Luke 2–3

2ND CHAPTER

Jesus Is Born

¹At that time the Emperor Augustus ordered a census of the Roman Empire. ²This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³All the people went to register in the cities where their ancestors had lived. 

⁴So Joseph went from Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a Judean city called Bethlehem. Joseph, a descendant of King David, went to Bethlehem because David had been born there. ⁵Joseph went there to register with Mary. She had been promised to him in marriage and was pregnant. 

⁶While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have her child. ⁷She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there wasn’t any room for them in the inn. 

Angels Announce the Birth of Jesus

⁸Shepherds were in the fields near Bethlehem. They were taking turns watching their flock during the night. ⁹An angel from the Lord suddenly appeared to them. The glory of the Lord filled the area with light, and they were terrified. ¹⁰The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, a message that will fill everyone with joy. ¹¹Today your Savior, Christ the Lord, was born in David’s city. ¹²This is how you will recognize him: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” 

¹³Suddenly, a large army of angels appeared with the angel. They were praising God by saying, 

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest heaven, 

and on earth peace to those who have his good will!” 

¹⁵The angels left them and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.” 

¹⁶They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby, who was lying in a manger. ¹⁷When they saw the child, they repeated what they had been told about him. ¹⁸Everyone who heard the shepherds’ story was amazed. 

¹⁹Mary treasured all these things in her heart and always thought about them. 

²⁰As the shepherds returned to their flock, they glorified and praised God for everything they had seen and heard. Everything happened the way the angel had told them. 

Jesus’ Parents Obey Moses’ Teachings

²¹Eight days after his birth, the child was circumcised and named Jesus. This was the name the angel had given him before his mother became pregnant. 

²²After the days required by Moses’ Teachings to make a mother clean^ahad passed, Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem. They took Jesus to present him to the Lord. ²³They did exactly what was written in the Lord’s Teachings: “Every firstborn boy is to be set apart as holy to the Lord.” ²⁴They also offered a sacrifice as required by the Lord’s Teachings: “a pair of mourning doves or two young pigeons.” 

Simeon’s Prophecy

²⁵A man named Simeon was in Jerusalem. He lived an honorable and devout life. He was waiting for the one who would comfort Israel. The Holy Spirit was with Simeon ²⁶and had told him that he wouldn’t die until he had seen the Messiah, whom the Lord would send. 

²⁷Moved by the Spirit, Simeon went into the temple courtyard. Mary and Joseph were bringing the child Jesus into the courtyard at the same time. They brought him so that they could do for him what Moses’ Teachings required. ²⁸Then Simeon took the child in his arms and praised God by saying, 

²⁹“Now, Lord, you are allowing your servant to leave in peace 

as you promised. 

³⁰My eyes have seen your salvation, 

³¹which you have prepared for all people to see. 

³²He is a light that will reveal ⸤salvation⸥ to the nations 

and bring glory to your people Israel.” 

³³Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “This child is the reason that many people in Israel will be condemned and many others will be saved. He will be a sign that will expose ³⁵the thoughts of those who reject him. And a sword will pierce your heart.” 

Anna’s Prophecy

³⁶Anna, a prophet, was also there. She was a descendant of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was now very old. Her husband had died seven years after they were married, ³⁷and she had been a widow for 84 years. Anna never left the temple courtyard but worshiped day and night by fasting and praying. ³⁸At that moment she came up to Mary and Joseph and began to thank God. She spoke about Jesus to all who were waiting for Jerusalem to be set free. 

³⁹After doing everything the Lord’s Teachings required, Joseph and Mary returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee. ⁴⁰The child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor^bwas with him. 

Mary and Joseph Find Jesus with the Teachers in the Temple Courtyard

⁴¹Every year Jesus’ parents would go to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. ⁴²When he was 12 years old, they went as usual. 

⁴³When the festival was over, they left for home. The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn’t know it. ⁴⁴They thought that he was with the others who were traveling with them. After traveling for a day, they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵When they didn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 

⁴⁶Three days later, they found him in the temple courtyard. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions. ⁴⁷His understanding and his answers stunned everyone who heard him. 

⁴⁸When his parents saw him, they were shocked. His mother asked him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been worried sick looking for you!” 

⁴⁹Jesus said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you realize that I had to be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰But they didn’t understand what he meant. 

⁵¹Then he returned with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them. 

His mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵²Jesus grew in wisdom and maturity. He gained favor from God and people. 

3RD CHAPTER

John Prepares the Way—Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; John 1:19–28

¹It was the fifteenth year in the reign of the Emperor Tiberius. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. Herod ruled Galilee, and his brother Philip ruled Iturea and Trachonitis. Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene. ²It was at the time when Annas and Caiaphas were chief priests that God spoke to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. ³John traveled throughout the region around the Jordan River. He told people about a baptism of repentance^afor the forgiveness of sins. ⁴As the prophet Isaiah wrote in his book, 

“A voice cries out in the desert: 

‘Prepare the way for the Lord! 

Make his paths straight! 

⁵Every valley will be filled. 

Every mountain and hill will be leveled. 

The crooked ways will be made straight. 

The rough roads will be made smooth. 

⁶All people will see the salvation that God gives.’ ” 

⁷Crowds of people were coming to be baptized by John. He would say to them, “You poisonous snakes! Who showed you how to flee from God’s coming anger? ⁸Do those things that prove that you have turned to God and have changed the way you think and act. Don’t say, ‘Abraham is our ancestor.’ I guarantee that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones. ⁹The ax is now ready to cut the roots of the trees. Any tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.” 

¹⁰The crowds asked him, “What should we do?” 

¹¹He answered them, “Whoever has two shirts should share with the person who doesn’t have any. Whoever has food should share it too.” 

¹²Some tax collectors came to be baptized. They asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 

¹³He told them, “Don’t collect more money than you are ordered to collect.” 

¹⁴Some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” 

He told them, “Be satisfied with your pay, and never use threats or blackmail to get money from anyone.” 

¹⁵People’s hopes were rising as they all wondered whether John was the Messiah. ¹⁶John replied to all of them, “I baptize you with water. But the one who is more powerful than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie his sandal straps. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷His winnowing^bshovel is in his hand to clean up his threshing floor.^cHe will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn the husks in a fire that can never be put out.” 

¹⁸With many other encouraging words, he told the Good News to the people. 

¹⁹John spoke out against the ruler Herod because Herod had married his own sister-in-law, Herodias. He also spoke out against Herod for all the evil things he had done. ²⁰So Herod added one more evil to all the others; he locked John in prison. 

The Baptism of Jesus—Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11

²¹When all the people were baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized. While he was praying, heaven opened, ²²and the Holy Spirit came down to him in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you.” 

²³Jesus was about 30 years old when he began ⸤his ministry⸥. 

The Ancestors of Jesus

Jesus, so people thought, was the son of Joseph, son of Eli, ²⁴son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph, ²⁵son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai, ²⁶son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda, ²⁷son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of Neri, ²⁸son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er, ²⁹son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi, ³⁰son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim, ³¹son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David, ³²son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Salmon, son of Nahshon, ³³son of Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah, ³⁴son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor, ³⁵son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah, ³⁶son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech, ³⁷son of…