Study Desk

But I cannot choose who will sit at my right or my left; those places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."

In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people."

Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man answered, "Teacher, I want to see."

Seeing a fig tree in leaf from far away, he went to see if it had any figs on it. But he found no figs, only leaves, because it was not the right season for figs.

Then he taught the people, saying, "It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My Temple will be called a house for prayer for people from all nations.' But you are changing God's house into a ‘hideout for robbers.'"

I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, fall into the sea.' And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that what you say will happen, God will do it for you.

So I tell you to believe that you have received the things you ask for in prayer, and God will give them to you.

Jesus began to use stories to teach the people. He said, "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it and dug a hole for a winepress and built a tower. Then he leased the land to some farmers and left for a trip.

When it was time for the grapes to be picked, he sent a servant to the farmers to get his share of the grapes.

Then the man sent another servant. They hit him on the head and showed no respect for him.

They said, "Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, then that man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.

Jesus continued teaching and said, "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around wearing fancy clothes, and they love for people to greet them with respect in the marketplaces.

Nations will fight against other nations, and kingdoms against other kingdoms. There will be earthquakes in different places, and there will be times when there is no food for people to eat. These things are like the first pains when something new is about to be born.

At that time, how terrible it will be for women who are pregnant or have nursing babies!

Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you troubling her? She did an excellent thing for me.

This woman did the only thing she could do for me; she poured perfume on my body to prepare me for burial.

These priests were pleased about this and promised to pay Judas money. So he watched for the best time to turn Jesus in.

It was now the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread when the Passover lamb was sacrificed. Jesus' followers said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?"

The owner will show you a large room upstairs that is furnished and ready. Prepare the food for us there."

The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. But how terrible it will be for the person who hands the Son of Man over to be killed. It would be better for him if he had never been born."