Day 298: Mark 13 - 16

Chapter 13

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs before the End

1: As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" 

2: Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." 

3: When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 

4: "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?"

5: Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. 

6: Many will come in my name and say, "I am he!' and they will lead many astray. 

7: When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 

8: For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs. 

9: "As for yourselves, beware; for they will hand you over to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. 

10: And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. 

11: When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 

12: Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 

13: and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

14: "But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; 

15: the one on the housetop must not go down or enter the house to take anything away; 

16: the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. 

17: Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! 

18: Pray that it may not be in winter. 

19: For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, no, and never will be. 

20: And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those days. 

21: And if anyone says to you at that time, "Look! Here is the Messiah!' or "Look! There he is!'-do not believe it. 

22: False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 

23: But be alert; I have already told you everything.

The Coming of the Son of Man

24: "But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 

25: and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 

26: Then they will see "the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. 

27: Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

28: "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 

29: So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 

30: Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 

31: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 

32: "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 

33: Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. 

34: It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 

35: Therefore, keep awake-for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 

36: or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 

37: And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."

Chapter 14

The Leaders Plot against Jesus

1: It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; 

2: for they said, "Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people."

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

3: While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. 

4: But some were there who said to one another in anger, "Why was the ointment wasted in this way? 

5: For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they scolded her. 

6: But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. 

7: For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. 

8: She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. 

9: Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her."

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

10: Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 

11: When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

Jesus Eats the Passover with His Disciples

12: On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" 

13: So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, 

14: and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, "The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 

15: He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." 

16: So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. 

17: When it was evening, he came with the twelve. 

18: And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." 

19: They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, "Surely, not I?" 

20: He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me.

21: For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born." 

22: While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." 

23: Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. 

24: He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 

25: Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

Peter's Denial Foretold

26:  When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 

27: And Jesus said to them, "You will all become deserters; for it is written, "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 

28: But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." 

29: Peter said to him, "Even though all become deserters, I will not." 

30: Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times." 

31: But he said vehemently, "Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you." And all of them said the same.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

32: They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."

33: He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. 

34: And he said to them, "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake." 

35: And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 

36: He said, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want." 

37: He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? 

38: Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

39: And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. 

40: And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. 

41: He came a third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 

42: Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand."

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

43: Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 

44: Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard." 

45: So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. 

46: Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. 

47: But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 

48: Then Jesus said to them, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? 

49: Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled." 

50: All of them deserted him and fled.

The Young Man Who Fled

51: A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, 

52: but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.

Jesus before the Council

53: They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. 

54: Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire. 

55: Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. 

56: For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. 

57: Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying,

58: "We heard him say, "I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.' " 

59: But even on this point their testimony did not agree. 

60: Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?" 

61: But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"

62: Jesus said, "I am; and "you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,' and "coming with the clouds of heaven.' " 

63: Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses? 

64: You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?" All of them condemned him as deserving death. 

65: Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, "Prophesy!" The guards also took him over and beat him.

Peter Denies Jesus

66: While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by.

67: When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, "You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth." 

68: But he denied it, saying, "I do not know or understand what you are talking about." And he went out into the forecourt. Then the cock crowed. 

69: And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them." 

70: But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean." 

71: But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, "I do not know this man you are talking about." 

72: At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, "Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down and wept.

Chapter 15

Jesus before Pilate

1: As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 

2: Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered him, "You say so." 

3: Then the chief priests accused him of many things. 

4: Pilate asked him again, "Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you." 

5: But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

Jesus Sentenced to Die

6: Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. 

7: Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection.

8: So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. 

9: Then he answered them, "Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" 

10: For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. 

11: But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 

12: Pilate spoke to them again, "Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?" 

13: They shouted back, "Crucify him!" 

14: Pilate asked them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him!"

15: So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. 

16: Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters ); and they called together the whole cohort. 

17: And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. 

18: And they began saluting him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 

19: They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. 

20: After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

21: They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.

22: Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). 

23: And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. 

24: And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. 

25: It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. 

26: The inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews." 

27: And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. 

28, 29: Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 

30: save yourself, and come down from the cross!" 

31: In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, "He saved others; he cannot save himself.

32: Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe." Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

33: When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 

34: At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 

35: When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "Listen, he is calling for Elijah." 

36: And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down." 

37: Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 

38: And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 

39: Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!" 

40: There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 

41: These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

The Burial of Jesus

42: When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 

43: Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

44: Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. 

45: When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. 

46: Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 

47: Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

Chapter 16

The Resurrection

1: When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 

2: And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 

3: They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" 

4: When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 

5: As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 

6: But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 

7: But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." 

8: So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

9: Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 

10: She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. 

11: But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

12: After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 

13: And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Jesus Commissions the Eleven

14: Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 

15: And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. 

16: The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. 

17: And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 

18: they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

The Ascension

19: So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 

20: And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.