She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the leaders of Judah:
because out of you will come a leader
who will shepherd My people Israel.”

saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, because those who sought the child’s life are dead.”

Then the tempter approached Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

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.”

“The poor in spirit are blessed,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Those who mourn are blessed,
for they will be comforted.

The gentle are blessed,
for they will inherit the earth.

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed,
for they will be filled.

The merciful are blessed,
for they will be shown mercy.

The pure in heart are blessed,
for they will see God.

The peacemakers are blessed,
for they will be called sons of God.

Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

“You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men.

“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.

No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.

For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished.

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

And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same?

Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

“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.

“Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves.

You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

Right away a man with a serious skin disease came up and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, you of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea. And there was a great calm.

Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven.”

But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?

For which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

But when He heard this, He said, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do.

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. But they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

And this news spread throughout that whole area.

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

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.

These are the names of the 12 apostles:

First, Simon, who is called Peter,
and Andrew his brother;
James the son of Zebedee,
and John his brother;

because you are not speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.

Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.

So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows.

and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news.

What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces.

“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

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

Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

Someone told Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.”

But He replied to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”

And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!

For this people’s heart has grown callous;
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn back—
and I would cure them.

“But your eyes are blessed because they do see, and your ears because they do hear!

the field is the world; and the good seed—these are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,

and the enemy who sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.

And His sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does He get all these things?”

“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.”

Then those in the boat worshiped Him and said, “Truly You are the Son of God!”

Leave them alone! They are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

“Are even you still lacking in understanding?” He asked.

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

When Jesus left there, He withdrew to the area of Tyre and Sidon.

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

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”

And Jesus responded, “Simon son of Jonah, you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven.

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.

But He turned and told Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns, but man’s.”

I assure you: There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

“From strangers,” he said.

“Then the sons are free,” Jesus told him.

“I assure you,” He said, “unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.”

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.”

For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs who were made by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way because of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my business? Are you jealous because I’m generous?’

“Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death.

But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”

“We are able,” they said to Him.

And He said to them, “It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a den of thieves!”

and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?”

“Yes,” Jesus told them. “Have you never read:

You have prepared praise
from the mouths of children and nursing infants?”

When He entered the temple complex, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority?”

“Which of the two did his father’s will?”

“The first,” they said.

Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you!

Again, he sent out other slaves, and said, ‘Tell those who are invited: Look, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

They sent their disciples to Him, with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are truthful and teach truthfully the way of God. You defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality.

But perceiving their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing Me, hypocrites?

“Caesar’s,” they said to Him.

Then He said to them, “Therefore give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Jesus answered them, “You are deceived, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God.

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven.

“The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.

They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them.

“But as for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are!

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence!

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity.

In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

You, therefore, testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, yet you were not willing!

You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet.

All these events are the beginning of birth pains.