At that time, Augustus Caesar sent an order that all people in the Roman world must register for taxation. This was the first registration; it was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to their own towns to be registered.
So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. Joseph registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was now pregnant. While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have the baby, and she gave birth to her first son. She wrapped the baby in cloths and laid him in a manger, because there were no rooms left in the inn.
When the baby was eight days old, he was circumcised and was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
When Joseph and Mary had done everything the law of the Lord commanded, they went home to Nazareth, their own town in Galilee. The little child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was upon him.
When he was twelve years old, they went to the festival as they always did. After the feast days were over, they started home. The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that Jesus was with them in the group, they travelled for a whole day. Then they began to look for him among their family and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him there.
After three days they found Jesus sitting in the Temple among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and answers. When Jesus’ parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why did you do this to us? Your father and I were very worried about you and have been looking for you."
Jesus went with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them. But his mother kept in her mind all that had happened. Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. People liked him, and he pleased God.
It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar. These men were under Caesar: Pontius Pilate, the ruler of Judea; Herod of Gaililee; Philip of Iturea and Traconitis; and Lysanias, the ruler of Abilene. Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time, a message from God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.
John was baptising people in the desert and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John’s clothes were made from camel’s hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey. Many people came from Jerusalem and Judea and all the area around the Jordan River to hear John. They confessed their sins, and he baptised them in the Jordan River.
At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptised by John.
When Jesus began his ministry, he was about thirty years old. People thought that Jesus was Joseph’s son. Joseph was the son of Heli.
After this, Jesus went to the town of Capernaum with his mother, brothers, and disciples. They stayed there for just a few days.
There was a man named Nicodemus who was one of the Pharisees and an important Jewish leader. One night Nicodemus came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we know you are a teacher sent from God, because no one can do the miracles you do unless God is with him."
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless you are born again, you cannot experience God's kingdom."
Nicodemus said to him, "But if a person is already old, how can he be born again? He cannot enter his mother's womb again. So how can a person be born a second time?"
But Jesus answered, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless you are born from water and the Spirit, you cannot enter God’s kingdom. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don't be amazed when I tell you, 'You all must be born again.' The wind blows where it wants to and you hear the sound of it, but you don’t know where the wind comes from or where it is going. It is the same with every person who is born from the Spirit." TL Note: "wind" and "spirit" are the same word in Greek.
Nicodemus asked, "How can this be?"
Jesus answered, "You are the teacher of Israel, and you don't understand these things? Truly, truly I say to you, we talk about what we know, and we tell about what we have seen, but you don't accept what we tell you Ihave told you about things here on earth, and you do not believe me. So you will not believe me if I tell you thing of heaven. No one has gone up into heaven except the One who came down from heaven - the Son of Man."
"Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, the Son of Man must also be lifted up. So that everyone who believes in him can have eternal life.
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. People who believe in God’s Son are not condemned. Those who do not believe have already been condemned, because they have not believed in God's one and only Son. They are judged by this fact: The Light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, because they were doing evil things. All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light, because it will show their deeds. But those who live by the truth come to the light, and it may be seen that the things they do were done in God."
After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the countryside of Judea, where he spent time with his disciples and baptised people. John was also baptising in Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were going there to be baptised. (This was before John was put into prison.)
Some of John's disciples had an argument with a Jew about ceremonial cleansing. So they came to John and said, "Teacher, remember the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you spoke so much about? He is baptising, and everyone is going to him."
John answered, "A man can get only what God gives him. You yourselves heard me say, 'I am not the Messiah, but I am the one sent to prepare the way for him.' The bride belongs only to the bridegroom. But the best man stands by and listens to him. He is thrilled that he gets to hear the bridegroom’s voice. In the same way, my joy is fulfilled. He must become greater, and I must become less important."
"The One who comes from above is greater than all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and talks about earth matters. But the One who comes from heaven is above all. He tells what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts what he says. Whoever accepts what he says has proven that God is true. For the One whom God sent speaks the words of God, because God gives him the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has given him power over everything. Those who believe in the Son have eternal life, but those who reject the Son will not see life. God's wrath stays on them."
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the Temple courtyard he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and moneychangers sitting. Jesus made a whip out of cords and forced all of them, with the sheep and cattle, to leave the Temple. He turned over the tables and scattered the money of those who were exchanging it. Then he said to those who were selling doves, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a market of trade!
After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the countryside of Judea, where he spent time with his disciples and baptised people.
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he went back to Galilee.
Herod himself had ordered his soldiers to arrest John and bound him in prison in order to please his wife, Herodias. She had been the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother, but then Herod had married her. John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to be married to your brother's wife." So Herodias hated John and wanted to kill him. But she couldn’t, because Herod was afraid of John and protected him. He knew John was a righteous and holy man. Also, though John’s preaching always perplexed him, he enjoyed listening to John.
Then the perfect time came for Herodias to cause John’s death. On Herod’s birthday, he gave a banquet for his nobles, the commanders of his army, and leaders in Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and the people eating with him.
So King Herod said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I will give it to you." He vowed to her, "Anything you ask for I will give to you — up to half of my kingdom."
The girl went to her mother and asked, "What should I ask for?" Her mother answered, "Ask for the head of John the Baptist."
At once the girl went back to the king and said to him, "I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist right now on a platter."
Although the king was very sad, he had made a promise, and his dinner guests had heard it. So he did not want to refuse what she asked. Immediately the king sent an executioner to bring John's head. The executioner went and cut off John’s head in the prison and brought it back on a platter. He gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.
Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum. On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught like a person who had authority, not like their teachers of the law.
At that time Jesus was walking through some fields of grain on a Sabbath day. His disciples were hungry, so they began to pick the grain and eat it. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, "Look! Your followers are doing what is unlawful to do on the Sabbath day."
Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into God's house, and he and those with him ate the holy bread, which was lawful only for priests to eat. And have you not read in the law of Moses that on every Sabbath day the priests in the Temple violate the Sabbath? But the priests are not wrong for doing that.
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a hill and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are those who are poor in spirit,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Blessed are those who grieve,
for God will comfort them.
Blessed are those who are meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after justice,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are those who show mercy to others,
for God will show mercy to them.
Blessed are those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called God's children.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them."
"Blessed are you when people insult and persecute you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me.
Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you."
"But woe to you who are rich,
because you have already received your comfort.
Woe to you who are well-fed now,
because you will be hungry.
Woe to you who are laughing now,
because you will mourn and weep."
"Woe to you when everyone says only good things about you, because their ancestors said the same things about the false prophets."
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and trampled.
You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that stands on a hill cannot be hidden."
"And people don’t light a lamp and then hide it under a basket. They put it on a lampstand so the light shines for all the people in the house. In the same way let your light shine for people to see, so that they will see your good deeds and will praise your Father in heaven."
"Don't think that I have come to destroy the law of Moses or the teaching of the prophets. I have not come to destroy them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even one iota or the smallest tittle of a letter will be lost until everything has happened. Therefore, whoever ignores any command and teaches other people to do likewise will be considered least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices the commands and teaches other people to obey them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven. I tell you that if you are no more obedient than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
"You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, 'You shall not murder. Anyone who murders another will be judged.' But I tell you, if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be judged. If you say bad things to a brother or sister, you will be judged by the council. And if you call someone a fool, you will be in danger of the fire of hell.
So when you offer your sacrifice at the alter, and you remember that your brothers or sister has something against you, leave your offering there at the alter. Go and make peace with that person, and then come and present your offering.
