Announcements of Birth

The Birth of John Announced

(Lk 1:5-25)

5At the time of Herod, king of Judaea, there was a priest named Zachariah from the Abijah division. His wife Elizabeth descended from Aaron. ⁶They were both righteous before God and conducted themselves blamelessly by his commandments. ⁷Elizabeth couldn’t have children, and both were getting old.

⁸Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God in the sequence of his division. ⁹He’d been chosen by lot—according to the custom of the priestly office—to go in the sanctuary of the Lord to offer incense. ¹⁰A crowd outside was praying. ¹¹An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zachariah saw him, fear gripped him. ¹³The angel said,

“You don’t need to be afraid, Zachariah; God has heard your prayer. Your wife will have a son, and you’re to name him ‘John.’ ¹⁴You’ll be so happy, and many will celebrate his birth. ¹⁵He’ll be great before the Lord:

He won’t drink wine or strong beer.

He’ll be full of the Holy Spirit from birth.

¹⁶He’ll return many Israelites to the Lord their God.

¹⁷He’ll go ahead of the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah.

He’ll return the hearts of fathers to their children,

and the disobedient to the attitude good people have.

He’ll prepare a people for the Lord.”

¹⁸Zachariah said, “How am I going to know this? I’m an old man; my wife is up in years.”

¹⁹“I’m Gabriel; I stand beside the Lord. He sent me to bring you this good news. ²⁰You won’t be able to speak till it happens, because you didn’t believe what I told you; but it will come about in due time.”

²¹The people that were waiting for Zachariah couldn’t believe how long he’d been in the sanctuary. ²²When he did come out, he couldn’t talk to them. They suspected he’d seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept making gestures to them but couldn’t speak.

²³When his term of service was up, he went back home. ²⁴Later Elizabeth became pregnant. She hid herself five months, 25“This is how the Lord treated me when he looked at me and took away my disgrace among people.”

The Birth of Jesus Announced

(Lk 1:26-38)

²⁶In Elizabeth’s sixth month, God sent Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee. ²⁷He went to a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to Joseph, a descendant of David. ²⁸He went inside, and said, “Hello, favored one; the Lord’s with you.” ²⁹What he said startled her; she wondered what it meant.

³⁰The angel said,

“You don’t need to be afraid, Mary. God’s pleased with you. ³¹You’ll be pregnant and have a son; you’re to name him ‘Jesus.’

³²He’ll be great;

he’ll be called the Son of the Most High.

The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.

³³He’ll rule over the descendants of Jacob forever;

his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴Mary said, “How can that be? I don’t have a husband.”

35“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One that’s begotten will be called God’s Son. ³⁶Your relative Elizabeth is pregnant too with a son in her old age. This is the sixth month with her that’s been childless. ³⁷God can do anything.”

³⁸Mary said, “I’m the Lord’s servant; it can be like you’ve said.”

The angel left.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

(Lk 1:39-56)

³⁹Then Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judaea. ⁴⁰She went in Zachariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard her greeting, the baby kicked and Elizabeth was filled the Holy Spirit: ⁴²she shouted, “You are blessed among women, and your baby is blessed. ⁴³How is it that my Lord’s mother has come to me? ⁴⁴When I heard you say, ‘Hello,’ the baby kicked for joy in my womb. ⁴⁵You’re blessed for believing the Lord will keep his promise to you.”

⁴⁶Mary said,

“My soul lifts up the Lord;

⁴⁷I’m happy because God my Savior

⁴⁸has regard for my modest circumstances.

From now on, all generations will consider me blessed.

⁴⁹The Mighty One has done great things for me;

he is holy.

⁵⁰His mercy is for generations and generations

toward people that respect him.

⁵¹He has done a mighty thing.

He has scattered the proud in their vanity.

⁵²He has brought down rulers from thrones,

and lifted up the poor.

⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴He has helped Israel his child

in remembering his mercy,

⁵⁵as he promised our ancestors,

Abraham and his descendants forever.”

⁵⁶Mary stayed with her three months and went back home.

Jesus’ Birth Announced to Joseph

(Mt 1:18-25)

¹⁸This is the way the birth of Jesus Messiah took place. Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph. Before they got married, it was discovered that she was pregnant—by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Joseph her husband was a good man and didn’t want to disgrace her publicly; he intended to break off the engagement privately. ²⁰As he was thinking about it, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to marry her. She’s pregnant by the Holy Spirit. ²¹She’ll have a son. Name him ‘Jesus,’ because he’ll ‘save’ his people from their sins.” ²²This fulfilled what the Lord had said by Isaiah the prophet,

²³“A VIRGIN WILL HAVE A SON;

THEY’LL CALL HIM ‘EMMANUEL’ [‘God with us’]” [Is 7:14].

²⁴Joseph got up and did what the angel said, and had no relations with her till she had a son, and he named him “Jesus.”