Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled.^(A) You believe^(B) in God^[a];^(C) believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there^(D) to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back^(E) and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.^{(F) 4} You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus the Way to the Father

⁵ Thomas^(G) said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am^(H) the way^(I) and the truth^(J) and the life.^(K) No one comes to the Father except through me.^{(L) 7} If you really know me, you will know^[b] my Father as well.^(M) From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸ Philip^(N) said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.^(O) How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?^(P) The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority.^(Q) Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.^{(R) 12} Very truly I tell you, whoever believes^(S) in me will do the works I have been doing,^(T) and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask^(U) in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands.^{(V) 16} And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate^(W) to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth.^(X) The world cannot accept him,^(Y) because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[c] in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans;^(Z) I will come to you.^{(AA) 19} Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.^(AB) Because I live, you also will live.^{(AC) 20} On that day^(AD) you will realize that I am in my Father,^(AE) and you are in me, and I am in you.^{(AF) 21} Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.^(AG) The one who loves me will be loved by my Father,^(AH) and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

²² Then Judas^(AI) (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”^(AJ)

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.^(AK) My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.^{(AL) 24} Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.^(AM)

²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate,^(AN) the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,^(AO) will teach you all things^(AP) and will remind you of everything I have said to you.^{(AQ) 27} Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.^(AR) I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled^(AS) and do not be afraid.

²⁸ “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’^(AT) If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father,^(AU) for the Father is greater than I.^{(AV) 29} I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.^{(AW) 30} I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world^(AX) is coming. He has no hold over me, ³¹ but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.^(AY)

“Come now; let us leave.

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am^(AZ) the true vine,^(BA) and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,^(BB) while every branch that does bear fruit^(BC) he prunes^[d] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.^{(BD) 4} Remain in me, as I also remain in you.^(BE) No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;^(BF) apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.^{(BG) 7} If you remain in me^(BH) and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.^{(BI) 8} This is to my Father’s glory,^(BJ) that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.^(BK)

⁹ “As the Father has loved me,^(BL) so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands,^(BM) you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.^{(BN) 12} My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.^{(BO) 13} Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.^{(BP) 14} You are my friends^(BQ) if you do what I command.^{(BR) 15} I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.^{(BS) 16} You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you^(BT) so that you might go and bear fruit^(BU)—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.^{(BV) 17} This is my command: Love each other.^(BW)

The World Hates the Disciples

¹⁸ “If the world hates you,^(BX) keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you^(BY) out of the world. That is why the world hates you.^{(BZ) 20} Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’^[e](CA) If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.^(CB) If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name,^(CC) for they do not know the one who sent me.^{(CD) 22} If I had not come and spoken to them,^(CE) they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.^{(CF) 23} Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works no one else did,^(CG) they would not be guilty of sin.^(CH) As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law:^(CI) ‘They hated me without reason.’^[f](CJ)

The Work of the Holy Spirit

²⁶ “When the Advocate^(CK) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father^(CL)—the Spirit of truth^(CM) who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.^{(CN) 27} And you also must testify,^(CO) for you have been with me from the beginning.^(CP)

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

1 In my former book,^(A) Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach^{(B) 2} until the day he was taken up to heaven,^(C) after giving instructions^(D) through the Holy Spirit to the apostles^(E) he had chosen.^{(F) 3} After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them^(G) over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.^{(H) 4} On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait^(I) for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.^{(J) 5} For John baptized with^[a] water,^(K) but in a few days you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.”^(L)

⁶ Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore^(M) the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.^{(N) 8} But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;^(O) and you will be my witnesses^(P) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,^(Q) and to the ends of the earth.”^(R)

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up^(S) before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white^(T) stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,”^(U) they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back^(V) in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

¹² Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem^(W) from the hill called the Mount of Olives,^(X) a Sabbath day’s walk^[c] from the city. ¹³ When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room^(Y) where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.^{(Z) 14} They all joined together constantly in prayer,^(AA) along with the women^(AB) and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.^(AC)

¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) ¹⁶ and said, “Brothers and sisters,^[d](AD) the Scripture had to be fulfilled^(AE) in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas,^(AF) who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷ He was one of our number^(AG) and shared in our ministry.”^(AH)

¹⁸ (With the payment^(AI) he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field;^(AJ) there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. ¹⁹ Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language^(AK) Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

²⁰ “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

and,

²¹ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, ²² beginning from John’s baptism^(AN) to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness^(AO) with us of his resurrection.”

²³ So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed,^(AP) “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.^(AQ) Show us^(AR) which of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” ²⁶ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.^(AS)

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

2 When the day of Pentecost^(AT) came, they were all together^(AU) in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.^{(AV) 3} They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit^(AW) and began to speak in other tongues^[g](AX) as the Spirit enabled them.

⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing^(AY) Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. ⁷ Utterly amazed,^(AZ) they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?^{(BA) 8} Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,^(BB) Pontus^(BC) and Asia,^{[h](BD) 10} Phrygia^(BE) and Pamphylia,^(BF) Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene;^(BG) visitors from Rome ¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” ¹² Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

¹³ Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”^(BH)

Peter Addresses the Crowd

¹⁴ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. ¹⁵ These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!^{(BI) 16} No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

²² “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth^(BQ) was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,^(BR) which God did among you through him,^(BS) as you yourselves know. ²³ This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge;^(BT) and you, with the help of wicked men,^[j] put him to death by nailing him to the cross.^{(BU) 24} But God raised him from the dead,^(BV) freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.^{(BW) 25} David said about him:

²⁹ “Fellow Israelites,^(BZ) I can tell you confidently that the patriarch^(CA) David died and was buried,^(CB) and his tomb is here^(CC) to this day. ³⁰ But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.^{(CD) 31} Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.^{(CE) 32} God has raised this Jesus to life,^(CF) and we are all witnesses^(CG) of it. ³³ Exalted^(CH) to the right hand of God,^(CI) he has received from the Father^(CJ) the promised Holy Spirit^(CK) and has poured out^(CL) what you now see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

³⁶ “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord^(CN) and Messiah.”^(CO)

³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”^(CP)

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,^(CQ) every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.^(CR) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.^{(CS) 39} The promise is for you and your children^(CT) and for all who are far off^(CU)—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”^{(CV) 41} Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number^(CW) that day.

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching^(CX) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread^(CY) and to prayer.^{(CZ) 43} Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.^{(DA) 44} All the believers were together and had everything in common.^{(DB) 45} They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.^{(DC) 46} Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.^(DD) They broke bread^(DE) in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.^(DF) And the Lord added to their number^(DG) daily those who were being saved.