The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸ Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before 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, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:^{(A) 11} to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,^[a] the Lord.^{(B) 12} This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”^{(C) 13} And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,^[b] praising God and saying,^(D)

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger.

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.^{(A) 7} If you know me, you will know^[a] my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

³⁷ Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. ³⁸ And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.^{(A) 39} Now when the centurion who stood facing him saw that in this way he^[a] breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”^[b](B)

⁵ The women^[a] were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men^[b] said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen.^{[c] 6} Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,^{(A) 7} that the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.”

The Ascension of Jesus

⁵⁰ Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them.^{(A) 51} While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.^[a](B)

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.^{(A) 2} And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.^{(B) 3} Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.^(C)

⁴¹ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

³ Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.^{(A) 4} He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”^{(B) 5} He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,^{(A) 26} and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”^(B)