Heaven is for Real - Book Review

It isn't often I read a book in one day. I mean I am capable of it, and I have in the past. Don't get me wrong this one at 150 something pages isn't by war and peace, by any means. But, this is the kind of book that grabs your heart, and refuses to let go. You find yourself eyes filling up as you read about a 4 year old boy's brush with death. You are swept up in a father's story of frustration as his son teeters at the edge of the grave. The rest of the story is one of Uplifting Spirituality. The short chapters demand your full attention and carry you away. I recommend this book for anyone.

April 11th 2004 BC

April 8th 2007 BC

March 27th 2005 BC

April 20th 2003 BC

March 31st 2002 BC

Jesus and Thomas

John 20:24) Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25) So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." 26) Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 27) Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." 28) Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29) Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

I had to post this one

Biblical Meals

Although I have not been to LaGrange Georgia, I found out about Biblical Resources LLC online and thought it might be of interest to others especially the meal section which I am highlighting on this blog. Here it is verbatum from their website:

Experience an authentic meal as it might have been in biblical times at the Explorations in Antiquity Center. Along with food and drink common to the culture of the ancient Middle East, mealtime here includes healthy servings of scriptural interpretations as they relate to the Passover meal and the Last Supper.

A popular experience at The Explorations in Antiquity Center, the biblical meal presentation features a four-course lunch or dinner with beverage (grape juice, water, and/or wine) and 15 food items, including unleavened bread, fruits and sweets. While diners partake, a meal facilitator shares information about the various food items and Passover customs common when Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples.

To add to the authenticity, meals are served in a biblical meal room replicated to look like actual rooms from biblical times; each room is designed to accommodate up to 50 guests. The Jerusalem Biblical Meal Rom is patterned after a meal room discovered a Pompeii. The Mount Zion Biblical Meal Room is a replica of one discovered at Herculeum. Both of these ancient cities were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C. E. and offer an example of First Century culture.

Leaders of church groups may request the meal be presented as much like the Last Supper as possible. Contrary to artists’ renderings that show Jesus and the disciples seated at a table with Jesus at the center, the group more likely shared a reclining meal, as was the custom in that day and time. Whether or not you choose to recline, your meal facilitator will share with you the likely seating arrangement at the Last Supper while you dine on foods commonly enjoyed during that era.

This one-and-a-half hour, information-packed presentation costs $30 (including tax) per adult and $18 per child ages 4-12. Children 3 years and younger are free. Prices include entrance to the Center with all of its archaeological displays and outdoor exhibits, plus an illustrated souvenir brochure about Passover and the Last Supper.

Reserve a mid-day meal or evening mealtime for your small group (minimum of 10, please) or large group (up to 140). Make reservations for the biblical meal by calling the Center at (706) 885-0363.

Biblical Resources is housed in: The Explorations in Antiquity Center 130 Gordon Commercial Drive LaGrange, GA 30240

http://www.biblicalresources.net/index.htm

Be Still

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"

Were Nails from Caiaphas' Tomb Used to Crucify Jesus?

as reported in Time on April 13th 2011, By Karl Vick

Just in time for Easter, an Israeli television journalist has produced a pair of nails he says may have been used to crucify Jesus Christ. "We're not saying these are the nails," says Simcha Jacobovici, holding aloft a pair of smallish iron spikes with the tips hammered to one side. "We're saying these could be the nails."

The case for the possible rests on a specific combination of research, surmising, guesswork and either the ineptitude or the skittishness of Israeli archeologists who inventoried the tomb thought to contain the bones of the Jewish high priest who ordered Christ's arrest. The tomb, found in 1990, appeared to contain the ossuary, or bone box, of Caiaphas, the jurist who paved the way for the crucifixion. Researchers from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) listed everything found in the cave, including two Roman nails. But unlike everything else in the grave, the nails were otherwise unaccounted for. They were not measured, sketched or photographed, and nowhere to be found in the IAA's vast collection.

