Author: Rich Nelson

4Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. ² He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ³ “Listen! A sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. ⁶ And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
⁸ Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
⁹ And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”

¹⁰ When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. ¹¹ And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; ¹² in order that
‘they may indeed look, but not perceive, 
and may indeed listen, but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’” 

¹³ And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? ¹⁴ The sower sows the word. ¹⁵ These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. ¹⁶ And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. ¹⁸ And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. ²⁰ And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” 

²¹ He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? ²² For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. ²³ Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” ²⁴ And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. ²⁵ For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” 

²⁶ He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷ and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. ²⁸ The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. ²⁹ But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.” 

³⁰ He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; ³² yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” 

³³ With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it;
³⁴ he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. How does Jesus explain his use of parables? How do you think the disciples felt about his reason? How do you respond to this?

2. How does Jesus explain the parable’s meaning? Who is the farmer? What is the seed? What different situations do the “soils” represent? How do Luke and Matthew differ in Jesus’s explanation of the parable’s meaning?

3. What does Jesus ask about a lamp? Where do we normally put a lamp or a light? What meaning does he give this story? 

2. What does Jesus tell the people to do? Why is this important? What happens to those who don’t follow his suggestion?

3. How does Jesus use seed to explain his Kingdom? What kind of seed does Jesus talk about next? Why does he use this seed? What is the result of planting this type of seed? 

4. What differences are there in the parables according to Luke and Matthew [see Notes]? Why do you think the writers included some parables but not others?

Get Personal

How are you with truly “seeing” and “hearing”? How does God help you keep your eyes and ears fully open to his message for you?

(Cross-references to Matthew and Luke are given in brackets)

4:1. Matthew and Luke both include the parable of the sower. Matthew also puts Jesus in a boat and refers to many stories, [13:1-9]; but Luke says only that Jesus told this story to a great crowd and people from town after town came to him, [8:4].
Matthew’s version of the parable is almost identical to Mark’s. Luke differs in a couple of the details, such as lack of moisture for the seed on rock, and a hundred-fold increase in the crop on fertile soil, [8:6-9].
4:9. Ears to hear — the full meaning of the parable is available only to those who listen spiritually. Jesus used this admonition several times [check Matt 11:15, 13:9, 13:43, Luke 8:8 and 14:35].
4:10. The meaning of the parables — all three Gospels relate the disciples’ question about what the parables mean, and Jesus’s answer about the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven; and using parables to hide this information from “others,” but Luke omits Jesus’s statement, To those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 
4:12. Jesus refers to Isaiah 6:9-10; but all three Gospels differ fr each other and from Isaiah, [check Matt 13:10, Luke 8:14-15, and Isaiah 6:9-10. Deuteronomy and Jeremiah also talk about eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear.10].
4:13. Jesus’ explanation — In Matthew Jesus does not criticize the disciples, but says, “blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it,” [Matt 13:17].Luke records Jesus simply explaining the parable. There are some minor differences in the details of the explanation. 
4:21-25. The Lamp — Luke’s version is slightly different than Mark’s: No one after

lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light, [Lk 8:16-17]. Luke does not include Jesus’ statement about “the measure,” but the last statement is identical to Mark’s [and similar to Matt 13:11-12]. Matthew does not include the parable of the lamp.
4:26-29. The growing seed — neither Matthew nor Luke include this brief parable.
4:30-34. The mustard seed — Matthew includes this illustration in words very similar to Mark, [Mt 13:31-32], but without Jesus’ introductory question and without Mark’s comment about “many such stories and illustrations.” Luke does not include parable of the mustard seed.
NOTE: Matthew includes several parables that neither Mark nor Luke mention.
The wheat and weeds — a farmer does not pull the weeds because he doesn’t want to hurt the good seed; but he will separate the weeds and plants at harvest and burn the weeds. Jesus explains this parable to the disciples, [Mt 13:24-30, 13:36-43].
The yeast — a small amount of yeast will permeate throughout the dough, [Mt 13:33]. Matthew also refers to the prophecy in Psalm 78:2 where God said I will speak to you in parables. I will explain mysteries hidden since the creation of the world, [Mt 13:34-35].
The hidden treasure — a man discovers a treasure hidden in a field and sells everything he owns to buy the field and get the treasure, [Mt 13:44].
The pearl merchant — a pearl merchant will sell everything he has to buy a pearl of great value, [Mt 13:45].
The fishing net — the net catches all sorts of fish when cast, but on shore the good fish go into crates and the bad fish are thrown away. Jesus explains that this is the way it will be at the end of the world, [Mt 13:47-52].

