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Live Free: A Study of Galatians

Jesus’ Post-Resurrection Appearances

Acts 11:1-18 |  the Church Will Criticize You. Don't Criticize It.

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 <div class="label">1</div><div class="s1">John the Baptist Prepares the Way</div><div class="p"> 1The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,#1:1 Or Jesus Christ. Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) both mean Anointed One. the Son of God,#1:1 Some manuscripts do not have the Son of God. 2as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;I will send my messenger ahead of you,</div><div class="q2">who will prepare your way&#8221;#1:2 Mal. 3:1&#8212;</div><div class="q1"> 3&#8220;a voice of one calling in the wilderness,</div><div class="q1">&#8216;Prepare the way for the Lord,</div><div class="q2">make straight paths for him.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;#1:3 Isaiah 40:3</div><div class="m"> 4And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6John wore clothing made of camel&#8217;s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7And this was his message: &#8220;After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I baptize you with#1:8 Or in water, but he will baptize you with#1:8 Or in the Holy Spirit.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Baptism and Testing of Jesus</div><div class="p"> 9At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven: &#8220;You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted#1:13 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested. by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Announces the Good News</div><div class="p"> 14After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15&#8220;The time has come,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Calls His First Disciples</div><div class="p"> 16As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17&#8220;Come, follow me,&#8221; Jesus said, &#8220;and I will send you out to fish for people.&#8221; 18At once they left their nets and followed him.</div><div class="p"> 19When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit</div><div class="p"> 21They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24&#8220;What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are&#8212;the Holy One of God!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25 &#8220;Be quiet!&#8221; said Jesus sternly. &#8220;Come out of him!&#8221; 26The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.</div><div class="p"> 27The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, &#8220;What is this? A new teaching&#8212;and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.&#8221; 28News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Heals Many</div><div class="p"> 29As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30Simon&#8217;s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.</div><div class="p"> 32That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33The whole town gathered at the door, 34and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place</div><div class="p"> 35Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37and when they found him, they exclaimed: &#8220;Everyone is looking for you!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 38Jesus replied, &#8220;Let us go somewhere else&#8212;to the nearby villages&#8212;so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.&#8221; 39So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy</div><div class="p"> 40A man with leprosy#1:40 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin. came to him and begged him on his knees, &#8220;If you are willing, you can make me clean.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 41Jesus was indignant.#1:41 Many manuscripts Jesus was filled with compassion He reached out his hand and touched the man. &#8220;I am willing,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Be clean!&#8221; 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.</div><div class="p"> 43Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44&#8220;See that you don&#8217;t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.&#8221; 45Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.</div>
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 <div class="label">2</div><div class="s1">Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man</div><div class="p"> 1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, &#8220;Son, your sins are forgiven.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7&#8220;Why does this fellow talk like that? He&#8217;s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, &#8220;Why are you thinking these things? 9Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, &#8216;Your sins are forgiven,&#8217; or to say, &#8216;Get up, take your mat and walk&#8217;? 10But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.&#8221; So he said to the man, 11&#8220;I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.&#8221; 12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, &#8220;We have never seen anything like this!&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners</div><div class="p"> 13Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector&#8217;s booth. &#8220;Follow me,&#8221; Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.</div><div class="p"> 15While Jesus was having dinner at Levi&#8217;s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: &#8220;Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17On hearing this, Jesus said to them, &#8220;It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Questioned About Fasting</div><div class="p"> 18Now John&#8217;s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, &#8220;How is it that John&#8217;s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19Jesus answered, &#8220;How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.</div><div class="p"> 21 &#8220;No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath</div><div class="p"> 23One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, &#8220;Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25He answered, &#8220;Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 27Then he said to them, &#8220;The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.&#8221;</div>
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 <div class="label">3</div><div class="s1">Jesus Heals on the Sabbath</div><div class="p"> 1Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, &#8220;Stand up in front of everyone.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4Then Jesus asked them, &#8220;Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?&#8221; But they remained silent.</div><div class="p"> 5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, &#8220;Stretch out your hand.&#8221; He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.</div><div class="s1">Crowds Follow Jesus</div><div class="p"> 7Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, &#8220;You are the Son of God.&#8221; 12But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Appoints the Twelve</div><div class="p"> 13Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14He appointed twelve#3:14 Some manuscripts twelve&#8212;designating them apostles&#8212; that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons. 16These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means &#8220;sons of thunder&#8221;), 18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law</div><div class="p"> 20Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21When his family#3:21 Or his associates heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, &#8220;He is out of his mind.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, &#8220;He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: &#8220;How can Satan drive out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27In fact, no one can enter a strong man&#8217;s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man&#8217;s house. 28Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 30He said this because they were saying, &#8220;He has an impure spirit.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 31Then Jesus&#8217; mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, &#8220;Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33 &#8220;Who are my mother and my brothers?&#8221; he asked.</div><div class="p"> 34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, &#8220;Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God&#8217;s will is my brother and sister and mother.&#8221;</div>
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 <div class="label">4</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Sower</div><div class="p"> 1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water&#8217;s edge. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3&#8220;Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9Then Jesus said, &#8220;Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, &#8220;The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,</div><div class="q1"> &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,</div><div class="q2"> and ever hearing but never understanding;</div><div class="q1"> otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!&#8217; # 4:12 
 Isaiah 6:9,10 &#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13Then Jesus said to them, &#8220;Don&#8217;t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop&#8212;some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">A Lamp on a Stand</div><div class="p"> 21He said to them, &#8220;Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don&#8217;t you put it on its stand? 22For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24 &#8220;Consider carefully what you hear,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;With the measure you use, it will be measured to you&#8212;and even more. 25Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Growing Seed</div><div class="p"> 26He also said, &#8220;This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28All by itself the soil produces grain&#8212;first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">The Parable of the Mustard Seed</div><div class="p"> 30Again he said, &#8220;What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.</div><div class="s1">Jesus Calms the Storm</div><div class="p"> 35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, &#8220;Let us go over to the other side.&#8221; 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, &#8220;Teacher, don&#8217;t you care if we drown?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, &#8220;Quiet! Be still!&#8221; Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.</div><div class="p"> 40He said to his disciples, &#8220;Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 41They were terrified and asked each other, &#8220;Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!&#8221;</div>
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