Chapter Twenty-One
At the end of the {seventh day} Shabbat, {toward evening} as it began to be the first day of the week, there was a powerful earthquake. A messenger of YHVH descended from Heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, then he sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was snowy white. The guards shook with fear at the site of him and fell down like they were dead.
Some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief Kohenim everything that had happened. The chief Kohenim had then met with the Zakenim and devised a plan. They gave the soldiers a large sum of money, and told them, "You are to report this, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." Therefore, the soldiers took the money and did as they were told. Because of it, this story has been widely publicized among the Yehudim to this very day.
Then at dawn, on the first day of the week, Miryam of Migdal and Miryam the mother of Ya'akov and Shalome, and Yochanah were coming to see the Tomb. They brought spices to anoint Yeshua's body. Because a huge stone was over the entrance, they conversed among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" Then looking, they saw the stone was already rolled back. So they entered the tomb and the body of Yeshua was gone.
Then Miryam of Migdal ran to Shimon Kefa and the other disciple {Yochanan}, whom Yeshua loved, and said, "They have taken away Adonai out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."
Immediately, Kefa and that other disciple ran out together, but the other disciple outran Kefa, and came to the tomb first. He stooped down and saw the linen clothes lying there, but he did not go in. Then Shimon Kefa arrived and went into the tomb and saw the linen clothes lying there, and the cloth which was around His head was not lying with the linen clothes, but was wrapped together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple went in, who was first on the scene, and he saw, and believed. For at this point they did not know the scriptures which say, He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples left and went to their own homes.
But Miryam stood outside at the tomb crying. As she wept she stooped down into the tomb and saw two messengers in dazzling white clothing sitting on the right side, one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Yeshua had lain. When all the women saw them they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground.
They said to her, "Woman, why do you cry?"
She said, "Because they have taken away Adonai, and I do not know where they
have laid Him."
One messenger said to the women, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? You do not need to fear, for I know that you look for Yeshua HaNatzeret, who was executed on the stake. He is not here. He is risen! Come and see the place where YHVH was laid."
{They looked, then the messenger said,} "Remember how He spoke to you when He was in the Galil? He said, 'the Son of man must be put into the hands of sinful men, and be executed on the stake, and after the third day rise again.' Quickly go now and tell His disciples that He has been resurrected from the dead. Watch! He proceeds you into the Galil. You will see Him there, as I have told you."
They hurriedly began to depart from the tomb with trembling and joyfulness. When Miryam had turned to leave she saw Yeshua standing there, but did not know it was Yeshua.
Yeshua said unto her, "Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?"
She supposed He was the gardener, so she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried him from here, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."
"Miryam," Yeshua said.
She turned around, and said to him, "Rabbi!"
Yeshua said, "Hello everyone!" The women came and held Him at His feet, and worshiped Him.
"Do not touch me," Yeshua said, "for I am not yet ascended to Avi. Go to my brothers, and tell them that I ascend to Avi, your Abba; to my Elohim, and your Elohim. Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to the Galil. They will see me there."
So they returned from the tomb and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Miryam of Migdal, and Yochanah, and Miryam the mother of Ya'akov, and others with them, who told these things to the Shaliachim. But their report seemed to them to be fictional stories, and they did not believe them.
It happened that two of them traveled that same day from Yerushalayim about seven miles, to the village of Amma'us. Along the way they conversed about all these things which had happened. While they reasoned together, Yeshua Himself came near and walked with them. But their eyes were set ahead, and they didn't recognize Him.
He asked them, "What kind of conversation is this you are having together as you walk? And why so sad?"
Cleopas, one of them, answered, "Are you a newcomer to Yerushalayim? Haven't you heard about the things which have happened here recently?
"What things?" He said.
"Concerning Yeshua HaNatzeret," they said. "He was a mighty prophet in deeds and words, in the sight of Elohim and all the people. The chief Kohenim and our rulers sentenced him to be condemned to death, and they have executed him on the stake. But, we trusted in him to be the Redeemer of Yisrael. Besides all this, today is after the third day since these things were done. Yes, and some women of our company who were earlier at the Tomb have amazed us. They did not find his body, and they told us that they had also seen a vision of messengers {from Heaven}, who said that he was alive. Ones who were with us went to the tomb and found it {empty} just as the women had told us, but they did not see him."
