After he had thought about it, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," he said, "don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

About this time, John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the Judean wilderness,

"That's why I'm telling you to stop worrying about your life what you will eat or what you will drink or about your body what you will wear. Life is more than food, isn't it, and the body more than clothing?

And why do you worry about clothes? Consider the lilies in the field and how they grow. They don't work or spin yarn,

But first be concerned about God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you as well.

So never worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly told them, "See to it that nobody knows about this."

But they went out and spread the news about him throughout that region.

When they hand you over, don't worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say, because in that hour what you are to say will be given to you.

Now when John heard in prison about the activities of the Messiah, he sent a message by his disciples

As they were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

This is the man about whom it is written, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'

You children of serpents! How can you say anything good when you are evil? The mouth speaks about what overflows from the heart.

He answered them, "You have been given knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom from heaven, but it hasn't been given to them,

"Listen, then, to the parable about the farmer.

When anyone hears the word about the kingdom yet doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and asked, "Explain to us the parable about the weeds in the field."

At that time Herod the tetrarch, hearing about the fame of Jesus,

Now those who had eaten were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.

How can you fail to understand that I wasn't talking to you about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Don't tell anyone about this vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Then the disciples understood that he had been speaking to them about John the Baptist.

Furthermore, I tell all of you with certainty that if two of you agree on earth about anything you request, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven,

Jesus asked him, "Why ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you want to get into that life, you must keep the commandments."

When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing in the marketplace without work.

So off they went. He went out again about noon and about three o'clock and did the same thing.

About five o'clock he went out and found some others standing around. He asked them, "Why are you standing here all day long without work?'

When the high priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was talking about them.

"What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They told him, "David's."

The Son of Man is going away, just as it has been written about him. How terrible it will be for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had never been born."

Then he told them, "I'm so deeply grieved that I feel I'm about to die. Wait here and stay awake with me."

But he denied it in front of them all. "I don't know what you're talking about!" he exclaimed.

While he was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him a message that said, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, because today I have suffered terribly due to a dream I had about him."

Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was about to break out instead. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. Attend to that yourselves."

About three o'clock, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eli, eli, lema sabachthani?", which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"