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

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.

Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son.

Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.

salvation from our enemies
and from the clutches of those who hate us.

When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.

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

When they had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

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

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

So he took Him to Jerusalem, had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.

After the Devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him for a time.

He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As usual, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.

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.”

They were astonished at His teaching because His message had authority.

When the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to Him. As He laid His hands on each one of them, He would heal them.

He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

While He was in one of the towns, a man was there who had a serious skin disease all over him. He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged Him: “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

On one of those days while He was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem. And the Lord’s power to heal was in Him.

Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.

You are blessed when people hate you,
when they exclude you, insult you,
and slander your name as evil
because of the Son of Man.

“But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you,

When He had concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum.

When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Don’t cry.”

(And when all the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they acknowledged God’s way of righteousness, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism.

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

and stood behind Him at His feet, weeping, and began to wash His feet with her tears. She wiped His feet with the hair of her head, kissing them and anointing them with the fragrant oil.

When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching Him—she’s a sinner!”

“A creditor had two debtors. One owed 500 denarii, and the other 50.

You didn’t anoint My head with olive oil, but she has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.

and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary, called Magdalene (seven demons had come out of her);

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.

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.

“What is your name?” Jesus asked him.

“Legion,” he said—because many demons had entered him.

When the men who tended them saw what had happened, they ran off and reported it in the town and in the countryside.

Then people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man the demons had departed from, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

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

“Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you.” And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town all that Jesus had done for him.

because he had an only daughter about 12 years old, and she was at death’s door.

While He was going, the crowds were nearly crushing Him.

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

When the woman saw that she was discovered, she came trembling and fell down before Him. In the presence of all the people, she declared the reason she had touched Him and how she was instantly cured.

Her parents were astounded, but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was going on. He was perplexed, because some said that John had been raised from the dead,

some that Elijah had appeared, and others that one of the ancient prophets had risen.

When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus all that they had done. He took them along and withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida.

They did so, and had them all sit down.

After the voice had spoken, only Jesus was found. They kept silent, and in those days told no one what they had seen.

But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, took a little child and had him stand next to Him.

Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes!

But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.

She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said.

Now He was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon came out, the man who had been mute, spoke, and the crowds were amazed.

Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows!

Can any of you add a cubit to his height by worrying?

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.

At that time, some people came and reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

And He told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none.

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.”

When He had said these things, all His adversaries were humiliated, but the whole crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things He was doing.

He also said to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.

“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.

He also said: “A man had two sons.

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.

After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing.

But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

“The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted astutely. For the sons of this age are more astute than the sons of light in dealing with their own people.

No household slave can be the slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t be slaves to both God and money.”

Then Peter said, “Look, we have left what we had and followed You.”

“At his return, having received the authority to be king, he summoned those slaves he had given the money to, so he could find out how much they had made in business.

When He had said these things, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

So those who were sent left and found it just as He had told them.

Now He came near the path down the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:

Then the scribes and the chief priests looked for a way to get their hands on Him that very hour, because they knew He had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her.”

For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

but not a hair of your head will be lost.

Then the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

So they went and found it just as He had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple police, and the elders who had come for Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal?

Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.”

After blindfolding Him, they kept asking, “Prophesy! Who hit You?”

Herod was very glad to see Jesus; for a long time he had wanted to see Him because he had heard about Him and was hoping to see some miracle performed by Him.

That very day Herod and Pilate became friends. Previously, they had been hostile toward each other.

[For according to the festival he had to release someone to them.]

(He had been thrown into prison for a rebellion that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)

and released the one they were asking for, who had been thrown into prison for rebellion and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will.

All the crowds that had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, went home, striking their chests.

But all who knew Him, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

who had not agreed with their plan and action. He was from Arimathea, a Judean town, and was looking forward to the kingdom of God.

Taking it down, he wrapped it in fine linen and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever been placed.

The women who had come with Him from Galilee followed along and observed the tomb and how His body was placed.

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared.

Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths. So he went home, amazed at what had happened.

Together they were discussing everything that had taken place.

and when they didn’t find His body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said He was alive.