothes among them. They cast lots for what I was wearing." (Psalm 22:18) So that is what the soldiers did.

25 Jesus' mother stood near his cross. So did his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

26 Jesus saw his mother there. He also saw the disciple he loved standing nearby. Jesus said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son."

27 He said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, the disciple took her into his home.

28 Later Jesus said, "I am thirsty." He knew that everything was now finished. He knew that what Scripture said must come true.

29 A jar of wine vinegar was there. So they soaked a sponge in it. They put the sponge on a stem of the hyssop plant. Then they lifted it up to Jesus' lips.

30 After Jesus drank he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and died.

31 It was Preparation Day. The next day would be a special Sabbath. The Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath. So they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.

32 The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus. Then they broke the legs of the other man.

33 But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead. So they did not break his legs.

34 Instead, one of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus' side. Right away, blood and water flowed out.

35 The man who saw it has given witness. And his witness is true. He knows that he tells the truth. He gives witness so that you also can believe.

36 These things happened in order that Scripture would come true. It says, "Not one of his bones will be broken."(Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20)

37 Scripture also says, "They will look to the one they have pierced."(Zechariah 12:10)

38 Later Joseph asked Pilate for Jesus' body. Joseph was from the town of Arimathea. He was a follower of Jesus. But he followed Jesus secretly because he was afraid of the Jews. After Pilate gave him permission, Joseph came and took the body away.

39 Nicodemus went with Joseph. He was the man who had earlier visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought some mixed spices, about 75 pounds.

40 The two men took Jesus' body. They wrapped it in strips of linen cloth, along with the spices. That was the way the Jews buried people's bodies.

41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden. A new tomb was there. No one had ever been put in it before.

42 That day was the Jewish Preparation Day, and the tomb was nearby. So they placed Jesus there.

John 20

1 Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. It was still dark. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance.

2 So she ran to Simon Peter and another disciple, the one Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb! We don't know where they have put him!"

3 So Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb.

4 Both of them were running. The other disciple ran faster than Peter. He reached the tomb first.

5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there. But he did not go in.

6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived. He went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there.

7 He also saw the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself. It was separate from the linen.

8 The disciple who had reached the tomb first also went inside. He saw and believed.

9 They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

11 But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she cried, she bent over to look into the tomb.

12 She saw two angels dressed in white. They were seated where Jesus' body had been. One of them was where Jesus' head had been laid. The other sat where his feet had been placed.

13 They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said. "I don't know where they have put him."

14 Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't realize that it was Jesus.

15 "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" She thought he was the gardener. So she said, "Sir, did you carry him away? Tell me where you put him. Then I will go and get him."

16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him. Then she cried out in the Aramaic language, "Rabboni!" Rabboni means Teacher.

17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me. I have not yet returned to the Father. Instead, go to those who believe in me. Tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news. She said, "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together. They had locked the doors because they were afraid of the Jews. Jesus came in and stood among them. He said, "May peace be with you!"

20 Then he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were very happy when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, "May peace be with you! The Father has sent me. So now I am sending you."

22 He then breathed on them. He said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

23 If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

24 Thomas was one of the Twelve. He was called Didymus. He was not with the other disciples when Jesus came.

25 So they told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "First I must see the nail marks in his hands. I must put my finger where the nails were. I must put my hand into his side. Only then will I believe what you say."

26 A week later, Jesus' disciples were in the house again. Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came in and stood among them. He said, "May peace be with you!"

27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here. See my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen me but still have believed."

30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in front of his disciples. They are not written down in this book.

31 But these are written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. If you believe this, you will have life because you belong to him.

John 21

1 After this, Jesus appeared to his disciples again. It was by the Sea of Galilee. Here is what happened.

2 Simon Peter and Thomas, who was called Didymus, were there together. Nathanael from Cana in Galilee and the sons of Zebedee were with them. So were two other disciples.

3 "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them. They said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat. That night they didn't catch anything.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore. But the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, "Friends, don't you have any fish?" "No," they answered.

6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat. There you will find some fish." When they did, they could not pull the net into the boat. There were too many fish in it.

7 Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Simon Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Peter heard that, he put his coat on. He had taken it off earlier. Then he jumped into the water.

8 The other disciples followed in the boat. They were towing the net full of fish. The shore was only about 100 yards away.

9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals. There were fish on it. There was also some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."

11 Simon Peter climbed into the boat. He dragged the net to shore. It was full of large fish. There were 153 of them. But even with that many fish the net was not torn.

12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.

13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same thing with the fish.

14 This was the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When Jesus and the disciples had finished eating, Jesus spoke to Simon Peter. He asked, "Simon, son of John, do you really love me more than these others do?" "Yes, Lord," he answered. "You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

16 Again Jesus asked, "Simon, son of John, do you really love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

17 Jesus spoke to him a third time. He asked, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt bad because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He answered, "Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

18 What I'm about to tell you is true. When you were younger, you dressed yourself. You went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands. Someone else will dress you. Someone else will lead you where you do not want to go."

19 Jesus said this to point out how Peter would die. His death would bring glory to God. Then Jesus said to him, "Follow me!"

20 Peter turned around. He saw that the disciple Jesus loved was following them. He was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper. He had said, "Lord, who is going to hand you over to your enemies?"

21 When Peter saw that disciple, he asked, "Lord, what will happen to him?"

22 Jesus answered, "Suppose I want him to remain alive until I return. What does that matter to you? You must follow me."

23 Because of what Jesus said, a false report spread among the believers. The story was told that the disciple Jesus loved wouldn't die. But Jesus did not say he would not die. He only said, "Suppose I want him to remain alive until I return. What does that matter to you?"

24 This is the disciple who gives witness to these things. He also wrote them down. We know that his witness is true.

25 Jesus also did many other things. What if every one of them were written down? I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.