Study Desk

And whoever is not offended by me is blessed."

And turning to the disciples, he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see!

Now it happened that as he said these things, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!"

But he said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it!"

Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he returns! Truly I say to you that he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come by and serve them.

Even if he should come back in the second or in the third watch of the night and find them like this, blessed are they!

Blessed is that slave whom his master will find so doing when he comes back.

Behold, your house has been left to you! And I tell you, you will never see me until the time will come when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

and you will be blessed, because they are not able to repay you. For it will be paid back to you at the resurrection of the righteous."

Now when one of those reclining at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

saying, "Blessed is the king, the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

Therefore I will punish him and release him." But they all cried out in unison, saying, "Take this man away, and release for us Barabbas!" (who had been thrown in prison because of a certain insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder). And Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept crying out, saying, "Crucify! Crucify him!" So he said to them a third time, "Why? What wrong has this man done? I found no basis for an accusation deserving death in him. Therefore I will punish him and release him." But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he be crucified. And their cries prevailed. And Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. And he released the one who had been thrown into prison because of insurrection and murder, whom they were asking for, but Jesus he handed over to their will. And as they led him away, they seized Simon, a certain man of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and placed the cross on him, to carry it behind Jesus. And a great crowd of the people were following him, and of women who were mourning and lamenting him. But turning to them, Jesus said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children! For behold, days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that did not give birth, and the breasts that did not nurse!' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!' and to the hills, ‘Cover us!' For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?" And two other criminals were also led away to be executed with him. And when they came to the place that is called "The Skull," there they crucified him, and the criminals, the one on his right and the other on his left. [[But Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."]] And they cast lots to divide his clothes. And the people stood there watching, but the rulers also ridiculed him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if this man is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!" And the soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!" And there was also an inscription over him, "This is the king of the Jews." And one of the criminals who were hanged there reviled him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself—and us!" But the other answered and rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, because you are undergoing the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for what we have done. But this man has done nothing wrong!" And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!" And he said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." And by this time it was about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour because the light of the sun failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn apart down the middle. And Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit!" And after he said this, he expired. Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began to praise God, saying, "Certainly this man was righteous!" And all the crowds that had come together for this spectacle, when they saw the things that had happened, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances, and the women who had followed him from Galilee who saw these things, stood at a distance. And behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man (this man was not consenting to their plan and deed), from Arimathea, a Judean town, who was looking forward to the kingdom of God. This man approached Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth and placed him in a tomb cut into the rock where no one had ever been placed. And it was the day of preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near. And the women who had been accompanying him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was placed. And they returned and prepared fragrant spices and perfumes, and on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

For behold, days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that did not give birth, and the breasts that did not nurse!'

And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them.

And it happened that while he was blessing them, he parted from them and was taken up into heaven.

took the branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, and began crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel!"

If you understand these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen me, have you believed? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God ordained with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed.'

God, after he had raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning each of you back from your wickedness!"