Sunday, July 9, 2028

^24:12But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Stooping and looking in, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he departed to his home, wondering what had happened. ¹³Behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was sixty stadia from Jerusalem. ¹⁴They talked with each other about all of these things which had happened. ¹⁵While they talked and questioned together, Jesus himself came near, and went with them. ¹⁶But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?”

¹⁸One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things which have happened there in these days?” ¹⁹He said to them, “What things?” They said to him, “The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; ²⁰and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. ²¹But we were hoping that it was he who would redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.

²²Also, certain women of our company amazed us, having arrived early at the tomb; ²³and when they didn’t find his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. ²⁴Some of us went to the tomb and found it just like the women had said, but they didn’t see him.” ²⁵He said to them, “Foolish people, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?”

²⁷Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. ²⁸They came near to the village where they were going, and he acted like he would go further. ²⁹They urged him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.” He went in to stay with them. ³⁰When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave it to them. ³¹Their eyes were opened and they recognized him; then he vanished out of their sight.

³²They said to one another, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?” ³³They rose up that very hour, returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them, ³⁴saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵They related the things that happened along the way, and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

^10:1Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved. ²For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God. ⁴For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. ⁵For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.” ⁶But the righteousness which is of faith says this, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down); ⁷or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)”

⁸But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart;” that is, the word of faith which we preach: ⁹that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation.

^8:28When he came to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, two people possessed by demons met him there, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that nobody could pass that way. ²⁹Behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” ³⁰Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them. ³¹The demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs.”

³²He said to them, “Go!” They came out and went into the herd of pigs; and behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea and died in the water. ³³Those who fed them fled and went away into the city and told everything, including what happened to those who were possessed with demons. ³⁴Behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders. ^9:1He entered into a boat and crossed over, and came into his own city.