Luke 2–3

Jesus Is Born

2In those days, Caesar Augustus made a law. It required that a list be made of everyone in the whole Roman world. ²It was the first time a list was made of the people while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³All went to their own towns to be listed.

⁴So Joseph went also. He went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea. That is where Bethlehem, the town of David, was. Joseph went there because he belonged to the family line of David. ⁵He went there with Mary to be listed. Mary was engaged to him. She was expecting a baby.

⁶While Joseph and Mary were there, the time came for the child to be born. ⁷She gave birth to her first baby. It was a boy. She wrapped him in large strips of cloth. Then she placed him in a manger. There was no room for them in the inn.

Angels Appear to the Shepherds

⁸There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. It was night, and they were looking after their sheep. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified.

¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. It is for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. ¹²Here is how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven also appeared. They were praising God. They said,

¹⁴“May glory be given to God in the highest heaven!

And may peace be given to those he is pleased with on earth!”

¹⁵The angels left and went into heaven. Then the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby. The baby was lying in the manger. ¹⁷After the shepherds had seen him, they told everyone. They reported what the angel had said about this child. ¹⁸All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

¹⁹But Mary kept all these things like a secret treasure in her heart. She thought about them over and over.

²⁰The shepherds returned. They gave glory and praise to God. Everything they had seen and heard was just as they had been told.

Joseph and Mary Take Jesus to the Temple

²¹When the child was eight days old, he was circumcised. At the same time he was named Jesus. This was the name the angel had given him before his mother became pregnant.

²²The time for making them pure came as it is written in the Law of Moses. So Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem. There they presented him to the Lord. ²³In the Law of the Lord it says, “The first boy born in every family must be set apart for the Lord.” ²⁴They also offered a sacrifice. They did it in keeping with the Law, which says, “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵In Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was a good and godly man. He was waiting for God’s promise to Israel to happen. The Holy Spirit was with him. ²⁶The Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷The Spirit led him into the temple courtyard.

Then Jesus’ parents brought the child in. They came to do for him what the Law required.

²⁸Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said,

²⁹“Lord, you are the King over all.

Now let me, your servant, go in peace.

That is what you promised.

³⁰My eyes have seen your salvation.

³¹You have prepared it in the sight of all people.

³²It is a light to be given to those who aren’t Jews.

It will bring glory to your people Israel.”

³³The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them. He said to Mary, Jesus’ mother, “This child is going to cause many people in Israel to fall and to rise. God has sent him. But many will speak against him. ³⁵The thoughts of many hearts will be known. A sword will wound your own soul too.”

³⁶There was also a prophet named Anna. She was the daughter of Penuel from the tribe of Asher. Anna was very old. After getting married, she lived with her husband seven years. ³⁷Then she was a widow until she was 84. She never left the temple. She worshiped night and day, praying and going without eating.

³⁸Anna came up to Jesus’ family at that very moment. She gave thanks to God. And she spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the time when Jerusalem would be set free.

³⁹Joseph and Mary did everything the Law of the Lord required. Then they returned to Galilee. They went to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰And the child grew and became strong. He was very wise. He was blessed by God’s grace.

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

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

⁴³After the Feast was over, his parents left to go back home. The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But they were not aware of it. ⁴⁴They thought he was somewhere in their group. So they traveled on for a day.

Then they began to look for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵They did not find him. So they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶After three days they found him in the temple courtyard. He was sitting with the teachers. He was listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷Everyone who heard him was amazed at how much he understood. They also were amazed at his answers.

⁴⁸When his parents saw him, they were amazed. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been worried about you. We have been looking for you everywhere.”

⁴⁹“Why were you looking for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰But they did not understand what he meant by that.

⁵¹Then he went back to Nazareth with them, and he obeyed them. But his mother kept all these things like a secret treasure in her heart. ⁵²Jesus became wiser and stronger. He also became more and more pleasing to God and to people.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3Tiberius Caesar had been ruling for 15 years. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. Herod was the ruler of Galilee. His brother Philip was the ruler of Iturea and Traconitis. Lysanias was ruler of Abilene. ²Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. At that time God’s word came to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. ³He went into all the countryside around the Jordan River. There he preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them.

⁴Here is what is written in the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. It says,

“A messenger is calling out in the desert,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord.

Make straight paths for him.

⁵Every valley will be filled in.

Every mountain and hill will be made level.

The crooked roads will become straight.

The rough ways will become smooth.

⁶And everyone will see God’s salvation.’ ”

⁷John spoke to the crowds coming to be baptized by him. He said, “You are like a nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming of God’s anger? ⁸Produce fruit that shows you have turned away from your sins. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones. ⁹The ax is already lying at the roots of the trees. All the trees that don’t produce good fruit will be cut down. They will be thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰“Then what should we do?” the crowd asked.

¹¹John answered, “If you have extra clothes, you should share with those who have none. And if you have extra food, you should do the same.”

¹²Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

¹³“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” John told them.

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

John replied, “Don’t force people to give you money. Don’t bring false charges against people. Be happy with your pay.”

¹⁵The people were waiting. They were expecting something. They were all wondering in their hearts if John might be the Christ.

¹⁶John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I am will come. I’m not good enough to untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷His pitchfork is in his hand to toss the straw away from his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his storeroom. But he will burn up the husks with fire that can’t be put out.”

¹⁸John said many other things to warn the people. He also preached the good news to them.

¹⁹But John found fault with Herod, the ruler of Galilee, because of Herodias. She was the wife of Herod’s brother. John also spoke strongly to Herod about all the other evil things he had done. ²⁰So Herod locked him up in prison. He added this sin to all his others.

The Baptism and Family Line of Jesus

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

²³Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his special work for God and others. It was thought that he was the son of Joseph.

Joseph was the son of Heli.

²⁴Heli was the son of Matthat.

Matthat was the son of Levi.

Levi was the son of Melki.

Melki was the son of Jannai.

Jannai was the son of Joseph.

²⁵Joseph was the son of Mattathias.

Mattathias was the son of Amos.

Amos was the son of Nahum.

Nahum was the son of Esli.

Esli was the son of Naggai.

²⁶Naggai was the son of Maath.

Maath was the son of Mattathias.

Mattathias was the son of Semein.

Semein was the son of Josech.

Josech was the son of Joda.

²⁷Joda was the son of Joanan.

Joanan was the son of Rhesa.

Rhesa was the son of Zerubbabel.

Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel.

Shealtiel was the son of Neri.

²⁸Neri was the son of Melki.

Melki was the son of Addi.

Addi was the son of Cosam.

Cosam was the son of Elmadam.

Elmadam was the son of Er.

²⁹Er was the…