WELCOME TO

THE MONUMENTAL WORKS OF JESUS



THIS HARMONY INCORPORATES THE FOUR GOSPELS
WITH THE EVENTS AND TEACHINGS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER,
WITH EACH GOSPEL TEXT IN ITS OWN COLOR:

MATTHEW-- --MARK-- --LUKE-- --JOHN-- --ACTS

My own comments and other words not in the Greek Bible text are in black
(This is no paraphrase; it is a word for word rendition from a Greek Interlinear.)



C H A P T E R
F I V E

JESUS 'DIES LIKE A MAN'




Carrying his own cross, Jesus went towards the place called "Skull," which in Hebrew is called "Golgotha." And after they had gone a little ways, because Jesus was incredibly tired and weak, they seized Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, a certain Cyrenian coming in from the country, and they placed the cross on him to carry behind Jesus. And a large multitude of the people followed, including women who mourned and lamented for him. Turning to them, Jesus said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep over me, but weep over yourselves and over your children. For, behold, the days will come in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs which do not bare, and the breasts which do not give suck.' Then they will begin to say to the mountains: 'Cover us!' For if they do these things when the tree is full of sap, what might happen in the dry time?"

Two others, criminals, were led with him to be killed. And when they came to the place called Skull, there they crucified him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. They offered him wine spiced up with myrrh/gall, but tasting it, he did not take it.

The soldiers took his garments and made four portions, a part to each soldier, with the tunic left over. Now the tunic was seamless, woven from the top throughout. "Let's not tear it, but let's cast lots over it to see who it will belong to," they said to one another, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled:

"They parted My garments to themselves and they cast a lot over My clothes."

So the soldiers did these things. And sitting down, they guarded him there.

But Jesus, bleeding profusely, prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."

Pilate had written a heading and put the charge on the cross; this had been written: THIS IS JESUS THE NAZARENE THE KING OF THE JEWS. Therefore, many of the Jews coming into the city from all over the inhabited world read this heading because the city was near the place where Jesus was crucified. It was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. The chief priests of the Jews, therefore, said to Pilate, "Don't write, 'The King of the Jews,' but only that the man said, 'I am the king of the Jews.'"

Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

Those passing by cursed him, shaking their heads and saying, "Ah, the one who would overthrow the Temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself."

The people who stood watching scoffed. And the rulers mocked, "He saved others, but he cannot save himself! Let him save himself if this man is the Christ of God, the chosen one."

"Let him now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe."

"He has trusted in God, let Him rescue if He wants him, since he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

And the soldiers also came near to mock him, offering him burning vinegar and asking, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

One of the hung criminals blasphemed him: "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

But the other criminal rebuked him: "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same judgment? We are justly so, for we are getting back things worthy of what we did, but this man did nothing improper." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

"Truly, I tell you, you will be with me today in the paradise."

His mother stood horrified by the cross of Jesus, with the sister of his mother...Jesus, therefore, seeing his mother standing with the disciple John whom he loved, said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to his disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour, the disciple took her into his own home.

And after noon, as the sun failed, darkness came over all the land until after 3 o'clock, when Jesus cried with a loud voice: "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" This is interpreted, "My God, my God, why did you forsake me?" Some of those standing by listening said, "Look, he's calling Elijah!"

Knowing now that all things had been finished, in order to fulfill Scripture, Jesus said, "I thirst." A jar had been set full of vinegar; having filled a sponge with vinegar and placing it on a hyssop stick, therefore, someone ran and gave it to him to drink. But the rest said, "Let be; let's see if Elijah will come to take him down."

So when he took the vinegar, Jesus said, "It has been finished." And with a crying voice, he called, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." And saying this, with his head dropping, he delivered up his spirit, and stopped breathing.

And behold, the veil of the Temple was torn in two through the middle from top to bottom, and the earth was shaken, the rocks were split, the tombs were opened, and many bodies of saints who had fallen asleep were raised. When the centurion and the ones guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and this thing taking place, they feared greatly and glorified God, saying, "This really was a righteous man. Surely he was the Son of God."

All the crowds that arrived together at this site, seeing what things were happening, went back beating their breasts. And those known to him stood a long ways off, and many women who accompanied him from Galilee witnessed these things. Among them were both Mary the Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the Little and Joses, and Salome the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

As it was the preparation, which is the day before the Passover sabbath, the Jews, in order that the bodies might not remain on the crosses on the sabbath, asked Pilate to break their legs that they might be taken down sooner, for the day of that sabbath was great (two sabbaths in a row, Friday and Saturday). Again, these wonderful Jews didn't want to offend God by doing anything improper on the sabbath.