3Then he went home; ²⁰ and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. ²¹ When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” ²² And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” ²³ And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?
²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶ And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. ²⁷ But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. 

²⁸ “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”– ³⁰ for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” 

The true kindred of Jesus

³¹ Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. ³² A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” ³³ And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” 

4The parable of the sower

Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. ² He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ³ “Listen! A sower went out to sow.
⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. ⁶ And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
⁸ Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
⁹ And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” NRSV

Get into the Word

1. Where is Jesus now? Who is involved in this incident? What is the charge against Jesus? How does he respond to this charge? What metaphor does he use to explain how things really are? Do you think the crowd understood? Did the Pharisees? How do Matthew and Luke describe this exchange?

2. Who comes to see Jesus next? How does Jesus learn about this situation? How does he respond? How do you think the people reacted to Jesus’ statement? How do you think his family felt?

3. Where does Jesus go next? What is he doing here? What is the story about? Where does the seed fall? What happens to the seed in each of the places where it fell? What is different in Matthew and Luke’s versions of the parable? Are any of the differences significant? Why are they important to you?

Get Personal

What kind of “soil” were you when you first heard the Gospel of God’s love in Jesus Christ? What type are you today? How has God helped you deal with the “thorns” of life? How is your sowing going?

(cross-references to Matthew and Luke are given in brackets)

3:20-30. Jesus and Beelzebul — Matthew specifies the healing of a demoniac who was mute, and the Pharisees’ claim about the “Prince of Demons,” but does not include Jesus’ response to them, [9:32-34].
Luke also includes the fact that the man was mute, but he expands considerably on Jesus’ response to the Pharisees: But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? —for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul. Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. [11:17-23].
Luke omits Jesus’ comment about “blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, but does include: “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.” [11:24-26].

3:31-35. Jesus’ true family — Matthew’s version of this is very similar to Mark’s. He says Jesus pointed to his disciples as my mother and my brothers; and refers to the will of my Father in heaven, [12:46-50].
Luke’s version is different: While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” [11:27-28].
4:1. Matthew and Luke both include the parable of the sower. Matthew also puts Jesus in a boat and refers to many stories, [13:1-9]; but Luke says only that Jesus told this story to a great crowd and people from town after town came to him, [8:4].
Matthew’s version of the parable is almost identical to Mark’s. Luke differs in a couple of the details, such as lack of moisture for the seed on rock, and a hundredfold increase in the crop on fertile soil, [8:6-9].
4:9. Ears to hear — the full meaning of the parable is available only to those who listen spiritually. Jesus used this admonition several times [check Matt 11:15, 13:9, 13:43, Luke 8:8 and 14:35].

NOTE: Both Matthew and Luke place the Beatitudes after Jesus calls his Apostles. Matthew tells of Jesus delivering them in the Sermon on the Mount, [Matt 5:1-7:29]. In Luke’s version, which is considerably shorter, Jesus simply tells the disciples, [Luke 6:20-49]. Both include the Beatitudes, love for our enemies, not condemning others, the tree and its fruit, and building on a strong foundation. Matthew also includes Jesus’ teachings about salt and light, the Law, anger, adultery, divorce, vows, revenge, giving to the needy, prayer and fasting, money and possessions, effective prayer, the Golden Rule, the narrow gate, and true disciples.

2¹⁸ Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁹ Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰ The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. 

²¹ “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. ²² And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” 

Pronouncement about the Sabbath

²³ One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.
²⁴ The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” ²⁵ And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? ²⁶ He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” ²⁷ Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; ²⁸ so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” 

3Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. ² They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. ³ And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.”

⁴ Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. ⁵ He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
⁶ The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. ⁷ Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; ⁸ hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. ⁹ He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him;
¹⁰ for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him.
¹¹ Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, “You are the Son of God!” ¹² But he sternly ordered them not to make him known. 