At about the same time, a pair of nails showed up at the Tel Aviv University laboratory of Professor Israel Hershkowitz, a forensic expert. His lab already had the only known nail unassailably used in a crucifixion — it was found still embedded in the human heel bone it had been driven through. The mystery nails were smaller but similar: clearly ancient and with the tips hammered sideways, probably to secure them to the surface they've been pounded through. In The Nails of the Cross, the documentary Jacobovici made for Israeli TV and the History Channel, Hershkowitz says the two appear long enough to have been driven through a hand, but that's as far as he'll go.

The producer doesn't blame him. "When you raise the question of Jesus' crucifixion nails," Jacobovici says, "there should be a lot of skepticism."

Indeed the case arrives with no shortage of loose ends. The IAA's inventory states that one nail was found on the floor of the tomb, or cave, and another was found inside an ossuary. But there were 12 ossuaries in the tomb, and there is no record of which one it was in.

Nor is it clear which box most likely contained the bones of the priest the Gospels say pushed Jesus toward death. Caiaphas is an unusual name, not found in any of the other 2,000 ossuaries recovered so far around Jerusalem from roughly the time of Christ. But in this tomb, the name shows up twice. Scholars have focused on an ornate box labeled "Joseph, son of Caiaphas," but Jacobovici suggests the priest's bones were gathered in a simpler one labeled only "Caiaphas."

Also unclear: Why would a priest be buried with a nail? Jacobovici points to scholarship indicating crucifixion nails were regarded by contemporary Jews as holding special healing powers. The bit of paganism was apparently tolerated, even in priestly circles: a woman's skull found in the same tomb contained a Roman coin, presumably included to pay the boatman steering souls across the River Styx.

Gaby Barkay, a professor at Bar Ilan University and probably the most prominent archeologist in Israel, offers another explanation. Jews at the time of Christ "were impurity freaks," Barkay says. Anything in the vicinity of a corpse was thought to be contaminated by death, even a nail stuck in a nearby wall. "Therefore it would probably be removed and put into the grave," he says.

The professor quibbles with other assumptions as well, but notes that "nails in general are a rare thing in tombs of the Second Temple Period," and his presence at a crowded news conference has added weight to Jacobovici's effort. The documentary's producer has won three Emmys and an Overseas Press Club Award, and clearly has earned the respect of scholars willing to tolerate a bit of show business in the bargain. As Barkay puts it, "This is not the way to draw conclusions in science, but it is nonetheless interesting."

Most interesting of all, perhaps, is that 20 years passed before anyone brought attention to the nails in the tomb of the man history knows only for his key role in Christ's crucifixion. The implication, never stated quite out loud in the documentary, is that Jewish archeologists in charge of the dig had little stomach for drawing attention to the Jewish official the Gospels cast as the main villain in the Passion play. Jacobovici notes that Caiaphas may be the only figure named in the Bible whose tomb most scholars agree has been discovered, and the producer spends half the documentary trying to locate it and get a peek inside. The site, uncovered during construction of a park, ends up beneath a stretch of road near a playground.

"Two thousand years of anti-Semitism has been built on this man," says Jacobovici, who promotes an alternative view of the priest. The Nails of the Cross dwells on 1st century non-Gospel writings that portray Caiaphas as an eventual follower of Christ. It's a view that not only softens tensions between Christianity and Judaism, but also offers a possible reason for the presence of the nails in the family tomb: veneration. "I don't think anybody's going to say, 'Crucifixion Nails' exclamation point," Jacobovici says. "I think they're going to write, 'Crucifixion Nails' question mark."

Both headlines summon associations with pieces of the "one true cross" peddled to holy pilgrims at least since Emperor Constantine's mother journeyed to Jerusalem 300 years after the event — and claimed to find it. But at least, the producer tells TIME, the suggestion rises at least in part from the archeological record. "Entire churches have been built around nails that have a lot less going for them than these do," he says.

Watch "Archaeology Digs Up Controversy in Jerusalem."

