The Year of the Lord’s Favor

Israel’s Only Savior

The Magi Visit the Messiah

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,^(A) during the time of King Herod,^(B) Magi^[a] from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?^(C) We saw his star^(D) when it rose and have come to worship him.”

³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem^(E) in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.^(G) Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts^(H) of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned^(I) in a dream^(J) not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The Escape to Egypt

¹³ When they had gone, an angel^(K) of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.^(L) “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”^(M)

¹⁴ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, ¹⁵ where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled^(N) what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”^[c](O)

¹⁶ When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. ¹⁷ Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:^(P)

The Return to Nazareth

¹⁹ After Herod died, an angel^(S) of the Lord appeared in a dream^(T) to Joseph in Egypt ²⁰ and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”^(U)

²¹ So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream,^(V) he withdrew to the district of Galilee,^{(W) 23} and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.^(X) So was fulfilled^(Y) what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.^(Z)

Jesus Predicts His Death

²⁰ Now there were some Greeks^(A) among those who went up to worship at the festival. ²¹ They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida^(B) in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

²³ Jesus replied, “The hour^(C) has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.^{(D) 24} Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,^(E) it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it^(F) for eternal life.^{(G) 26} Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.^(H) My Father will honor the one who serves me.

²⁷ “Now my soul is troubled,^(I) and what shall I say? ‘Father,^(J) save me from this hour’?^(K) No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven,^(L) “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ²⁹ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

³⁰ Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit,^(M) not mine. ³¹ Now is the time for judgment on this world;^(N) now the prince of this world^(O) will be driven out. ³² And I, when I am lifted up^[a] from the earth,^(P) will draw all people to myself.”^{(Q) 33} He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.^(R)

³⁴ The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law^(S) that the Messiah will remain forever,^(T) so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man^(U) must be lifted up’?^(V) Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

³⁵ Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light^(W) just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light,^(X) before darkness overtakes you.^(Y) Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. ³⁶ Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”^(Z) When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.^(AA)