Study Desk

But they kept on saying, "His teaching is causing trouble all over Judea. He began in Galilee, and now he is here!"

Then Herod and his soldiers laughed at him. They made fun of him by dressing him in clothes like kings wear. Then Herod sent him back to Pilate.

But they did not find his body there. They came and told us they had seen some angels in a vision. The angels told them Jesus was alive!

The prophets said the Messiah must suffer these things before he begins his time of glory."

After Jesus told them this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

You saw these things happen—you are witnesses. You must go and tell people that they must change and turn to God, which will bring them his forgiveness. You must start from Jerusalem and tell this message in my name to the people of all nations.

Jesus led his followers out of Jerusalem almost to Bethany. He raised his hands and blessed his followers.

He came to the world that was his own. And his own people did not accept him.

The Word became a man and lived among us. We saw his divine greatness—the greatness that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace and truth.

He is the one who is coming later. I am not good enough to be the slave who unties the strings on his sandals."

The next day John was there again and had two of his followers with him.

The first thing Andrew did was to go and find his brother Simon. Andrew said to him, "We have found the Messiah." ("Messiah" means "Christ.")

Jesus and his followers were also invited.

His mother said to the servants, "Do what he tells you."

This was the first of all the miraculous signs Jesus did. He did it in the town of Cana in Galilee. By this he showed his divine greatness, and his followers believed in him.

Then Jesus went to the town of Capernaum. His mother and brothers and his followers went with him. They all stayed there a few days.

When this happened, his followers remembered what was written in the Scriptures: "My strong devotion to your Temple will destroy me."

But the temple Jesus meant was his own body.

After he was raised from death, his followers remembered that he had said this. So they believed the Scriptures, and they believed the words Jesus said.

Nicodemus said, "How can a man who is already old be born again? Can he go back into his mother's womb and be born a second time?"