Sunday, December 14, 2031

^24:36As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” ³⁷But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

⁴¹While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴²They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. ⁴³He took them, and ate in front of them. ⁴⁴He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms concerning me must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.” ⁵⁰He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹While he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. ⁵²They worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

^3:4When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory. ⁵Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶For these things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. ⁷You also once walked in those, when you lived in them, ⁸but now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth. ⁹Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, ¹⁰and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator,

¹¹where there can’t be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, or free person; but Christ is all, and in all.

^14:16But he said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people. ¹⁷He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’ ¹⁸They all as one began to make excuses. “The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’ ¹⁹“Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.’ ²⁰“Another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t come.’

²¹“That servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’ ²²“The servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.’ ²³“The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. ²⁴For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper. For many are called, but few are chosen.’”

^24:36As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” ³⁷But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

⁴¹While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴²They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. ⁴³He took them, and ate in front of them. ⁴⁴He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms concerning me must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.” ⁵⁰He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹While he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. ⁵²They worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

^1:12giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, ¹³who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love, ¹⁴in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. ¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible things and invisible things, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things have been created through him and for him.

¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things are held together. ¹⁸He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.

^18:18A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁹Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one: God. ²⁰You know the commandments: ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ ‘Don’t murder,’ ‘Don’t steal,’ ‘Don’t give false testimony,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” ²¹He said, “I have observed all these things from my youth up.” ²²When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

²³But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich. ²⁴Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom! ²⁵For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.” ²⁶Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”