²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,^[a](A) because he will save his people from their sins.”^(B)

²² All this took place to fulfill^(C) what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”^[b](D) (which means “God with us”).

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened,^(A) and he saw the Spirit of God^(B) descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven^(C) said, “This is my Son,^(D) whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”^(E)

³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,^(A) Mary; you have found favor with God.^{(B) 31} You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.^{(C) 32} He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.^(D) The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,^{(E) 33} and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom^(F) will never end.”^(G)

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you,^(H) and the power of the Most High^(I) will overshadow you. So the holy one^(J) to be born will be called^[a] the Son of God.^{(K) 36} Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child^(L) in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”^(M)

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,^{(N) 40} where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.^{(O) 42} In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women,^(P) and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord^(Q) should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary’s Song^(R)

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

⁹ An angel^(A) of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.^(B) I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior^(C) has been born to you; he is the Messiah,^(D) the Lord.^{(E) 12} This will be a sign^(F) to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁶ For God so loved^(A) the world that he gave^(B) his one and only Son,^(C) that whoever believes^(D) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.^(E)

Jesus Prays to Be Glorified

17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven^(A) and prayed:

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:^(A)

¹⁷ For this reason he had to be made like them,^[a](A) fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful^(B) and faithful high priest^(C) in service to God,^(D) and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.^(E)