The soldiers came, therefore, and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with him, but upon coming to Jesus, when they saw him already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with his lance, and blood and water suddenly came out. And the one who saw this has testified, and that one knows that he speaks the truth, that you too may believe. For these things happened that Scripture might be fulfilled:

"Not a bone of his will be broken."

And again,, another scripture says:

"They shall look at Him Whom they pierced."

Now, as evening approached after these things, a rich man who was an honorable councilor, Joseph by name, a good and righteous man, asked Pilate if he could take the body of Jesus. Being a disciple of Jesus, though secretly for fear of the Jews, this man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, was not in agreement with the Council and their action against Jesus; he was himself expecting the kingdom of God. Approaching Pilate, this man went into him with courage. Pilate wondered how Jesus had already died, and calling to himself the centurion, he questioned if he had in fact died long ago. Knowing the truth from the centurion, Pilate granted the corpse to Joseph.

And having bought a piece of unused linen, Joseph came and took his body. Nicodemus, who had come to Jesus by night in the beginning, also came carrying a mixture of about 100 litras of myrrh and aloes. So they took the body of Jesus and bound/wrapped it in the clean sheet with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden Joseph's new tomb in which no one had yet been put, which he cut in the rock. Therefore, because of the preparation of the Jews, and because the tomb was near, they placed Jesus there, and rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and went away. And Mary the Magdalene as well as Mary the mother of Joses, sitting opposite the grave, saw where and how his body had been laid.

The next day, after the preparation, they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment. But the chief priests and Pharisees assembled before Pilate, saying, "Lord, we remembered how that deceiver, while living, said, 'I will be raised after three days.' Therefore, order the grave to be made secure until the third day, lest the disciples come and steal him, and then say to the people, 'He was raised from the dead!' This last deception would then be worse than the first."

"You have a guard; you go and secure it as you know how," Pilate said to them. So they went and secured the grave with a guard blocking the stone.

But after the two sabbaths, behold, a great earthquake occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended out of Heaven, approached, rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the ones guarding were shaken from fear and became as the dead.

Toward the dawning after one of the sabbaths, on this first day of the week, the women went to view the grave, and some went off and bought spices in order to anoint Jesus upon arriving. Mary the Magdalene, from whom Jesus had expelled seven demons, came alone to the tomb early, being yet dark, and saw that the stone had been taken out of the tomb's entrance. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They (the guards) took the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they put him."

So Peter and the other disciple, John, left and went to the tomb. The two ran together, and the other disciple ran ahead more quickly than Peter and arrived to the tomb first. Stooping, he saw the sheets, though he did not enter. So Simon Peter following behind also arrived, and entered into the tomb. He saw the sheets lying there, and, though not lying with the sheets but wrapped up in a separate place, the towel which was on his head. So the other disciple, who arrived to the tomb first, then entered as well. He saw and believed that he was gone, understanding also that neither the guards, nor anyone else, had taken him away. But they did not yet understand the Scriptures, that he must rise up from the dead. Therefore, back went the disciples, away by themselves.

But Mary stood outside the tomb, weeping. As she was weeping, she stooped into the tomb, and, behold, two angels were sitting in white where Jesus's body once lay, one at the head and one at the feet. And they said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?"

"They took my Lord," she cried to them, "and I know not where they put him."

Saying these things, she turned back and, behold, Jesus was standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why do you weep? Who do you seek?"

Thinking it was the gardener, that one replied to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you put him, and I will take him."

"Mary."

"Rabboni!!"

"Don't touch me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But you go to my brothers and tell them: 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Mary the Magdalene came announcing to the disciples, who had been mourning and weeping, "I have seen the Lord," as well as the things Jesus said to her. But those who heard that he lives and was seen by her did not believe.

Then, after buying the spices, Mary the mother of James, Salome, and Joanna said to themselves, as the sun rose, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back, for it was very large and easy to see that it wasn't there.

And entering into the tomb, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. They were perplexing about this when, behold, two men stood by them in shining clothes. They became terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. The men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but was raised. Remember how he spoke to you being yet in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day rise up?"

And they remembered his words.

