Jesus

“Do not stop him,” Jesus replied, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

As the day of His ascension approached, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him.

But the people there refused to welcome Him, because He was heading for Jerusalem.

When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”

But Jesus turned and rebuked them.

And He and His disciples went on to another village.

As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go.”

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.” The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You, however, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Still another said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my family.”

Then Jesus declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place He was about to visit.

And He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.

Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.

I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.”

So He told them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you.

At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.

All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”

Then Jesus turned to the disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.

For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”