"Oh you foolish ones and slow to put your trust in all that the prophets have spoken!" Yeshua declared. "Was not Mashiach supposed to suffer these things, and then to enter into His glory?"
Then, beginning with Moshe and all the prophets, He explained to them all the things in the scriptures concerning Himself. They were nearing the village were they were going, and Yeshua acted as though He was going to go farther. But they stopped Him by saying, "Stay with us, because it is getting late and not much daylight is left." So He went in to stay with them.
As He sat down at the dinner table with them, He took some bread and blessed {"Baruch ata Adonai Eloheynu Melekh haolam ha'motzi lechem min ha'aretz"}, and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. But He vanished from their sight.
They said to each other, "Didn't our hearts burn within us while he conversed with us on the road, and while he revealed the scriptures to us?"
At that same time they got up and returned to Yerushalayim, and found the eleven gathered together and others with them their, reporting, "Adonai is truely risen! He has appeared to Shimon."
So, they also reported what happened on the road, and how Yeshua was revealed to them with the breaking of bread.
APPEARANCE TO DISCIPLES IN YERUSHALAYIM
Then that same day at evening, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the leaders of the Yehudim, Yeshua appeared and stood among them.
"Shalom aleichem," He said to them, and told them how displeased He was that they did not trust the report of those who had seen Him after He arose. But, they thought they were seeing a ghost.
So, Yeshua said, "Why are you troubled? Why do you think that way? See my hands and my feet. It is I! Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."
When He showed them His hands and His side, the disciples celebrated. Yet they still were doubting in amazement.
They were all sitting at dinner. Yeshua said, "Do you have anything to eat?" They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He ate it in front of them.
"Shalom aleichem," Yeshua said to them again. "As Abba has sent me, so I send you the same way." Then He breathed out on them and commanded, "You will receive the Ruach HaKodesh! Whose sins you send away, they will be sent away from them. Whom you strengthen, they are strengthened."
T'omas, a twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Yeshua came. Later, when the disciples saw T'omas they said, "We have seen Adonai."
"Unless I see his hands with the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe," T'omas answered.
After eight days Yeshua's disciples were still in hiding, and T'omas was with them. While the doors were shut, Yeshua once again came and stood among them, and greeted them with, "Shalom aleichem!"
Then Yeshua said to T'omas, "Look at my hands. Take your finger and touch them. Reach in here with your hand and touch my side. Do not doubt, rather keep on trusting."
T'omas said, "Adonai and my Elohim!"
Yeshua said, "T'omas, because you have seen me, you have trusted. Blessed is the one who has not seen, but has also trusted.
Yeshua revealed Himself to the disciples again at Tiberias, close to Lake {Kinneret}. Together there were Shimon Kefa, T'omas the twin, Nathan-El of Kana in the Galil, Zavdai's sons (Ya'akov and Yochanan}, and two of His other disciples.
Shimon Kefa said, "I am going fishing."
They all said, "We will go with you."
They went immediately and entered a ship. They caught nothing that night. When morning came, Yeshua stood on the shore, but the disciples did not recognize it was Yeshua.
Then Yeshua said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?"
"No," they said.
"Throw the net over on the right side of the boat and you will find some." He said.
They did it and suddenly they were not able to pull it in because of the abundance of fish. The disciple whom Yeshua loved {Yochanan} said to Kefa, "It is Adonai!"
When Shimon Kefa heard that it was Adonai, he put on his fishing jacket, because he was unclothed, and threw himself into the water. The other disciples came in the boat dragging the net with the fishes. They were not far from shore, only about 200 cubits. As soon as they arrived on shore they saw a fire of coals there, with fish cooking on it, and bread.
Yeshua said to them, "Bring of the fish that you caught."
Shimon Kefa pulled the net to shore full of a hundred-fifty-three large fish. Even with so many, the net was not broken.
Yeshua said to them, "Come! Eat!"
None of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are you?" Knowing that He was Adonai.
Then Yeshua took the bread and the fish and gave it to them. This was the third time that Yeshua showed Himself to His disciples after He arose from the dead.
So when they had eaten, Yeshua said to Shimon Kefa, "Shimon, son of Yonah, do you love me more than this? {Yeshua spoke of fishing.}
Kefa said, "Yes Adonai. You know that I care for you."
