John – Gospel 10 – You are Gods

“In truth I tell you, whoever does not go into the sheepfold through the door, but climbs up at some other place, that person is a thief and a robber; 2 But the person who goes in through the door is shepherd to the sheep. 3 For him the watchman opens the door; and the sheep listen to his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. 4 When he has brought them all out, he walks in front of them, and his sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but will run away from him; because they do not know a stranger’s voice.”

6 This was the parable that Jesus told them, but they did not understand of what he was speaking. 7 So he continued: “In truth I tell you, I am the door for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door; you who go in through me will be safe, and you will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal, to kill, and to destroy; I have come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly.”

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. 12 The hired man who is not a shepherd, and who does not own the sheep, when he sees a wolf coming, leaves them and runs away; then the wolf seizes them, and scatters the flock. 3 He does this because he is only a hired man and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and my sheep know me; 15 Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

16 “I have other sheep besides, which do not belong to this fold; I must lead them also, and they will listen to my voice; and they shall become one flock under one shepherd.’ 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life—to receive it again. 18 No one took it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to receive it again. This is the command which I received from my Father.”

19 In consequence of these words a difference of opinion again arose among the Jews. 20 Many of them said: “He is possessed by a demon and is mad; why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said: “This is not the teaching of one who is possessed by a demon. Can a demon give sight to the blind?”

22 Soon after this the festival of the dedication was held at Jerusalem. 23 It was winter; and Jesus was walking in the temple courts, in the Colonnade of Solomon, 24 When the Jews gathered round him, and said: “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us so frankly.”

25 “I have told you so,” replied Jesus, “and you do not believe me. The work that I am doing in my Father’s name bears testimony to me. 26 But you do not believe me, because you are not of my flock. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me; 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall not be lost; nor shall anyone snatch them out of my hands. 29 What my Father has entrusted to me is more than all else; and no one can snatch anything out of the Father’s hands. 30 The Father and I are one.”

31 The Jews again brought stones to throw at him; 32 And seeing this, Jesus said: “I have done before your eyes many good actions, inspired by the Father; for which of them would you stone me?” 33 “It is not for any good action that we would stone you,” answered the Jews, “but for blasphemy; and because you, who are only a man, make yourself out to be God.”

34 “Are there not,” replied Jesus, “these words in your law: ‘I said “Ye are gods”‘? 35 If those to whom God’s word were addressed were said to be ‘gods’—and scripture cannot be set aside—36 Do you say of one whom the Father has consecrated and sent as his messenger to the world: ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said ‘I am the Son of God’?”

37 “If I am not doing the work that my Father is doing, do not believe me; 38 If I am doing it, even though you do not believe me, believe what that work shows; so that you may understand, and understand more and more clearly, that the Father is in union with me, and I with the Father.” 39 Upon this the Jews again sought to arrest him; but he escaped their hands.”

40 Then Jesus again crossed the Jordan to the place where John used to baptize at first, and stayed there some time, during which many people came to see him. 41 “John gave no sign of his mission,” they said; “but everything that he said about this man was true.” 42 And many learned to believe in Jesus there.

To read the next chapter of the Book of John, please go to The Gospel of John – 11.

This Online New Testament Gospel of John is excerpted from the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Century Gospels). Including over 200 bookmarked citations from the canonical Gospels, this Progressive Christian book appeals to the Unitarian spirit at the heart of all faiths.

Challenge your perceptions on the Gospel of Christ, Jesus’s parables, and the Kingdom of God by purchasing The Lord’s Prayer book today. Produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand-based small press dedicated to publishing unique Learn Thai Language books and eBooks, as well as works on progressive spirituality.

Mark – Gospel 14 – Judas Betrays With A Kiss

It was now two days before the festival of the Passover and the unleavened bread. The chief priests and teachers of the law were looking for an opportunity to arrest Jesus by stealth and put him to death; 2 For they said: “Not during the festival, for fear of a riot.”

3 When Jesus was still at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, while he was at table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of choice spikenard perfume of great value. She broke the jar, and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some of those who were present said to one another indignantly: “Why has the perfume been wasted like this? 5 This perfume could have been sold for more than thirty pounds, and the money given to the poor.”

6 “Let her alone,” said Jesus, as they began to find fault with her, “Why are you troubling her? This is a beautiful deed that she has done for me. 7 You always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has perfumed my body beforehand for my burial. 9 And I tell you, wherever, in the whole world, the gospel is proclaimed, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her.”

10 After this, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were glad to hear what he said, and promised to pay him. So he looked for a convenient way to betray Jesus. 12 On the first day of the festival of the unleavened bread, when it was customary to kill the Passover lambs, his disciples said to Jesus: “Where do you wish us to go and make preparations for your eating the Passover?”

13 Jesus sent forward two of his disciples and said to them: “Go into the city, and there a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him; 14 And, wherever he goes in, say to the owner of the house: ‘The teacher asks, where is my room; where I am to eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will himself show you a large upstairs room, set out ready; and there make preparations for us.” 16 So the disciples set out and went into the city, and found everything just as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

17 In the evening he went there with the twelve, 18 And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said: “I tell you that one of you is going to betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They were grieved at this, and began to say to him, one after another: “Can it be I?” 20 “It is one of you twelve,” said Jesus, “the one who is dipping his bread beside me into the dish. 21 True, the Son of Man must go, as scripture says of him, yet woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is being betrayed! For that man ‘it would be better never to have been born!’”

