Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus.

After eight days had passed, the infant was circumcised and named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,

Led by the Spirit, he went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus to do for him what was customary under the Law,

Jesus' father and mother kept wondering at the things being said about him.

Just then she came forward and began to thank God and to speak about Jesus to everyone who was waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Every year Jesus' parents would go to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.

When Jesus was twelve years old, they went up to the festival as usual.

When the days of the festival were over, they left for home. The young man Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.

When Jesus' parents saw him, they were shocked. His mother asked him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been worried sick looking for you!"

Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.

When all the people had been baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized. While he was praying, heaven opened,

Jesus himself was about 30 years old when he began his ministry. He was (as legally calculated) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

Then Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan. He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Jesus answered him, "It is written, "One must not live on bread alone, but on every word of God.'"

He told Jesus, "I will give you all this authority, along with their glory, because it has been given to me, and I give it to anyone I please.

But Jesus answered him, "It is written, "You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.'"

The Devil also took him into Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the Temple. He told Jesus, "Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,

Jesus answered him, "It has been said, "You must not tempt the Lord your God.'"

After the Devil had finished tempting Jesus in every possible way, he left him until another time.

Then Jesus returned to Galilee by the power of the Spirit. Meanwhile, the news about him spread throughout the surrounding country.

Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been raised. As was his custom, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. When he stood up to read,

They got up, forced Jesus out of the city, and led him to the edge of the hill on which their city was built, intending to throw him off.

Then Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and began teaching the people on Sabbath days.

"Oh, no! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God!"

But Jesus rebuked him. "Be quiet," he said, "and come out of him!" At this, the demon threw the man down in the middle of the synagogue and came out of him without hurting him.

Then Jesus got up to leave the synagogue and went into Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, so they asked Jesus about her.

Even demons came out of many people, screaming, "You are the Son of God!" But Jesus rebuked them and ordered them not to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.

One day, as the crowd was pressing in on him to listen to God's word, Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.

So Jesus got into one of the boats (the one that belonged to Simon) and asked him to push out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and began to teach the crowds from the boat.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus' knees and said, "Leave me, Lord! I am a sinful man!" -

Then Jesus told Simon, "Stop being afraid. From now on you will be catching people." So when they brought the boats to shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.

One day, while Jesus was in one of the cities, a man covered with leprosy saw Jesus and fell on his face, begging him, "Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean."

So Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, "I do want to. Be clean!" Instantly the leprosy left him.

Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as proof to the authorities."

But the news about Jesus spread even more, and many crowds began gathering to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.

One day, as Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of the Law happened to be sitting nearby. The people had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was present to heal them.

Some men were bringing a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to take him into the house and place him in front of Jesus.

When they couldn't find a way to get him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down on his stretcher through the tiles into the middle of the room, right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Mister, your sins are forgiven."

Because Jesus knew that they were arguing, he asked them, "Why are you arguing about this among yourselves?

After that, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax collector's desk. He told him, "Follow me!"

Later, Levi gave a large banquet at his home for Jesus. A large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.

The Pharisees and their scribes started complaining to Jesus' disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

But Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a physician, but sick people do.

But Jesus told them, "You can't force the wedding guests to fast while the groom is still with them, can you?

One time Jesus was walking through some grain fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.

Jesus answered them, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions became hungry?

Once, on another Sabbath, Jesus went into a synagogue and began teaching. A man whose right hand was paralyzed was there.

The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, in order to find a way of accusing him of doing something wrong.

But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he told the man with the paralyzed hand, "Get up, and stand in the middle of the synagogue." So he got up and stood there.

Then Jesus asked them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?"

The others were furious and began to discuss with each other what they could do to Jesus.

Now it was in those days that Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God.

Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, along with many of his disciples and a large gathering of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.

Then Jesus looked at his disciples and said, "How blessed are you who are destitute, because the kingdom of God is yours!

After Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people who were there listening, he went to Capernaum.

When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him to ask him to come and save his servant's life.

So they went to Jesus and begged him repeatedly, "He deserves to have this done for him,

So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to tell Jesus, "Sir, stop troubling yourself, because I'm not worthy to have you come under my roof.

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found this kind of faith!"

Soon afterwards, Jesus went to a city called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd were going along with him.

The man who had been dead sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding countryside.

When the men had come to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, "Are you the Coming One, or should we wait for someone else?'"

At that time Jesus had healed many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind.

When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to ask the crowds about John. "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

Jesus continued, "To what may I compare the people living today?

Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. So he went to the Pharisee's home and took his place at the table.

There was a woman who was a notorious sinner in that city. When she learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's home, she took an alabaster jar of perfume

Now the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and told himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who is touching him and what kind of woman she is. She's a sinner!"

Jesus told him, "Simon, I have something to ask you." "Teacher," he replied, "ask it."

Simon answered, "I suppose the one who had the larger debt canceled." Jesus told him, "You have answered correctly."

Then Jesus told her, "Your sins are forgiven!"

But Jesus told the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

After this, Jesus traveled from one city and village to another, preaching and spreading the good news about God's kingdom. The Twelve were with him,

Now while a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from every city, he said in a parable:

Jesus was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and want to see you."

One day, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat. He told them, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." So they started out.

Now as they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A violent storm swept over the lake, and they were taking on water and were in great danger.

When Jesus stepped out on the shore, a man from the city met him. This man was controlled by demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He did not live in a house but in the tombs.

When he saw Jesus, he screamed, fell down in front of him, and cried out in a loud voice, "What do you want from me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me!"

because Jesus was in the process of ordering the unclean spirit to come out of the man. On many occasions the unclean spirit had seized the man, and though he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, he would break the chains and be driven by the demon into deserted places.

Jesus asked the man, "What's your name?"

He answered, "Legion," because many demons had gone into him. Then the demons began begging Jesus not to order them to go into the bottomless pit.

Now a large herd of pigs was grazing there on the hillside. So the demons begged Jesus to let them go into those pigs, and he consented to that.

So the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind, they were frightened.

Then all the people from the region surrounding the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were terrified. So he got into a boat and started back.

Now the man from whom the demons had gone out kept begging Jesus to let him go with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,

"Go home and tell what God has done for you." So the man left and kept proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

When Jesus came back, the crowd welcomed him, because everyone was expecting him.

Just then a synagogue leader by the name of Jairus arrived. He fell at Jesus' feet and kept begging him to come to his home,

because his only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying. While Jesus was on his way, the crowds continued to press in on him.

She came up behind Jesus and touched the tassel of his garment, and her bleeding stopped at once.

Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" While everyone was denying it, Peter and those who were with him said, "Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing in on you."

Still Jesus said, "Somebody touched me, because I know that power has gone out of me."

When the woman saw that she couldn't hide, she came forward trembling. Bowing down in front of him, she explained in the presence of all the people why she had touched Jesus and how she had been instantly healed.

But when Jesus heard this, he told the synagogue leader, "Stop being afraid! Just believe, and she will get well."

Now everyone was crying and wailing for her. But Jesus said, "Stop crying! She's not dead. She's sleeping."

So her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then Jesus directed that she be given something to eat.