And Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is [also] very old."

to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. The virgin's name was Mary.

But she became very troubled by what he said and wondered what such a greeting could mean.

And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have never had sex with a man?"

"May there be glory to God in the highest [heavens], and may there be peace on earth among men who are pleasing to God."

Now there was a righteous and devoted man named Simeon at Jerusalem, who was expecting the consolation of the Israelites [i.e., the coming of the Messiah to save them], and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

And Jesus advanced in wisdom; He grew up and [increased] in favor with God and men.

Now it was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of Galilee, his brother Philip was ruler of the regions of Ituraea and Trachonitus [Note: These two men were sons of Herod the Great (See Matt. 2:1) and ruled over provinces east of the Jordan River] and Lysanias was ruler of Abilene [Note: This was a province just north of the two previously mentioned ones].

[During this time], while Annas and Caiaphas [Note: This man was Annas' son-in-law. See John 18:13] were head priests, God's message came to John [the Immerser], son of Zacharias, [when he was] in the desert [of Judea].

This was according to what is written in the book containing the words of Isaiah, the prophet [Isa. 40:3ff], "The voice of a man who speaks out in the desert [urging people] to make the road for the Lord ready [for Him to travel]; to make a straight pathway for Him [to walk on].

And he answered them, "Do not collect any more [tax money] than you are required to."

Some soldiers on duty also asked him, "And what must we do [i.e., to demonstrate our repentance]?" And he answered them, "Do not force people to give you money or accuse them falsely, and be content with your pay."

who was the son of Melea, who was the son of Menna, who was the son of Mattatha, who was the son of Nathan, who was the son of David.

Now there was a man in the synagogue who was dominated by the spirit of an evil demon [Note: These "evil spirits" or "demons" were powerful beings sent by Satan to inhabit people, causing physical, mental and spiritual harm to them]. He was shouting with a loud voice,

Then Jesus spoke sternly to the evil spirit [in the man], saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him." And when the evil spirit had thrown the man down in front of them, it came out of him, without causing any harm.

But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, because I am a sinful man."

And it happened while Jesus was in one of the towns [i.e., surrounding Lake Galilee], that a man covered with an infectious skin disease appeared and, when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face [to the ground] and begged Him, saying, "If you want to, you can heal me." [Note: Throughout this narrative the terms "heal/healing" are originally "clean/cleansing" because the Jews viewed a person with such a disease as ceremonially "unclean." See Lev. 13:1-3].

Then He reached out His hand and touched the man, saying, "I [do] want to; be healed." And immediately the infectious skin disease left him.

Then He ordered the man not to tell anyone [about the healing], saying, "Go on your way and show yourself to the priest and offer the proper sacrifice for your healing that Moses required [Lev. 13:49; 14:2ff] as evidence to people [that you were healed]."

Just then [four] men [See Mark 2:3] brought a paralyzed man on a cot and attempted to place him in front of Jesus.

But because they could not find a [suitable] way to get him in [to the house] because of the people crowded [around], they went up to the housetop [Note: This was a flat area, where people retired for rest, prayer, etc., with a stairway accessible from the outside] and lowered the man on his cot through the roof tiles into the presence of Jesus.

And when He saw the evidence of their faith, He said, "Man, your sins are forgiven."

Then the experts in the law of Moses and the Pharisees began to reason [in their minds], saying, "Who is this man who speaks things against God [i.e., by claiming the ability to forgive sins]? Who can forgive sins except God only?"

Which is easier; to say [to the paralyzed man], 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?

But so you will know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins, (He then said to the paralyzed man), 'I say to you, get up, pick up your cot and go home.'"

Now the Pharisees and their experts in the law of Moses complained to Jesus' disciples, saying, "Why do you men eat and drink with tax collectors and worldly people?"

And Jesus answered them, "Have you never read about what King David did when he and his men were hungry [I Sam. 21:6];

how he entered the house of God [i.e., the Temple] and took some 'Bread of Presence' and ate it, and also gave some to his men to eat? [This practice] was not permissible according to the law of Moses, [since the bread was reserved] only for the priests."

Then He said to them, "The Son of man is lord [i.e., has authority over] the Sabbath day."

And it happened on another Sabbath day, when Jesus entered the synagogue to teach, that a man was there whose right hand was deformed.

But He knew what they were thinking. Then He said to the man with the deformed hand, "Get up, step forward in front of everyone." So, he got up and stepped forward.

Then He looked around at all of them [there] and said to the man, "Reach out your hand." And [when] he did this, his hand was restored [to normal use].

You are blessed when men hate you and withdraw their fellowship from you and speak abusively about you and reject your name as evil, [all] for being loyal to the Son of man.

