Luke 24; John 20; John 21

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Luke 24

1 At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared.
2 They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb,
3 so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn't find the body of the Master Jesus.
4 They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there.
5 The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, "Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery?
6 He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee
7 that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?"
8 Then they remembered Jesus' words.
9 They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest.
10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles,
11 but the apostles didn't believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up.
12 But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that's all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head.
13 That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem.
14 They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened.
15 In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them.
16 But they were not able to recognize who he was.
17 He asked, "What's this you're discussing so intently as you walk along?"
18 Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, "Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn't heard what's happened during the last few days?"
19 He said, "What has happened?"
20 They said, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him.
21 And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened.
22 But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb
23 and couldn't find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.
24 Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn't see Jesus."
25 Then he said to them, "So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can't you simply believe all that the prophets said?
26 Don't you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?"
27 Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him.
28 They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on
29 but they pressed him: "Stay and have supper with us. It's nearly evening; the day is done." So he went in with them.
30 And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them.
31 At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.
32 Back and forth they talked. "Didn't we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?"
33 They didn't waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together,
34 talking away: "It's really happened! The Master has been raised up - Simon saw him!"
35 Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.
36 While they were saying all this, Jesus appeared to them and said, "Peace be with you."
37 They thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death.
38 He continued with them, "Don't be upset, and don't let all these doubting questions take over.
39 Look at my hands; look at my feet - it's really me. Touch me. Look me over from head to toe. A ghost doesn't have muscle and bone like this."
40 As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet.
41 They still couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was too much; it seemed too good to be true.
42 They gave him a piece of leftover fish they had cooked.
43 He took it and ate it right before their eyes.
44 Then he said, "Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the things written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be fulfilled."
45 He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way.
46 He said, "You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day,
47 and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations - starting from here, from Jerusalem!
48 You're the first to hear and see it. You're the witnesses.
49 What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you're equipped with power from on high."
50 He then led them out of the city over to Bethany. Raising his hands he blessed them,
51 and while blessing them, took his leave, being carried up to heaven.
52 And they were on their knees, worshiping him. They returned to Jerusalem bursting with joy.
53 They spent all their time in the Temple praising God. Yes.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.

John 20

1 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance.
2 She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, "They took the Master from the tomb. We don't know where they've put him."
3 Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb.
4 They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter.
5 Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.
6 Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there,
7 and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed.
9 No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.
10 The disciples then went back home.
11 But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb
12 and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been laid.
13 They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?" "They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him."
14 After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't recognize him.
15 Jesus spoke to her, "Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?" She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, "Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him."
16 Jesus said, "Mary." Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" meaning "Teacher!"
17 Jesus said, "Don't cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.'"
18 Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: "I saw the Master!" And she told them everything he said to her.
19 Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you."
20 Then he showed them his hands and side.
21 Jesus repeated his greeting: "Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you."
22 Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. "Receive the Holy Spirit," he said.
23 "If you forgive someone's sins, they're gone for good. If you don't forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?"
24 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples told him, "We saw the Master." But he said, "Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won't believe it."
26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you."
27 Then he focused his attention on Thomas. "Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don't be unbelieving. Believe."
28 Thomas said, "My Master! My God!"
29 Jesus said, "So, you believe because you've seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing."
30 Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book.
31 These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.

John 21

1 After this, Jesus appeared again to the disciples, this time at the Tiberias Sea (the Sea of Galilee). This is how he did it:
2 Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed "Twin"), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the brothers Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.
3 Simon Peter announced, "I'm going fishing."
4 When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn't recognize him.
5 Jesus spoke to them: "Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?" They answered, "No."
6 He said, "Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens." They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren't strong enough to pull it in.
7 Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Master!"
8 The other disciples came in by boat for they weren't far from land, a hundred yards or so, pulling along the net full of fish.
9 When they got out of the boat, they saw a fire laid, with fish and bread cooking on it.
10 Jesus said, "Bring some of the fish you've just caught."
11 Simon Peter joined them and pulled the net to shore - 153 big fish! And even with all those fish, the net didn't rip.
12 Jesus said, "Breakfast is ready." Not one of the disciples dared ask, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Master.
13 Jesus then took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish.
14 This was now the third time Jesus had shown himself alive to the disciples since being raised from the dead.
15 After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Master, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16 He then asked a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Master, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Shepherd my sheep."
17 Then he said it a third time: "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, "Do you love me?" so he answered, "Master, you know everything there is to know. You've got to know that I love you."
18 I'm telling you the very truth now: When you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wished, but when you get old you'll have to stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you where you don't want to go."
19 He said this to hint at the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And then he commanded, "Follow me."
20 Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved following right behind.
21 When Peter noticed him, he asked Jesus, "Master, what's going to happen to him?"
22 Jesus said, "If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you? You - follow me."
23 That is how the rumor got out among the brothers that this disciple wouldn't die. But that is not what Jesus said. He simply said, "If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you?"
24 This is the same disciple who was eyewitness to all these things and wrote them down. And we all know that his eyewitness account is reliable and accurate.
25 There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can't imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.