Jesus appoints the twelve

¹³ He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. ¹⁴ And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, ¹⁵ and to have authority to cast out demons. ¹⁶ So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); ¹⁷ James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); ¹⁸ and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean,
¹⁹ and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What is the next big question for Jesus? Who asks this question [see Notes]? How does Jesus respond? What images does he use? How do you think the people responded to his answer? 

2. What happens in the field? Who confronts Jesus? What is the objection this time? Who does Jesus refer to in his answer? What else does Jesus say about the Sabbath? How do you think this affected the people? The Pharisees?

3. Where does the next incident take place? What is going on? How does Jesus respond to the situation? What question does he ask? How do the religious folk answer? What does Jesus do next? How do the Pharisees react? What differences are there in the three versions?

4. Where is Jesus preaching? Why do you think he chose this spot? What does he tell the disciples to do? Why would he need a boat?

5. How do the people respond to his healing? What did they try to do? How did the evil spirits respond to Jesus’ healing. How did Jesus react to this? Why do you think he did so?

6. Where does he go next? What’s his agenda? What does he call the ones he chooses? How do you think they reacted to this? How might you have reacted if you’d been one of them?

Get Personal

How does Jesus act regarding the social customs of his time? How does he act in relation to Jewish law? How does God help you navigate through the moral and social questions and customs that you confront? How does Jesus’s example help you deal with these kinds of dilemmas?

Notes . . .

Notes . . . (cross-references to Matthew and Luke are given in brackets)

2:18-22. Luke’s discussion of fasting is very close to Mark’s. Luke adds Jesus’s comment, And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says “The old is good,” [5:33-39].
Matthew includes the discussion of fasting, but says John’s disciples actually ask the question. Jesus’ response is the same as in Mark, [9:14-17].
2:25-28. Luke includes the same story of grain on the Sabbath. He does not include Jesus’ comment about the sabbath made for people, not people for the Sabbath, but he does include the assertion about “lord even of the Sabbath,” [6:1-5].
Matthew also includes the conversation about work on the Sabbath. In addition to David, Matthew says Jesus said, Have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the law and yet are guiltless? [12:1-8].
3:1-6. Luke’s version of the Sabbath healing differs from Mark’s in some details. Luke refers to scribes and Pharisees,

(not “them”) and says they were looking for “an accusation against him.” Luke records the same questions from Jesus, but does not refer to Jesus’ anger or being “grieved at their hardness of hearts.” After the healing Luke says the Jews were filled with fury, [6:6-11].
Matthew says the Pharisees asked Jesus if it was lawful to cure on the sabbath, “so they might accuse him.” Jesus responds by asking them if they would rescue a sheep on the sabbath. After the healing they went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him, [12:9-14].
3:13-19. Luke says Jesus prayed on the mountain before calling the Apostles (official representatives or ambassadors), and also says that Jesus called them from the larger group of disciples. He does not explain their authority. Luke also has “Judas son of James” in place of Thaddaeus, [6:12-16].
Matthew does not mention the mountain or prayer. He says the Apostles’ authority is over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. His list of Apostles agrees with Mark’s [10:1-4].

1 ³⁵ In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. ³⁶ And Simon and his companions hunted for him. ³⁷ When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” ³⁸ He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” ³⁹ And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. 

⁴⁰ A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” ⁴¹ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” ⁴² Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. ⁴³ After sternly warning him he sent him away at once,
⁴⁴ saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
⁴⁵ But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

2When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. ² So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. ³ Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.
⁴ And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ⁷ “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸ At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts?
⁹ Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰ But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— ¹¹ “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” ¹² And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

¹³ Jesus went out again beside the sea; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. ¹⁴ As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 

¹⁵ And as he sat at dinner in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples—for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What does Jesus do first thing in the morning? How do the disciples respond? What does Jesus tell them in return?

2. Who approaches Jesus for healing? What is significant about Jesus’ response to this man, [see notes]? What does Jesus tell the man to do after he is healed? How does the man respond to this?

3. Who is the next person to be healed? How does this person get into Jesus’ presence? How did Jesus respond to the man’s “entrance?” How would you have reacted if you had been there?

4. What does Jesus say to the man? How did some of the people react? Why is this such a big deal? How does Jesus respond to the teachers? What does he say to the paralyzed man? 

5. How does the crowd react to all of this? How might you have reacted if you had been in the house? If you were the one who was healed?