He is like a man building a house, who dug deep to lay the foundation on rock. And when a flood came the river pounded against that house, but could not shake it because it had been well built.

But the person who hears [my words] and does not obey them is like a man who built a house on the ground, without a foundation. [When] the river pounded against it, immediately it collapsed and the destruction of that house was complete."

For I also am a man [who was] placed under the authority [of others], and I have soldiers [who serve] under me. I can say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another one, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

Now when He approached the town gate, He saw a dead man being carried out; it was the only son of his widowed mother. And many people from the town were with her.

Then He went near the casket and touched it; [immediately] the pallbearers stopped. Jesus said, "Young man, I tell you, get up."

And the dead man sat up and began talking. And Jesus gave him [back] to his mother [alive].

And when these men came to Jesus they said, "John the Immerser has sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?'"

What did you expect to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? Look, people who wear elaborate outfits and bask in luxury live in kings' palaces.

[Then] the Son of man came eating and drinking [at festive occasions] and you said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and worldly people.'

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who touched him and what kind of a woman she was --- a sinner."

[Jesus then gave this parable]: A certain moneylender had two men who owed him money; one owed him five hundred coins [Note: The total amount was days of a farm laborer's pay, or about $35,000 in 1994], and the other man [owed him] fifty coins [Note: About $3,500 in 1994].

When these two men did not have [the money] to repay him, the moneylender canceled [the debts of] both of them. Now which of them will love him more?"

And those people [represented by the seed] that fell among thorns are the ones who have heard [the word], and as they go about their business, they become choked by worry, by money and by worldly pleasures, and produce no mature crop.

Then He said to the disciples, "Where is your faith?" They became afraid and were amazed, saying to one another, "Who can this [man] be, that he can even command the winds and the water and they obey him?"

And when He stepped out [of the boat] onto the shore, He was met by a certain man from the town, who was dominated by evil spirits. He had not worn any clothes for a long time and lived in the graveyard instead of a house.

For Jesus was commanding the evil spirits to be driven out of the man, because they had been controlling him for a long time. The man was continually being guarded and his hands and feet were bound with chains. [Sometimes] he broke loose from the chains and was driven into the desert by the evil spirits.

Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, " [My name is] 'Legion'" [Note: This word means a number consisting of between 5,000 and 6,000], for many evil spirits had entered the man.

Then the evil spirits went out of the man and entered the hogs. The herd [immediately] rushed down the cliff into the lake and was drowned.

People went out to see [i.e., to find out] what had happened. And [when] they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the evil spirits had been driven out sitting down at Jesus' feet with his clothes on and perfectly sane, they were afraid.

Those who saw this told others how the man dominated by evil spirits was restored.

But the man from whom the evil spirits had been driven out begged Jesus to allow him to travel with Him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

But when Jesus heard this, He said [to the man], "Do not be afraid. Just believe [i.e., in my power to restore your daughter] and she will be made well [i.e., restored to life]."

He said to them, "Do not take anything with you during your travels; not [even] a walking stick [Note: By comparing this and the restriction in Matt. 10:10, with the permission given in Mark 6:8, the harmony seems to be "if you do not already have a walking stick, do not get one"], or a traveling bag [for personal belongings], or food, or money, or [even] two coats [Note: Mark 6:9 says, "take only one coat" confirming the idea that Jesus was saying, in effect, "do not take anything extra, go just as you are"].

But He said to the apostles, "You men give them something to eat." But they replied, "We have only five loaves of [barley] bread [See John 6:9] and two [probably smoked] fish, unless we go and buy [more] food for all these people."

For there were about five thousand men [there]. So, He said to His disciples, "Have these people recline [on the grass. See Matt. 14:19] in groups of about fifty each."

Then Jesus said to them, "But who do you men say that I am?" And Peter answered, " [You are] the Christ of God [i.e., God's specially chosen one]."

saying, "The Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the [Jewish] elders, leading priests and experts in the law of Moses. Then He will be killed and [yet] be raised up on the third day."

For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of man will [also] be ashamed of him when He returns in His own splendor and that of the Father and of the holy angels.

Then suddenly two men were [seen] talking with Jesus. They were Moses and Elijah,

Now Peter and those with him [i.e., James and John] had been very sleepy, but became wide awake when they saw the splendor of Jesus and the two men standing with Him.

And it happened, as the two men were leaving Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is [so] good for us to be here. Let us make three [small] shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." [But] he did not realize what he was saying. [See note at Matt. 17:4]

Just then a man from the crowd shouted out, "Teacher, I beg you, look at my son [i.e., favorably], for he is my only child.

