23:44 It was now 1 about noon, 2 and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 3 23:45 because the sun’s light failed. 4 The temple curtain 5 was torn in two. 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” 6 And after he said this he breathed his last.
23:47 Now when the centurion 7 saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 8 23:48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 9 23:49 And all those who knew Jesus 10 stood at a distance, and the women who had followed him from Galilee saw 11 these things.
1:1 Now 12 many have undertaken to compile an account 13 of the things 14 that have been fulfilled 15 among us, 1:2 like the accounts 16 passed on 17 to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word 18 from the beginning. 19 1:3 So 20 it seemed good to me as well, 21 because I have followed 22 all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account 23 for you, most excellent Theophilus, 1:4 so that you may know for certain 24 the things you were taught. 25
1:5 During the reign 26 of Herod 27 king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to 28 the priestly division of Abijah, 29 and he had a wife named Elizabeth, 30 who was a descendant of Aaron. 31 1:6 They 32 were both righteous in the sight of God, following 33 all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. 34 1:7 But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, 35 and they were both very old. 36
1:8 Now 37 while Zechariah 38 was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 39 1:9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, 40 to enter 41 the holy place 42 of the Lord and burn incense. 1:10 Now 43 the whole crowd 44 of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. 45 1:11 An 46 angel of the Lord, 47 standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared 48 to him. 1:12 And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, 49 was seized with fear. 50 1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, 51 and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you 52 will name him John. 53 1:14 Joy and gladness will come 54 to you, and many will rejoice at 55 his birth, 56 1:15 for he will be great in the sight of 57 the Lord. He 58 must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 59 1:16 He 60 will turn 61 many of the people 62 of Israel to the Lord their God. 1:17 And he will go as forerunner before the Lord 63 in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, 64 to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”
1:18 Zechariah 65 said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? 66 For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” 67 1:19 The 68 angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands 69 in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring 70 you this good news. 1:20 And now, 71 because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, 72 you will be silent, unable to speak, 73 until the day these things take place.”
1:21 Now 74 the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder 75 why he was delayed in the holy place. 76 1:22 When 77 he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They 78 realized that he had seen a vision 79 in the holy place, 80 because 81 he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. 82 1:23 When his time of service was over, 83 he went to his home.
1:24 After some time 84 his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, 85 and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. 86 She said, 87 1:25 “This is what 88 the Lord has done for me at the time 89 when he has been gracious to me, 90 to take away my disgrace 91 among people.” 92
1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, 93 the angel Gabriel 94 was sent by 95 God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 96 1:27 to a virgin engaged 97 to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, 98 and the virgin’s name was Mary. 1:28 The 99 angel 100 came 101 to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, 102 the Lord is with you!” 103 1:29 But 104 she was greatly troubled 105 by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. 106 1:30 So 107 the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, 108 Mary, for you have found favor 109 with God! 1:31 Listen: 110 You will become pregnant 111 and give birth to 112 a son, and you will name him 113 Jesus. 114 1:32 He 115 will be great, 116 and will be called the Son of the Most High, 117 and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father 118 David. 1:33 He 119 will reign over the house of Jacob 120 forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 1:34 Mary 121 said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with 122 a man?” 1:35 The angel replied, 123 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow 124 you. Therefore the child 125 to be born 126 will be holy; 127 he will be called the Son of God.
1:36 “And look, 128 your relative 129 Elizabeth has also become pregnant with 130 a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! 131 1:37 For nothing 132 will be impossible with God.” 1:38 So 133 Mary said, “Yes, 134 I am a servant 135 of the Lord; let this happen to me 136 according to your word.” 137 Then 138 the angel departed from her.
1:39 In those days 139 Mary got up and went hurriedly into the hill country, to a town of Judah, 140 1:40 and entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. 1:41 When 141 Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped 142 in her 143 womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 144 1:42 She 145 exclaimed with a loud voice, 146 “Blessed are you among women, 147 and blessed is the child 148 in your womb! 1:43 And who am I 149 that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me? 1:44 For the instant 150 the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 151 the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 152 1:45 And blessed 153 is she who believed that 154 what was spoken to her by 155 the Lord would be fulfilled.” 156
1:46 And Mary 157 said, 158
“My soul exalts 159 the Lord, 160
1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice 161 in God my Savior,
1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. 162
For 163 from now on 164 all generations will call me blessed, 165
1:49 because he who is mighty 166 has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
1:50 from 167 generation to generation he is merciful 168 to those who fear 169 him.
1:51 He has demonstrated power 170 with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance 171 of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the mighty 172 from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; 173
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, 174 and has sent the rich away empty. 175
1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering 176 his mercy, 177
1:55 as he promised 178 to our ancestors, 179 to Abraham and to his descendants 180 forever.”
1:56 So 181 Mary stayed with Elizabeth 182 about three months 183 and then returned to her home.
1:57 Now the time came 184 for Elizabeth to have her baby, 185 and she gave birth to a son. 1:58 Her 186 neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown 187 great mercy to her, and they rejoiced 188 with her.
1:59 On 189 the eighth day 190 they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name 191 him Zechariah after his father. 1:60 But 192 his mother replied, 193 “No! He must be named 194 John.” 195 1:61 They 196 said to her, “But 197 none of your relatives bears this name.” 198 1:62 So 199 they made signs to the baby’s 200 father, 201 inquiring what he wanted to name his son. 202 1:63 He 203 asked for a writing tablet 204 and wrote, 205 “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 206 1:64 Immediately 207 Zechariah’s 208 mouth was opened and his tongue 209 released, 210 and he spoke, blessing God. 1:65 All 211 their neighbors were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about. 1:66 All 212 who heard these things 213 kept them in their hearts, 214 saying, “What then will this child be?” 215 For the Lord’s hand 216 was indeed with him.
1:67 Then 217 his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, 218
1:68 “Blessed 219 be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help 220 and has redeemed 221 his people.
1:69 For 222 he has raised up 223 a horn of salvation 224 for us in the house of his servant David, 225
1:70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago, 226
1:71 that we should be saved 227 from our enemies, 228
and from the hand of all who hate us.
1:72 He has done this 229 to show mercy 230 to our ancestors, 231
and to remember his holy covenant 232 –
1:73 the oath 233 that he swore to our ancestor 234 Abraham.
This oath grants 235
1:74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our 236 enemies,
may serve him without fear, 237
1:75 in holiness and righteousness 238 before him for as long as we live. 239
1:76 And you, child, 240 will be called the prophet 241 of the Most High. 242
For you will go before 243 the Lord to prepare his ways, 244
1:77 to give his people knowledge of salvation 245 through the forgiveness 246 of their sins.
1:78 Because of 247 our God’s tender mercy 248
the dawn 249 will break 250 upon us from on high
1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 251
to guide our feet into the way 252 of peace.”
1:80 And the child kept growing 253 and becoming strong 254 in spirit, and he was in the wilderness 255 until the day he was revealed 256 to Israel.