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Written by Tony
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Saturday, 24 December 2005 |
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in
Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a
descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her
and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of
greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid,
Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give
birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be
great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will
give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the
house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will
be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have
a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her
sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country
of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she
exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you
will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should
come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the
baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that
what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in
God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his
servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the
Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name. His mercy
extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has
performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are
proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their
thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with
good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant
Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants
forever, even as he said to our fathers."
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be
taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took
place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his
own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,
to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and
line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to
be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the
time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn,
a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because
there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch
over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and
the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But
the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of
great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a
Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign
to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel,
praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace to men on whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said
to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has
happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was
lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word
concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard
it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured
up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds
returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard
and seen, which were just as they had been told.
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named
Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had
been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to
the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn
male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), and to offer a sacrifice in
keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or
two young pigeons."
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and
devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy
Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by
the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in
the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord,
as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my
eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of
all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to
your people Israel."
The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is
destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a
sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts
will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven
years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was
eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day,
fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave
thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward
to the redemption of Jerusalem.
When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the
Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the
child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace
of God was upon him.
--Luke 1:26 - 2:40 New International Version
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