and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no place for them in the guest quarters.

When the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds told one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see what has taken place that the Lord has told us about."

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,

a light that will reveal salvation to unbelievers and bring glory to your people Israel."

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

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.

In the synagogue was a man who had a demon. He screamed with a loud voice,

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.

He also told them a parable: "One blind person can't lead another blind person, can he? Both will fall into a ditch, won't they?

How can you say to your brother, "Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you don't see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you'll see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

That's why I didn't presume to come to you. But just say the word, and let my servant be healed,

But others fell on good soil, and when they came up, they produced 100 times as much as was planted." As he said this, he called out, "Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!"

"No one lights a lamp and hides it under a bowl or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a lamp stand so that those who come in will see the light.

There is nothing hidden that won't be revealed, and there is nothing secret that won't become known and come to light.

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.

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!"

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.

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,

Just as Moses and Elijah were leaving, Peter told Jesus, "Master, it's good that we're here! Let's set up three shelters one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Peter didn't know what he was saying.)

He told another man, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

But he told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Still another man said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to those at home."

The Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha! You worry and fuss about a lot of things.

Then he told them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, "Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread.

"No one lights a lamp and puts it in a hiding place or under a basket, but on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see its light.

Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light. But when it's evil, your body is full of darkness.

Therefore, be careful that the light in you isn't darkness.

Now if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays."

Jesus said, "How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law, too! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, yet you don't even lift a finger to ease those burdens.

But be sure of this: if the homeowner had known at what time the thief were coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into.

But the servant who did things that deserved a beating without knowing it will receive a light beating. Much will be required from everyone to whom much has been given. But even more will be demanded from the one to whom much has been entrusted."

The Lord replied to him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey and lead it out of its stall to give it some water?

It's suitable neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. People throw it away. Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!"

Bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let's eat and celebrate!

Whoever is faithful with very little is also faithful with a lot, and whoever is dishonest with very little is also dishonest with a lot.

But one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, came back and praised God with a loud voice.

So it was in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.

But on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed all of them.

Remember Lot's wife!

Jesus, however, called for the children and said, "Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like these.

He was now approaching the descent from the Mount of Olives. The whole crowd of disciples began to rejoice and to praise God with a loud voice because of all the miracles they had seen.

But when the farmers saw him, they talked it over among themselves and said, "This is the heir. Let's kill him so that the inheritance will be ours!'

Then they arrested him, led him away, and brought him to the high priest's house. But Peter was following at a distance.

So I will punish him and let him go."

But Pilate wanted to let Jesus go, so he appealed to them again,

Then he spoke to them a third time: "What has he done wrong? I have found nothing in him worthy of death. So I will punish him and let him go."

But they kept pressing him with loud shouts, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their shouts began to prevail.

So he released the man who had been put in prison for revolt and murder the man whose release they continued to demand but he let them have their way with Jesus.

As they led Jesus away, they grabbed Simon, a man from Cyrene, as he was coming in from the country, and they put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

Two others, who were criminals, were also led away to be executed with Jesus.

Meanwhile, the people stood looking on. The leaders were mocking him by saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself, if he is the Messiah of God, the chosen one!"

Then Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, "Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit." After he said this, he breathed his last.

Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb cut in the rock, in which no one had yet been laid.

So the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee, following close behind, saw the tomb and how his body was laid.

Later, he led them out as far as Bethany, lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

In him was life, and that life brought light to humanity.

And the light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.

He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe because of him.

John was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

This was the true light that enlightens every person by his coming into the world.

He led Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him intently and said, "You are Simon, John's son. You will be called Cephas!" (which is translated "Peter").

And this is the basis for judgment: The light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light because their actions were evil.

Everyone who practices wickedness hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his actions may not be exposed.

But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may become evident that his actions have God's approval."

That man John was a lamp that burns and brightly shines, and for a while you were willing to rejoice in his light.

Then the Jewish leaders tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come.

On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!

Some of them were wanting to seize him, but no one laid hands on him.

When they persisted in questioning him, he straightened up and told them, "Let the person among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."

Later on, Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

As long as I'm in the world, I'm the light of the world."

I have other sheep that don't belong to this fold. I must lead these also, and they'll listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and one shepherd.

After this, he told the disciples, "Let's go back to Judea."

Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours in the day, aren't there? If anyone walks during the day he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

But if anyone walks at night he stumbles, because the light is not in him."

For your sake I'm glad that I wasn't there, so that you may believe. But let's go to him."

Then Thomas, who was called the Twin, told his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too, so that we may die with him!"

After saying this, he shouted with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"

The man who had died came out, his hands and feet tied with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a handkerchief. Jesus told them, "Untie him, and let him go."

If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation."

Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces a lot of grain.

Jesus replied to the crowd, "The light is among you only for a short time. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. The person who walks in the darkness is in the darkness and does not know where he is going.

As long as you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light." After Jesus had said this, he went away and hid from them.

I've come into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me won't remain in the darkness.

"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.

I'm leaving you at peace. I'm giving you my own peace. I'm not giving it to you as the world gives. So don't let your hearts be troubled, and don't be afraid.

But I'm doing what the Father has commanded me, to let the world know that I love the Father. Get up! Let us leave this place."

This is how my Father is glorified, when you produce a lot of fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

"I still have a lot to say to you, but you cannot bear it now.

Jesus replied, "I told you that I am the one, so if you are looking for me, let these men go."

Then Jesus was led from Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters early in the morning. The Jews did not go into the headquarters, to avoid becoming unclean and unable to eat the Passover meal.

Pilate went outside again and told the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him."

So they told each other, "Let's not tear it. Instead, let's throw dice to see who gets it." This was to fulfill the Scripture that says, "They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they threw dice." So that is what the soldiers did.

Later on, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, and he came and removed his body.

"For in the Book of Psalms it is written, "Let his estate be desolate, and let no one live on it,' and, "Let someone else take over his office,'

So they drew lots for them, and when the lot fell on Matthias, he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.

"Therefore, let all the people of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!"

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you betrayed and rejected in the presence of Pilate, even though he had decided to let him go.

But to keep it from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them never again to speak to anyone in this name."

So they threatened Peter and John even more and then let them go. They couldn't find any way to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened,