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GUESTS
& LINKS
The Passion of the Christ
www.thepassionofthechrist.com
My Life after The Passion of the
Christ- read testimonies of people from all over the world that were
impacted by the movie.
www.mylifeafter.com
The Passion of the Christ Re-Cut
www.passionrecut.com
Jody Eldred
is the Executive Producer, Director, Writer, Director of Photography,
and Author of "Changed Lives: Miracles of The Passion."
Jody Eldred is an award-winning
producer, director, writer and cameraman with 30 years of experience
producing, writing, directing and shooting specials, documentaries,
multi-camera shows, commercials, music videos and news/reality
segments. Eldred has a B.A. in Sociology from Centenary College of
Louisiana, has done graduate studies at Louisiana State University
(LSU), and is a faculty member at the World Journalism Institute. For
Jody Eldred's complete bio, please see http://miraclesofthepassion.com/jodybio.htm
Eldred's latest project, "Changed
Lives: Miracles of The Passion" is a 1-hour documentary that aired on
TBN and PAX all across North America, and captures the true stories of
people who have been radically and miraculously changed by God as a
result of having seen the blockbuster film "The Passion of The Christ."
In their own words, the people interviewed for this program give
accounts of relationships restored, diseases healed, the dead
resurrected, atheists coming to faith, and even a confession to murder.
It is truly unprecedented the way God has used "The Passion" to bring
healing, reconciliation, and peace to people across the nation and
around the globe. These are profoundly inspirational messages of hope
and redemption you won't want to miss.
"Changed Lives: Miracles of The
Passion," and is now available on DVD/ VHS at www.MiraclesOfThePassion.com
as well as
at Wal-Mart and Best Buy retail locations in Canada and the U.S. Eldred
also authored a book by the same name, which is being published by
Harvest House Publishers and is available at Amazon.ca, Blessings, and
other Christian retail bookstores across Canada.
Joe
Boot is an evangelist, apologist and the
Executive Director of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries In
Canada. He graduated in Theology from the Birmingham Bible Institute in
Great Britain followed by a further year of study and vocational
training in a School of Christian leadership in Nottingham.
For two years he was National
Evangelist for the U.K based Saltmine Trust and toured in Europe
speaking in Schools, Universities, theatres, conferences and churches.
Joe then spent three years as the
Director of Evangelism for Christ Church, Fulham in Central London,
England, where he developed an apologetics course for skeptics that saw
many come to faith.
Joe was then approached by RZIM Europe
in Oxford to work with them as an evangelist and apologist. After two
years based in Europe Joe was invited by Dr Ravi Zacharias to become
the Canadian Director and relocate to Toronto.
His ministry with RZIM has taken him
all around the world to nearly 20 different countries from N.America to
Central and South East Asia and Australia speaking and lecturing in
Seminaries, Universities, Missions, Churches, Colleges and conferences.
Notably he has addressed audiences at Eton College Windsor, Oxford
University, Waterloo University and London Bible College. He is a
regular lecturer with Capernwray Bible School. Joe is also an ordained
minister of the noted and widely respected ‘Peoples Church
Toronto’ and is visiting lecturer on the academic Vital
Connections apologetics program with RZIM and Wycliffe Hall awarding
certificates in apologetics and evangelism at Oxford University.
His apologetic work ‘A Time
to Search’ has been published in Europe by Kingsway and a
revised edition under the title ‘Searching for
Truth’ has been published by Crossway in North America. He
has published numerous articles and is currently working on his new
book on biblical worldview as well as a co-authored book with Ravi
Zacharias and other RZIM colleagues.
Particularly gifted in communicating
to skeptics in a biblically illiterate society Joe is in growing demand
across Canada to bring a credible, biblical proclamation of the gospel
to seekers and skeptics and those that shape the ideas of our culture.
Joe is married to Jenny and they
reside in Toronto with their daughters Naomi and Hannah.
www.rzim.org
The Easter Story
As told from the New Living
Translation (NLT) Bible from Christianitytoday.com
Religious Leaders Plot
to Kill Jesus FROM MATTHEW 26: 1-5 (NLT)
. … (Jesus) said to his disciples, "As you know, the
Passover celebration begins in two days, and I, the Son of Man, will be
betrayed and crucified."