Then they saw a young man sitting on the right clothed in white, and they were greatly astonished. The angel said, "Fear not; for I know that you seek Jesus the crucified one. He is not here, for he was raised just as he proclaimed. Come see the place where he lay. Now you go and tell his disciples, and Peter, that he goes before you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you. Behold, I now told you."

And starting out, they fled from the tomb, possessed with trembling and ecstasy. They spoke nothing to any one of the angels, for they were afraid. And they ran to announce this to his disciples when, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice." And they came near, clasped his feet and worshipped him.

"Don't fear; go announce to my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and they will see me there."

Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. But these ecstatic words about angels seemed like folly in their presence, so they disbelieved the women.

And behold, on that same day, two of them were traveling to a village called Emmaus, sixty furlongs distant from Jerusalem, and they talked with each other about all the things that happened. It came to pass that as they talked and discussed, Jesus drew near and traveled with them, though their eyes were held from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What words are these which you exchange with each other while walking along?"

And they stood grim-faced. And one of them, called Cleopas, answered and said to him, "Are you only a stranger in Jerusalem which doesn't know the things happening in it these days?"

"What things?"

"The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet powerful in work and word before God and all the people; how both the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to the sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel now. But, furthermore, concerning all these things, this is the third day onward since these things happened. But also, some of our women astonished us, who were early at the tomb. Not finding his body they also came saying that they saw a vision of angels, who claimed that he lives. So some of those with us went to the tomb, and found such as indeed the women claimed, but Jesus they did not see."

"O foolish ones and slow in heart to believe in all the things which the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?" And beginning from Moses and all the prophets, Jesus explained things to them within all the scriptures concerning himself.

They drew near the village to which they were traveling, but Jesus pretended to journey farther. So they urged him: "Stay with us, for the day has gone down and it's toward evening." So Jesus went in to stay with them.

And it came to pass as he sat down with them, he took the loaf and blessed God. Having broken it, he handed it to them. Then, after telling them that he appeared to Peter, their eyes were opened up, and they recognized him; but he became invisible from them. And they said to each other, "Weren't our hearts burning within us as he spoke to us on the road, as he opened the Scriptures up to us?" And rising up that hour, they returned to Jerusalem, and found the Eleven gathered, with the others among them, where the doors had been shut...for fear of the Jews. "The Lord was truly raised, and he appeared to Simon!" they exclaimed. And they related the things on the road and how he was known by them in the breaking of the bread.

And as they were saying these things, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and greeted them: "Peace unto you." They became scared and terrified, thinking they saw a spirit. But Jesus reproved their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe the ones who saw him resurrected. "Why have you been troubled? And why does deliberation come up in your heart?" Saying this, he showed them both his hands and his side. "See my hands and my feet, and that it is I; feel me and see, because a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you have now seen me." While they still disbelieved in their joy and wonder, he asked, "Have you any food here?" They handed him a section of a broiled fish, and taking it before them, he ate.

"These are my words which I spoke to you while being with you, that all things which were written concerning me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He said to them, "It has thus been written for Christ to suffer, to rise up from the dead on the third day, and that repentance unto forgiveness of sins be proclaimed to all nations in his name--beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. Peace be unto you," Jesus said to them again. "As the Father has sent me, I also send you." And saying this, he breathed in and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whosoever sins you forgive, they have been forgiven them; whosoever you retain, they have been retained."

The disciples rejoiced, therefore, upon seeing the Lord. Thomas, one of the Twelve, called "Twin," was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord!"

But Thomas said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, put my finger into the place of the nails, and place my hand into his side, by no means will I believe."

So the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had appointed them apostles. So after eight days, the disciples were again inside, with Thomas among them. The doors had been shut, but Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, "Peace unto you." And seeing him, they worshipped, but some doubted. Then he said to Thomas, "Bring your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hands and put it into my side. Don't be faithless, but be faithful."

"My Lord and my God!" Thomas declared.

"Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who don't see and yet believe."

After these things, Jesus manifested himself to the disciples again, at the sea of Tiberius. He manifested himself thus: Simon Peter and Thomas were together with Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of His. "I'm going out to fish," said Simon Peter to them.

"We're coming with you."

They all? went forth and embarked in the boat, but in that night, they caught nothing. As early morning came, Jesus stood on the shore; the disciples did not know it was Jesus, however. So Jesus called out to them, "Children, do you not have any fish?"

"NOOO!"

"Cast your net over the right sections of the boat, and you will find."

They cast the net, therefore, but they were eventually unable to drag it any further due to the multitude of fish in it. Therefore, the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Lord!"

