In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,

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.

At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside.

When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome with fear.

The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news.

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

to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

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

And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

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

Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

All who heard about him took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

The child grew up and became spiritually strong, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

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

This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,

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

Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.

Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough.

But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.

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

There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

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,

His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about Him.

There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,

and was a widow for 84 years. She did not leave the temple complex, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.

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

When He was 12 years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival.

Assuming He was in the traveling party, they went a day’s journey. Then they began looking for Him among their relatives and friends.

Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart.

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As He was praying, heaven opened,

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.

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

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him, and unrolling the scroll, He found the place where it was written:

But I say to you, there were certainly many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months while a great famine came over all the land.

Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them—but to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.

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.”

When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was enraged.

They got up, drove Him out of town, and brought Him to the edge of the hill that their town was built on, intending to hurl Him over the cliff.

Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath.

In the synagogue there was a man with an unclean demonic spirit who cried out with a loud voice,

After He left the synagogue, He entered Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him about her.

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.

Also, demons were coming out of many, shouting and saying, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Messiah.

When it was day, He went out and made His way to a deserted place. But the crowds were searching for Him. They came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving them.

But He said to them, “I must proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.”

And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

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

He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.

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.

Just then some men came, carrying on a mat a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before Him.

Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen incredible things today!”

Then Levi hosted a grand banquet for Him at his house. Now there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were guests with them.

Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry—

On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching. A man was there whose right hand was paralyzed.

After looking around at them all, He told him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored.

The whole crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming out from Him and healing them all.

He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built.

But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great!”

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

Jesus went with them, and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell Him, “Lord, don’t trouble Yourself, since I am not worthy to have You come under my roof.

Jesus heard this and was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I tell you, I have not found so great a faith even in Israel!”

Soon afterward He was on His way to a town called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd were traveling with Him.

Just as He neared the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was also with her.

And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of fragrant oil

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.

Soon afterward He was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with Him,

As a large crowd was gathering, and people were flocking to Him from every town, He said in a parable:

“A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky ate it up.

Still other seed fell on good ground; when it sprang up, it produced a crop: 100 times what was sown.” As He said this, He called out, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”

He was told, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You.”

They came and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to die!” Then He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm.

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.

A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged Him to permit them to enter the pigs, and He gave them permission.

Meanwhile, the eyewitnesses reported to them how the demon-possessed man was delivered.

Just then, a man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus’ feet and pleaded with Him to come to his house,

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.

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.

While He was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house, saying, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the Teacher anymore.”

Everyone was crying and mourning for her. But He said, “Stop crying, for she is not dead but asleep.”

They started laughing at Him, because they knew she was dead.

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

Everyone ate and was filled. Then they picked up 12 baskets of leftover pieces.

While He was praying in private and His disciples were with Him, He asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became dazzling white.

They appeared in glory and were speaking of His death, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.

While he was saying this, a cloud appeared and overshadowed them. They became afraid as they entered the cloud.

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

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.

And they were all astonished at the greatness of God.

While everyone was amazed at all the things He was doing, He told His disciples,

But they did not understand this statement; it was concealed from them so that they could not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.