6. Where does Jesus go next? Who does he meet? How does the man respond to Jesus’ command? Who has a problem at the party? How does Jesus deal with it? What detail does Matthew include?

Get Personal

How do the three Gospels describe the relationship among sin, disease and demons? How does Jesus deal with these problems? How has God helped you understand health and wholeness in your life? In others’ lives?

(cross-references to Matthew and Luke are given in brackets)
1:35. Luke says the crowds searched for Jesus, not the disciples; and when they found him they did not want him to leave them. Luke reports Jesus responding “I was sent for this purpose,” (not “what I came to do”), and that he preached in the synagogues of Judea, [4:42-44].
Matthew does not include this incident.
1:40. Leprosy — the term covered a wide variety of skin conditions. Jewish law of the time required people with “leprosy” to avoid other people and forced them to live in very poor conditions on the edge of the community.
What Moses commanded — Mosaic Law required a person whose leprosy was cured to make specific sacrifices of thanksgiving [Lev 13-14].
Luke includes the incident of the man with leprosy with a few differences, [5:12-16]. Luke calls it an “advanced case,” and Luke does not report the man telling what happened, only that the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. Luke also says Jesus would withdraw to deserted places and pray. Matthew also includes this incident, but omits the details about news of Jesus power spreading and many people coming to him for healing, [8:1-4]. 
2:1. Luke’s version of this incident

is almost identical to Mark’s [5:17-26]. Luke refers to Pharisees as well as teachers and notes: they had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. Luke also says the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Jesus’ declaration of the power to forgive sin is the same in both. Luke closes with the crowd saying “We have seen strange things today.”
Matthew’s version is much briefer – but it does include the key exchange about forgiving sins, [9:1-8]. Matthew has the paralyzed man simply brought to Jesus, not lowered through the roof. Matthew reports Jesus calling the teachers’ remarks evil in your hearts, and he says, when the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.
2:13-17. Luke includes the calling of Levi very close to Mark’s narrative. Luke includes that Levi left everything and followed Jesus. Jesus’ response to the Pharisees is identical in Luke [5:27-32].
Matthew’s version of this incident (some believe this is his own calling) also closely follows Mark’s, but uses only his name. Matthew adds Jesus’ admonition to the Pharisees: “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ [9:9-13; the Scripture Jesus quotes is Hosea 6:6].

1 ¹⁴ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” 

¹⁶ As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” ¹⁸ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. ²⁰ Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. 

The man with the unclean spirit

²¹ They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. ²² They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. ²³ Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, ²⁴ and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” ²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” ²⁶ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” ²⁸ At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. 

Jesus heals many at Simon’s house

²⁹ As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰ Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. ³¹ He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 

³² That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. ³³ And the whole city was gathered around the door. ³⁴ And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What event triggers the start of Jesus’ ministry? Why does Jesus say “The time is fulfilled”? What is the “Good News” Jesus refers to? Why does Matthew include Isaiah’s prophecy?

2. Where does Jesus meet his first disciples? Who does he call? What does he offer them? How did they respond? Who does Jesus recruit next?

3. Why do you suppose Luke puts the story of Jesus in the synagogue and then being rejected at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry? Where do Jesus and his new disciples go? What does Jesus do there? 

4. What happens when Jesus is teaching? How would the man know who Jesus is? How does Jesus respond to the man? What does the spirit do? 

5. How does Jesus respond to the next situation? What is the result? How do the people respond? Why did Jesus made the demons stay quiet?

Get Personal

How does God help you deal with the stuff of this life when it gets in the way of following Christ? How has your “fishing” been lately?

(Cross-references to Matthew and Luke are given in brackets)
1:14. Matthew adds some detail about Jesus’ trip to Galilee and links it to a prophecy: Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” [4:12-17].
Luke puts the calling of the disciples after the incident of the man with an unclean spirit and healings at Simon’s house, but adds dramatic detail: Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching

people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him, [5:1-11].
1:15. Matthew includes “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near,” [4:17]. 
1:16. Matthew includes a general description of Jesus’ ministry after the calling of the disciples: Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan, [4:23-25].
Decapolis — “Ten Cities” – a non-Jewish region southeast of Galilee.
1:21. Luke’s report of this incident is very similar to Marks [4:31-37], but he puts it after the story of Jesus in the synagogue and rejection in Nazareth, which Mark places later in Jesus’ ministry.
Matthew does not include the story of casting out the evil spirit. 
1:22. Luke does not mention “scribes.”
1:23. Luke matches Mark’s version of the evil spirit’s speech and Jesus’ response, but says the evil spirit threw the man down before them, [4:34-35].
1:27. Luke does not include the question about “new teaching,” but does add that unclean spirits come out at his command! [4:36].
1:29. Matthew includes a very brief version of the story of healing Peter’s mother-in-law and the other healings that Mark mentions, [8:14-17].
Luke includes the story with some minor differences. Luke does not mention Andrew or James and John. Luke reports that Jesus “stood over her and rebuked the fever,” [4:39]. 
1:32. Luke also describes Jesus healing many people and not allowing the “demons” to speak [3:40].

Matthew 1  An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

² Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, . . . ¹⁶ and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. 

Luke 3:23   Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. He was the son (as was thought) of Joseph son of Heli, ²⁴ son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph, . . . ³⁶ son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech, ³⁷ son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, ³⁸ son of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.

Notes . . .

Matthew puts his Gospel in the context of Jewish history, so he begins the narrative with Abraham, the Jewish patriarch to whom God first made the promise of blessing.

Luke sees Jesus as the savior of all humanity, so he traces Jesus’s lineage – in reverse order – all the way back to Adam, the “first” human God created.

Matthew 2:13   Now after they [the wise men, who ignored Herod’s request to report Jesus’s location] had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” ¹⁴ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, ¹⁵ and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

¹⁶ When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.^{b  17} Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

¹⁸ “A voice was heard in Ramah,
ailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”

¹⁹ When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ²⁰ “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” ²¹ Then Josephgot up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. ²³ There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”

Luke 2:21   After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. . . . [Simeon and Anna prophecy about Jesus in the temple] 

³⁹ When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

⁴¹ Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. ⁴² And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. ⁴³ When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. ⁴⁴ Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” ⁴⁹ He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what he said to them. ⁵¹ Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.

Luke 3  In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee . . .

Get into the Word:

1. Who is involved int the first incident? How did they become involved? What happens to Jesus? To his parents? Why does Matthew include this incident in Jesus’s story [see notes]?

2. What incident does Luke include in his Gospel? Where does this take place? What happens during this trip? What is Jesus doing when his parents find him? How do they react? How does Jesus respond?

Notes . . .

2:13. Wise men — the visit of the priest kings brings honor and homage to the infant Jesus; but it also leads to the murder of at least several hundred young children [v. 16].Flee  to Egypt — 1500 years earlier, the Israelites had gone to Egypt to escape the famine in Palestine. Matthew recounts Jesus’s parallel journey to underscore his role in fulfilling Jewish prophecy.
2:23. Nazorean — actually none of the Biblical prophets includes this.

2:42. Twelve years old — this is the only incident about Jesus before he begins his ministry.
2:44. Group of travelers — pilgrims often traveled in group of several families so it would not be unusual for Jesus to be separated from his parents.
2:49. Must be in my Father’s house — Jesus is correct, but he appears to be overlooking his obligations to his family, which may explain Luke’s note about obedience in
v. 51.
3:1. Fifteenth year . . . — Luke anchors the start of Jesus’s ministry in the wider world, consistent with his view of Jesus as the savior of all humanity.

1The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the
Son of God. 

² As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way; 
³ the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’” 

⁴ John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶ Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. ⁸ I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 

⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” 

¹² And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³ He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. Matthew and Luke include all the elements of Mark’s story of John the Baptist, with only minor differences in sequence. What are the story’s main points?

2. Why does Luke begin by listing the rulers of Rome and Judea?

3. Why do Matthew and Luke include John’s denun-ciation of the Pharisees and Sadducess? What does it say about the Jews of that time?

