Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my one dear Son. Listen to him!”

But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours!’

Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.

“And look, your relative Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month!

This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’

Herod said, “I had John beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

Then a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him!”

because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again – he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’

It was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’”

But when the tenants saw him, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir; let’s kill him so the inheritance will be ours!’

Then a slave girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight, stared at him and said, “This man was with him too!”

And after about an hour still another insisted, “Certainly this man was with him, because he too is a Galilean.”

A third time he said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I have found him guilty of no crime deserving death. I will therefore flog him and release him.”

Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!”

(He had not consented to their plan and action.) He was from the Judean town of Arimathea, and was looking forward to the kingdom of God.

This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’

He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is translated Christ).