Study Desk

Now in the sixth month the angel ^(C1)Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named ^(C2)Nazareth,

to ^(C1)a virgin ^(F1)betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, ^(C2)of the ^(F2)descendants of David; and the virgin's name was ^(F3)Mary.

And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord ^(F1)is with you."

But she ^(C1)was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was.

And the angel said to her, "^(C1)Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you ^(C1)shall name Him Jesus.

"He will be great and will be called the Son of ^(C1)the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him ^(C2)the throne of His father David;

^(C1)and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, ^(C2)and His kingdom will have no end."

But Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I ^(F1)am a virgin?"

The angel answered and said to her, "^(C1)The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of ^(C2)the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also ^(C3)the ^(F1)holy Child will be called ^(C4)the Son of God.

"And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and ^(F1)she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month.

"For ^(C1)nothing will be impossible with God."

And Mary said, "Behold, the Lord's bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Now ^(F1)at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to ^(C1)the hill country, to a city of Judah,

and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was ^(C1)filled with the Holy Spirit.

And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!

"And ^(F1)how has it happened to me that the mother of ^(C1)my Lord would come to me?

"For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.

"And ^(C1)blessed is she who ^(F1)believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her ^(F2)by the Lord."

And Mary said: "^(C1)My soul ^(F1)(C2)exalts the Lord,

And ^(C1)my spirit has rejoiced in ^(C2)God my Savior.

-"For ^(C1)He has had regard for the humble state of His bond-servant; For behold, from now on all generations will ^(F1)call me ^(C2)blessed.

-"For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.

-"^(C1)And His mercy is to generation ^(F1)after generation Toward those who fear Him.

-"^(C1)He has done ^(F1)mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the ^(F2)thoughts of their hearts.

-"He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has ^(C1)exalted those who were humble.

-"^(C1)He has filled the hungry with good things, And sent the rich away empty-handed.

-"He has given help to His servant Israel, ^(F1)In remembrance of His mercy,

^(C1)Just as He spoke to our fathers, ^(C2)To Abraham and his ^(F1)descendants forever."

Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

Now the time ^(F1)had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.

Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had ^(F1)(C1)displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

And it happened that on ^(C1)the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah, ^(F1)after his father.

And yet his mother responded and said, "No indeed; but ^(C1)he shall be called John."

And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."

And they ^(F1)(C1)made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called.

And he asked for a tablet and wrote ^(F1)as follows, "^(C1)His name is John." And they were all amazed.

^(C1)And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began speaking in praise of God.

And fear came on all those who lived around them; and all these matters were being talked about in ^(C1)the entire hill country of Judea.

All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, "What then will this child turn out to be?" For indeed ^(C1)the hand of the Lord was with him.

And his father Zechariah ^(C1)was filled with the Holy Spirit and ^(C2)prophesied, saying:

"^(C1)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished ^(C2)redemption for His people,

And has raised up a ^(C1)horn of salvation for us In the house of ^(C2)His servant David—

^(C1)Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets ^(C2)from ancient times—

^(F1)(C1)Salvation ^(C2)from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us;

^(C1)To show mercy to our fathers, ^(C2)And to remember His holy covenant,

^(C1)The oath which He swore to our father Abraham,

To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Would serve Him without fear,

^(C1)In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

-"And you, child, also will be called the ^(C1)prophet of ^(C2)the Most High; For you will go on ^(C3)before the Lord to ^(C4)prepare His ways;

To give His people the knowledge of salvation ^(F1)By ^(C1)the forgiveness of their sins,

Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which ^(C1)the Sunrise from on high will visit us,

^(C1)To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the ^(C2)way of peace."

^(C1)Now the child grew and was becoming strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.