4. What is significant about Luke and Matthew’s inclusion of “fire” in Jesus’ baptism?

5. Why does Luke include more detail about repen-
tance (turn from one’s sins)?

6. Why does Matthew include Jesus’ statement about “fulfilling all righteousness,” [3:15]?

1:1. Matthew begins with Jesus’ genealogy (from Abraham), and his birth and flight to Egypt [1-2].
Luke starts with the story of John the Baptist’s birth, Jesus’ birth, the presentation in the temple and talking with the teachers and Anna’s prophecy of Jesus as the promised king. He then anchors the story in history with the Roman and Judean rulers and the high priests [3:1-2]. Luke also starts his version: The word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
1:3. Luke adds: Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God, [3:5-6] to the Isaiah quote.
1:4. Matthew adds John’s denunciation of the Pharisees and Sadducees: You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor;” for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham, [3:7-9].
Luke includes John’s denunciation (as in Matthew) and adds conversation between John and the people in the crowd about what they should do to repent: share belongings and food, be honest, don’t misuse power, or extort or accuse others falsely, [3:10-14].

 

1:7. Matthew adds, His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire, [3:11-12].
Luke also includes Matthew’s version of John’s statement about Jesus, but precedes it with: As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, [3:15]. Luke closes this section with John’s imprisonment by Herod Antipas, [3:19-20].
1:9. Matthew includes John’s objection: John would have prevented him, saying, “I am need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented, [3:14-15].
1:9. Luke’s version of Jesus’ baptism is the same as Mark’s [3:21-22].
Luke lists Jesus’ ancestors following his baptism: Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. He the son (as was thought) of Joseph, son of Heli. . . . son of Nathan, son of David, son of . . . Judah, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of . . . Noah, . . . son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God, [3:23-38].
1:11. Matthew records the voice from Heaven saying “This is my Son the beloved,” [3:17].
1:12. See notes below on Jesus’ temptation.

“Gospel” is the Greek word for “good news.”

God had been telling the Jews, through the prophets, that his “new thing” would be “good news” for more than six hundred years: The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, an release to the prisoners, [Isaiah 61:1– Jesus applied this passage to himself when he read it in the synagogue, [Luke 4:16-21].

God also links “good news” to announcing salvation and peace, and saying, “Your God reigns,” [Isaiah 52:7].

The Apostles and other followers of Jesus used the phrase to tell the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection – and especially what this means for our relationship with God.

So God’s “new thing” is the best possible “good news” because it is the story of how God has made it possible for us to have a living, loving relationship with him.

In the years after Jesus’ resurrection many people were able to share their experiences with him, including his healings and other miracles and his teachings. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and the Apostles and others who knew Jesus personally became fewer and less accessible, some believers began compiling written collections of the stories about Jesus. 

Many scholars believe that Mark’s is the first written Gospel, although a significant group supports the tradition that Matthew wrote first. Scholars also believe that a collection of Jesus’ sayings, called “Q” (“source”) circulated at the same time and that both Matthew and Luke used it along

with Mark in preparing their Gospels. The commonality between Mark and Matthew and Mark and Luke is the basis for the idea that Mark’s is the first written Gospel. More than ninety percent of the information in Mark appears in similar form, although not necessarily in the same order, in Matthew; and more than half the material in Mark is also in Luke. Another indicator of Mark as the source is that whenever Matthew and Luke disagree about the sequence of events in Jesus’ life one of them agrees with the narrative in Mark.

All three Gospels were written before the destruction of the temple in 70, probably between 50 and 65 CE.

21 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way.
² Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. ³ Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

⁴ Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶ He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. ⁷ That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. ⁸ But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

⁹ When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

¹⁵ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you. ”Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” ¹⁹ (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

²⁰ Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” ²³ So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. ²⁵ But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.  NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What is going on as this story opens? Why do you suppose the disciples went fishing? How well did they do?

2. How does Jesus greet the disciples? Why do you think they didn’t recognize him? What does he tell them to do? What happens when they follow his directions?

3. Who is first to recognize Jesus? Who is first to respond to Jesus’ presence? What does he do? How deep was the
water?

4. What does Jesus do next? How do the disciples respond to his invitation? Why do you think they reacted as they did? How would you have reacted in this situation?

5. What other incidents from Jesus’ ministry does this story remind you of? Why do you think John included this story?

6. What does Jesus do after breakfast? What is significant about Jesus’ questions [see notes]? How does Peter deal with Jesus’ questions? Why do you think he gets upset with the questions? What point is Jesus making about the disciples’ future? 

7. What does Jesus do next? How does Peter react to this turn of events? What is Peter concerned about? How does Jesus respond to Peter?

8. What happened as a result of Jesus’ answer to Peter’s question about the other disciple? How does John deal with this situation?

