The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him.”

He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called My Son.

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.

But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.

Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that He will be called a Nazarene.

And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

His winnowing shovel is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out.”

But He answered, “It is written:

Man must not live on bread alone
but on every word that comes
from the mouth of God.”

and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

He will give His angels orders concerning you,
and they will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.”

When He heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee.

Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

“Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.

So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,

“You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.

If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell!

“Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord.

“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

so that you don’t show your fasting to people but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness—how deep is that darkness!

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these!

If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith?

For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

“Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.

How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’

The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.

The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”

Then Jesus told him, “See that you don’t tell anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed, as a testimony to them.”

I tell you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Then Jesus told the centurion, “Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you.” And his servant was cured that very moment.

so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

He Himself took our weaknesses
and carried our diseases.

Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But He was sleeping.

When He had come to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met Him as they came out of the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.

At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.

But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He told the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”

But Jesus turned and saw her. “Have courage, daughter,” He said. “Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that moment.

And this news spread throughout that whole area.

When He entered the house, the blind men approached Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they answered Him.

And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus warned them sternly, “Be sure that no one finds out!”

But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout that whole area.

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that house or town.

I assure you: It will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you should speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour,

“Therefore, don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known.

Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago!

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today.

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants.

At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain.

Or haven’t you read in the Law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent?

But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here!

But He said to them, “What man among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out?

so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to Him. He healed him, so that the man could both speak and see.

I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak.

Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ And returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order.

Then off it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man’s last condition is worse than the first. That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.”

For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, that person is My brother and sister and mother.”

On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.

Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.

He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.

It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds of flour until it spread through all of it.”

so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:

I will open My mouth in parables;
I will declare things kept secret
from the foundation of the world.

The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather from His kingdom everything that causes sin and those guilty of lawlessness.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.

and throw them into the blazing furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

He went to His hometown and began to teach them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “How did this wisdom and these miracles come to Him?

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus.

“This is John the Baptist!” he told his servants. “He has been raised from the dead, and that’s why supernatural powers are at work in him.”

Although the king regretted it, he commanded that it be granted because of his oaths and his guests.

When the men of that place recognized Him, they alerted the whole vicinity and brought to Him all who were sick.

They were begging Him that they might only touch the tassel on His robe. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

Then the disciples came up and told Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard this statement?”

He replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted.

“Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?

These are the things that defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came and kept crying out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly tormented by a demon.”

“Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table!”

Then Jesus replied to her, “Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.” And from that moment her daughter was cured.

Aware of this, Jesus said, “You of little faith! Why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread?

Why is it you don’t understand that when I told you, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ it wasn’t about bread?”

Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the yeast in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

“But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?”

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it.

And He gave the disciples orders to tell no one that He was the Messiah.