Yeshua said to him, "Feed my lambs."
A second time Yeshua said to Kefa, "Shimon, son of Yonah, do you love me?"
"Yes, Adonai," Kefa answered. "You know that I care for you."
"Feed my sheep," Yeshua said.
A third time Yeshua asked him, "Shimon, son of Yonah, do you care for me?" Kefa was grieved because Yeshua asked him the third time, "Do you care for me?"
So he said to Yeshua, "Adonai, you know all things. You know that I care for you."
"Feed my sheep," Yeshua said. "Amen, amen! I tell you, when you were young, you clothed yourself, and walked wherever you wanted, but when you get old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will clothe you and carry where you do not want to go." Yeshua spoke this to signify what kind of death Kefa would endure to glorify Elohim.
"Follow me." Yeshua said.
Then Kefa turning around saw the disciple whom Yeshua loved {Yochanan} following along with them. He is also the one who leaned on Yeshua during the Seder and said "Adonai, who is the one who betrayed you?"
When Kefa saw him {Yochanan}, he said, "Adonai, what about this man?"
"If I desire for him to live until I come, why should you worry?" Yeshua answered. "You follow me."
Therefore the rumor was broadcast among the brothers, that that disciple {Yochanan} would not die. But Yeshua did not say, "He shall not die."
APPEARANCE ON A MOUNTAIN IN THE GALIL
Then the eleven disciples went farther {north} into the Galil, up into a mountain where Yeshua had appointed them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, yet some still had doubts.
Then,Yeshua spoke to them, "All authority is mine in Heaven and in Earth. Go then, and teach all nations, preaching the good news to everyone, and performing mikveh for them in the Name of Abba, HaBen and Ruach HaKodesh. The one who trusts me and obeys the mikveh will be saved, but the one who doubts will be condemned. Teach them to observe everything I have ever commanded you. Signs will follow those who trust in my Name. {Such as} some will have deceiving spirits removed. Some will speak with new languages. Some will have serpents discharged. And some may happen to drink poison, but it will not harm them. Look, watch! I am with you all the time until the end of the world."
"I spoke to you the things while I was with you, so that all things concerning me written in the Torah of Moshe, the Prophets, and the Psalms, would be completed. Therefore it is written, that it was necessary for Mashiach to suffer, die, and to rise from the dead the third day. That t'shuvah and removal of sins would be preached in His Name among all nations, beginning at Yerushalayim. You are witnesses of these things. Now watch! I send the promise of Avi upon you. But wait in the city of Yerushalayim until you are endowed with authority from on high."
They asked Him, "Adonai, will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Yisrael?"
He said, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which Abba has put in His own power. But you will receive authority after Ruach HaKodesh comes on you, and you will be my witnesses both in Yerushalayim, in all Yehudah, in Shomron, and to the farthest reaches of the Earth."
Yeshua led them all the way to Beit-Ani, to the Mount of Olives. Then He lifted His hands and blessed them. While He blessed them, He departed from them by ascending up in a cloud into the heavens out of their sight. (He sat down at the right hand of Elohim.)
While intently looking toward Heaven as He went up they worshiped Him. Then suddenly, two men stood by them in white garments, who said, "You men of the Galil, why do you stand gazing up into the heavens? This Yeshua, the same One who has ascended from you into Heaven, He wlll come back in a like manner as you have seen Him go into Heaven."
Then returned to Yerushalayim from the Mount of Olives with much celebration. Continually they were in the Mikdash praising and blessing Elohim.
Yeshua performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. These have been written, so you can trust that Yeshua is Mashiach, the Son of Elohim, and that in trusting you might have {eternal} life through His Name.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. The same was in the beginning with Elohim. All things were created by Him. Nothing in all of creation was created without Him.
In Him is life, and the life is the Light for men. The Light shone in the darkness, and the darkness could not overcome it. He is the Light of Remembrance, who Lights every man who comes into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was created by Him, but the world did not know Him. He came to His own {possession}, and His own {possession} did not accept Him. But to those who accepted Him, He gave the authority to become the sons of Elohim; to all those who trust in His Name. These are not born to Him by blood, nor by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but by Elohim.
The Word was made flesh, and tabernacled among us. We looked on His glory, the glory of the only issue of Abba, fully enabled, and the Remembrance.