Study Desk

"Now you, little boy, will be called a prophet of the Most High God. You will go first before the Lord to prepare the way for him.

While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have the baby.

The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy.

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

The time came for Mary and Joseph to do the things the Law of Moses taught about being made pure. They brought Jesus to Jerusalem so that they could present him to the Lord.

It is written in the law of the Lord: "When a mother's first baby is a boy, he shall be called ‘special for the Lord.'"

A man named Simeon lived in Jerusalem. He was a good man who was devoted to God. He was waiting for the time when God would come to help Israel. The Holy Spirit was with him.

So the secret thoughts of many will be made known. And the things that happen will be painful for you—like a sword cutting through your heart."

Anna was there when Joseph and Mary came to the Temple. She praised God and talked about Jesus to all those who were waiting for God to free Jerusalem.

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

They traveled for a whole day thinking that Jesus was with them in the group. They began looking for him among their family and close friends,

but they did not find him. So they went back to Jerusalem to look for him there.

When his parents saw him, they wondered how this was possible. And his mother said, "Son, why did you do this to us? Your father and I were very worried about you. We have been looking for you."

Jesus said to them, "Why did you have to look for me? You should have known that I must be where my Father's work is."

This is like the words written in the book of Isaiah the prophet: "There is someone shouting in the desert: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord. Make the road straight for him.

Change your hearts! And show by your lives that you have changed. I know what you are about to say—‘but Abraham is our father!' That means nothing. I tell you that God can make children for Abraham from these rocks!

Everyone was hoping for the Messiah to come, and they wondered about John. They thought, "Maybe he is the Messiah."

John criticized Herod the ruler for what he had done with Herodias, the wife of Herod's brother, as well as for all the other bad things he had done.

There the devil tempted Jesus for 40 days. Jesus ate nothing during this time, and when it was finished, he was very hungry.

and to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness."