Just as they were reported to us by those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses, and afterwards became bearers of the Message.

They were both righteous people, who lived blameless lives, guiding their steps by all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

But they had no child, Elizabeth being barren; and both of them were advanced in years.

And, as it was the Hour of Incense, the people were all praying outside.

Meanwhile the people were watching for Zechariah, wondering at his remaining so long in the Temple.

A week later they met to circumcise the child, and were about to call him 'Zechariah' after his father,

All their neighbors were awe-struck at this; and throughout the hill-country of Judea the whole story was much talked about;

While they were there her time came,

In that same country-side were shepherds out in the open fields, watching their flocks that night,

When an angel of the Lord suddenly stood by them, and the Glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were seized with fear.

All who heard the shepherds were astonished at their story,

While the child's father and mother were wondering at what was said about him,

At that moment she came up, and began publicly to thank God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the deliverance of Jerusalem.

His parents were amazed when they saw him, and his mother said to him: "My child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been searching for you in great distress."

And when Annas and Caiaphas were High Priests, a Command from God came to John, the son of Zechariah, while he was in the wilderness.

Then, while the people were in suspense, and were all debating with themselves whether John could be the Christ,

When beginning his work, Jesus was about thirty years old. He was regarded as the son of Joseph, whose ancestors were--Eli,

Then, closing the book and returning it to the attendant, he sat down. The eyes of all in the Synagogue were fixed upon him,

All who were present spoke well of him, and were astonished at the beautiful words that fell from his lips. "Is not he Joseph's son?" they asked.

There were, doubtless, many widows in Israel in Elijah's days, when the heavens were closed for three years and six months, and a severe famine prevailed throughout the country;

And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the Prophet Elisha, yet it was not one of them who was made clean, but Naaman the Syrian."

They were amazed at his teaching, because his words were spoken with authority.

And they were all lost in amazement, and kept saying to one another: "What words are these? For he gives his commands to the foul spirits with a marvelous authority, and they come out."

Once, when the people were pressing round Jesus as the listened to God's Message, he happened to be standing by the shore of the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats close to the shore.

The fishermen had gone away from them and were washing the nets.

So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; and they came and filled both the boats so full of fish that they were almost sinking.

For he and all who were with him were lost in amazement at the haul of fish which they had made;

And so, too, were James and John, Zebediah's sons, who were Simon's partners. "Do not be afraid," Jesus said to Simon; "from to-day you shall catch men."

On one of those days, when Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and Doctors of the Law were sitting near by. (They had come from all the villages in Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was upon Jesus, so that he could work cures.)

When Jesus became aware of the way in which they were debating, he turned to them and exclaimed: "What are you debating with yourselves?

The people, one and all, were lost in amazement, and praised God; and in great awe they said: "We have seen marvelous things to-day!"

And Levi gave a great entertainment at his house, in honor of Jesus; and a large number of tax-gatherers and others were at table with them.

One Sabbath Jesus was walking through cornfields, and hi disciples were picking the ears of wheat, and rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.

But the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees were goaded to madness, and consulted together what they could do to Jesus.

They were Simon (whom Jesus also named Peter), and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

Afterwards Jesus came down the hill with them and took his stand on a level place. With him were a large crowd of his disciples, and great numbers of people from the whole of Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast district of Tyre and Sidon,

Who had come to hear him and to be restored to health. Those, too, who were troubled with foul spirits were cured;

Just as he approached the gate of the town, there was a dead man being carried out for burial--an only son, and his mother was a widow. A large number of the people of the town were with her.

All these events were reported to John by his disciples.

"There were two people who were in debt to a money-lender; one owed fifty pounds, and the other five.

As they were unable to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them, do you think, will love him the more?"

As well as some women who had been cured of wicked spirits and of infirmities. They were Mary, known as Mary of Magdala (from whom seven demons had been expelled),

Once, when a great crowd was collecting, and, when the people of town after town were flocking to Jesus, he spoke to them in the form of a parable:

Presently Jesus' mother and brothers came where he was, but they were not able to join him on account of the crowd.

So they put off. While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A squall swept down upon the lake, and their boat was filling and they were in danger.

They came out from the man and took possession of the pigs; and the drove rushed down the steep slope into the lake and were drowned.

The people went out to see what had happened, and, when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting, clothed and in his right mind, at Jesus' feet; and they were awe-struck.

Upon which all the people in the neighborhood of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, for they were terrified. Jesus got into a boat and returned.

Because his only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying. As Jesus was going, the people were pressing closely round him.

Her parents were amazed, but Jesus impressed on them that they were not to tell any one what had happened.

But the people recognized him and followed him in crowds; and Jesus welcomed them and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, while he cured those who were in need of help.

(For the men among them were about five thousand.) "Get them seated in companies," was his reply, "about fifty in each."

And all at once two men were talking with Jesus; they were Moses and Elijah,

Peter and his companions had been overpowered by sleep but, suddenly becoming wide awake, they saw Jesus glorified and the two men who were standing beside him.

And, as Moses and Elijah were passing away from Jesus, Peter exclaimed: "Sir, it is good to be here; let us make three tents, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what he was saying;

And, while he was speaking, a cloud came down and enveloped them; and they were afraid, as they passed into the cloud;

And all present were struck with awe at the majesty of God. In the midst of the general astonishment at all that Jesus was doing, he said to his disciples:

But the disciples did not understand the meaning of this; it had been concealed from them so that they did not see it, and they were afraid to question him as to what he meant.

As the days before his being taken up to Heaven were growing few, Jesus set his face resolutely in the direction of Jerusalem; and he sent on messengers in advance.

And, while they were on their way, a man said to Jesus: "I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus also said to them: "Suppose that one of you who has a friend were to go to him in the middle of the night and say 'Friend, lend me three loaves,

Once Jesus was driving out a dumb demon, and, when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke. The people were amazed at this;

Jesus himself, however, was aware of what they were thinking, and said to them: "Any kingdom wholly divided against itself becomes a desolation; and a divided house falls.

"Do you suppose," replied Jesus, "that, because these Galileans have suffered in this way, they were worse sinners than any other Galileans?

Or those eighteen men at Siloam on whom the tower fell, killing them all, do you suppose that they were worse offenders than any other inhabitants of Jerusalem?

On one occasion, as Jesus was going, on a Sabbath into the house of one of the leading Pharisees to dine, they were watching him closely.

Observing that the guests were choosing the best places for themselves, Jesus told them this parable--

For I tell you all that not one of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.'"

One day, when great crowds of people were walking with Jesus, he turned and said to them:

The tax-gatherers and the outcasts were all drawing near to Jesus to listen to him;

He even longed to satisfy his hunger with the bean-pods on which the pigs were feeding; and no one gave him anything.

All this was said within hearing of the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, and they began to sneer at Jesus.

'But, Father Abraham,' he urged, 'if some one from the dead were to go to them, they would repent.'

'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets,' answered Abraham, 'they will not be persuaded, even if some one were to rise from the dead.'"

But the Master said: "If your faith were only like a mustard- seed, you could say to this mulberry tree 'Be up-rooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

When Jesus saw them, he said: "Go and show yourselves to the priest." And, as they were on their way, they were made clean.

"Were not all the ten made clean? exclaimed Jesus. But the nine--where are they?

Were there none to come back and praise God except this foreigner?

They were eating and drinking and marrying and being married, up to the very day on which Noah entered the ark, and then the flood came and destroyed them all.

So, too, in the days of Lot. People were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building;

Another time, speaking to people who were satisfied that they were religious, and who regarded every one else with scorn, Jesus told this parable--

Some of the people were bringing even their babies to Jesus, for him to touch them; but, when the disciples saw it, they began to find fault with those who had brought them.

Those who were in front kept telling him to be quiet, but he continued to call out the louder: "Son of David, take pity on me!"

As the people were listening to this, Jesus went on to tell them a parable. He did so because he was near Jerusalem, and because they thought that the Kingdom of God was going to be proclaimed at once.

So the two who were sent went and found it as Jesus had told them.

While they were untying the foal, the owners asked them--"Why are you untying the foal?"

Jesus went into the Temple Courts and began to drive out those who were selling,

Jesus continued to teach each day in the Temple Courts; but the Chief Priests and Teachers of the Law were eager to take his life, and so also were the leading men.

After this the Teachers of the Law and the Chief Priest were eager to lay hands on Jesus then and there, but they were afraid of the people; for they saw that it was at them that he had aimed this parable.

Well, there were once seven brothers; of whom the eldest, after taking a wife, died childless.

While all the people were listening, Jesus said to the disciples:

The Chief Priest and the Teachers of the Law were looking for an opportunity of destroying Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.

They were glad of this, and agreed to pay him.

Then he said to them all: "When I sent you out as my Messengers, without either purse, or bag, or sandals, were you in need of anything?" "No; nothing," they answered.

But when those who were round Jesus saw what was going to happen, they exclaimed: "Master, shall we use our swords?"

And, as they were leading Jesus away, they laid hold of Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and they put the cross on his shoulders, for him to carry it behind Jesus.

There was a great crowd of people following him, many being women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.

There were two others also, criminals, led out to be executed with Jesus.

Above him were the words--'THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.'

One of the criminals who were hanging beside Jesus railed at him. "Are not you the Christ? Save yourself and us," he said.