"The Father loves me because I am willing to give up my life, in order that I may receive it back again.

No one takes my life away from me. I give it up of my own free will. I have the right to give it up, and I have the right to take it back. This is what my Father has commanded me to do."

It was now the day before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had always loved those in the world who were his own, and he loved them to the very end.

Jesus knew that by now everything had been completed; and in order to make the scripture come true, he said, "I am thirsty."

From that time on Jesus began to say plainly to his disciples, "I must go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. I will be put to death, but three days later I will be raised to life."

When the disciples all came together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be handed over to those

who will kill him; but three days later he will be raised to life." The disciples became very sad.

"Listen," he told them, "we are going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn him to death

and then hand him over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of him, whip him, and crucify him; but three days later he will be raised to life."

"In two days, as you know, it will be the Passover Festival, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."

During the meal Jesus said, "I tell you, one of you will betray me."

Then Jesus said to them, "This very night all of you will run away and leave me, for the scripture says, 'God will kill the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

"Listen," he told them, "we are going up to Jerusalem where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn him to death and then hand him over to the Gentiles,

who will make fun of him, spit on him, whip him, and kill him; but three days later he will rise to life."

Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, "Listen! We are going to Jerusalem where everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true.

They will whip him and kill him, but three days later he will rise to life."

He is not here; he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was in Galilee:

'The Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, be crucified, and three days later rise to life.' "

Then he said to them, "These are the very things I told you about while I was still with you: everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and the Psalms had to come true."

You have shown me the paths that lead to life, and your presence will fill me with joy.'

When the believers heard it, they all joined together in prayer to God: "Master and Creator of heaven, earth, and sea, and all that is in them!

The kings of the earth prepared themselves, and the rulers met together against the Lord and his Messiah.'

They gathered to do everything that you by your power and will had already decided would happen.

And now, in obedience to the Holy Spirit I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

By the living LORD, your God, I swear that the king has made a search for you in every country in the world. Whenever the ruler of a country reported that you were not in his country, Ahab would require that ruler to swear that you could not be found.

So how can you order me to go and tell the king that you are here? He will kill me!"

So Obadiah went to King Ahab and told him, and Ahab set off to meet Elijah.

"I'm not the troublemaker," Elijah answered. "You are---you and your father. You are disobeying the LORD's commands and worshiping the idols of Baal.

I answered, "I'm not the kind of person that runs and hides. Do you think I would try to save my life by hiding in the Temple? I won't do it."

I am not afraid of the thousands of enemies who surround me on every side.

Even if a whole army surrounds me, I will not be afraid; even if enemies attack me, I will still trust God.

The wicked run when no one is chasing them, but an honest person is as brave as a lion.

Since Christ suffered physically, you too must strengthen yourselves with the same way of thinking that he had; because whoever suffers physically is no longer involved with sin.