At that same time the leading priests
and other leaders were meeting at the residence Caiaphas, the high
priest, to discuss how to capture Jesus secretly and put him to death.
"But not during the Passover," they agreed, "or there will be a riot."
A Woman Anoints Jesus
with Perfume FROM MATTHEW 26:6-13 (NLT)
Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had
leprosy. During supper, a woman came in with a beautiful jar of
expensive perfume, and poured it over his head. The disciples were
indignant when they saw this. "What a waste of money," they said. "She
could have sold it for a fortune and given the money to the poor."
But Jesus replied, "Why berate her for
doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you,
but I will not be here with you much longer. She has poured this
perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. I assure you, wherever the
Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be
talked about in her memory."
Judas Agrees to Betray
Jesus FROM MATTHEW 26:14-16 (NLT)
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading
priests and asked, "How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?"
And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. From that time on, Judas
began looking for the right time and place to betray Jesus.
Disciples Prepare for
the Passover FROM MATTHEW 26:17-19 (NLT)
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples
came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to prepare the Passover
supper?"
"As you go into the city," he told
them, "you will see a certain man. Tell him, 'The teacher says, My
appointed time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my
disciples at your house.'" So the disciples did as Jesus told them and
prepared the Passover supper there.
Jesus and the Disciples
Share the Last Supper FROM MATTHEW
26:20-30 (NLT) When it was evening, Jesus sat down at
the table with the twelve disciples. While they were eating, he said,
"The truth is, one of you will betray me."
Greatly distressed, one by one they
began to ask him, "I'm not the one, am I, Lord?"
He replied, "One of you who is eating
with me now will betray me. For I, the Son of Man, must die, as the
Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for my
betrayer. Far better for him if he had never been born!"
Judas, the one who would betray him,
also asked, "Teacher, I'm not the one, am I?" And Jesus told him, "You
have said it yourself."
As they were eating, Jesus took a loaf
of bread and asked God's blessing on it. Then he broke it in pieces and
gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take it and eat it, for this is my
body." And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave
it to them and said, "Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood,
which seals the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out
to forgive the sins of many. Mark my words—I will not drink
wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father's
kingdom." Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Again Predicts
Peter's Denial FROM MATTHEW 26:31-35 (NLT)
"Tonight all of you will desert me," Jesus told them. "For the
Scriptures say,
'God will strike the Shepherd, and
the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
But after I have been raised from the
dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee and meet you there."
Peter declared, "Even if everyone else
deserts you, I never will."
"Peter," Jesus replied, "the truth is,
this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three
times."
"No!" Peter insisted. "Not even if I
have to die with you! I will never deny you!" And all the other
disciples vowed the same.
Jesus Agonizes in the
Garden FROM MATTHEW 26:36-46 (NLT)
Then Jesus brought them to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and he
said, "Sit here while I go on ahead to pray." He took Peter and
Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he began to be filled with
anguish and deep distress. He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief
to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me."
He went on a little farther and fell
face down on the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let
this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not
mine." Then he returned to his disciples and found them asleep. He said
to Peter, "Couldn't you stay awake and watch with me even one hour?
Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For
though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!"
Again he left them and prayed, "My
Father! If this cup cannot be taken away until I drink it, your will be
done." He returned to them again and found them sleeping, for they just
couldn't keep their eyes open.
So he went back to pray a third time,
saying the same things again. Then he came to the disciples and said,
"Still sleeping? Still resting? Look, the time has come. I, the Son of
Man, am betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let's be going. See my
betrayer is here!"
Jesus Is Betrayed and
Arrested FROM MATTHEW 26:47-56 (NLT)
And even as he said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived
with a mob that was armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent out
by the leading priests and other leaders of the people. Judas had given
them a prearranged signal: "You will know which one to arrest when I go
over and give him a kiss of greeting." So Judas came straight to Jesus.
"Greetings, Teacher!" he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
Jesus said, "My friend, go ahead and
do what you have came for." Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested
him. One of the men with Jesus pulled out a sword and slashed off an
ear of the high priest's servant.
"Put away your sword," Jesus told him,
"Those who use the sword will be killed by the sword. Don't you realize
that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and
he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be
fulfilled that describe what must happen now?"
Then Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I
some dangerous criminal, that you have come armed with swords and clubs
to arrest me? Why didn't you arrest me in the temple? I was there
teaching everyday. But this is all happening to fulfill the words of
the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures." At that point, all the
disciples deserted him and fled.
Caiaphas Questions Jesus
FROM MATTHEW 26:57-68 (NLT)
Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas,
the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and other leaders
had gathered. Meanwhile, Peter was following far behind and eventually
came to the courtyard of the high priest's house. He went in, sat with
the guards, and waited to see what was going to happen to Jesus.
Inside, the leading priests and the
entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about
Jesus, so they could put him to death. But even though they found many
who agreed to give false witness, there was no testimony they could
use. Finally, two men were found who declared, "This man said, 'I am
able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'"
Then the high priest stood up and said
to Jesus, "Well, aren't you going to answer these charges? What do you
have to say for yourself?" But Jesus remained silent. Then the high
priest said to him, "I demand in the name of the living God that you
tell us whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God."
Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as you say.
And in the future you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God's
right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of
heaven."
Then the high priest tore his clothes
to show his horror, shouting, "Blasphemy! Why do we need other
witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?"
"Guilty!" they shouted. "He must die!"
Then they spit in Jesus' face and hit
him with their fists. And some slapped him, saying, "Prophesy to us,
you Messiah! Who hit you that time?"
Peter Denies Knowing
Jesus FROM MATTHEW 26:69-75 (NLT)
Meanwhile, as Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant
girl came over and said to him, "You were one of those with Jesus the
Galilean."
But Peter denied it in front of
everyone. "I don't know what you are talking about," he said.
Later, out by the gate, another
servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, "This man
was with Jesus of Nazareth."
Again Peter denied it, this time with
an oath: "I don't even know the man," he said.
A little later some other bystanders
came over to him and said, "You must be one of them; we can tell by
your Galilean accent."
Peter said, "I swear by God, I don't
know the man." And immediately the rooster crowed. Suddenly Jesus'
words flashed through Peter's mind: "Before the rooster crows, you will
deny me three times." And he went away, crying bitterly.
The Council of Religious
Leaders Condemns Jesus FROM MATTHEW
27:1-2 (NLT) Very early in the morning, the leading
priests and other leaders met again to discuss how to persuade the
Roman government to sentence Jesus to death. Then they bound him and
took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
Judas Hangs Himself
FROM MATTHEW 27:3-10 (NLT)
When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been
condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty
pieces of silver back to the leading priests and other leaders. "I have
sinned," he declared, "for I have betrayed an innocent man."
"What do we care?" they retorted.
"That's your problem." Then Judas threw the money onto the floor of the
Temple and went out and hanged himself. The leading priests picked up
the money. "We can't put it in the Temple treasury," they said, "since
it's against the law to accept money paid for murder." After some
discussion they finally decided to buy the potter's field, and they
made it into a cemetery for foreigners. That is why the field is still
called the Field of Blood. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that
says,
"They took the thirty pieces of
silver—the price at which he was valued by the people of
Israel—and purchased the potter's field, as the Lord
directed."
Pilate Hands Jesus Over
to Be Crucified FROM MATTHEW 27:11-14
(NLT) Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman
governor. "Are you the King of the Jews?" the governor asked him.
Jesus replied, "Yes, it is as you say,"
But when the leading priests and other
leaders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent.
"Don't you hear the charges against you?" Pilate demanded. But Jesus
said nothing, much to the governor's surprise.
Jesus Stands Trial
Before Pilate FROM MATTHEW 27:15-26 (NLT)
Now it was the governor's custom to release one prisoner to the crowd
each year during the Passover celebration—anyone they wanted.
This year there was a notorious criminal in prison, a man named
Barabbas. As the crowds gathered before Pilate's house that morning, he
asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to
you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?" (He knew
very well that the Jewish leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
Just then, as Pilate was sitting on
the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: "Leave that innocent
man alone, because I had a terrible nightmare about him last night."
Meanwhile, the leading priests and
other leaders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas to be released
and for Jesus to be put to death. So when the governor asked again,
"Which of these two do you want me to release to you?" the crowd
shouted back their reply: "Barabbas!"
