Study Desk

The angel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you. For this reason the baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God.

Now Elizabeth, your relative, is also pregnant with a son though she is very old. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant for six months.

because he has shown his concern for his humble servant girl. From now on, all people will say that I am blessed,

because the Powerful One has done great things for me. His name is holy.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

When it was time for Elizabeth to give birth, she had a boy.

Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John," and everyone was surprised.

While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have the baby,

Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything they had seen and heard. It had been just as the angel had told them.

When the time came for Mary and Joseph to do what the law of Moses taught about being made pure, they took Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

In Jerusalem lived a man named Simeon who was a good man and godly. He was waiting for the time when God would take away Israel's sorrow, and the Holy Spirit was in him.

It is a light for the non-Jewish people to see and an honor for your people, the Israelites."

There was a prophetess, Anna, from the family of Phanuel in the tribe of Asher. Anna was very old. She had once been married for seven years.

Then her husband died, and she was a widow for eighty-four years. Anna never left the Temple but worshiped God, going without food and praying day and night.

Standing there at that time, she thanked God and spoke about Jesus to all who were waiting for God to free Jerusalem.

Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.

Thinking that Jesus was with them in the group, they traveled 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.

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 said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?"