Deep and Wide

After Jesus is resurrected, he tells his friends he will meet them at the lake.  When they get there, they go fishing but don't catch anything. Then a man tells them to put their net on the right side of the boat. They catch a lot! Now they know it's Jesus on the shore.  He's there to show them what he wants them to do. Let's see what Jesus does now. 

Jesus took our punishment on the cross. When he had finished taking all our punishment, he said, "It is finished," and his spirit left his body. He was dead. His friends laid him in a tomb. They rolled a big stone in front of the entrance and posted guards to make sure nobody stole his body. But three days later, his body was gone! What happened?

Some of the Jewish leaders were jealous of Jesus. They didn't want people to follow him. If all the people followed Jesus, who would follow them? They wouldn't be important anymore. So they called the guards and had Jesus arrested, even though he didn't do anything wrong. Jesus didn't defend himself. He didn't argue. It was God's plan for Jesus to be the Passover lamb...

Jesus was taken to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, because the Jewish leaders wanted Jesus to die. Pilate was the one who could have Jesus crucified for them. Pilate questioned Jesus - was Jesus a king? What had Jesus done to deserve death? Was Jesus telling the truth?

Jesus had one last meal with his friends before he got arrested. He told his friends that when the guards came for him, they would all run away. But Peter couldn't believe it! He told Jesus he would stay with him, and even die with him. But Jesus knew that Peter would be too scared. Who is right? How much does Peter love Jesus, really?

After the last supper, Jesus took his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Jesus didn't want to die. He asked his Father for some other way. But soon, Judas came with the officers to arrest Jesus. It was dark, and the power of darkness was at work to kill Jesus. 

Jesus ate the Passover dinner with his disciples. During the dinner, Jesus told his friends that he was going to make a new way for God and people to be friends. His body was going to break, and his blood was going to be poured out as a sacrifice for our sin. 

When Jesus and his disciples gathered for their last supper, there was no one there to wash their feet. Jesus showed his love by being the servant, and washing their feet. Peter didn't want Jesus to do it, but Jesus told him to accept it. It wasn't that Peter was so dirty, but we all need Jesus to forgive us, and love us, every day. 

When Jesus was watching people put their offerings into the temple treasury, he saw one woman put in more than anybody else. He told his disciples about it. She had only put in two cents, but that was all she had. 

When Jesus arrived at the temple in Jerusalem, he was angry about what he saw. Instead of praying, people were using the temple to make money! They were buying and selling animals, and changing peoples' money. He made a whip and scared all the animals away, and tipped over the tables of money. 

Long ago, God picked Jesus to be the king. Jesus would be a good king. He was kind and gentle and never did anything wrong. When it was time to enter Jerusalem, he rode a donkey. The people waved palm branches, and the little children shouted out their praises. His enemies told Jesus to tell the children to be quiet. 

Nicodemus had questions. He wondered if Jesus could really be the Messiah! If Jesus wasn't from God, there is no way he could do the miracles he did. If Jesus was the king, would Jesus let Nicodemus be a part of the kingdom, too? Nicodemus thought that the way to get into God's kingdom was by keeping all the rules. But Jesus explained that there is another way. 

When Jesus had dinner with his friends, Mary took some expensive perfume and poured it out on his head and his feet. Judas was angry. He said they should have sold the perfume and given the money to the poor.  But Jesus defended her. He knew he would die soon, and the perfume was to help prepare his body for burial. 

When Mary and Martha's brother got sick, they sent Jesus a message. They expected that he would come and heal him. Instead, Jesus stayed where he was. A few days later, Lazarus was dead. Jesus said Lazarus was sleeping, and he would go now, and wake Lazarus up. 

Jesus took three of his disciples up on a high mountain. When they reached the top, Jesus was transfigured. His face was shining like the sun, and even his clothes were bright like lightning. Two men appeared, Moses, and Elijah, and talked to him about what would happen when his spirit left his body, his physical death that was going to happen in Jerusalem.  The disciples were very frightened. The...

Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" Some people thought that he was John the Baptist. Some people thought he was Elijah. Some people thought that he was one of the ancient prophets. But Peter said, "You are the Messiah." Jesus told Peter that he was right. But he also told his disciples not to tell anyone about it. God had a secret plan. 

Jesus knew all about Zacchaeus. He knew that Zacchaeus was stealing from people, but Jesus let Zacchaeus know that he was forgiven. What will Zacchaeus do now?

A young ruler asked Jesus what he should do to make sure that God would accept him as good enough to live forever. Jesus told him to keep all the commandments. And then there was just one more thing he had to do...

Jesus told a story about a rich and generous king. One of his servants owed him millions of dollars, and the king forgave him. He didn't have to pay him back. But when that servant went out, he found someone who owed him about a hundred dollars. He took hold of him and started choking him!  He was an unforgiving servant. He did not forgive. He put the man who owed him money in jail. Uh-oh. Wh...

In Mark chapter 8, Jesus heals a blind man.  At first, when the man looks up he says the people look like trees. Jesus laid his hands on the man's eyes again, and this time when he opened his eyes he could see clearly! 

Near the Sea of Galilee crowds of people followed Jesus up on the mountainside. They brought people who were sick, who were blind, and people who couldn't talk, and laid them at Jesus' feet. He healed them. Then, instead of sending them away hungry, he distributed seven loaves of bread and a few fish to the whole crowd. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward the disciples pic...

In Luke 13, Jesus describes the kingdom of God to a tree that grows from a very small mustard seed. When it grows, it's big enough for birds to perch in the branches! It's also like a tiny grain of yeast. Although it's small, when it gets put into warm water it multiplies. It grows so fast that it can puff up sixty pounds of flour. The kingdom of God may start small, but it spreads...

In Mark 7, a man is brought to Jesus who was deaf and could hardly talk. The crowd begged Jesus to heal him. Jesus takes him away from the crowd. He puts his fingers in the man's ears. Then he spits, and touches his tongue. He spoke to the man and said, "Be opened." Did it work? How did Jesus do that?

Jesus taught his disciples what to pray about. We pray for God to provide our food. We ask him to forgive us, and remember that we forgive other people, too. We ask him to lead us to make good decisions.  He's the boss of us.  And that's a good thing!

Jesus taught his disciples a way to pray. We get to call God our Father, because he is our Father in heaven. We pray that he is respected and honored. We pray for his kingdom to come - that what he wants happens on earth as it does in heaven.