"But if I release Barabbas," Pilate
asked them, "what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?"
And they all shouted, "Crucify him!"
"Why?" Pilate demanded. "What crime
has he committed?"
But the crowd only roared the louder,
"Crucify him!"
Pilate saw that he wasn't getting
anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water
and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of the
blood of this man. The responsibility is yours!"
And all the people yelled back, "We
will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!"
So Pilate released Barabbas to them.
He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over
to the Roman soldiers to crucify him.
Roman Soldiers Mock Jesus
FROM MATTHEW 27:27-31 (NLT)
Some of the governor's soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and
called out the entire battalion. They stripped him and put a scarlet
robe on him. They made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on his
head, and they placed a stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they
knelt before him in mockery, yelling, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And
they spit on him, and grabbed the stick and beat him on the head with
it. When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe
and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be
crucified.
Jesus Is Led Away to Be
Crucified FROM MATTHEW 27:32-44 (NLT)
As they were on the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was
from Cyrene, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross. Then they went
out to a place called Golgotha (which means Skull Hill). The soldiers
gave him wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he
refused to drink it.
After they had nailed him to the
cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. Then they
sat around and kept guard as he hung there. A signboard was fastened to
the cross above Jesus' head announcing the charge against him. It read:
"This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."
Two criminals were crucified with him,
their crosses on either side of his. And the people passing by shouted
abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "So! You can destroy the Temple
and build it again in three days, can you? Well then, if you are the
Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!"
The leading priests, the teachers of
religious law and the other leaders also mocked Jesus. "He saved
others," they scoffed, "but he can't save himself! So he is the King of
Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross, and we will believe in
him! He trusted God—let God show his approval by delivering
him! For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" And the criminals who were
crucified with him also shouted the same insults at him.
Jesus Dies on the Cross
FROM MATTHEW 27:45-56 (NLT)
At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. At
about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli,
lemasabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?"
Some of the bystanders misunderstood
and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and
filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a stick so he
could drink. But the rest said, "Leave him alone. Let's see whether
Elijah will come and save him."
Then Jesus shouted out again, and he
gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the Temple was torn
in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and
tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were
raised from the dead after Jesus' resurrection. They left the cemetery,
went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
The Roman officer and the other
soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all
that had happened. They said, "Truly, this was the Son of God!"
And many women who had come from
Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. Among
them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and
Zebedee's wife, the mother of James and John.
Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb
FROM MATTHEW 27:57-61 (NLT)
As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea, who was on of
Jesus' followers, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. And Pilate
issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped
it in a long linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had
been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the
entrance as he left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were
sitting nearby watching.
Guards are Posted at the
Tomb FROM MATTHEW 27:62-66 (NLT)
The next day—on the first day after the Passover
ceremonies—the leading priests and Pharisees went to see
Pilate. They told him, "Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said
while he was still alive: 'After three days I will be raised from the
dead.' So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This
will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing the body and then
telling everyone that he came back to life! If that happens, we'll be
worse off then we were at first."
Pilate replied, "Take guards and
secure it the best you can." So they sealed the tomb and posted the
guards to protect it.
Jesus Rises from the Dead
FROM MATTHEW 28:1-7 (NLT)
Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary went out to see the tomb. Suddenly there was a great
earthquake, because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and
rolled aside the stone and sat on it. His face shone like lightning,
and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when
they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
Then the angel spoke to the women.
"Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was
crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he
said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now go
quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead, and he
is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember, I
have told you."
Jesus Appears to the
Women FROM MATTHEW 28:8-10 (NLT)
The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also
filled with great joy, and they rushed to find the disciples to give
them the angel's message. And as they went, Jesus met them.
"Greetings!" he said. And they ran to him, held his feet, and worshiped
him. The Jesus said to them, "Don't be afraid! Go tell my brothers to
leave for Galilee, and they will see me there."
Religious Leaders Bribe
the Guards FROM MATTHEW 28:11-15 (NLT)
As the women were on their way into the city, some of the men who had
been guarding the tomb went to the leading priests and told them what
had happened. A meeting of all the religious leaders was called, and
they decided to bribe the soldiers. They told the soldiers, "You must
say, 'Jesus' disciples came during the night while we were sleeping,
and they stole his body.' If the governor hears about it, we'll stand
up for you and everything will be all right." So the guards accepted
the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread among
the Jews, and they still tell it today.
Jesus Appears to Two
Believers Traveling on the Road FROM LUKE
24:13-35 (NLT) That same day two of Jesus' followers
were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles out of Jerusalem. As
they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened.
Suddenly, Jesus himself came along and joined them and began walking
beside them. But they didn't know who he was, because God kept them
from recognizing him.
"You seem to be in a deep discussion
about something," he said. "What are you so concerned about?"
They stopped short, sadness written
across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, "You must be
the only person in Jerusalem who hasn't heard about all the things that
have happened there the last few days?"
"What things?" Jesus asked.
"The things that happened to Jesus,
the man from Nazareth," they said. "He was a prophet who did wonderful
miracles. He was a mighty teacher, highly regarded by both God and all
the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders
arrested him and handed him over to be condemned to death, and they
crucified him. We had thought he was the Messiah who had come to rescue
Israel. That all happened three days ago. Then some women from our
group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they
came back with an amazing report. They said his body was missing, and
they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran
out to see, and sure enough, Jesus' body was gone, just as the women
had said."
Then Jesus said to them, "You are such
foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets
wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn't it clearly predicted by the prophets
that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering
his time of glory?" Then Jesus quoted passages from the writings of
Moses and all the prophets, explaining what all the Scriptures said
about himself.
By this time they were nearing Emmaus
and the end of their journey. Jesus would have gone on, but they begged
him to stay the night with them, since it was getting late. So he went
home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took a small loaf of bread,
asked God's blessing on it, broke it, then gave it to them. Suddenly,
their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he
disappeared!
They said to each other, "Didn't our
hearts feel strangely warm as he talked with us on the road and
explained the Scriptures to us?" And within the hour they were on their
way back to Jerusalem, where the eleven disciples and the other
followers of Jesus were gathered. When they arrived, they were greeted
with the report, "The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter!"
Jesus Appears to His
Disciples FROM LUKE 24:36-43 (NLT)
Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to
them as they were walking along the road and how they had recognized
him as he was breaking the bread. And just as they were telling about
it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. He said,
"Peace be with you." But the whole group was terribly frightened,
thinking they were seeing a ghost. "Why are you frightened?" he asked.
"Why do you doubt who I am? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can
see that it's really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost,
because ghosts don't have bodies, as you see that I do!" As he spoke,
he held out his hands for them to see, and he showed them his feet.
Still they stood there doubting,
filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, "Do you have anything
here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as
they watched.
Jesus Appears to the
Disciples in Jerusalem FROM LUKE 24:43-49
(NLT) Then he said, "When I was with you before, I told
you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and the
Psalms must all come true." Then he opened their minds to understand
these many Scriptures. And he said, "Yes, it was written long ago that
the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the
third day. With my authority, take this message of repentance to all
the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for
all who turn to me.' You are witnesses of these things.
"And now I will send the Holy Spirit,
just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy
Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven."
Jesus Appears to Thomas
FROM JOHN 20:24-31 (NLT)
One of the disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the
others when Jesus came. They told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he
replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands,
put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side."
Eight days later the disciples were
together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were
locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among. He said,
"Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and
see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be
faithless any longer. Believe!"
"My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed.
Then Jesus told him, "You believe
because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me and
believe anyway."
Jesus' disciples saw him do many other
miraculous signs besides the ones recorded in this book. But these are
written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of
God, and that by believing in him you will have life.
Jesus Gives the Great
Commission FROM MATTHEW 28:16-20 (NLT)
Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where
Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped
him—but some of them still doubted!
Jesus came and told his disciples, "I
have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore go
and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples
to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am
with you always, even to the end of the age."
Jesus Ascends into Heaven
FROM LUKE 24:50-53 (NLT)
Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he
blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up
to heaven. They worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled
with great joy. And they spent all of their time in the Temple,
praising God.
Holy Bible,
New Living Translation Scripture quotations are taken
from the Holy Bible, New Living
Translation, copyright © 1996, Used by permission of Tyndale
House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved
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