The Circle of Prayer

(John 2) JESUS CHANGES WATER INTO WINE 1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, They have no more wine.... 4Woman, why do you involve me? Jesus replied. My hour has not yet come. 5His mother said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you. 6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, Fill the jars with water; so they filled them to the brim. 8Then he told them, Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now. 11What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. JESUS CLEARS THE TEMPLE COURTS 13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market! 17His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for your house will consume me. 18The Jews then responded to him, What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this? 19Jesus answered them, Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. 20They replied, It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days? 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. 23Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

(John 1) THE WORD OF LIFE 1In the beginning was the one... who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. 2From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3And with this Word, God created all things. Nothing was made without the Word. Everything that was created 4received its life from him, and his life gave light to everyone. 5The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out. 6 God sent a man named John, 7who came to tell about the light and to lead all people to have faith. 8John wasn't this light. He came only to tell about the light. 9The true light that shines on everyone was coming into the world. 10The Word was in the world, but no one knew him, though God had made the world with his Word. 11He came into his own world, but his own nation did not welcome him. 12Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God. 13They were not God's children by nature or because of any human desires. God himself was the one who made them his children. 14The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him the complete gifts of undeserved grace and truth have come down to us. 15John spoke about him and shouted, This is the one I told you would come! He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born. 16Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another. 17The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth. 18No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.

(John 21) JESUS AND THE MIRACULOUS CATCH OF FISH 1Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3I’m going out to fish, Simon Peter told them, and they said, We’ll go with you. So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing....Continue reading

(John 20) THE EMPTY TOMB 1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!...Continue reading

(John 18:28-40, John 19) JESUS BEFORE PILATE 28Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29So Pilate came out to them and asked, What charges are you bringing against this man?...Continue reading