Study Desk

Now in those days a decree went out from ^(C1)Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of ^(C2)all ^(F1)the inhabited earth.

^(F1)This was the first census taken while ^(F2)Quirinius was governor of ^(C1)Syria.

And all the people were on their way to register for the census, each to his own city.

Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because ^(C1)he was of the house and family of David,

in order to register along with Mary, who was ^(F1)betrothed to him, and was pregnant.

While they were there, the ^(F1)time came for her to give birth.

And she ^(C1)gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a ^(F1)manger, because there was no ^(F2)room for them in the inn.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night.

And ^(C1)an angel of the Lord suddenly ^(C2)stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

And so the angel said to them, "^(C1)Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

for today in the city of David there has been born for you a ^(C1)Savior, who is ^(F1)(C2)Christ ^(C3)the Lord.

"And ^(C1)this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a ^(F1)manger."

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly ^(F1)army of angels praising God and saying,

"^(C1)Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among people ^(F1)(C2)with whom He is pleased."

When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let's go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."

And they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the ^(F1)manger.

When they had seen Him, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

And all who heard it were amazed about the things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary ^(C1)treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

And the shepherds went back, ^(C1)glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

And when ^(C1)eight days were completed ^(F1)so that it was time for His circumcision, ^(C2)He was also named Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

^(C1)And when the days for ^(F1)their purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

(as it is written in the Law of the Lord: "^(C1)EVERY FIRSTBORN MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD"),

and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Law of the Lord: "^(C1)A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG DOVES."

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was ^(C1)righteous and devout, ^(C2)looking forward to the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

And ^(C1)it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not ^(C2)see death before he had seen the Lord's ^(F1)Christ.

And he came ^(F1)by the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, ^(F2)(C1)to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,

then he took Him in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

"Now, Lord, You are letting Your bond-servant depart in peace, ^(C1)According to Your word;

For my eyes have ^(C1)seen Your salvation,

Which You have prepared in the presence of all the peoples:

^(C1)A light for revelation ^(F1)for the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel."

And His father and ^(C1)mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.

And Simeon blessed them and said to ^(C1)His mother Mary, "Behold, this Child is appointed for ^(C2)the fall and ^(F1)rise of many in Israel, and as a sign to be ^(F2)opposed—

and a sword will pierce your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

And there was a ^(C1)prophetess, ^(F1)Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of ^(C2)the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in ^(F2)years ^(C3)and had lived with her husband for seven years after her ^(F3)marriage,

and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She did not leave the temple grounds, serving night and day with ^(C1)fasts and prayers.

And at that very ^(F1)moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak about Him to all those who were ^(C1)looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

And when His parents had completed everything in accordance with the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to ^(C1)their own city of Nazareth.

^(C1)Now the Child continued to grow and to become strong, ^(F1)increasing in wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him.

His parents went to Jerusalem every year at ^(C1)the Feast of the Passover.

And when He was twelve years old, they went up there according to the custom of the feast;

and as they were returning, after spending the ^(C1)full number of days required, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents were unaware of it.

Instead, they thought that He was somewhere in the caravan, and they went a day's journey; and then they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.

And when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for Him.

Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.

And all who heard Him ^(C1)were amazed at His understanding and His answers.

When Joseph and Mary saw Him, they were bewildered; and ^(C1)His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, ^(C2)Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You!"

And He said to them, "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that ^(C1)I had to be in My Father's ^(F1)house?"

And yet ^(C1)they on their part did not understand the statement which He had ^(F1)made to them.

And He went down with them and came to ^(C1)Nazareth, and He continued to be subject to them; and ^(C2)His mother ^(C3)treasured all these ^(F1)things in her heart.

And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and ^(F1)stature, and in ^(C1)favor with God and people.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when ^(C1)Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and ^(C2)Herod was tetrarch of Galilee and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

in the high priesthood of ^(C1)Annas and ^(C2)Caiaphas, ^(C3)the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.

And he came into all ^(C1)the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance ^(F1)for the forgiveness of sins;

as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "^(C1)THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING ^(F1)OUT IN THE WILDERNESS, 'PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!

-'^(C1)EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE LOWERED; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH;

^(C1)AND ALL ^(F1)FLESH WILL ^(C2)SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD!'"

So he was saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "^(C1)You ^(F1)offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

"Therefore produce fruits that are consistent with repentance, and ^(C1)do not start saying ^(F1)to yourselves, '^(C2)We have Abraham as our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham.

"But indeed the axe is already being laid at the root of the trees; so ^(C1)every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

And the crowds were questioning him, saying, "^(C1)Then what are we to do?"

And he would answer and say to them, "The one who has two ^(F1)tunics is to ^(C1)share with the one who has none; and the one who has food is to do likewise."

Now even ^(C1)tax collectors came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what are we to do?"

And he said to them, "^(F1)Collect no more than what you have been ordered to."

And soldiers also were questioning him, saying, "What are we to do, we as well?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone, nor ^(F1)(C1)harass anyone, and ^(C2)be content with your wages."

Now while the people were in a state of expectation and they all were thinking carefully in their hearts about John, ^(C1)whether he himself perhaps was the ^(F1)Christ,

^(C1)John responded to them all, saying, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but He is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the straps of His sandals; He will baptize you ^(F1)with the Holy Spirit and fire.

"His ^(C1)winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with ^(C2)unquenchable fire."

So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.

But when ^(C1)Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him regarding ^(C1)Herodias, his brother's wife, and regarding all the evil things which ^(C2)Herod had done,

Herod also added this to them all: ^(C1)he locked John up in prison.

^(C1)Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while He was ^(C2)praying, heaven was opened,

and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven: "^(C1)You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased."

^(C1)When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years old, being, as was commonly held, the son of ^(C2)Joseph, ^(F1)the son of ^(F2)Eli,

the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of ^(F1)Hesli, the son of Naggai,

the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, ^(C1)the son of Zerubbabel, the son of ^(F1)Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

the son of ^(F1)Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

the son of Simeon, the son of ^(F1)Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

^(C1)the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of ^(F1)Salmon, the son of ^(F2)Nahshon,

the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of ^(F1)Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, ^(C1)the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

the son of Serug, the son of ^(F1)Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of ^(F2)Heber, the son of Shelah,

the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, ^(C1)the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.