So Simon Peter, hearing that it was the Lord, wrapped the covering over himself, since he was naked, and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, because they were dragging the net full of the fish not far from land: about 200 cubits. So, when they disembarked onto the land, they saw a bed of coals laid down with a fish lying on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring from the fish which you caught just now. Simon Peter went up and dragged the net, filled with 153 large fish, to the land. And even with there being so many, the net was not torn.

"Come eat," Jesus directed them.

None of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you," knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them; likewise the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was manifested to the disciples upon rising from the dead. When they ate, Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these fish?"

"Yes, Lord, you know that I admire you," is all the one who denied him could say.

"Feed my lambs."

Jesus asked him a second time, "Simon of John, do you love me?"

"Yes, Lord, you know that I admire you," said the one who denied him two times and could not bring himself to saying that he loved the Lord, though he knew he did.

"Shepherd my little sheep."

He asked him the third question, "Simon of John, do you even admire me?"

Peter, the one who denied him three times, was grieved that he asked a third time, "Do you admire me?" He responded, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I admire you."

"Feed my little sheep. Truly, truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you clothed yourself and walked where you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will clothe you, and will carry you where you don't wish." Jesus said this to indicate by what kind of death he would glorify God, and that he would not return to set up the Kingdom on earth until Peter had at least grown old and died. And telling Peter this, he said, "Follow me," suggesting that the term, "Follow me," means to us today one and the same thing as "Feed my sheep."

Turning, Peter saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, who also leaned on Jesus' breast at the supper and asked, "Lord, who will betray you?" Seeing him, Peter asked Jesus, "Lord, and what about this one's death?"

"If I wish him to remain until I come, what's it to you? You follow me."

Therefore, the word went out to the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, "If I wish him to remain until I come, what's it to you?" Then again, Jesus might very well have been implying that John would not die in the first century, since he appears in Revelation 11 and elsewhere to be a candidate for one of the two olive trees.

And when they came together in Jerusalem again, they asked him that nagging question, "Lord, are you at this time restoring the kingdom to Israel?"

"It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father set in his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the extremity of the earth. All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the entire creation. As you go, disciple all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I gave you command. And behold, I am with you all the days, to the completion of the age. Those committing and being baptized will be saved, but the one disbelieving will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who commit: in my Name they will expel demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take on serpents; if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; and they will place their hands on the sick and they will get well. Behold, I will send the promise of my Father upon you; but sit in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. For John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days after this day."

The resurrected Jesus was seen by the disciples and spoke things concerning the kingdom of God through 40 days. Then He led them out until they were next to Bethany. Lifting up his hands, He blessed them. And it came to pass that as He was blessing them, He was taken up into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God, and a cloud received Him from their eyes. As they were gazing up to Heaven, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, who then said, "Men of Galilee, why stand looking to Heaven? This Jesus, the One who has been taken up from you to Heaven, will come likewise in the way you saw Him going to Heaven (even setting His foot back down on this same Mount of Olives).

Then they returned to Jerusalem with great joy from the mount, called Olive, and were blessing God continually in the Temple. These apostles were all continually steadfast in prayer with one mind with the women--including Mary the mother of Jesus--and with his brothers. In these days Peter, standing up in the midst of the brothers, being a group of personalities numbering about 120, said, "Men--brothers--it was necessary for the scripture to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit previously spoke through David's mouth concerning Judas, who had become a guide for those taking Jesus. For he had been numbered among us and had obtained a part of this apostolic ministry. This one bought a field from his unrighteous reward, but having become swollen up, he burst apart in the middle, and all his intestines poured out. This became known to all those living in Jerusalem, so that the field came to be called, in their own language: "Aceldamach." That is, "Field of Blood." For it has been written in the book of Psalms:

"'Let his estate become deserted, and do not let there be any habitation on it.'

"Also:

"'Let another take his office.'

"Therefore, of the men who had accompanied us throughout all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us--beginning from the baptism of John up until the day when he was taken up from us--a witness of the resurrection is required with us, to become one of these apostles."

And they set forth two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. Praying, they said, "You, Lord, are the knower of hearts of all men; show the one whom you have chosen between these two to take a position in this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas fell to go to his own place." And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias. So he was reckoned along with the eleven apostles.

And when the day of Pentecost was ending, 10 days after Jesus went up to the Father, they were all nestled together. Suddenly, there came a sound out of Heaven as if it had been carried in a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And there appeared tongues of fire to them, and, being distributed, one tongue sat on each of them. Thus they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them words/ability to speak out.

Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation among those under the sky. The multitude came together when this sound occurred and were confounded because they heard each one speaking to them in his own language/dialect. They were amazed and, marveling, said, "Look! Aren't all these speaking Galileans? So how is it that we hear each one in our own language in which we were born: Parthians, Medes and Elamites; those living in Mesopotamia; both Judea and Cappadocia; Pontus and Asia; both Phrygia and Pamphylia; Egypt and the regions of Libya over by Cyrene; the visiting Romans--both Jews and Jewish converts--Cretans and Arabians; how do we hear them declaring the great deeds of God in our own tongues?"

All were amazed. But troubled, they asked one another, "What do they wish this to mean?"

But others mockingly declared, "They are full of sweet wine!"

But Peter, standing with the Eleven, raised his voice and spoke out to them: "Men--Jews and those staying throughout Jerusalem--let this be known to you, and give ear to my words! For these men are not drunk as you imagine, for it is only 9 am. But this is the thing which had been spoken through the prophet Joel:

"'And it will be in the last days, says God, "I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophecy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. Upon the male servants and upon the female servants will I pour out from My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. And I will give wonders in the skies above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome Day of the Lord comes. And it will be, everyone who commits to the Name of the Lord shall be saved.'

"Men--Israelites--hear these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man from God who was approved among you by powerful deeds, wonders and signs, which God performed through him in your midst--as you yourselves know--you Jews killed this man by the unmovable counsel and foreknowledge of God, giving him up to spiking on the cross through the hands of lawless Roman men. God raised him up, loosening the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says of him:

"'I foresaw the Lord always before Me, for He is on My right, lest I be moved. Therefore, My heart was glad and My tongue exalted, and now also My flesh will live in hope, because You will not abandon My soul to the grave nor will You give Your Holy One to see decay. You made known to Me the ways of life; You will fill Me full of gladness with Your presence.'

Men--brothers--it is permitted to speak plainly to you concerning David the patriarch, that he both dies and was buried, and his tomb is with us until this day. Being a prophet and knowing that God swore to him with an oath that the fruit of his loins would sit on his throne, he, therefore, in foreseeing, spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ--that he was neither abandoned to the grave nor would his flesh have seen decay. God raised this Jesus up, to which we all are witnesses. Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you both see and hear. For David did not rise to the skies, but he says:

"'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I place Your enemies underfoot your feet.'

"Therefore, let all the house of Israel firmly realize that God made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

Hearing this, they were pierced in the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brotherly men, what might we do?"

And Peter to them: "Repent, and let each of you be baptized on the name of Jesus Christ unto forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is offered to you, to your children, and to all those far away, as many as the Lord our God may call out to."

And with many other words he soberly witnessed, exhorting them by warning, "Be saved from this perverse generation!"

Therefore, those who welcomed his word were baptized, and there were added in that day about 3,000 souls; these steadfastly continued in the teaching of the apostles and in the fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came to every soul, and many wonders and signs occurred through the apostles. All the believers together had all things in common; properties and possessions they sold and distributed to all, according to the need that anyone had. And from day to day, steadfastly continuing with one mind in the Temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they shared food in gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added together those being saved from day to day.

This story is continued at chapter three of the book of Acts in the Bible (New Testament). It is a never-ending story that will go on for eternity. The next major event is the "Day of the LORD," the day that Jesus returns to earth both to save the righteous who have committed themselves to him, and to fight against his enemies who have not wanted him to be their king. But before that Day, there will be a "great tribulation," and all believers must endure this period of persecution lasting 3.5 years. You can read my (internet) book on this period, and how you can avoid being unprepared for it, at

http://www.tribwatch.com


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Repairing the Foundations
It was necessary for Jesus to establish a large following
in his first appearance to the Israeli people,
in order to stir murderous jealousy
into his spiritual enemies.

Serpents in the Judean Vineyard
The southern Judean realm of Israel, the seat of Jerusalem,
becomes threatening to Jesus' life in his second year,
but he remains focused and
handles it in stride.

Coming Down Hard

With the works of Jesus coming to an end,
he humbles his own high-minded chiefs
while instigating the Jewish rulers
against himself for his Exit.

The Capture of God
In the face of his excruciating agony only days off,
Jesus still remains concerned
about others.


Pre-Tribulation Preparation For Post-Tribulation Rapture