"Pay close attention to what I am saying, for the Son of man will be handed over to [evil] men."

and said to the disciples, "The person who welcomes this little child in my name [i.e., because he belongs to me], welcomes me [also]. And the person who welcomes me [i.e., into his life ?] welcomes God, who sent me. For that person who is the least [significant] among you men is the one who is the greatest [in importance]."

for the Son of man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them"}} So, they went to another village.

And as they were going along the road, a certain man [i.e., an expert in the law of Moses. See Matt. 8:19] said to Him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus replied to him, "The foxes have dens [in which to live] and the birds of the sky have nests [in which to roost], but the Son of man does not have anywhere to lay His head."

Do not carry a money belt, or a traveling bag [for personal belongings] or shoes; and do not extend [elaborate] greetings to anyone along the way.

And the man answered Him, [Deut. 6:5], "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind." And [Lev. 19:18 says], " [You must love] your neighbor just as [you love] yourself."

Jesus answered him, "A certain man was traveling down from Jerusalem to Jericho [Note: This was a town about eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem], when he was attacked by robbers, who stripped him [of his clothing and belongings] and beat him up, then went away leaving him half dead.

And it just happened that a certain priest was traveling down that [same] road, and when he saw the [injured] man, he went around him on the opposite side of the road.

In the same way, a Levite [Note: Levites were assistants to the priests], when coming to that place and seeing the [injured] man, also went around him on the opposite side [of the road].

But [then] a certain Samaritan [Note: This was a person despised by the Jews and regarded by them as a 'half-breed'], as he traveled along, came to where the [injured] man was [lying], and upon seeing him [lying there], felt deep pity [for him].

Then the next day he gave the lodge keeper two coins [Note: These coins amounted to two days of a farm laborer's pay, or about $140 in 1994] and told him, 'Take care of this [injured] man; and whatever more you have to spend on him I will repay you when I come back [this way] again.'

[Now] which of these three men do you think acted like a neighbor to the man attacked by the robbers?"

for a friend of mine has come to [visit] me while on a trip and I do not have anything to feed him?'

Then the man will answer from inside [his house], 'Do not bother me. My door is [already] locked, my children are [already] in bed with me and I cannot get up to give you anything.'

[Once] Jesus was driving out an evil spirit from a [man who was] mute. And it happened when the evil spirit left [him] that the [former] mute began to speak. And the crowds were amazed.

When a fully armed strong man guards his own courtyard [i.e., homestead], his possessions are safe.

But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away all the armament the strong man relied on, and [then] divides up his storehouse of possessions. [Note: The word here translated "possessions" may be translated "arms" so the meaning could be "divides up his armament"].

"When an evil spirit has been driven out of a man, it roams through desert regions trying to find rest, but [when it] cannot find any, it says [to itself], 'I will return to my house from which I came [i.e., the body of the person it dominated].'

For just like Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh [Note: Nineveh was the capital of ancient Assyria], so the Son of man will also be [a sign] to this generation of people.

"And I tell you, every person who acknowledges me in front of people [i.e., to be his Lord and Christ], the Son of man will also acknowledge him in front of God's angels.

And every person who speaks an [abusive] word against the Son of man will be forgiven of it, but the person who speaks abusive words against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven of it.

But He said to him, "Man, who appointed me to judge or [decide on how] to divide [the property] between you two?"

And He told them a parable [i.e., a brief story to illustrate His teaching], saying, "The land of a certain rich man produced a bumper crop,

Sell your possessions and give [the money] to poor people; provide yourselves with money belts that do not wear out [i.e., from the constant use of carrying much money all the time, instead of investing it in others' needs]. [Then you will possess] an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief can approach, nor moth destroy.

and be like men expecting their master to return from the wedding reception, so that when he does come and knock [at the groom's house, See note on Matt. 25:1-12], they will immediately open [the door] to him.

So, you also should be ready, for the Son of man will return at a time when you least expect Him."

But if that slave should think to himself, 'My master will not be back soon,' and then becomes physically abusive to his men and women servants, and eats and drinks and gets drunk,

Or do you think that those eighteen persons who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them were worse offenders than all the [other] men who lived in Jerusalem?

Then He told them this parable: A certain man had a fig tree [which had been] planted in his orchard. When he came looking for figs on it, he did not find any.

It is similar to a seed from the mustard tree, which a man took and planted in his garden. And it grew and became a [large] tree, and the birds of the sky roosted in its branches."

And there He saw a certain man suffering from dropsy [Note: This is a condition in which the tissues of the body retain too much fluid].

But they did not say anything. So, Jesus took hold of the [sick] man, and [after] healing him, sent him away.

Then the one who invited both of you will come [over] and say to you, 'Give this man your seat [at the table],' and then you will be embarrassed and have to move to the least important seat.

But Jesus replied to him, "A certain man prepared a lavish supper and invited many [guests].