Bible Reading Plan – Day 288

₂₁A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

₂₂The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, as the Law of Moses commanded. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, ₂₃as it is written in the law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male is to be dedicated to the Lord.” ₂₄They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.

₂₅At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him ₂₆and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's promised Messiah. ₂₇Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required, ₂₈Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:

₃₃The child's father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him. ₃₄Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against ₃₅and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart.”

_36-37There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now 84 years old. She never left the Temple; day and night she worshipped God, fasting and praying. ₃₈That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.

₃₉When Joseph and Mary had finished doing all that was required by the law of the Lord, they returned to their home town of Nazareth in Galilee. ₄₀The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom, and God's blessings were upon him.

₄₁Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. ₄₂When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual. ₄₃When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this; ₄₄they thought that he was with the group, so they travelled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends. ₄₅They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. ₄₆On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. ₄₇All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers. ₄₈His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, “My son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”

₄₉He answered them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?” ₅₀But they did not understand his answer.

₅₁So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. ₅₂Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favour with God and people.

₁It was the fifteenth year of the rule of the Emperor Tiberius; Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip was ruler of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias was ruler of Abilene, ₂and Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. At that time the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. ₃So John went throughout the whole territory of the River Jordan, preaching, “Turn away from your sins and be baptized, and God will forgive your sins.”

₇Crowds of people came out to John to be baptized by him. “You snakes!” he said to them. “Who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? ₈Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. And don't start saying among yourselves that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these stones and make descendants for Abraham! ₉The axe is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire.”

₁₀The people asked him, “What are we to do, then?”

₁₁He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it.”

₁₂Some tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what are we to do?”

₁₃“Don't collect more than is legal,” he told them.

₁₄Some soldiers also asked him, “What about us? What are we to do?”

He said to them, “Don't take money from anyone by force or accuse anyone falsely. Be content with your pay.”

₁₅People's hopes began to rise, and they began to wonder whether John perhaps might be the Messiah. ₁₆So John said to all of them, “I baptize you with water, but someone is coming who is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ₁₇He has his winnowing shovel with him, to thresh out all the grain and gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out.”

₁₈In many different ways John preached the Good News to the people and urged them to change their ways. ₁₉But John reprimanded Herod, the governor, because he had married Herodias, his brother's wife, and had done many other evil things. ₂₀Then Herod did an even worse thing by putting John in prison.

₂₁After all the people had been baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While he was praying, heaven was opened, ₂₂and the Holy Spirit came down upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my own dear Son. I am pleased with you.”

₂₃When Jesus began his work, he was about thirty years old. He was the son, so people thought, of Joseph, who was the son of Heli, ₂₄the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, ₂₅the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, ₂₆the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, ₂₇the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, ₂₈the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, ₂₉the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ₃₀the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, ₃₁the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, ₃₂the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, ₃₃the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, ₃₄the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, ₃₅the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, ₃₆the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, ₃₇the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Kenan, ₃₈the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.