it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.

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.

There will be joy and delight for you,
and many will rejoice at his birth.

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord
and will never drink wine or beer.
He will be filled with the Holy Spirit
while still in his mother’s womb.

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.”

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.

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

The angel replied to her:

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore, the holy One to be born
will be called the Son of God.

For nothing will be impossible with God.”

“I am the Lord’s slave,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

Then she exclaimed with a loud cry:

“You are the most blessed of women,
and your child will be blessed!

She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled!”

But his mother responded, “No! He will be called John.”

So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called.

just as He spoke by the mouth
of His holy prophets in ancient times;

And child, you will be called
a prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare His ways,

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered.

So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.

But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:

This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”

When the eight days were completed for His circumcision, He was named Jesus—the name given by the angel before He was conceived.

(just as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord)

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

Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple complex. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for Him what was customary under the law,

Then Simeon blessed them and told His mother Mary: “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed—

and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

The boy grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on Him.

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

“Why were you searching for Me?” He asked them. “Didn’t you know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

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

He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

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.”

Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

Some soldiers also questioned him: “What should we do?”

He said to them, “Don’t take money from anyone by force or false accusation; be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were debating in their minds whether John might be the Messiah.

But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him about Herodias, his brother’s wife, and about all the evil things Herod had done,

As He began His ministry, Jesus was about 30 years old and was thought to be the

son of Joseph, son of Heli,

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

for 40 days to be tempted by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, He was hungry.

If You, then, will worship me, all will be Yours.”

He was teaching in their synagogues, being acclaimed by everyone.

He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”

They were all speaking well of Him and were amazed by the gracious words that came from His mouth, yet they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

But Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet and come out of him!”

And throwing him down before them, the demon came out of him without hurting him at all.

As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, He was standing by Lake Gennesaret.

and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.

“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people!”

Reaching out His hand, He touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean,” and immediately the disease left him.

But the news about Him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.

But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them—then they will fast in those days.”

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, it will spill, and the skins will be ruined.

But new wine should be put into fresh wineskins.

They came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those tormented by unclean spirits were made well.

You who are now hungry are blessed,
because you will be filled.
You who now weep are blessed,
because you will laugh.

Woe to you who are now full,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who are now laughing,
for you will mourn and weep.

And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full.

But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.

Be merciful, just as your Father also 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, and running over—will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

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

For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush.

A centurion’s slave, who was highly valued by him, was sick and about to die.

That is why I didn’t even consider myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be cured.

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

Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

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

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.

But the seed in the good ground—these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, bear fruit.

For nothing is concealed that won’t be revealed, and nothing hidden that won’t be made known and come to light.

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.”

He said to them, “Where is your faith?”

They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, “Who can this be? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey Him!”

For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was guarded, bound by chains and shackles, he would snap the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.

Then all the people of the Gerasene region asked Him to leave them, because they were gripped by great fear. So getting into the boat, He returned.

The man from whom the demons had departed kept begging Him to be with Him. But He sent him away and said,

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

When Jesus heard it, He answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be made well.”

So He took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!”

Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then He gave orders that she be given something to eat.

“You give them something to eat,” He told them.

“We have no more than five loaves and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.”

saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.”

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and that of the Father and the holy angels.

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.

Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and rebellious generation! How long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

As the boy was still approaching, the demon knocked him down and threw him into severe convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, cured the boy, and gave him back to his father.

“Let these words sink in: The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”

Then an argument started among them about who would be the greatest of them.

When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up, He determined to journey to Jerusalem.

Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.”

Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages. Don’t be moving from house to house.

I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.

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

All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal Him.”

A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”