like the accounts passed on to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning.

he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the holy place of the Lord and burn incense.

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you will name him John.

for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.

Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well."

And now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will be silent, unable to speak, until the day these things take place."

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

But she was greatly troubled by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting.

So the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God!

He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.

Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?"

The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God.

For nothing will be impossible with God."

And blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled."

But his mother replied, "No! He must be named John."

All who heard these things kept them in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the Lord's hand was indeed with him.

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to help and has redeemed his people.

that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

Everyone went to his own town to be registered.

He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child.

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people:

This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger."

At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

(just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male will be set apart to the Lord"),

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

So Simeon, directed by the Spirit, came into the temple courts, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law,

Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "Listen carefully: This child is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected.

Indeed, as a result of him the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed -- and a sword will pierce your own soul as well!"

But when the feast was over, as they were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

But he replied, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?"

Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low, and the crooked will be made straight, and the rough ways will be made smooth,

So John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?"

Then some soldiers also asked him, "And as for us -- what should we do?" He told them, "Take money from no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your pay."

While the people were filled with anticipation and they all wondered whether perhaps John could be the Christ,

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,

Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man does not live by bread alone.'"

So then, if you will worship me, all this will be yours."

He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by all.

Now Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing around him to hear the word of God.

He saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets.

and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's business partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people."

So he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing. Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.

But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds were gathering together to hear him and to be healed of their illnesses.

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.

Instead new wine must be poured into new wineskins.

Then he came down with them and stood on a level place. And a large number of his disciples had gathered along with a vast multitude from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases,

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

"Woe to you who are well satisfied with food now, for you will be hungry. "Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

And if you lend to those from whom you hope to be repaid, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may be repaid in full.

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive."

A disciple is not greater than his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher.

for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from brambles.

That is why I did not presume to come to you. Instead, say the word, and my servant must be healed.

Then he came up and touched the bier, and those who carried it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"

When John's messengers had gone, 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?

However, the Pharisees and the experts in religious law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

When they could not pay, he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light.

So listen carefully, for whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."

As Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man from the town met him who was possessed by demons. For a long time this man had worn no clothes and had not lived in a house, but among the tombs.

For Jesus had started commanding the evil spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, so he would be bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard. But he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.)

Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years but could not be healed by anyone.

But when Jesus heard this, he told him, "Do not be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."

But Jesus gently took her by the hand and said, "Child, get up."

But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They replied, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish -- unless we go and buy food for all these people."

Once when Jesus was praying by himself, and his disciples were nearby, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"

saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."

For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Then as the men were starting to leave, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he was saying.

Jesus answered, "You unbelieving and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you and endure you? Bring your son here."

As the boy was approaching, the demon threw him to the ground and shook him with convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

"Take these words to heart, for the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men."

Now an argument started among the disciples as to which of them might be the greatest.

But when Jesus discerned their innermost thoughts, he took a child, had him stand by his side,

Now when the days drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus set out resolutely to go to Jerusalem.

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town and place where he himself was about to go.

Go! I am sending you out like lambs surrounded by wolves.

Whenever you enter a house, first say, 'May peace be on this house!'

Stay in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, for the worker deserves his pay. Do not move around from house to house.

I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town!

But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you!

And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be thrown down to Hades!

All things have been given to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him."

Now by chance a priest was going down that road, but when he saw the injured man he passed by on the other side.

So too a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her."

So he said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come.

"So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

But some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons, he casts out demons."

So if Satan too is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? I ask you this because you claim that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.