The Harmonized Gospel of JESUS CHRIST Part 18

 

The Harmonized Gospel of JESUS CHRIST Part 18

 

Chapter 18

 

After the Sabbath as the first day of the week began to dawn there was a great earthquake for an angel of the LORD descended from heaven and rolled back the stone from the tomb then sat on it. His countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.

 

Mary Magdalene and Mary JESUS’ mother came to see the tomb. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid for I know that you seek JESUS who was crucified, He is not here for He is risen as He said. Come see the place where the LORD lay then go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead and indeed He is going before you into Galilee there you will see Him; Pat attention I have told you.”

 

Then they went in and did not find the body of the LORD JESUS. It happened as they were greatly perplexed about this that two men stood by them in shining garments and they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth. The angel said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, He is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee saying, “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and the third day rise again.”

 

Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. She saw the two angels in white sitting one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of JESUS had lain. Then 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.” When she had said this she turned around and saw JESUS standing there, she did not know that it was JESUS, He said to her, “Woman why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir if You have carried Him away tell me where You have laid Him and I will take Him.” JESUS said, “Mary!” She said, “Rabboni!” JESUS said, “Do not cling to Me for I have not yet ascended to My Father, but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father and to My GOD and your GOD.’” Then Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the LORD and that He had spoken these things to her.

 

Then Mary Magdalene ran to Simon Peter and John 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.” Peter and John went out and ran to the tomb. John outran Peter and came to the tomb first, stooping down and looking in he saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came and went into the tomb and he saw the linen cloths lying there and the handkerchief that had been around His head not lying with the linen cloths but folded in a place by itself. Then John also went in and he saw and believed yet they did not know the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away.

 

While they were going to tell the disciples some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ and if this comes to the governor’s ears we will appease him and make you secure.” So they took the money and did as they were instructed and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews to this day.

 

Two of the disciples were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem, and they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was while they conversed and reasoned that JESUS Himself drew near and went with them. Their eyes were restrained so that they did not know Him.  He said He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem and do You not know the things which happened there in these days?” JESUS said, “What things?” So they said, “The things concerning JESUS of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before GOD and all the people and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death and crucified Him. We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Besides all this today is the third day since these things happened certain women of our company who arrived at the tomb early astonished us when they did not find His body, they came saying that they had seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said but they did not see Him.”

 

Then JESUS said to them, “You foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Should not the CHRIST have suffered these things and entered into His glory?” Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, JESUS expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. When they drew near to the village where they were going, He indicated that He would have gone farther. They constrained Him saying, “Abide with us for it is toward evening and the day is far spent.” so He went in to stay with them. As He sat at the table with them He took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to them then their eyes were opened and they knew Him and He vanished from their sight. They said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together. So they told the things that had happened on the road and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

 

As they said these things, JESUS Himself stood in the midst of them and said to them, “Peace to you.” They were terrified and supposed they had seen a spirit. He said to them, “Why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” When He had said this He showed them His hands and His feet. They still did not fully believe yet they marveled, He said, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. He took it and ate in their presence then He said, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” Then He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

 

JESUS said again, “Peace to you!  As the Father has sent Me I send you.” When He had said this He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven them, if you retain the sins of any they are retained.”

 

Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve was not with them when JESUS came. The other disciples said to him, “We have seen the LORD.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into His side I will not believe.” After eight days His disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. JESUS came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas “Reach your finger here and look at My hands and reach your hand here and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving but believing.” Thomas said to Him, “My LORD and my GOD!” JESUS said, “Thomas because you have seen Me you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

 

JESUS rebuked them for their hardness of heart and not believing those who had seen Him, so He said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved but he who does not believe will be condemned. These signs will follow those who believe in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues, they will take up serpents and if they drink anything deadly it will not hurt them, they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.”

 

After these things JESUS showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Galilee also called the Sea of Tiberias. It happened like this, Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” they said to him, “We are going with you.” They went out and immediately got into the boat and that night they caught nothing. When the morning had come JESUS stood on the shore yet the disciples did not know that it was Him.

 

Then JESUS said to them, “Children have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” He said, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” So they cast the net and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Then John said to Peter, “It is the LORD!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the LORD, he put on his outer garment, for he had removed it and plunged into the sea. The other disciples came in the little boat for they were not far from land, about one hundred yards, dragging the net with fish. As soon as they had come to land they saw a fire of coals with fish and bread laid on it. JESUS said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”

 

Simon Peter went and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three and although there were so many the net was not broken. JESUS said, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the LORD. JESUS then took the bread and fish and gave it to them. This is the third time JESUS showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

 

So when they had eaten breakfast JESUS said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah 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.” JESUS said to him a second time, “Simon son of Jonah do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes LORD You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” JESUS said to him the third time, “Simon son of Jonah do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” he said to Him, “LORD, You know all things, You know that I love You.” JESUS said to him, “Feed My sheep. Truly I say to you when you were younger you girded yourself and walked where you wished but when you are old you will stretch out your hands and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke signifying by what death Peter would glorify GOD then He said to Peter, “Follow Me.”

 

Then Peter turning around saw the disciple John whom JESUS loved following them. Peter seeing him said to JESUS, “LORD what about this man?” JESUS said, “If I will that he remain till I come what is that to you? You follow Me.” Then the saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet JESUS did not say to him that he would not die only, “If I will that he remain till I come what is that to you?”

 

Then the eleven disciples went to the mountain in Galilee that JESUS had

appointed for them. When they saw Him they worshiped Him yet some still

doubted, JESUS came and spoke to them saying, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, for I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.”

 

Later JESUS led them to Bethany, to mount Olivet, He lifted His hands and blessed them saying, “It is written and it was necessary for the CHRIST to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem, you are witnesses of these things. I send the Promise of My Father to you so wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. For John truly baptized with water and you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

 

They asked Him, “LORD will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses of Me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

 

When He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight into Heaven and He sat down at the right hand of GOD. While they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up two men stood by them in white apparel who said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into Heaven? This same JESUS, who was taken up from you into Heaven will come in like manner as you have seen Him go into Heaven.” Then they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. They were continually in the temple praising and blessing GOD.

This account I made of all that JESUS began both to do and teach until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of GOD. JESUS was seen by up to 500 people at one time. Truly JESUS did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book.  These are written that you may believe that JESUS is the CHRIST, the Son of GOD, and that believing you may have life in His name.  There are many other things that JESUS did which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen!