But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.

But the angel said to him:

Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard.
Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you will name him John.

Now listen! You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

When he did come out, he could not speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept making signs to them and remained speechless.

Then the angel told her:

Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.

Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?”

In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah.

and was a widow for 84 years. She did not leave the temple complex, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.

After those days were over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents did not know it.

When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for Him.

But they did not understand what He said to them.

John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but One is coming who is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

But Jesus answered him, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone.”

and
they will support you with their hands,
so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.”

And Jesus answered him, “It is said: Do not test the Lord your God.”

Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them—but to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.

And in the prophet Elisha’s time, there were many in Israel who had serious skin diseases, yet not one of them was healed —only Naaman the Syrian.”

Also, demons were coming out of many, shouting and saying, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Messiah.

“Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.”

Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the mat through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus.

Jesus replied to them, “The healthy don’t need a doctor, but the sick do.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

He also told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, not only will he tear the new, but also the piece from the new garment will not match the old.

But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat? He even gave some to those who were with him.”

During those days He went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God.

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! Take note—your reward is great in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great!”

Jesus went with them, and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell Him, “Lord, don’t trouble Yourself, since I am not worthy to have You come under my roof.

Jesus heard this and was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I tell you, I have not found so great a faith even in Israel!”

And anyone who is not offended because of Me is blessed.”

But since the Pharisees and experts in the law had not been baptized by him, they rejected the plan of God for themselves.)

For John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’

Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?”

So He said, “The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that

Looking they may not see,
and hearing they may not understand.

The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

Therefore take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, but they could not meet with Him because of the crowd.

When He got out on land, a demon-possessed man from the town met Him. For a long time he had worn no clothes and did not stay in a house but in the tombs.

And they begged Him not to banish them to the abyss.

A woman suffering from bleeding for 12 years, who had spent all she had on doctors yet could not be healed by any,

Everyone was crying and mourning for her. But He said, “Stop crying, for she is not dead but asleep.”

If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”

I tell you the truth: There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

As the two men were departing from Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it’s good for us to be here! Let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.

But they did not understand this statement; it was concealed from them so that they could not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

John responded, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us.”

“Don’t stop him,” Jesus told him, “because whoever is not against you is for you.”

But they did not welcome Him, because He determined to journey to Jerusalem.

If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.

but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”

And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves also forgive everyone
in debt to us.
And do not bring us into temptation.”

Anyone who is not with Me is against Me, and anyone who does not gather with Me scatters.

“When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it roams through waterless places looking for rest, and not finding rest, it then says, ‘I’ll go back to my house where I came from.’

Take care then, that the light in you is not darkness.

When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that He did not first perform the ritual washing before dinner.

Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight.

Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’

“That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?

“Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these!

For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

If he comes in the middle of the night, or even near dawn, and finds them alert, those slaves are blessed.

But know this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

that slave’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

But the one who did not know and did things deserving of blows will be beaten lightly. Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more.

Perhaps it will bear fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down.’”

a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for over 18 years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.

But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded by telling the crowd, “There are six days when work should be done; therefore come on those days and be healed and not on the Sabbath day.”

Note this: Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Yet I must travel today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem!

“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, but you were not willing!

See, your house is abandoned to you. And I tell you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One’!”

In response, Jesus asked the law experts and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”

And to them, He said, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a well, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”

For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will enjoy my banquet!’”

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

“Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one who comes against him with 20,000?

If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say good-bye to all his possessions cannot be My disciple.

“What man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it?

I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need repentance.

“Or what woman who has 10 silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?

Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living.

“Then the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig; I’m ashamed to beg.

So if you have not been faithful with the unrighteous money, who will trust you with what is genuine?

And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?

“But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”

Instead, will he not tell him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, get ready, and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink’?

Then Jesus said, “Were not 10 cleansed? Where are the nine?

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God will come, He answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable;

On that day, a man on the housetop, whose belongings are in the house, must not come down to get them. Likewise the man who is in the field must not turn back.

I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed: One will be taken and the other will be left.