Get Personal

How has your walk with Christ differed from the experience of others? How have you benefited from the gifts and experiences of others to grow in your own faith?

21:1. Later — Some folks see this chapter as a story “tacked on” to the end of the Gospel, but Jesus is consistent with his presence in the rest of the book and verse 24 makes an important point about John’s future. Readers in John’s culture would not have questioned the chapter.
21:3. I’m going fishing — Jesus had told the disciples he would meet them in Galilee, but since nothing had happened yet it would be natural to return to your former practices.
21:7. Stripped for work — Peter probably had a loincloth on, since Jewish men did not appear completely naked in public.
21:9. Breakfast — the fish and bread are an echo of the lunch Jesus provided for the crowd in John 6.
21:11. 153 large fish — probably just the count, which the fishermen would have made in order to divide the catch among them.
21:15. More than these — this phrase actually has three possible meanings: more than these other men love me; more than you love these other men; or more than you love these things (perhaps the fish and bread or the boat and net – the “stuff”).

21:15-17. Love . . . feed — the key point is that confirmation of our “love” for Jesus is in our actions as his follower. Peter advises other church leaders to care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God, [1 Peter 5:3].
21:18. Where you don’t want to go — Peter was also crucified, according to tradition.
21:19. Follow me — the Greek means “continue following me.”  Jesus told Peter the same thing three years before this incident – when he called Peter to be a disciple – and it’s the same thing he tells us.
21:21. What about him — Peter can’t resist asking Jesus about the other disciple’s future. Jesus’ response makes it clear that Peter’s responsibility does not compare to any other follower’s. Likewise, our task is to “follow” Jesus as he determines and not to worry about the work of another. Paul told the Galatians: We are each responsible for our own conduct,  [6:4-5].

 20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ² So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” ³ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.
⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; ⁹ for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the disciples returned to their homes.

¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; ¹² and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

²⁴ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

²⁶ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹ But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.  NRSV

Get into the Word

1. Who is the first person to visit Jesus’ tomb? What does she notice about it? How does she respond?

2. Who are the next people at the tomb?  Why do you suppose the first disciple didn’t enter the tomb? What do they see once inside the tomb? How do they interpret this?

3. Why do you think Mary stays at the tomb after the disciples leave? What happens to her as a result? How does she react to the others at the tomb?

4. Why do you think Mary doesn’t realize who she is talking with? What happens when Jesus speaks to her? Why does he tell her not to cling to him?

5. Who does Mary tell about her encounter with Jesus? How do you suppose they reacted to her story? 

6. Who does Jesus appear to next?  How do the disciples react? What does Jesus say to the disciples? What does he give them? 

7. Why does Thomas not believe the other disciples? How does Jesus deal with this situation? What point does Jesus make about belief?

8. What point does John make about Jesus’s resurrection appearances

Get Personal

How do you react when your life suddenly goes in an unexpected direction? Are you aware of God’s presence during the turmoil? How do you recognize his presence and “Peace”?

20:1.  Mary Magdalene — had been a follower of Jesus from early in his ministry. She was also one of the women at the crucifixion and burial of Jesus.  (The other Gospels include Mary the mother of James and Salome [Matt 28:1, Mark 16:1, Luke 24:10].)
20:6. Linen wrappings — the position of the wrappings and face cloth indicates someone was unusually neat in placing them, or that Jesus rose out of the wrappings without disturbing them.
20:8.  Believed . . . — John acknowledges that, even though Jesus had discussed his resurrection with them, the disciples still did not understand the spiritual reality and significance. Luke describes one situation at 18:31-34. 
20:10. Went home — John and Peter may believe that something extraordinary happened to Jesus, but they still don’t understand the full meaning of 

the resurrection – after all, they saw Lazarus comeback to life [John 11:1-15]. 
20:19. Locked — the Greek word used here and verse 20 actually means “shut” without any inference of locking or barring entrance.
20:21. Sending — Jesus gives the disciples the Holy Spirit and commissions them all equally. They are to announce the work of the Holy Spirit in forgiving sins.
20:22. Breathed on them — an echo of Genesis 2:7, when God breathed life into Adam.
20:24.  Didymus — means “twin.”
20:30-31.  Miraculous signs — John clearly wants his readers to understand that Jesus did many other signs, but these are the ones he has chosen to write about so “you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah.”