Easter 2008
s*O*nrise

26. When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.
27. And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him.
28. But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29. "For behold, the days are coming when they will say, `Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.'
30. "Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, `FALL ON US,' AND TO THE HILLS, `COVER US.'
31. "For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
32. Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him.
33. When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34. But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.
35. And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One."
36. The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine,
37. and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!"
38. Now there was also an inscription above Him, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
39. One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!"
40. But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
41. "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."
42. And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"
43. And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."
44. It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour,
45. because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
46. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last.
47. Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent."
48. And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts.
49. And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.
50. And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man
51. (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God;
52. this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53. And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain.
54. It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55. Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid.
56. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

1. Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark, and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.
2. So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."
3. So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.
4. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first;
5. and stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.
6. And so Simon Peter also *came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he *saw the linen wrappings lying there,
7. and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.
8. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed.
9. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
10. So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
11. But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;
12. and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.
13. And they *said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She *said to them, "Because 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, and did not know that it was Jesus.
15. Jesus *said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" 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, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher).
17. Jesus *said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, `I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.' "
18. Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her.
19. So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, "Peace be with you."
20. And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
21. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
22. And 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, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."
24. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25. So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."
26. After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
27. Then He *said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing."
28. Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
29. Jesus *said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."
30. Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31. but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

3. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4. and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5. and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
7. then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
8. and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
9. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
11. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
12. Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13. But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;
14. and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
15. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
16. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;
17. and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
18. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
20. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
21. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
22. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
23. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming,
24. then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
25. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
26. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
27. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.
28. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.

 
maranatha. (come, o lord)