Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.

It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

“Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

And all people will see God’s salvation.’”

And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,

And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.

No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.

And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John.

But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

The Parable of the Sower

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,

He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”