Find this article at: http://www.blogger.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2064920,00.html

The Defeat of Satan

Revelation 20:7) And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8) and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9) And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10) and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Here I Stand

Luther's Protestant views were condemned as heretical by Pope Leo X in the bull Exsurge Domine in 1520. Consequently Luther was summoned to either renounce or reaffirm them at the Diet of Worms on 17 April 1521. When he appeared before the assembly, Johann von Eck, by then assistant to the Archbishop of Trier, acted as spokesman for Emperor Charles the Fifth. He presented Luther with a table filled with copies of his writings. Eck asked Luther if he still believed what these works taught. He requested time to think about his answer. Granted an extension, Luther prayed, consulted with friends and mediators and presented himself before the Diet the next day.

When the counselor put the same question to Luther the next day, the reformer apologized for the harsh tone of many of his writings, but said that he could not reject the majority of them or the teachings in them. Luther respectfully but boldly stated,

"Unless I am convinced by proofs from Scriptures or by plain and clear reasons and arguments, I can and will not retract, for it is neither safe nor wise to do anything against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."

On May 25, the Emperor issued his Edict of Worms, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Luke 3:1) In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2) during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3) And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4) As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

make his paths straight.

5) Every valley shall be filled,

and every mountain and hill shall be made low,

and the crooked shall become straight,

and the rough places shall become level ways,

6) and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’"

7) He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8) Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9) Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

10) And the crowds asked him, "What then shall we do?" 11) And he answered them, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." 12) Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" 13) And he said to them, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do." 14) Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."

15) As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16) John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17) His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

18) So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19) But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20) added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

21) Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22) and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:1) Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2) And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3) "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4) And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5) Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6) And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7) Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8) And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." 9) And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."


10) And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11) And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12) so that

The Purpose of the Parables

"they may indeed see but not perceive,

and may indeed hear but not understand,

lest they should turn and be forgiven."

13) And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14) The sower sows the word. 15) And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16) And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17) And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18) And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19) but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20) But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

The Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:16) But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17) For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19) Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20) idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21) envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24) And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Peter Denies Jesus

Mark 14:66) And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67) and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus." 68) But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you mean." And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed.

69) And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them." 70) But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean." 71) But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know this man of whom you speak." 72) And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down and wept.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

Mark 11:12) On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13) And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14) And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it.


Mark 11:)20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21) And Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered." 22) And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. 23) Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24) Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25) And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

Lament over Jerusalem

Matthew 23:37) "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 38) See, your house is left to you desolate. 39) For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’"

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11) And he said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12) And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13) Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14) And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15) So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16) And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17) "But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18) I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19) I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."’ 20) And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21) And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22) But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23) And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24) For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25) "Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26) And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27) And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28) But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29) but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30) But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31) And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32) It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’"

Romans 1:16

Jesus Raises Lazarus

John 11:1) Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2) It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3) So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." 4) But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." 5) Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6) So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7) Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 8) The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?" 9) Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10) But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." 11) After saying these things, he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him." 12) The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." 13) Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14) Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died, 15) and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16) So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." 17) Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18) Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19) and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20) So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21) Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22) But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." 23) Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24) Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25) Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26) and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" 27) She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world." 28) When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." 29) And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30) Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31) When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32) Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33) When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34) And he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 35) Jesus wept. 36) So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37) But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?" 38) Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39) Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." 40) Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" 41) So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42) I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me." 43) When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." 44) The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

Matthew 26:36) Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." 37) And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38) Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." 39) And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." 40) And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41) Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 42) Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." 43) And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44) So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45) Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46) Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."

1st Station of the Cross "Jesus Before Pilate"

Matthew 27:11) Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You have said so." 12) But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13) Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?" 14) But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. 15) Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16) And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17) So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18) For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19) Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream." 20) Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21) The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." 22) Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!" 23) And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!" 24) So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." 25) And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" 26) Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

8th Station of the Cross "Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

Luke 23:27) And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28) But turning to them Jesus said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29) For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30) Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31) For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"