22 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and, after saying the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said: “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and, after saying the thanksgiving, gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 “This is my blood of the new testament,” he said, “which is poured out on behalf of many. 25 I tell you that I shall never again drink of the juice of the grape, until that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 They then sang a hymn, and went out up the Mount of Olives;

27 Presently Jesus said to them: “All of you will fall away; for scripture says: ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 Yet, after I have risen, I shall go before you into Galilee.” 29 “Even if everyone else falls away,” said Peter, “I shall not.” 30 “I tell you,” answered Jesus, “that you yourself today—yes, this very night—before the cock crows twice, will disown me three times.” 31 But Peter vehemently protested: “Even if I must die with you, I shall never disown you!” And they all said the same.

32 Presently they came to a garden known as Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples: “Sit down here while I pray.” 33 He took with him Peter, James, and John; and began to show signs of great dismay and deep distress of mind. 34 “I am sad at heart,” he said, “sad even to death; wait here, and watch.” 35 Going on a little further, he threw himself on the ground, and began to pray that, if it were possible, he might be spared that hour.

36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “all things are possible to thee; take away this cup from me; yet, not what I will, but what thou wills.” 37 Then he came and found the three apostles asleep. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could not you watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray,” he said to them all, “that you may not fall into temptation. True, the spirit is eager, but human nature is weak.”

39 Again he went away, and prayed in the same words; 40 And coming back again he found them asleep, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. 41 A third time he came, and said to them: “Sleep on now and rest yourselves. Enough! My time has come. Hark! the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of wicked men. 42 Up and let us be going. Look! My betrayer is close at hand.”

43 And just then, while he was still speaking, Judas, who was one of the twelve, came up; and with him a crowd of people, with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the councilors. 44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them. “The man whom I kiss,” he had said, “will be the one; arrest him and take him away safely.”

45 As soon as Judas came, he went up to Jesus at once, and said: “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 Then the men seized Jesus and arrested him. 47 One of those who were standing by drew his sword and struck at the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear. 48 But Jesus interposed, and said to the men: “Have you come out, as if after a robber, with swords and clubs to take me? 49 I have been among you day after day in the temple courts teaching, and yet you did not arrest me; but this is in fulfillment of the scriptures.”

50 And all the apostles forsook him and fled. 51 One young man did indeed follow him, wrapped only in a linen sheet. They tried to arrest him; 52 But he left the sheet in their hands and fled naked. 53 Then they took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the councilors, and the teachers of the law assembled.

54 Peter, who had followed Jesus at a distance into the court-yard of the high priest, was sitting there among the servants, warming himself by the fire. 55 Meanwhile the chief priest and the whole of the high council were trying to get such evidence against Jesus as would warrant his being put to death, but they could not find any; 56 For, though there were many who gave false evidence against him, their evidence did not agree.

57 Presently some men stood up, and gave this false evidence against him: 58 “We ourselves heard him say: ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days build another made without hands.’” 59 Yet not even on that point did their evidence agree. 60 Then the high priest stepped forward, and questioned Jesus. “Have you no answer to make?” he asked. “What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent, and made no answer.

A second time, the high priest questioned him. “Are you,” he asked, “the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 “I am,” replied Jesus, “and you shall all see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Almighty; and ‘coming in the clouds of heaven’.”

63 At this the high priest tore his vestments. “Why do we want any more witnesses?” he exclaimed. 64 “You heard his blasphemy? What is your verdict?” They all condemned him, declaring that he deserved death. 65 Some of those present began to spit at him, and to blindfold his eyes, and strike him, saying, as they did so: “Now play the prophet!” and even the servants hit him with blows.

66 While Peter was in the court-yard down below, one of the high priest’s maidservants came up; 67 And, seeing Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him and exclaimed: “Why, you were with Jesus, the Nazarene!” 68 But Peter denied it. “I do not know or understand what you mean,” he replied. Then he went out into the porch; 69 And there the maidservant, on seeing him, began to say again to the by-standers: “This is one of them!” 70 But Peter again denied it.

Soon afterwards the bystanders again said to him: “You certainly are one of them; why you are a Galilean!” 71 But he began to swear with the most solemn imprecations: “I do not know the man you are speaking about.” 72 At that moment, for the second time, a cock crowed; and Peter remembered the words that Jesus had said to him: ‘Before a cock has crowed twice, you will disown me three times’; and, as he thought of it, he began to weep.

To read the next chapter of the Book of Mark, please go to The Gospel of Mark – 15.

This Online New Testament Gospel of Mark is excerpted from the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Century Gospels). Including over 200 bookmarked citations from the canonical Gospels, this Progressive Christian book appeals to the Unitarian spirit at the heart of all faiths.

Challenge your perceptions on the Gospel of Christ, Jesus’s parables, and the Kingdom of God by purchasing The Lord’s Prayer book today. Produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand-based small press dedicated to publishing unique Learn Thai Language books and eBooks, as well as works on progressive spirituality.